- JAB’s pet insurance platform has acquired a majority interest in pet insurance company Pumpkin Insurance Services. Zoetis, which launched Pumpkin in 2020, will maintain a significant minority stake in Pumpkin and continue its commercial partnership with the business. JAB currently insures more than 3.3 million pets and is expected to grow that number to approximately 4 million pets by the end of 2024, according to the announcement.
- Lawmakers appear set to pass a bill requiring the federal government to study the effects of xylazine on the illicit drug supply, MedPage Today reports. The House unanimously passed a bill May 11, and a Senate committee passed a companion bill that’s now headed to a full vote. The measure would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support research on xylazine and other emerging substances of concern. It doesn’t address scheduling xylazine as a controlled substance.
- Fifty-nine percent of dogs and 61% of cats in the United States in 2022 were classified as overweight or having obesity, according to a recent survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. These numbers were up from previous surveys conducted in 2018 and 2017. “Obesity in pets is not just a cosmetic issue,” said Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of APOP. “It is a major health issue that can lead to numerous medical conditions such as diabetes, orthopedic diseases, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.” Many pet owners don’t recognize their pet’s excess weight or overweight body condition, and only 49% said their veterinary professional discussed their pet’s ideal or healthy body condition yearly, APOP found.