What a dental exam of a 4-year-old coonhound revealedNovember 2, 2017Back in the day, when I was a resident at the University of Pennsylvania, Tanya, a second-year veterinary student, brought her black and tan coonhound to my office. Chester was 4 years old, and Tanya was concerned that she found an oral tumor in his mouth.
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Raising greyhound health awarenessOctober 13, 2017When veterinary oncologist Guillermo Couto, DVM, first noticed the medical idiosyncrasies of greyhounds, he was serving as a professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Former veterinary military surgeon shares his experiencesOctober 12, 2017The keynote speaker at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons conference in October 2016 was board-certified veterinary surgeon Jim Giles, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA.
Canine rabies vaccination promises unexpected benefitsSeptember 28, 2017 New research funded by Morris Animal Foundation shows the rabies vaccine may have a positive impact on overall canine health and is associated with a decrease in death from all causes. Darryn Knobel, BVSc MSc MRCVS PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine recently published his research results in the journal Vaccine. What the findings show The study found that vaccination reduces the risk of death from any cause by 56 percent in dogs 0 to 3 months of age. While all dogs had decreased mortality, the percentage decrease was highest in young dogs, with the effect diminishing over time. Dr. Knobel's study area incorporates an impoverished region of South Africa, where infectious diseases, including rabies, are an ever-present threat to humans and dogs. The research team concluded that the decrease in mortality couldn't be explained by a reduction in deaths due to rabies alone. "This led us to propose that the vaccine may have a non-specific protective effect in dogs, perhaps through boosting the immune system to provide enhanced defense against other, unrelated diseases," said Knobel. "A similar phenomenon has been observed in children, although …
Dental product earns veterinary oral health council sealSeptember 28, 2017Two clinical studies show that SwedencareUSA's ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites for dogs significantly reduce the formation of plaque and tartar. As a result, the bites earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) health claim seal "helps control plaque and tartar." Jerzy Gawor, DVM, Ph.D., president of Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations and president elect of the European Veterinary Dental College, performed the studies. "VOHC acceptance is an important indicator in the efficacy of pet dental health products," said Martin Shimko, president of SwedencareUSA in Poulsbo, Wash. "Pets love them, and now … there is science behind the product." Study methods Two groups of dogs, one group with small dogs, and one with small and medium size dogs, participated in the studies. Between two subgroups, one received ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites and one received a placebo without the bites' active ingredient, Ascophyllum nodosum. All dogs were examined and had their teeth cleaned prior to the study. Study results After 30 days, researchers measured for plaque and tartar. Groups receiving ProDen PlaqueOff Dental Bites had significantly less plaque and …
Michigan specialty veterinary care center seeks dogs for cancer studySeptember 19, 2017 Oakland Veterinary Referral Services (OVRS) specialty veterinary care center is conducting a nationwide study on dogs with canine splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) and the benefits of using traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) as treatment to significantly extend life expectancy. Erin Bannink, DVM, DACVIM, VCHM, CVA, is leading the study, according to Lucy Henney, DVM, DACVS, owner of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based OVRS. Most dogs diagnosed with HSA are treated by removal of the spleen after the tumor has ruptured and bled, causing life-threatening blood loss; most dogs living only two months after surgery due to the spread of cancer to other organs, according to Dr. Bannink. Because of HSA's aggressive nature, chemotherapy is usually recommended after surgery in the hope of prolonging life, but it only modestly prolongs survival, and most dogs still die of cancer spread within three to four months of diagnosis, she said. "The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with a specific herbal therapy regimen is helpful in prolonging survival time after surgery in dogs with HSA and no evidence of cancer spread," said Bannink. "We hypothesize that dogs treated with this standardized protocol after splenectomy will have …
Petplan, National Police Dog Foundation announce first grant award recipientsSeptember 18, 2017Petplan and the National Police Dog Foundation (NPDF) announced the winners of the inaugural K-9 Health Insurance Grant, a joint effort between the Newtown Square, Pa., pet insurer and the Foundation, awards one year of pet insurance to five currently active police dogs throughout the U.S. The winning grant recipients are: Reximus, a 3-year-old German shepherd dog with the Nome Police Department in Alaska. ' handler, started the K-9 program at the Nome Police Department after many years without a K-9 unit. Reximus specializes in narcotics detection and is the only four-legged officer in all of Western Alaska. "I've been paying for Reximus' veterinary care, including airfare for emergency transport, with the understanding it may not be reimbursed," Timm said on his grant application. With his new Petplan policy, 90 percent of Reximus' unexpected veterinary expenses will be covered. Rudy, a 2-year-old German shepherd dog/Belgian malinois mix with the Upland Police Department in California Rudy's K-9 team is funded primarily through donations from the public (the city covers vehicle upkeep and the handlers' salaries only). The Petplan/NPDF grant will allow the Upland PD to maximize existing funds and put future donations toward …
AKC Canine Health Foundation funds clinical trial to study cannabidiol in treating drug-resistant epilepsy in dogsSeptember 14, 2017By Veterinary Practice News Editors The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), which has funded more than $2 million for canine epilepsy research, launched an initiative in 2017 to further understand the most common neurological disorder that affects pure- and mixed-breed dogs. Improved treatments are urgently needed, especially for dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy or where side effects of currently available drugs are not tolerated, according to the organization. To that, the CHF has announced the beginning a major clinical trial to study the use of cannabidiol to treat drug resistant epilepsy in dogs. Stephanie McGrath, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will lead "Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD) for the Treatment of Canine Epilepsy." According to Dr. McGrath, up to 30 percent of dogs receiving standard anti-epileptic therapy remain uncontrolled for their seizures, and the side effects of the antiepileptic drugs are often unacceptable. CBD, a nonpsychotropic component of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been shown to have anticonvulsant properties; this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial study will be utilized to prove its effectiveness, she stated. "The timeliness and importance of research into the role of cannabis in …
AHS urges best practices to prevent, minimize heartworm transmission in dogsSeptember 14, 2017By Veterinary Practice News Editors The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has announced a new set of veterinary best practices for minimizing heartworm transmission in dogs relocated due to recent natural disasters, a cross-country family move, or other circumstances. The guidelines include recommendations for heartworm testing, treatment, and prevention, and were developed in collaboration with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). "Preventing transmission of D. immitis has always been a focus of the AHS Heartworm Guidelines," sais Chris Rehm, DVM, AHS president. "However, we believe we need to do more, given the potential for heartworm-positive dogs to serve as reservoirs for infection. For example, if a microfilaria-positive dog is rescued in one state and subsequently moved to a new home in another state where nearby pets are unprotected, mosquitoes feeding on the new dog can quickly become heartworm vectors. The results can be disastrous for unprotected pets in the vicinity." Measures can be taken to protect the health of both infected animals and their new neighbors, according to Dr. Rehm. While the ideal scenario is to treat infected dogs before transporting or traveling with them, situations often dictate that infected animals cannot undergo …
Which Procedure Was Performed?September 6, 2017 Presentation A body part removed from an 11-year-old Labrador retriever. Challenge What's your diagnosis? So what procedure was performed? Name two potentially deadly patho-physiological consequences of this condition (hint: one is a certainty; the other one is a possibility).
