After Dog's Recovery, Tufts University Reminds Owners About the Need for Genetic TestingOctober 20, 2015Recently, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University nursed a dog back to health after it nearly died. Bristol, a 4-year-old Australian Shepherd, was brought to the school’s Foster Hospital for Small Animals in early September, barely responsive and experiencing persistent seizures. Her owner suspected Bristol was suffering from severe ivermectin toxicity, a condition in which ivermectin, the active ingredient in some heartworm prevention medicines, crosses the blood-brain barrier and causes neurological damage. The case, the university says, highlights the value of a simple genetic test that can help owners determine if their pets are vulnerable to what in most cases is a safe, commonly used drug. Bristol required immediate and aggressive care, including the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. She also underwent a brain MRI to rule out other causes of her condition. “It took a great amount of intervention, without which this condition would have been fatal,” said Dr. Terri O’Toole, D.V.M., one of a team of critical care specialists overseeing Bristol’s care. Although …
SPONSORED CONTENTAre Your Patients Fully Protected?Fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites—dogs face multiple threats. See how a multi-parasite approach can offer your patients a broad range of protection. + Learn More
Popular Ways of Treating Congestive Heart Failure in DogsOctober 12, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! While current treatments for congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs vary based on a practitioner’s personal experiences, there are some strong favorites in the field, cardiology specialists say. Most veterinary cardiologists use furosemide; an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor like enalapril, benazepril or lisinopril; and pimobendan for management of the most common forms of congestive heart failure, said John Rush, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVECC, Dipl. ACVIM. Dr. Rush is a professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. For the most common form of heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy — a degenerative mitral valve disease that causes mitral regurgitation — some veterinary cardiologists also routinely use an aldosterone receptor antagonist, such as spironolactone, Rush said. Others, he said, might add in the drug once signs of congestive heart failure, such as cough, rapid or labored breathing and evidence of pulmonary infiltrates on radiographs, become refractory to these three therapies, Rush said. “Once …
Skewer-Gobbling Boxer Wins Hambone AwardOctober 9, 2015Curtis made a wooden barbecue skewer disappear, but he couldn’t keep it hidden forever. The Princeton, W.Va., boxer on Wednesday was named the 2015 Hambone Award winner, an honor bestowed by Nationwide pet insurance on the animal with the most unusual insurance claim. Curtis’ story began when he snatched a chicken and beef shish kabob off a kitchen counter. “I saw him grab it and chased him outside,” owner Valerie Mould said. “When I caught up to him, I yelled for him to drop it and grabbed the end sticking out of his mouth, but the skewer snapped right as I got my hands on it and Curtis swallowed it in one bite.” Thinking the skewer would break down naturally, a veterinarian advised Moulds to monitor Curtis. When he started vomiting the next day, Curtis was rushed to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., where ultrasound and endoscopic examinations revealed nothing, leaving the experts to assume the wooden skewer had dissolved. Curtis resumed acting like Curtis, but months later he stopped playing and his appetite declined. Visits to his local veterinarian …
Purdue to Begin Testing Phase for Dog-Breeding StandardsOctober 8, 2015Purdue University reported that it will begin the pilot testing phase for its recently completed dog-breeding standards by the end of the year. The goal of the research is to provide breeders with uniform standards for care and wellbeing in all states to ensure the quality of life that dogs deserve, according to lead researcher Candace Croney, head of Purdue’s Center for Animal Welfare Science. The center is jointly supported by the Purdue Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture. The wellbeing of the dogs will be evaluated before and after the breeders implement the standards. The draft standards take in all areas of health and wellbeing and address the needs of adult dogs, juvenile dogs and puppies, including dogs’ access to food, water and shelter; availability of veterinary and preventative health care; behavioral wellness; and genetic selection. The research also is addressing ethical issues such as the end of breeding careers and rehoming of animals. “All animal care policies must be grounded in science as well as ethics and social responsibility,” Croney said, who …
Aratana Suffers Setback on Canine Lymphoma ProductsSeptember 25, 2015Aratana Therapeutics Inc. has sharply reduced its hopes for two canine lymphoma therapies but predicted a bright future for four other emerging products. The news, presented today during a conference call with market analysts, sent the veterinary biopharmaceutical company’s stock tumbling by 39 percent at the end of trading. Aratana intends to stay in the lymphoma arena through the development of second-generation monoclonal antibodies, said President and CEO Steven St. Peter, M.D. “Given the mixed clinical and scientific results, Aratana does not believe AT-004 or AT-005 in their current first-generation format will capture the desired canine lymphoma opportunity,” he said. AT-004 and AT-005 are designed to treat B-cell and T-cell lymphoma, respectively. But disappointing outcomes in combination with chemotherapy, as well as only $387,000 in second-quarter sales of conditionally licensed AT-005 and nothing from fully licensed AT-004, persuaded Aratana to shrink expectations. St. Peter said the decision to pursue other lymphoma therapies was based on market opportunities, an increasing number of veterinary oncologists—as many as 400 today—and rising demand for pet health insurance. “We know from looking at the market that insurance tends to drive treatment options, and insurance is growing,” St. Peter said. “So we think it’s a growth …
MSU Treats Dog Hit by TrainSeptember 9, 2015A collie named Lad is back on his four furry feet after being hit by a train, according to the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Emergency and Referral Clinic, which treated him. “For a dog with such extensive injuries, Lad has really made a remarkable recovery,” said Dena Lodato, DVM. “A large part of that is the work that Mr. Foster and his family and friends did to keep up with his rehab exercises after surgery.” Lad’s owner, Tommy Foster, had been mowing the back lawn one afternoon while the young pup played outside. When Foster finished mowing, he called for Lad and heard a distant whine. Foster and his neighbor set out to find Lad, eventually coming upon the dog on the train track, unable to stand, with cuts on his head. Lad had been hit by a train. Foster first brought Lad to a local clinic where X-rays revealed a dislocated right femur and multiple pelvic fractures. The injuries were so severe that Foster was referred to MSU’s emergency veterinary clinic. Dr. Lodato repaired Lad’s left …
Why Leptospirosis is an Increasing ThreatAugust 31, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Leptospirosis is being seen in dogs in more and more places across the U.S. The bacterial disease presents with non-specific symptoms such as lethargy, lack of appetite, changes in urination frequency and vomiting. “We see leptospirosis every week,” said Richard Goldstein, DVM, chief of medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. The hospital is a referral center for dogs from the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area, including “dogs who never leave Manhattan.” The disease is caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Leptospira interrogans. Signs of leptospirosis in dogs vary depending on the infecting strain, the geographic area in which it was transmitted and the host immune response. Some dogs never exhibit symptoms, while others show mild illness and still others develop severe illness, which can result in liver or kidney disease. “Since 2013 in Florida, we have seen a 10-fold increase,” explains Carsten Bandt, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. “Leptospirosis is made up of …
How to Treat the Congenital Cleft PalateAugust 21, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Cleft palate surgeries are one of my favorite procedures in dentistry and oral surgery. Maybe it is because the opportunity to see a puppy amidst a predominately geriatric patient population. Perhaps it’s because every cleft palate is just a little bit different than the previous one. The most likely reason is the exhilaration and challenge of repairing a defect that has already had three (or more!) attempts at repair prior to presenting to a specialist. © 2009, John Lewis, University of Pennsylvania. Figure 1A: Bilateral cleft lip in a 7-month-old pit bull. Figure1B: Bilateral clefts of the primary palate in the same dog. Terminology Defects of the primary palate occur from a lack of fusion of the developing incisive bone to the palatine process of the maxilla and/or defects of development of the soft-tissue structures of the upper lip. These defects are often extending from the midline incisive papilla, radiating rostrolaterally, unilaterally or bilaterally (Figure 1A and 1B). Unilateral cleft-lip defects in dogs occur more commonly on the left side, which is also …
Why Diagnosing Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats is Still a ChallengeAugust 19, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Loved this article? Then subscribe today! Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, or PLI, is the most accurate laboratory test for diagnosing pancreatitis in dogs and cats, experts say. Accurately identifying this gastrointestinal malady has long baffled practitioners. Pancreatic biopsy is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for pancreatitis, but it is uncommonly performed due to the invasiveness and expense of the surgery. Most clinical cases can be diagnosed with a combination of a compatible history and clinical signs, and with the serum PLI and abdominal ultrasound, said Steve Hill, DVM, MS, of Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego. “Routine serum amylase and lipase levels, which are commonly part of general chemistry panels, have limited utility in diagnosing pancreatitis due to their low sensitivity and specificity in both dogs and cats,” said Dr. Hill, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, small animal, and the immediate past president of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society. “The most accurate laboratory diagnostic test is the pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, which measures pancreas-specific lipase and has very good sensitivity and specificity for acute and chronic pancreatitis,” he …
What You Need to Know About Murmurs and Heart Disease in Senior DogsAugust 12, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Subscribe today! A loud murmur may not indicate heart disease in a dog, and conversely, a dog with heart disease may not necessarily have a loud heart murmur. That was the top piece of advice to general practitioners offered up by Pamela M. Lee, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (Cardiology), an assistant professor in veterinary clinical sciences at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In older, small- to medium-size breed dogs, the most common heart diseases are degenerative issues, such as endocardiosis, also called chronic degenerative-valve disease or acquired valvular heart disease, Dr. Lee said. For large-breed dogs, the most common heart disease is dilated cardiomyopathy, where heart muscle contracts poorly, Lee said. When checking for endocardiosis, it’s the type of heart murmur, not the loudness, that a practitioner should listen for. “One of the big things to know, at least with endocardiosis: The severity of the heart disease does not correlate with a loud heart murmur,” Lee said. This may be important to keep in mind, because experts spoken with, including Lee, pointed to …
