Cat/Dog

Deworming debate

December 19, 2018

Hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, roundworms, and heartworms. They are intestinal and circulatory parasites no one wishes to encounter. Yet, they’ve squirmed their way into too many pets to continue practicing status quo programs.

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What causes gastric dilatation volvulus?

December 19, 2018

Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) is a complex, scary, life-threatening emergency. We sometimes tell pet owners that we don’t really know what causes GDV, but that is not exactly accurate.

Cancer tech's future

November 22, 2018

Veterinary oncology imaging has evolved greatly over the past decade, allowing for earlier detection, improved treatment, and more successful outcomes. Veterinary Practice News reached out to three prominent veterinary oncology centers around the U.S. to discuss imaging equipment, promising research, and what the future holds in this important field.

Responses to the virtual mailbag

November 16, 2018

It has been a little over a year since I took over this column from Dr. Narda Robinson, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to explore many interesting topics through the lens of evidence-based medicine (EBM). One core element of EBM is substantive, critical debate, and discussion about the merits and limitations of published research evidence. Every stakeholder, from clinicians to researchers to those in industry to the owners of veterinary patients, will have a different mix of goals and perspectives. The interplay among different sets of biases is one of the mechanisms for cutting through bias generally and achieving an accurate understanding of nature that informs safer and more effective patient care. One of the strengths of science is that it requires a community process.

PALS to all domestic violence victims

November 15, 2018

PALS Place will be the first-ever domestic violence shelter of its size in the country specifically designed and outfitted for survivor-pet cohabitation, providing a place where up to 100 survivors, whether individuals or families, can heal together in safety with their pets.

Nutrition's role in cancer patients

November 5, 2018

Nutrition is always important in helping a sick pet get better, and it can be an essential element of care for cancer patients and for pets recovering from debilitating illnesses or surgery. Cancer and its treatments may alter the body’s ability to tolerate particular foods or use certain nutrients; moreover, clients often have a firm belief in nutrition as good medicine and may ask about or even insist on special diets or supplements for pets undergoing cancer treatments or otherwise in need of tender loving care.

Food allergy: Fact versus fiction

November 5, 2018

Day in and day out, we as veterinarians, and particularly as veterinary dermatologists, are asked, “What should I feed my pet?” It’s such a loaded question, given all the misinformation available about canine and feline diets. The most reputable source should be the veterinarian, yet clients take to pet food blogs, pet store employees, or their neighbors for “information.”

Blue Buffalo offers additional diet options for adverse food reactions

October 9, 2018

Pet food maker Blue Buffalo Co. has launched BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance wet dog and cat foods, along with BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet NP Novel Protein Alligator wet dog foods, formulated for pets with adverse reactions to food. HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance contains salmon hydrolysate, a novel protein with a mean molecular weight of 2,000 daltons, as the first ingredient. NP Novel Protein Alligator is formulated with alligator as the first ingredient. The new wet diets complement the existing dry formulas of BLUE NVD HF Hydrolyzed Salmon and BLUE NVD NP Novel Protein Alligator. "With the launch of BLUE NVD HF and NP wet formulas, Blue Buffalo is providing veterinarians with efficacious nutritional solutions to help manage adverse food reactions, while meeting the needs of their clients," said Victoria Carmella, DVM, director of veterinary services at Blue Buffalo. "BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet formulas provide a full range of natural recipes formulated by veterinarians and animal nutritionists to enhance the health of dogs and cats that can benefit from therapeutic nutrition."

Nationwide pet insurance opens 2018 Hambone Award voting

September 26, 2018

After reviewing nearly 1.5 million pet insurance claims received over the past year, Nationwide has nominated 12 candidates for the 2018 Hambone Award. Each year, the pet health insurer scours its database of 700,000-plus insured pets to honor the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year. The winner will be decided by a public vote, open now through Oct. 8, at HamboneAward.com. In addition, the veterinary practice that treated this year's Hambone Award winner will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment. From a pair of German shepherds who were found after 21 days trapped in an abandoned missile silo to a cat who went through a dryer's fluff cycle, all 12 nominees have uniquely harrowing tales. All nominated pets have made full recoveries and received Nationwide insurance reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses. The 2018 Hambone Award nominees Howard the golden retriever (San Diego). This tech-hungry hound swallowed an electronics charger. Veterinary practice that treated Howard: Bodhi Animal Hospital (San Diego) Maddy the Labrador (Charlotte, N.C). Water-loving Maddy found herself playing on the shores of danger when she was suddenly …

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