SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and of its wholly-owned subsidiaries since their respective dates of acquisitions. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reverse Stock Split

The Company completed a 1-for-10 reverse stock split which was effective on December 30, 2010. Except as otherwise indicated, all related amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements, including common share quantities, earnings per share amounts and exercise prices of options, have been retroactively adjusted for the effect of this reverse stock split.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates are required when establishing the allowance for doubtful accounts and the provision for excess/obsolete inventory, in determining the period over which the Company's obligations are fulfilled under agreements to license product rights and/or technology rights, evaluating long-lived assets for impairment, estimating the expense associated with the granting of stock options and in determining the need for, and the amount of, a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

Trade Accounts Receivable

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company's best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the Company's existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on historical write-off experience. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. Past due balances over 90 days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectibility. Account balances are charged against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. The Company does not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to its customers.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company maintains the majority of its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions that management believes are creditworthy in the form of demand deposits. The Company has no significant off-balance-sheet concentrations of credit risk such as foreign exchange contracts, options contracts or other foreign currency hedging arrangements. Its accounts receivable balances are due primarily from domestic veterinary clinics and individual veterinarians, and both domestic and international corporations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates market, and include short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of less than three months. The Company valued its Euro and Japanese Yen cash accounts at the spot market foreign exchange rate as of each balance sheet date, with changes due to foreign exchange fluctuations recorded in current earnings. The Company held 506,016 and 556,173 Euros at December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The Company held 38,539,410 and 9,685,521 Yen at December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The Company held 217,356 and 330,533 Swiss Francs at December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The majority of the Company's cash and cash equivalents are held at U.S.-based or Swiss-based financial institutions in accounts not insured by governmental entities.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company's financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term trade receivables and payables and the Company's revolving line of credit. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents and short-term trade receivables and payables approximate fair value. The fair value of the Company's line of credit balance is estimated based on current rates available for similar debt with similar maturities and collateral, and at December 31, 2010 and 2011, approximates the carrying value due primarily to the floating rate of interest on such debt instruments.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out method. Inventory manufactured by the Company includes the cost of material, labor and overhead. If the cost of inventories exceeds estimated fair value, provisions are made to reduce the carrying value to estimated fair value.

Inventories, net consist of the following (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2010			2011
Raw materials	$	4,203		$	5,580
Work in process		3,483			2,505
Finished goods		5,388			5,043
Allowance for excess or obsolete inventory		(1,173	)		(727	)
	$	11,901		$	12,401

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the applicable lease period or their estimated useful lives, whichever is shorter. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense when incurred, and major renewals and improvements are capitalized.

Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):

	Estimated Useful Life	December 31,
		2010			2011
Land	N/A	$	377			$	377
Building	10 to 20 years		2,678				2,678
Machinery and equipment	3 to 15 years		27,302				28,617
Leasehold and building improvements	7 to 15 years		5,322				5,322
Construction in progress			385				463
			36,064				37,457
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization			(30,578	)			(32,588	)
		$	5,486			$	4,869

From time to time, the Company utilizes marketing programs whereby its instruments in inventory may be placed in a customer's location on a rental basis. The cost of these instruments is transferred to machinery and equipment and depreciated, typically over a four year period. During 2009, 2010 and 2011, total costs transferred from inventory were approximately $128 thousand, $815 thousand and $351 thousand, respectively.

Depreciation and amortization expense for property and equipment was $2.6 million, $2.3 million and $2.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Realizability of Long-Lived Assets

The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the remaining estimated useful life of long-lived assets may warrant revision, or that the remaining balance of these assets may not be recoverable. When deemed necessary, the Company completes this evaluation by comparing the carrying amount of the assets with the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with them. If such evaluations indicate that the future undiscounted cash flows of amortizable long-lived assets are not sufficient to recover the carrying value of such assets, the assets are adjusted to their estimated fair values.

Goodwill

Goodwill is subject to an annual assessment for impairment. Impairment is indicated when the carrying amount of the related reporting unit is greater than its estimated fair value.

The Company's recorded goodwill relates to the 1997 acquisition of Heska AG, the Company's Swiss subsidiary. This goodwill is reviewed at least annually for impairment. This impairment assessment is completed at the Heska AG reporting unit level. The Company completed its annual analysis estimating that the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the goodwill at December 31, 2011 and determined there was no indicated impairment of its goodwill. The key inputs to the estimated fair value include historical and 2012 budgeted operating income, net income and cash flows. At December 31, 2010 and 2011, goodwill was approximately $1.0 million, and was included in the assets of the Core Companion Animal Health segment. The change in carrying value of the goodwill between years was solely due to foreign currency rate changes. There can be no assurance that future goodwill impairments will not occur.

Revenue Recognition

The Company generates its revenues through sale of products and services, licensing of product and technology rights, and research and development services. Revenue is accounted for in accordance with the guidelines provided by SEC Codification of Staff Accounting Bulletins, Topic 13: Revenue Recognition. The Company's policy is to recognize revenue when the applicable revenue recognition criteria have been met, which generally include the following:

·Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;

·Delivery has occurred or services rendered;

·Price is fixed or determinable; and

·Collectibility is reasonably assured.

Revenue from the sale of products is generally recognized after both the goods are shipped to the customer and acceptance has been received, if required, with an appropriate provision for estimated returns and other allowances. The terms of the customer arrangements generally pass title and risk of ownership to the customer at the time of shipment. Certain customer arrangements provide for acceptance provisions. Revenue for these arrangements is not recognized until the acceptance has been received or the acceptance period has lapsed. The Company maintains an allowance for sales returns based upon its customer policies and historical experience. Shipping and handling costs charged to customers are included as revenue, and the related costs are recorded as a component of cost of products sold.

In addition to its direct sales force, the Company utilizes distributors to sell its products. Distributors purchase goods from the Company, take title to those goods and resell them to their customers in the distributors' territory.

Upfront payments received by the Company under arrangements for product, patent or technology rights in which the Company retains an interest in the underlying product, patent or technology are initially deferred, and revenue is subsequently recognized over the estimated life of the agreement, product, patent or technology. The Company has not received any significant up-front payments in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Revenue from royalties is recognized based upon historical experience or as the Company is informed of sales on which it is entitled to royalties.

For multiple-element arrangements that are not subject to a higher level of authoritative literature, the Company follows the authoritative guidance for accounting for revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables in determining the separate units of accounting. For those arrangements subject to appropriate separation criteria, the Company must determine whether the various elements meet the criteria to be accounted for as separate elements. If the elements cannot be separated, revenue is recognized once revenue recognition criteria for the entire arrangement have been met or over the period that the Company's obligations to the customer are fulfilled, as appropriate. If the elements are determined to be separable, the revenue is allocated to the separate elements based on relative fair value and recognized separately for each element when the applicable revenue recognition criteria have been met. In accounting for these multiple element arrangements, the Company must make determinations about whether elements can be accounted for separately and make estimates regarding their relative fair values.

Cost of Products Sold

Royalties payable in connection with certain licensing agreements (see Note 8) are reflected in cost of products sold as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

During the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Company’s income from operations and income before income taxes were reduced by $313 thousand, $336 thousand and $414 thousand, respectively, and net income was reduced by $233 thousand, $287 thousand and $348 thousand, respectively, for compensation related to stock options issued. Basic and diluted earnings per share were reduced by $0.04 and $0.04 in 2009, $0.05 and $0.05 in 2010 and $0.07 and $0.07 in 2011. For all years presented, there was no material impact on cash flow from operations and cash flow from financing activities. At December 31, 2011, the Company had two stock-based compensation plans. See Note 6 for a description of these plans and additional disclosures regarding the plans.

Advertising Costs

The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expenses were $471 thousand, $735 thousand and $621 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company records a current provision for income taxes based on estimated amounts payable or refundable on tax returns filed or to be filed each year. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates, in each tax jurisdiction, expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in operations in the period that includes the enactment date. The overall change in deferred tax assets and liabilities for the period measures the deferred tax expense or benefit for the period. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance based on judgmental assessment of available evidence if the Company is unable to conclude that it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized.

Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed using the sum of the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, and, if not anti-dilutive, the effect of outstanding common stock equivalents (such as stock options and warrants) determined using the treasury stock method. At December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, securities that have been excluded from diluted net income per share because they would be anti-dilutive are outstanding options to purchase 1,259,721, 1,121,264 and 1,029,151 shares, respectively, of the Company's common stock. Securities included in the diluted net income per share calculation at December 31, 2009, 2010, and 2011 using the treasury stock method, were outstanding options to purchase approximately 3 thousand, 34 thousand and 101 thousand shares of the Company's common stock, respectively.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss), as shown in the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity, includes net income adjusted for the results of certain stockholders' equity changes. Such changes include foreign currency items and minimum pension liability adjustments. At December 31, 2011, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) consists of $838 thousand gain for cumulative translation adjustments, $609 thousand loss for unrealized pension liability and $13 thousand of unrealized gain on available for sale investments. At December 31, 2010, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) consists of $851 thousand gain for cumulative translation adjustments, $589 thousand loss for unrealized pension liability and $22 thousand of unrealized gain on available for sale investments. At December 31, 2009, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) consists of $564 thousand gain for cumulative translation adjustments, $611 thousand loss for unrealized pension liability and $17 thousand of unrealized gain on available for sale investments.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of the Company's Swiss subsidiary is the Swiss Franc. Assets and liabilities of the Company's Swiss subsidiary are translated using the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenue and expense accounts and cash flows are translated using an average of exchange rates in effect during the period. Cumulative translation gains and losses are shown in the consolidated balance sheets as a separate component of stockholders' equity. Exchange gains and losses arising from transactions denominated in foreign currencies (i.e., transaction gains and losses) are recognized as a component of other income (expense) in current operations, as are exchange gains and losses on intercompany transactions expected to be settled in the near term.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In 2011 the FASB amended the provisions of the Fair Value Measurement topic of the FASB Codification. This amendment provides a consistent definition of fair value and ensures that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This topic changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements, particularly for Level 3 fair value measurements. These provisions are effective for reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011, applied prospectively. The adoption of this amendment will not have a material effect on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In 2011 the FASB amended the provisions of the Comprehensive Income topic of the FASB Codification. The amended provisions were issued to enhance comparability between entities that report under GAAP and IFRS and to provide a more consistent method of presenting non-owner transactions that affect an entity's equity. This topic eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in shareholders' equity and requires an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. These amended provisions are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption of the new guidance is permitted and full retrospective application is required. The adoption of this amendment will not have a material effect on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements as the amendment impacts presentation only.

In 2011 the FASB amended the provisions of the Intangibles-Goodwill and Other topic of the FASB Codification. The provision will allow companies to assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more-likely-than-not that goodwill might be impaired and whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test required under current accounting standards. These amended provisions are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. We have elected to enact early adoption of this amendment, which did not have a material effect on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.