Feline

Feline Stomatitis: Medical Therapy for Refractory Cases

October 22, 2014

Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News In a previous article, we discussed extractions as the gold standard treatment of feline stomatitis. Even after undergoing extractions, approximately 20 percent of patients will continue to experience clinically relevant signs of oral inflammation. We call these “refractory” cases. The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate oral discomfort to a degree where appetite is consistently good and patient body weight is maintained. Attack Plaque Recall that feline stomatitis is often an immune-mediated disease, due to an aberrant response of the immune system toward component(s) of dental plaque, likely bacterial antigens.1 If the patient still has teeth and the owner does not want them extracted, frequent professional dental cleanings (supra- and subgingival) will help to decrease plaque accumulation and inflammation. Daily tooth brushing would help decrease plaque accumulation, but brushing is difficult in stomatitis cats—an understatement!—due to oral pain. Application of plaque retardant substances during professional dental cleanings might be considered to slow the rate of plaque accumulation. Perioperative Medications for Oral Surgery Cases Multimodal pain medication regimens are necessary when embarking on surgical extractions. Premedication with an injectable opioid is a good place to start. Once the …

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Study Offers Surprising Look at True Health of Cats

August 24, 2014

Many cats that look and act healthy hide a secret. A study of outwardly healthy cats discovered laboratory abnormalities in one out of every four tested. Furthermore, pet owners who answered a 48-question survey noted warning signs in nearly 70 percent of the 1,197 cats checked. The results point to the value of annual veterinary wellness visits and in-depth questioning of pet owners, reported veterinary drug maker Zoetis Inc., which conducted the research. “This study demonstrated that a health risk assessment … can help veterinarians identify issues that might otherwise go undiagnosed and untreated until serious symptoms become apparent,” said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, the group director of Companion Animal Veterinary Operations for Zoetis. The study used data collected from 264 veterinary practices over 5½ years and included a cat owner questionnaire. Among the cat owners who took part in the health risk assessment: • 9 percent indicated that their cat had difficulty breathing, showing symptoms such as wheezing, sneezing or coughing. • 11 percent thought their cats exhibited stiffness, lameness or pain associated with movement. • 22 percent thought their cats were overweight or obese. …

National Take Your Cat To Vet Day Graphic

August 21, 2014

August 22 is National Take Your Cat To The Vet Day! We at VeterinaryPracticeNews.com created this helpful graphic for you to share with your clients on social media. Use this graphic as a starting point to discuss why your clients should bring in their cat. Include your phone number and website so people can contact you. Just right-click on the image and save it onto your computer. Let us know how it goes!

Purina to Offer Brain Supplement in Some Foods

August 20, 2014

A nutritional supplement formulated to support the brain functions of middle-aged cats and dogs will be added to selected Nestlé Purina products within 12 to 18 months, the pet food manufacturer reported Monday. The supplement, called Brain Protection Blend, targets risk factors linked to brain aging. Containing fish oil, antioxidants and an amino acid known as arginine, it is designed to be fed when a pet is middle-aged. A Nestlé Purina study of how Brain Protection Blend benefits dogs will be published in coming weeks, the company stated. Nearly 30 percent of cats aged 11 to 14 show signs of cognitive decline, including memory loss and reduced social interaction, Nestlé Purina noted. Among dogs, 28 percent of 11- and 12-year-olds and 68 percent of 15- and 16-year-olds show at least one sign of cognitive issues. “By taking a more proactive approach, we may be able to slow the brain’s decline often experienced among pets as they get older,” said Dan Smith, Nestlé Purina’s vice president of research and development. Nestlé Purina, whose U.S. pet division is based in St. Louis, won’t be the first company to offer a proprietary pet food enhancer. For …

Vets Say Why they Use Laser Therapy

August 20, 2014

Veterinarians are adopting and implementing therapeutic lasers at practices across the country. The therapy's effectiveness is still debated in some quarters — though less so than in the past — so why have they taken the plunge? The consensus among practitioners interviewed for this story is that the results speak for themselves—the lasers are effective at treating injuries and speeding healing with little to no side effects. And with a relatively gentle learning curve and quick return on investment, they say lasers are a no-brainer for their practices. Tales from Veterinarians On the Fence Linda Baty, DVM, of East Brook Animal Clinic in Waverly, Tenn., began offering laser therapy as a low-cost alternative to surgery for such injuries as ligament tears and back problems. “We were faced with keeping dogs on painkillers for the rest of their lives or even putting them down,” she said. “So we were looking for therapy that would relieve the pain and put them back to some function without going through major surgery [such as ACL repairs] if [the client] couldn’t afford that.” Though she had done a fair amount of research, Dr. Baty was still hesitant. “It wasn’t until …

Secrets Of Feline Tooth Extraction

August 13, 2014

In this article, we will discuss feline surgical extractions, including tips and tricks that will make your next feline dental extraction easier. Flaps Are Our Friends! When I speak with general practitioners about extraction of firmly rooted feline teeth, sometimes they will begin the conversation with a confession: “We don’t do flaps here.” To this I will pose an analogy. Trying to extract large, firmly rooted feline premolar, molar or canine teeth without a flap is analogous to trying to catch a football with one arm tied behind your back. It can be done, but not reliably, and not without much frustration. For our discussion today, let’s use the scenario of a feline patient whose right mandibular cheek teeth need to be extracted [third premolar (407), fourth premolar (408) and first molar (409) teeth]. This raises an important point about extraction of adjacent teeth. If you identify a tooth that needs to be extracted, assess the adjacent teeth to determine if these teeth also need to be extracted. If so, rather than raising multiple flaps for each individual tooth, a single flap can be raised to extract multiple teeth. John r. …

Veterinarian Saves Kitten’s Life

August 6, 2014

Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. CIOLI/I5 STUDIO A black kitten clung to life after being abused by its owner. Found with a rope tied around its neck, presumably dragged by a car or thrown to the ground, the small creature was lifeless. Several of its teeth were knocked out and its face was bleeding. Authorities rushed the helpless animal to HOPE Veterinary Clinic in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Jennifer Magilton, VMD, was on hand to care for the kitten. Upon examining the feline, Dr. Magilton concluded it was suffering from trauma to the head and was unresponsive and lethargic. The first conclusion was euthanasia. Further examination revealed the kitten had ingested heroin. Magilton quickly gave the kitten Narcan, a drug for reviving humans having a drug overdose. The kitten’s condition improved immediately. Had heroin not been in the kitten’s system, Narcan, also known as naloxene, would have had no effect. James Myers, the kitten’s owner, is being charged with drug possession and animal cruelty. He is currently being held at Chester County Prison. The kitten is still recovering at HOPE Veterinary Clinic. Once fully recovered, it will …

Avivagen Explores Possible Breakthrough in Female Sterilization

July 30, 2014

A Canadian animal health company wants to do for female dogs and cats what Ark Sciences Inc. is doing for male dogs. Ark Sciences this year began shipping to veterinarians an FDA-approved nonsurgical sterilization drug, Zeuterin Injectable Solution, that is formulated to permanently cease canine sperm production. Seizing an opportunity on the female side, Avivagen Inc. of Ottawa, Ontario, is partnering with University of Saskatchewan veterinarian Duncan Hockley, DVM, who invented what the company calls a drug-based alternative to surgical spaying. The agreement puts Avivagen first in line for an exclusive license to a technology designed for the permanent sterilization of female mammals, starting with dogs and cats and potentially extending to livestock, wild animals and even humans. The technology, which for now goes by the name “Sterilis Project,” is a long way from hitting the veterinary market. Avivagen hopes to finish proof-of-concept work by year’s end and at some point launch trial studies. “We estimate that a nonresource-constrained project could attain registration in about five years, absent technical hurdles and delays in reviews,” said Avivagen’s CEO and president, Cameron Groome. How the “Sterilis Project” drug would work on females is …

Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter School Expands