The Health Benefits Of Therapeutic FastingJuly 11, 2011 Fasting and the calorie restricted diet have both shown benefits for human and animal health as well as a lengthening of lifespan.1 Fasting consists of stopping food, but there are a number of variations that allow the consumption of juice, supplements or other items. Calorie-restricted diets usually aim to reduce the caloric intake to 70 percent of what is considered “normal,” either on a daily basis or by alternate day extreme restriction. For humans, multiple nutrient-dense foods are consumed, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. For animals, calorie restriction research usually involves restricting the diet to 70 percent of whatever the control animals are eating. Even without an increase in nutrient density, these animal studies show improved health, less degenerative disease and increased lifespan. Calorie restriction induces a cellular response that results in decreased free radical production, increased resistance to free radical effects and production of other protective proteins.2 Oxidative stress resulting in clinical3 or subclinical chronic inflammation is considered to be the primary cause of aging and age-related degenerative disease.4,5 Ironically, as the benefits of fasting and a calorie-restricted diet gain increasing research support, both the human and the …
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
Update: Pfizer Discontinues Periodontitis VaccineApril 29, 2011UPDATE: 4/28/11 -- Pfizer Animal Health’s canine Porphyromonas vaccine has been discontinued, effective early April 2011, due to efficacy issues. The product was designed as an aid to preventing periodontitis. The Porphyromonas Denticanis-Gulae-Salivosa Bacterin vaccine was conditionally licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in September 2006. Since then, the Madison, N.J.-based company has conducted a 48-month field efficacy study intended to support the full licensure of this product. Although the study confirmed the vaccine’s safety, it “did not demonstrate a vaccine effect in vaccinates (as compared to controls) for either of the key efficacy variables assessed (attachment loss and gingival bleeding index),” according to a letter sent to veterinarians in early March by Oliver Knesl, BVSc, MRCVS, marketing manager of companion animal biologicals at Pfizer Animal Health. On the basis of these results, Pfizer Animal Health will not pursue renewal of the current conditional license for the vaccine, Sherry Podhayny, VMD, told Veterinary Practice News. Dr. Podhayny is the manager of veterinary operations of companion animal biologicals at Pfizer Animal Health. Any product still …
Assistance Dogs: Special Role Of VetsMarch 23, 2011 With the number of assistance dogs growing exponentially throughout the U.S., veterinarians can expect to see more assistance dogs in their practices. While dogs for the visually impaired predominate, dogs can learn to serve an ever-broadening list of disabilities, from hearing impairment to autism and post-traumatic stress disorder for combat veterans and other trauma victims. Service dogs are also trained to work with people who use wheelchairs, need seizure alert or response, need alerts to other medical issues such as low blood sugar, or have psychiatric disabilities. These amazing dogs can retrieve objects out of reach, pull wheelchairs, open and close doors, turn light switches off and on, bark to indicate that help is needed, find and lead another person to the handler, provide balance and counterbalance for those who need help walking and many other tasks. In short, these animals can enable people to live fuller, more independent lives. And the high personal and economic value placed on these dogs calls for extra attention to their health and well-being. For 25 years I have been on the board of directors of the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS.org), the oldest hearing-ear dog program …
Nutrigenomics Takes ‘You Are What You Eat’ To New LevelFebruary 14, 2011 Veterinary nutrigenomics combines genetics and nutrition to develop optimal diets for companion animals, a field in which researchers and pet food manufacturers are investing significant amounts of time and money. At the University of Illinois, Kelly S. Swanson, Ph.D., and his team are using DNA-based sequencing techniques to characterize the canine and feline gastrointestinal tracts. They are looking at what happens in tissue when animals are fed one diet versus another. The results may lead to a better understanding of the microbial profile and metabolic pathways of animals with varying dietary regimens and at different stages of health and life. Many questions need to be answered before the ultimate goal can be achieved: creating individual diets that make optimal use of, and even manipulate, gene expression. “The dog and cat genome sequence data is being utilized in research, taking genomic biology to gain a better understanding of dog and cat physiology and how nutrition contributes to health and disease,” says Dr. Swanson, an assistant professor of animal and nutritional sciences in the , department of animal sciences. “Genomics in pets is being used to study microbial populations and gene expression changes in blood and various tissues. …
Best ProtectionFebruary 14, 2011 There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to canine vaccinations, but the American Animal Hospital Association is about to update what one professional calls “some very good science-based recommendations.” A special AAHA council expects to release vaccine recommendations this month that will replace a set issued in 2006. AAHA President Gregg Takashima, DVM, says that despite all the changes in this area of veterinary practice over the past 10 years, much of the decision-making about what is appropriate for patients occurs just as it always has: on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the dog’s lifestyle and the region in which the veterinarian is practicing. Michael San Filippo, media relations assistant at the American Veterinary Medical Association, says current research is too inconclusive to make sweeping recommendations that will work for every dog. “Veterinarians have traditionally vaccinated annually; however, they are now learning that some vaccines induce immunity that lasts less than one year, whereas others may induce immunity that lasts well beyond one year,” he says. “The AVMA recommends that veterinarians customize vaccination programs to the needs of their patients. More than one vaccination program may be effective.” Chris Pappas, DVM, director …
Dispelling Myths About CaOx UrolithsNovember 29, 2010 Therapeutic diets for dogs with urinary disease have simplified its management. Fearing that something “nonprescription” will upset the delicate balance between urinary solutes and their saturation, veterinarians may find themselves administering stern precautions to clients against feeding any “real” or human food, including fruits and vegetables. Certainly, preventing recurrence of calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis in stone-prone dogs can prove difficult, and some caregivers welcome the simplicity of feeding one food to their dog every day for life. They have no urge to dabble in homeopathics, experiment with herbs or turn to culinary solutions through homemade diets or plant-based embellishments. Others, however, search high and low for natural remedies and may seek help elsewhere if their veterinarian insists on commercial diets, given consumers’ persistent mistrust of the pet food industry since the Chinese melamine disaster.1 In the absence of a clinically proven medication or foolproof commercial diet, the drive for plant- or food-based options for CaOx stone prevention remains strong.2-3 As medical professionals know well, a one-size-fits-all approach to urolithiasis prevention rarely holds water. Metabolic abnormalities, foods and urinary tract health all influence lithogenesis, but stone type determines the specific treatment and prevention …
Diabetes Emergency Preparedness As Important As InsulinOctober 18, 2010 Owners often are shell-shocked when they hear their pet has diabetes. But a veterinarian’s optimistic attitude can help a client successfully manage the disease. “It’s usually a traumatic piece of information for an owner when a veterinarian tells them their pet has diabetes,” says Randy Lynn, DVM, a technical service veterinarian with Intervet Schering-Plough Animal Health of Summit, N.J. “If the owner is handling the news well, you can discuss the emergency situations that may occur in a diabetic animal. If you’re speaking to them and their eyes gloss over, you might want to send them home with written information, and then have the owner return in a day or two once they’ve processed everything. “It’s a delicate balance that the veterinarian has to weigh. If you tell them too much on day one, you could tip them over the edge.” Dr. Lynn says a diabetes diagnosis gives veterinarians a “chance to shine,” noting that owners will rely heavily on them for information on choosing insulin, injecting insulin and monitoring the animal. Besides hearing the diabetes news, distressed clients also have to be warned about hypoglycemia, the No. 1 emergency concern of veterinarians who …
Nutrition By The Book: Reducing The Figure Of Obese Pets Is A PriorityAugust 10, 2010 Only 7 percent of pets that could benefit from therapeutic food are on such a regimen, according to an American Animal Hospital Association study. This reality led an AAHA task force to develop nutritional assessment guidelines that can not only help identify the right diet but emphasize how proper nutrition can enhance pets’ quality of life and optimal health. AAHA’s Nutrition Guidelines The American Animal Hospital Association’s Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are based on the notion that good nutrition enhances a pet’s quality and quantity of life and is integral to optimal animal care. “Incorporating nutritional assessment into the routine examination protocol for every patient is important for maintaining optimal health, as well as their response to disease and injury,” said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, executive director of AAHA. “The goal of the new guidelines is to provide a framework for the veterinary practice team to help make nutritional assessments and recommendations for their patients.” The guidelines, made available through an educational grant from …
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 …
Fleas Persist, But Reason Isn’t ResistanceMarch 2, 2010 Veterinarians are in a tough spot when a client challenges the efficacy of spot-on insecticides. They can’t force the client to follow product directions, nor can they administer the flea control every month. Asking a client about product application, the home environment and untreated pets can reveal a potentially resolvable situation. However, more often than not, the owner projects a sterling report of by-the-book compliance and a bewilderment of continued flea propagation. Attempting to resolve the infestation, veterinarians often switch to a different product and the resistance tale grows. “What clients are likely seeing are new fleas from the environment as opposed to fleas surviving after a proper spot-on application,” says Michael Dryden, DVM, Ph.D., a professor of veterinary parasitology in Kansas State University’s Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology. “I have investigated homes that by owner description sound like there could be a resistance problem but found, when I looked closer, there was always a reason for the failure. None was ever resistance.” Without an investigation, experts say, it’s difficult to know why fleas persist on a client’s pet after treatment. One thing researchers agree on is it’s not a resistance issue. “Resistance …
