Dermatology and nutrition: Beyond food allergyApril 29, 2019 When dogs and cats present with skin disorders, the initial approach is to collect a history, do a physical exam, and then perform diagnostic tests to rule in or rule out common conditions. After establishing a tentative diagnosis, most veterinarians will next consider which medications are most appropriate (e.g. antibiotics, antifungals, parasiticides). It is not as common to consider diet and nutrition as part of the workup and treatment for dermatologic disorders, other than performing elimination diet trials for suspected cutaneous adverse food reaction (food allergy). However, the right diets, nutrients, and sometimes nutritional supplements can have a significant benefit in improving or resolving certain skin disorders. This article highlights some of the options for incorporating nutritional science into the management of dermatologic disorders. Cutaneous adverse food reaction The most common presentation for a dog or cat with cutaneous adverse food reaction (CAFR) is nonseasonal pruritus, although other syndromes such as otitis externa and gastrointestinal (GI) upset may occur.1,2 While some companies offer "food allergy testing" using serum, saliva, or even hair clippings, the only valid diagnostic test is an elimination diet trial. There are a number of veterinary therapeutic diets that can be used for diet trials and …
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New website pinpoints whether cats are picky eaters or sickApril 16, 2019A new website launched by KindredBio will inform owners about their cat's eating and drinking habits and as a result will lead to more visits to the veterinary clinic. PickyOrSick.com will help owners identify a problematic change in their cat's eating and drinking behavior and will direct them to a veterinarian should there a problem. "The best resource will always be the veterinarian. Yet, the society we live in today is technologically capable of providing answers at the stroke of a keyboard," says Christina Fernandez, DVM, DACVECC, MRCVS, KindredBio senior manager, veterinary affairs. "What's not often mentioned online is cats do not tolerate even short periods of inadequate nutrition. It can be critical to seek veterinary care immediately if an adult cat refuses food for even just a day." The science-based resource directs owners to make an appointment with their local veterinarian. The website features: • a five-question quiz to encourage owners to seek veterinary advice concerning changes in their cat's eating and drinking habits; • suggestions for determining whether their cat's behavior is a sign of illness or just picky eating; • a downloadable log to help monitor their cat's behavior, which can be shared …
Cats are taking over Times Square this springApril 12, 2019Cats will take the spotlight in Times Square this spring as part of a campaign to promote the love of cats. The International Cat Association (TICA), Winn Feline Foundation, and Dr. Elsey's Cat Products have joined together to create a feline billboard campaign that will be front and center in one of the world's busiest pedestrian areas. The initiative runs until June 30. TICA has celebrated the welfare of cats since its start in 1979. Currently, it is made up of more than 8,000 cat lovers in 104 countries. The Winn Feline Foundation has been supporting and funding feline research since 1968. More than $6 million has been given to researchers working toward a better understanding of diseases, treatments, and cures for feline health conditions. Dr. Elsey's creates various cat products. The company will be in New York from April 22 to May 15 to host the first Power of Purrsuasion pop-up event at Meow Parlour.
Mars Petcare introduces new division focusing on collaborationApril 9, 2019Mars Petcare has announced the launch of Kinship, a collaboration platform for start-ups, veterinarians, and industry collaborators that provides them access to data, science, and industry expertise. "We're excited about our new global division, Kinship, becoming a unique collaboration platform for entrepreneurs and innovators to create new products and services delivering on our purpose: a better world for pets," says Mars Petcare president, Poul Weihrauch. "There are extraordinary opportunities in data, science, and connected technology. Match them with the expansive reach, resources, and core capabilities of a global industry leader like Mars, and together we can create a powerful force for transforming pet care." The initiative will focus on three main areas: • Health care: Kinship will look for new ways to provide pet owners with care options that are more accessible, effective, and personalized to fit the needs of their pets. • Nutrition: By working together with its partners, Kinship will find new ways to support pet health through nutrition. • Science: Kinship will work with experts to uncover ways to help change pet care through science by applying new discoveries from microbiome biology to machine learning. "Our ambition for Kinship is to bring together the brightest minds …
What does 503B compounding mean for the future of veterinary medicine?April 3, 2019Modern compounding—often referred to as 503A—is a niche business, providing patient-specific formulations to satisfy individual needs. Because commercially available drugs are marketed almost exclusively for humans, compounding has become an essential resource for veterinary medicine. Veterinarians often depend on 503A pharmacies to provide preparations at lower concentrations and in more palatable dosage forms to optimize treatment for their patients. However, without proper management and regulations, 503A compounding can potentially be detrimental. Presently, 503A pharmacies are not required to adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) objectives put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure pharmaceuticals achieve a specified standard of safety. The quality of products produced in a 503A facility depend on the pharmacy's voluntary conformance with cGMP, which can be substantially cost-prohibitive, requiring anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000-plus of investment for a single formulation. Testing on raw materials and finished products may be performed to an extent depending on the facility, but the data are often incomplete, testing only one or two factors while omitting others that would affect the product's overall quality. The variability of cGMP compliance from pharmacy to pharmacy paves the way for omissions in procedures that can lead to patient harm. …
USDA no longer experimenting on cats and kittensApril 3, 2019The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says it will no longer carry out parasite experiments on cats and kittens, a practice that ultimately resulted in their being euthanized. The announcement comes weeks after U.S. congressmen Brian Mast and Jimmy Panetta introduced the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2019. At the time, Mast said the USDA was breeding kittens for the sole purpose of feeding them raw meat laced with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), a parasite considered to be a leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S. ARS says cats were used in the research because they are the only host in which T. gondii can complete its life cycle and produce oocysts. The kittens were then killed even though they were healthy. In May 2018, the USDA reviewed its procedures after hearing feedback from its customers and stakeholders. ARS maintains cats have not been infected with toxoplasmosis pathogens or euthanized since September 2018. "Food safety research in ARS is of paramount importance for agriculture and the public we serve," said ARS administrator, Chavonda Jacobs-Young, PhD. "We are continually assessing our research and priorities and aligning our resources to the …
Vital pulp therapy in dogs and catsMarch 29, 2019Last month, we discussed the rationale behind and approach to conventional (orthograde) endodontic therapy. Orthograde root canal therapy removes the entire contents of the pulp chamber in the root canal system. Vital pulp therapy is a different kind of endodontic procedure, performed instead on teeth that have had recent pulp exposure. Determining whether it's best to perform vital pulp therapy or orthograde root canal therapy for an individual tooth is a judgment call. Most dentists gravitate toward orthograde root canal therapy whenever possible, since it involves removing the entire contents of the pulp and minimizes the likelihood of possible future pain and infection by not leaving to chance whether remaining pulp maintains its vitality. However, orthograde root canal therapy may not be an option for young teeth, as they lack a closed apex. In the past, it was a rule of thumb that vital pulp therapy be performed within 48 hours of pulp exposure in dogs older than 18 months of age and within two weeks in dogs younger than 18 months of age. However, the sooner vital pulp therapy is performed after pulp exposure, the better the chance of success. Therefore, even when a patient is younger than 18 …
Seven options to provide life-saving oxygenMarch 28, 2019There is arguably nothing more heart-wrenching than a patient who is suffocating. How you handle these patients could be the difference between life and death. Some colleagues can be hesitant to admit these patients and may advise clients to take them to an emergency or referral facility that may be much farther away. It doesn't have to be that way. Short-term, there really is no risk to oxygen therapy. So even if the disease process were not oxygen-responsive, there is no harm in providing therapy while you figure things out, assess the severity of the disease, and obtain diagnostics. Providing oxygen is an easy way to buy time. Empower your nurses to start some sort of oxygen therapy when your patient is exhibiting any of the following situations: • dyspnea of any kind; • shortness of breath; • abnormal respiratory sounds; • cyanotic gums; • severe anemia or hemorrhage; • increased respiratory rate; • head trauma; and/or • lateral recumbency. Although arterial blood gas analysis would be the most accurate way to assess pulmonary function, it is rarely available in general practice. Pulse oximetry is a cheaper and more available option. You …
Stoner news: Struvite diets for cats and dogsMarch 28, 2019While struvite uroliths may in some cases require surgical intervention, the recommended standard of care by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is medical dissolution with a therapeutic diet formulated to alter urine acidity and encourage water consumption. Dietary dissolution of struvite stones is both effective and inexpensive. Therapeutic diets limit calculogenic compounds (e.g. phosphorus and magnesium) and acidify urine. That makes the urine a less welcoming environment for stone formation and dissolves stones that are present. Concerns medical dissolution places pets at risk of urethral obstruction are not borne out by the literature, according to the ACVIM consensus statement, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) in 2016. Dietary management itself has changed as well. The shift from struvite-only dissolution or prevention diets to combination struvite dissolution/prevention and calcium oxalate prevention diets is the biggest change in management of these uroliths, says Cailin Heinze, VMD, Dipl. ACVN, assistant professor of nutrition at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Causes differ Struvite uroliths occur in both dogs and cats, but have different causes. In dogs, struvite stones—the most common type seen—develop almost exclusively as a result of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by …
Asymptomatic bacteriuria—To treat or not to treat?March 28, 2019Veterinarians and pet owners are highly motivated to find discrete, fixable problems when pets are unwell. Owners want the reassurance and sense of control that comes with knowing what the problem is and taking action. Veterinarians want to help our patients, while also satisfying clients. Their expectation is that we offer some clear preventive or therapeutic intervention justifying their time and the expense of coming to see us, as well as reassure them about their pets' condition. Finally, our medical training often emphasizes diagnosis and treatment as the core responsibility for a doctor; the importance of knowing when not to take action is frequently underemphasized.1,2 Such inherent bias toward finding and treating problems creates discomfort and resistance when scientific evidence suggests we should avoid some tests or treatments. Though there is widespread awareness of the risks of overdiagnosis and overtreatment in human medicine, these are relatively new and controversial concepts in the veterinary field.3,4 My own efforts in this column and elsewhere to suggest we might sometimes do better not to run a test (e.g. pre-anesthetic bloodwork)5 or prescribe a treatment (e.g. lysine)6 have generated the kind of pushback often greeting such suggestions. Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to …
