Shining A New Light On Laser TherapyJuly 7, 2010 Therapeutic lasers aren’t quite a pain-management magic wand, but their adherents say they come close. When used properly, these light-emitting diodes perform virtual miracles in patients dealing with chronic pain, going through physical therapy or healing from trauma or post-surgical wounds—and they’re even proving to have regenerative effects, too. Photos courtesy of CAO Group Inc. A burn victim, top, and two weeks later after being treated with a diode laser. At the recent American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery conference in Phoenix, researcher Juanita Anders, Ph.D., of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences presented a study that showed how lasers trigger nerve growth. “The researchers showed that 980-nanometer wavelengths caused actual sprouting of nerves in a diabetic cell culture,” reports Ron Riegel, DVM, president of the American Institute for Medical Laser Applications in Mendenhall, Pa. “When they exposed it to laser, they tracked the mitochondria reproduction, which was higher, and they also found that they had actual neural sprouting in a large portion of the culture.” This kind of healing, inflammation relief and pain management is something Janet Van Dyck, DVM, of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute …
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Crowns Can Be Long-Lasting SolutionJuly 7, 2010 Dogs can generate huge amounts of force when they bite an object. Just ask Cherry Hill, N.J., police officer Kevin Seta, the handler of a 10-year-old German shepherd named Boz. Cherry Hill, N.J., police officer Kevin Seta and his K-9 partner Boz. Photos copyright University of Pennsylvania Trainers of police dogs often utilize bite sleeves. During training, or in the throes of duty, large canine teeth can fracture from the force and leverage placed on them. When Boz was 4, his right mandibular canine tooth fractured during a bite work session. Seta knew to take Boz to the University of Pennsylvania’s Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service at Ryan Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia. Boz’s fractured canine tooth was a complicated crown fracture, resulting in pulp exposure and the loss of about one-third of the tooth. Once Boz was placed under anesthesia, dental radiography was performed to determine the extent of trauma to the fractured canine tooth and to assess all other teeth. Pathology was limited to the fractured canine tooth, and radiographic examination showed that Boz’s tooth was a good candidate for endodontic treatment and placement of a protective crown over the tooth after …
Getting Started With Chinese HerbsJune 3, 2010 Some veterinarians are worried about the safety and possible toxicity of Chinese herbs,1 but this is not a concern when you buy from the companies commonly used by veterinary herbalists. Companies in China that do not have an American counterpart may add adulterants or toxic substances.2 Which companies have quality-control procedures and follow U.S. good manufacturing practices? Examples include Golden Flowers, Health Concerns, Jin Tang Herbals, K’an Herbals, May Way, Natural Path and World Herbs (Darcy Naturals).3 All these companies examine raw herbs to ensure the right species, avoid the use of toxic species and submit both the raw ingredients and the final product to laboratory tests. In addition, one company uses organic herbs. At least three of the companies import raw herbs from China and process them in the U.S. The companies belong to quality assurance groups such as the National Animal Supplement Council4 and the Chinese Herbal Medicine Coalition5, which work with the Food and Drug Administration to establish certification standards for safe and effective use of their products. All have experienced herbalists as founders or staff members. All give or sponsor continuing education, enabling practitioners to better understand …
In-House Analyzers Can Be Good FitJune 3, 2010 Is it time to bring the laboratory in-house? Given today’s flattened economic climate and veterinary practitioners’ shrinking caseload, a full lab suite in the office could serve new and existing clients, deliver a higher level of patient care—and allow clinics to tap into the revenue stream flowing to commercial laboratories. Calculating a Return on Investment With a quick keyword search, the Internet delivers dozens of return-on-investment, or ROI, calculators to help determine whether a capital purchase can be financially justified, say industry experts. The majority of the calculators asked for these key figures: Original investment, or initial cost of the item The interest rate (if any) The term of the loan (if any) Number of procedures done How much will be charged for each procedure If the cost of the equipment exceeds the estimated income, clinics may consider sticking with commercial laboratories or adjusting how much they charge for blood work or chemistry panels.
World Vets: Inside JobMay 11, 2010 Colorful drawings of whales and other sea creatures decorate a room that in less than a morning is transformed from a primary-school science lab into one of the most efficient veterinary clinics in all of Honduras. I’m here to help, but that’s me near the deep-blue block wall, feeling like a complete fish out of water. As a volunteer, the only thing I can claim in common with the clinic’s cadre of professionals, including five experienced U.S. veterinarians, is the official World Vets scrub shirt I received in the mail. Hey, at least when I first put it on I looked like I belonged. That illusion shatters quickly when, after patient training, veterinary technician Laurie Doton asks me to fill a syringe with a pre-surgery sedative. What I hear is, “Please cut yourself and bleed all over the cement floor, causing curious children and their parents to look at each other in horror as they wonder just exactly what they’ve gotten their pets into.” OK, so it isn’t that bad. Most of the horror is my own as I scramble to stop the flow of embarrassment, finally employing my no-longer-blue shirt to keep my A-positive …
Ultrasound Sees Ultrarapid GrowthMay 4, 2010 Once a specialty diagnostic with limited use in the veterinary field, ultrasound has evolved into a widely accepted—and expected—standard of care. John Feleciano, DVM, Dipl. ACVR, VDIC manager of radiology with Idexx Laboratories in Clackamas, Ore., says ultrasound no longer is an optional service. Case Study Eric Lindquist, DMV, Dipl. ABVP, the founder and CEO of SonoPath.com, participated in a study of intraoperative ultrasound for precise biopsy and resection of transabdominally detected intestinal lesions in three cats. He explains the ultrasound of the patient, a 14-year-old FS DSH that presented for vomiting and weight loss. No abnormalities were seen on bloodwork or urinalysis. The intraoperative ultrasound was performed in order to identify the intestinal wall lesion seen during the transabdominal sonogram. The intestinal lesion could not be seen by the surgeon on exploratory laparotomy given that the intestinal serosa was not involved in the pathological process, but the intestinal wall was focally infiltrated with lymphoma. Moreover, the extent of the lesion could not be seen either unless it was defined by the ultrasound image. Ultrasound allowed for adequate resection of the lesion since the clinical sonographer …
Therapeutic DietsMay 4, 2010 Explaining to pet owners the difference between a therapeutic diet and one found on a store shelf can help boost sales and improve compliance, experts say. The average client may not realize that diets found in pet and grocery stores lack the benefits offered by therapeutic diets sold only in veterinary offices. Industry nutritionists say veterinarians need to convey that therapeutic foods are comprised of ingredients developed and tested by researchers producing the diet. While many pet food companies producing maintenance diets perform clinical tests for palatability, digestibility and nutritional value, therapeutic diets are tested using cell cultures and evaluating individual ingredients in animals with spontaneous disease. “Therapeutic diets are formulated for use with specific conditions, therefore the formulations are more defined and quality control is typically higher than over-the-counter foods,” says Joseph W. Bartges, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVN. “For example, diets designed for kidney failure or diabetes mellitus use specific ingredients and have a nutritional profile that is based on the condition and are designed to help in managing a patient with that specific condition.” Do therapeutic diets extend the life of an animal? Conclusive evidence is lacking, but Dr. Bartges, a …
Testing, Treating Feline HyperthyroidismApril 8, 2010 Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrinopathy of older cats. The disease usually results from adenomatous hyperplasia or adenoma of the thyroid gland; carcinomas are relatively rare. In 70 percent of cases the thyroid gland changes are bilateral. Many clinical signs can be seen, with weight loss being present in about 90 percent of cases and polyphagia in about 50 percent of cases.1 Hyperactivity, polyuria/polydipsia, tachycardia, arterial hypertension, vomiting, diarrhea, panting, generalized weakness and a variety of other signs can be seen. In rare instances, apathetic hyperthyroidism can occur with weakness, inappetance and marked lethargy. Diagnosis in most cases is straightforward in that most cats will have an elevated total T4 values. In some instances, especially with other underlying disease or in older cats, total T4 may still be in the normal reference range. In this situation, additional testing can be useful, especially free T4 with a dialysis procedure. Testing for fT4 is less useful as a screening test since falsely elevated fT4 concentrations can be found in normal cats. In rare instances additional testing such as the T3 suppression test will be needed to confirm a diagnosis. Treating Hyperthyroidism …
Other Ways To Manage Feline HyperthyroidismApril 8, 2010Radioactive Iodine This is the treatment of choice if available and affordable. Ideally, only abnormal tissue will be destroyed and normal tissue should be spared. It’s equally effective if abnormal tissue is not located in the thyroid gland. Can also be used with adenocarcinomas (higher dose required). Cats do have to be relatively stable clinically to be treated and need to eat in clinic if treatment is to occur. Most cats are euthyroid within one or two months of treatment. Percutaneous Ethanol Injection This treatment has a learning curve, so an experienced operator is needed. Only one thyroid gland should be treated at a given time even if both thyroid glands are enlarged; the contralateral gland should be treated at a later date. The results with treatment of cats with unilateral involvement has been good, while hyperthyroidism has uniformly reoccurred in those with bilateral disease. Laryngeal paralysis is a common complication, which may be permanent or transient; bilateral laryngeal paralysis may be fatal. Horner’s also can occur. Surgical Thyroidectomy This is an effective, permanent treatment for hyperthyroidism with bilateral thyroidectomy being recommended given …
Injecting Insight Into VaccinationsMarch 4, 2010 The low cost of companion animal vaccines has translated into high client compliance, and up to one-fourth of global animal health product revenue comes from vaccines. But things get complicated when veterinarians use vaccines in ways not approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or as recommended by the manufacturer. Many manufacturer labels recommend that core vaccinations be given every year, but some veterinarians are administering them every three years. “It’s absolutely possible that the vaccines work for much longer, but the companies have not done the tests to prove that and have no legal or financial motivation to do so,” says Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia. Federal law gives veterinarians some leeway under certain circumstances. “Please realize that every time we do that [booster less than annually] we are technically out of compliance with the legal use of the vaccine in question,” Dr. Creevy says. “To be covered under the federal exception, we must have an established veterinarian-client relationship and must explain this extralabel use to the client. Thus, there are still veterinarians who do not feel comfortable doing that.” To help …
