The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) today announced the additions of Ceva Animal Health, LLC and Dechra Veterinary Products, LLC as Educational Partners. The Educational Partnership program consists of 13 corporations dedicated to providing resources and education through the AAEP to equine veterinarians and horse owners to improve the health and welfare of the horse. 

“We are excited and proud to become an AAEP Educational Partner,” said Steve Hoffman, vice president of the equine business at Ceva Animal Health. “Ceva shares a similar mission with the AAEP, and is committed to supporting the development of equine professionals and providing leadership for the benefit of the equine industry. It is our privilege to partner with the AAEP, and we look forward to our involvement with the association and its members.” 

“Dechra’s new partnership with AAEP represents a significant step forward in achieving our vision of becoming a recognized leader in the equine veterinary industry,” said Marian Little, DVM, manager of equine technical and professional services for Dechra Veterinary Products. “Furthermore, Dechra’s commitment to a partnership with AAEP is integral to providing our equine-focused customers the top-tier level of educational and technical support they deserve. We anticipate many years of collaborative educational opportunities with AAEP that will ultimately serve to elevate members’ perception of Dechra Veterinary Products.” 

As committed partners to equine practitioners and their clients, Ceva Animal Health and Dechra Veterinary Products have been longstanding supporters of the AAEP and its educational opportunities for its members as exhibitors and through the support of key events at the AAEP’s Annual Convention. 

Ceva Animal Health, LLC, (www.ceva.us) has been ranked as one of the top three fastest-growing veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world for the past five years, and it now ranks as the ninth-largest animal health group globally. The company has operations in 42 countries, with 13 research and development centers, 21 production sites and over 3,000 employees worldwide. The company’s North American headquarters is in Lenexa, Kan. 

Ceva’s growing line of equine products include Confidence EQ® to help reduce and prevent stress in horses, Altresyn^® (altrenogest), and Tildren^® (tiludronate disodium). Other companion animal products include the Vectra^® line of parasiticides, the pheromone products Adaptil^® and Feliway^®, and Meloxidyl^® (meloxicam). Ceva recently acquired Sogeval Animal Health, adding more than 100 products, including DOUXO^® dermatology products and TRP-TRI-Cox.  

A business unit of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC, Dechra Veterinary Products (www.dechra-us.com) operates in the United States, Canada and 12 European countries. Dechra North America is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan. Dechra specializes in development and marketing of licensed, branded pharmaceuticals. Its U.S. equine portfolio strategically incorporates ethical products for which there is no other effective solution, or that offer clinical or dosing advantage over existing options. The company has taken a forward-thinking role in regenerative medicine with established brands Orthokine^® vet irap and Osteokine^® (PRP). Dechra previously achieved FDA approval of Equidone^® Gel (domperidone), now a go-to product in equine reproductive endocrinology; and, in May, achieved FDA approval of Osphos^® (clodronate), a new intramuscular bisphosphonate indicated for control of the clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in horses. Each of these products stands alone and exemplifies a significant investment that benefits the horse, the veterinarian and the industry dedication mutually shared by Dechra and the AAEP. 

“It is rewarding to have companies of Ceva and Dechra’s excellence interested in promoting the importance of equine health care,” said David Foley, AAEP executive director. “We look forward to working together to benefit the continuing education of equine practitioners and horse owners for the health of the horse.” 

The 11 other AAEP Educational Partners are Bayer HealthCare Animal Health; Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.; IDEXX Laboratories; Luitpold Animal Health; Merial; Merck Animal Health; Nutramax Laboratories, Inc.; Nutrena; Platinum Performance; Purina; and Zoetis. The AAEP also has to two Media Partners—EQUUS and The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care—that support the AAEP through education and dissemination to members and their clients of cutting-edge horse health news. 

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

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