Is banning "artificial" ingredients based on fear or science?March 1, 2019Since the late 1980s, individuals and organizations have been trying to warn the public about a deadly chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO). Though widely used in the home and in commercial settings, including the health-care industry, this substance has been shown to cause severe lung damage and even death when inhaled in small quantities. Hundreds of thousands of people die annually from this cause.1 DHMO also can produce electrolyte disturbances and potentially fatal neurologic symptoms when taken orally, and it can cause severe burns and even explosions when heated.2 A number of surveys have found high levels of support for banning DHMO, and elected officials in several countries have explored taking such action, although DHMO remains ubiquitous.3,4 Given the obvious dangers of this chemical, why do public health agencies not take action to restrict it? It is possible that funding and political influence from industry impede regulatory action. However, it is more likely that governments have chosen not to ban DHMO because it is essential for life. Most people are surprised to learn this until they recognize the nontechnical name for this chemical—water. Is "chemical" a dirty word? The campaign against DHMO has been used as a humorous …
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Cat declawing may soon be a thing of the past in CaliforniaFebruary 27, 2019Assemblyman Bill Quirk has introduced a bill that would ban the declawing of cats in California. "Declawed cats can suffer long-term physical complications as a result of declawing—it's not just a fancy manicure," Quirk said upon introducing AB 1230. "It's painful, unnecessary, and needs to stop… When this bill becomes law, only licensed veterinarians performing the procedure for specific therapeutic purposes will legally be able to declaw a cat, saving them from a lifetime of pain and possible lameness." The practice is already illegal in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and six other California cities. Further, in several other parts of the world, declawing has been banned. "Declawing is one of the most painful and unnecessary surgeries in all of veterinary medicine," said Jennifer Conrad, DVM, CVA, founder of the veterinarian-run nonprofit Paw Project. "We've seen what these cats go through. We are veterinarians who are standing up against the status quo because it is the right thing to do. We want veterinary medicine to be about helping animals, not helping couches." Studies have found declawed cats are more liable to bite or have other behavioral issues and often end up in animal shelters as a result.
10 golden rules of cancer surgeryFebruary 20, 2019Surgery plays a critical role in the management of cancer. One significant advantage of surgery is a chance at an immediate cure—after a single session. No other treatment modality can offer that. Here are 10 rules that must be followed to ensure the best possible surgical outcome. Do the math: Surgery is only 10 percent of the entire story. What follows mainly pertains to skin masses, but it applies to any tumor, even intrathoracic or intra-abdominal. 1) Client communication Whenever a mass is discovered, it is important to take the time to prepare the client for the worst, while hoping for the best. Don't sugarcoat things. Don't make assumptions. Don't claim to have microscopic vision. Don't overpromise. Remember, for example, that a mast cell tumor is called "the great imitator" for a reason. It can feel like anything, including a lipoma. 2) Preop workup Even though we typically say you can't diagnose cancer by looking at blood work, it will occasionally show abnormalities, such as infection, hypercalcemia, or increased liver values. Staging the patient (i.e. determining the extent of the disease) is a mandatory part of the preop workup. Before surgery is ever considered, perform three views of the thorax …
Before you change the diet…February 7, 2019Naughty Girl is a healthy six-month old terrier puppy who is being fed a complete and balanced commercial growth food. She lives with Bad Boy, a four-year old beagle-spaniel cross who is fed an adult maintenance dog food. Bad Boy is brought to your clinic for a two-day history of vomiting and acting sluggish (or punky). Your physical exam reveals some pain on abdominal palpation and a lab test for canine pancreas-specific lipase is "abnormal," suggesting an elevated lipase level. Your suspicion of pancreatitis is high and, after rehydrating the dog with fluids, you send him home on a fat-restricted therapeutic diet. Is a diet change warranted in this situation? Nutrition textbooks and veterinary nutritionists refer to dietary fat as a "nutrient of concern" or "key nutritional factor" when talking about nutritional management for patients with pancreatitis. However, before automatically switching a patient's diet, conduct a thorough nutritional assessment to get the whole picture of what's happening in the home environment. Performing a nutritional assessment involves collecting information about the patient, the diet, and feeding management (Baldwin, et. al. 2010). This is not a process that involves extra time or work—a nutritional assessment begins with routine information collected about …
GI issues tricky to diagnose, treatFebruary 6, 2019From intestinal parasites to irritable bowel disease (IBD), dietary indiscretion to food allergies, gastrointestinal issues are among the most common problems veterinarians see. While they might seem straightforward, they can be difficult to diagnose and treat for a number of reasons. Chronic diarrhea and vomiting may not be brought to your attention until it has been going on for a while without improving or begins to worsen in severity. And, of course, diarrhea and vomiting can be seen with diseases unrelated to the GI tract. Once the GI tract is pinpointed as the source of the problem, the signs can still have many potential causes. Radiographs show only faint shadows of the intestines, making interpretation difficult. Gastrointestinal problems can resolve on their own in three to five days, but when they don't, additional diagnostics, therapeutic trials, and medication can be the next step. Fortunately for pets, owners, and veterinarians, more companies are beginning to develop drugs and run clinical trials specifically for cats and dogs with GI disease, says M. Katherine Tolbert, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, clinical associate professor of medicine at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. "There are a lot of new drugs that …
Understanding congestive heart failureFebruary 5, 2019Congestive heart failure (CHF) is described by medical professionals as more of a syndrome than a disease. Yet, when pet owners are often attuned to "disease," how can veterinarians best convey what CHF really is to their clients? "Congestive heart failure can result from a variety of different types of underlying heart disease," says Emily Karlin, DVM, Dipl. (cardiology), clinical instructor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. "When we say CHF, we generally are referring to fluid buildup somewhere it should not be, as a result of heart dysfunction. We can see left-sided CHF (fluid buildup in the lungs—pulmonary edema), resulting in cough or trouble breathing, or right-sided CHF (fluid buildup in the abdomen or around the lungs—ascites or pleural effusion), resulting in abdominal distension or trouble breathing. Basically, CHF is a potential outcome of having heart disease." Recognizing signs and symptoms When it comes to differentiating CHF from heart disease, paying attention to clinical signs and symptoms is key. "Asymptomatic, or occult, heart disease is often detected based on physical exam abnormalities—such as a heart murmur, cardiac gallop, or arrhythmia—or sometimes by echocardiographic screening, but the animal is feeling well at home with no clinical …
How 3-D printing benefits presurgical planning for angular limb deformityFebruary 4, 2019 The surgical treatment of limb deformities in dogs has historically been approached by taking preoperative measurements using radiographic orthogonal views. When calculations for the osteotomy location, hardware type, and size were determined, the information was transferred to the patient in the operating theatre. Although using this procedure can result in satisfactory outcomes, there are many cases involving severe deformities where preoperative planning can be very difficult. Having a 3-D model closely approximating the actual limb can significantly benefit the preoperative plan. Enter 3-D printing Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is proving to be a very useful technique in veterinary orthopedic applications, particularly as it relates to preoperative planning. Production of multiple models that are scaled on a one-to-one ratio to the patient can allow the surgeon to accurately plan surgical procedures. Using these techniques for preoperative planning can provide several benefits, including lessening time under anesthesia and lowering its associated risks, as well as decreasing surgical site infection. Although it is expensive, the cost of employing 3DP can be justified when considering the benefit of shorter surgeries, less anesthetic time, and facilitating more consistent results to avoid subsequent revision surgeries. In the majority of cases, the use of 3-D modeling is …
FDA approves Boehringer Ingelheim's Semintra for feline hypertensionOctober 2, 2018The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved Semintra (telmisartan oral solution) 10 mg/mL oral solution for the control of systemic hypertension in cats, according to Boehringer Ingelheim. The product was designed specifically with cats in mind to provide safe, reliable, and convenient long-term control of blood pressure, said Boehringer Ingelheim. "We are proud to continue to set new standards of care for cats to optimize their health and well-being through the veterinarian," said Shawn Hooker, global head of Strategic Business Unit Pet Vet at Boehringer Ingelheim. "Early disease detection and early treatment are key to ensure cats live longer and happier lives. With Semintra, we offer a pet owner-friendly, easy-to-give solution to help raise the quality of life of cats with hypertension, while providing reliable long-term blood pressure control." Semintra is for oral use in cats only. The most common side effects reported in field studies include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anemia, dehydration, poor appetite, and weight loss. It has not been evaluated in cats with systolic blood pressure > 200 mmHg, cats with hepatic disease, cats younger than 9 months of age, or cats that are pregnant, lactating, or intended for breeding. Visit semintra.com for …
Australian researchers discover way to halt T. gondii spreadSeptember 28, 2018According to research published in PLOS Biology, scientists in Australia have discovered a way to halt the invasion of the toxoplasmosis-causing parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) into cells, depriving the parasite of a key factor necessary for its growth. The study found that there are two steps that allow T. gondii to take hold within the body: the parasite needs to enter a host cell; from there it replicates and spreads. "After Toxoplasma infects humans it needs to switch off the infection machinery and switch on replication," said Chris Tonkin, PhD., associate professor at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, who led the study. "Without the ability to do this, Toxoplasma will die and be unable to cause disease. We discovered that the gene protein kinase A (PKA) is required for this switch. Without PKA, Toxoplasma can't hold steady." The findings are an important step in getting closer to developing a vaccine to protect pregnant women from the parasite, which carries risk of miscarriage or birth defects, and may also have a link to neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, according to the study. T. gondii is transmitted by cat feces and can be acquired from …
Tips for improving medication compliance among cat ownersSeptember 28, 2018When dispensing medication for in-home treatment of feline patients, owner compliance is a concern due to the unique challenges of administering medication to cats, according to Kindred Biosciences Inc. "Cats have natural behaviors that may make medication administration challenging, and this can be complicated in ill cats that are also anorexic, nauseated, or vomiting," said Christina Fernandez, DVM, MRCVS, DACVECC, professional services veterinarian with Kindred. "Palatability is also a huge factor, and most cats are finicky when it comes to food." To improve compliance, Dr. Fernandez shares five tips veterinarians can focus on: Communication Written information Frequency of veterinary visits Veterinarian continuity Selection of medications Communication is essential, said Fernandez. Veterinarians or veterinary nurses can demonstrate to cat owners how to administer a medication while still in the office. This helps avoid complications and promotes active discussion with the client. If possible, written instructions can be provided. "Follow-up calls from the veterinary clinic staff can help increase owner compliance," said Fernandez. "This can facilitate identification of issues to be addressed with the clinical state of the patient and concerns with the treatment plan while offering an opportunity to set up a follow-up appointment if one isn't already on the books." …
