ACVIM 2017 Recap, Review of Abaxis and More…
Updated: May 5
Another successful American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine forum (ACVIM 2017) recently wrapped up earlier this month and, as usual, attendees walked away with a great deal of valuable insight. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of attending the annual event, here’s a briefing of what it’s all about. Additionally, the impressive list of exhibitors that showcased their products and services at the event has inspired us to do a few reviews of our own – in particular, Abaxis and MWI Animal Health.
Here are some of our results on the research.

ACVIM 2017
The purpose of the ACVIM forum is to provide a central gathering of veterinary industry professionals where they can network with one another, enjoy educational opportunities and learn about the many products and services that are currently available for use in vet clinics. The initial event was held in 1983 in New Orleans. Since that time, the annual forum has grown from a modest 350 attendees to more than 3,000 (and growing). Participants can also earn continuing education credits for their attendance. As with forums of the past, ACVIM 2017, held in Washington, DC brought together thousands of veterinary professionals and more than 600 sessions around the theme of “Innovation, Science and Beyond.” As such, attendees were presented with an ideal combination of cutting-edge scientific research, interactive lectures and exclusive networking opportunities with the best and the brightest minds in the veterinary industry. The 4-day ACVIM 2017 agenda was absolutely jam-packed with valuable presentations, lectures and panel discussions on such topics as cardiology, neurology, oncology and internal medicine for both small and large animals. As usual, exhibitors and attendees alike reported that the event was a resounding success, with many already clamoring to sign up for next year.
Abaxis Global Diagnostics Review
Among other things, ACVIM 2017 inspired us to explore a few of the popular brands currently being marketed to animal health care professionals. One such provider that has been serving the veterinary industry for nearly 30 years is medical device manufacturer Abaxis Global Diagnostics. Abaxis Global provides point-of-care technology, tools and services that are designed to support best medical practices and enable veterinarians to respond to the needs of their clients while operating economical and profitable practices. The main focus of Abaxis Global is animal health diagnostics, for which they offer a wide variety of tools including their popular line of VetScan products. The company also offers a veterinary reference center called Vetcom, which contains a variety of resources including product brochures, case studies from around the world, white papers and user guides as well as product demonstrations, testimonials, in-clinic videos and much more. Lastly, they offer consulting services geared toward optimizing preventative care and clinical diagnostics. These value-added options make it easy to see why Abaxis Global has become such a trusted name in the veterinary field.

MWI Animal Health Review
Another well-known brand serving the veterinary industry is MWI Animal Health, which was founded in 1976 by fellow DVM Millard Wallace Ickes. Today, MWI Animal Health is one of the largest veterinary pharmaceutical distributors in the U.S., serving the companion animal, equine and livestock markets. In addition to their veterinary products and SDS retrieval service, MWI Animal Health also offers a variety of AAHA-aligned practice management resources in the areas of inventory management, marketing, financials, compliance, continuing education, human resources and more.
Like Abaxis, it’s the additional value-added options that make MWI Animal Health such a valuable industry resource. Now that you know what we think, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Did you attend ACVIM 2017? What were your biggest takeaways? How about the products/services? Do you use Abaxis or MWI Animal Health in your practice? If so, what has been your overall experience with them? Please share and let’s discuss!