Veterinarians key players in fight against zoonotic diseaseJune 30, 2020World Zoonoses Day is fast approaching and, in wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many might say it holds renewed relevance this year.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusivePhoto op: How thermal imaging is helping keep pets healthyJune 30, 2020Thermal imaging devices are in use for many applications where quick identification of temperature change is helpful. Thermography is used in industry, outer space, the military, by your local HVAC guy, and for medical screening. Currently, thermal imaging is in the news because of temperature-screening devices used in airports. As businesses, social venues, and event and travel spaces develop safer protocols for gathering people, temperature screening has become widespread. Temperature screening thermography uses a variety of devices ranging from low-end handheld scanners up to medical-grade devices with the same detailed specifications required for evaluation of human and veterinary patients. High-end temperature screening systems use facial recognition software to calculate body temperature from the medial canthus of the eye, which is the most accurate superficial point for evaluating core body temperature.1 These systems measure temperatures from six feet away, allowing for safe, contactless use. Further, they "flag" elevated temperature; the person then undergoes a secondary screening protocol. Medical thermography is more than 70 years old. Early devices were expensive, cumbersome, and not practical for widespread clinical application. In 1980, reports began validating thermal imaging as a tool for the evaluation of musculoskeletal conditions in horses.2,3 By 2001, multiple publications had established …
Alert service aims to contain deadly diseaseJune 26, 2020Nonprofit group Pet Disease Alerts has launched a subscription service to notify veterinarians and pet owners about local outbreaks of Leptospirosis.
What conditions might benefit from PRP treatment?June 25, 2020Platelet-rich plasma therapy could help pets with arthritis, connective tissue and muscle injuries, and other conditions, but more research is needed.
Test your veterinary knowledge with our monthly Brain Teaser!June 25, 2020Can you solve this puzzle? A 10-month-old Italian greyhound presents with a fracture of the radius and ulna.
Eight tips to reduce fireworks anxiety in petsJune 25, 2020With the Fourth of July around the corner, AVMA has released a list of ways to help keep pets calm during loud events.
Vaccine appears to control canine osteosarcomaJune 25, 2020A research team at the University of Missouri (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine is exploring the use of a patient-specific, precision medicine treatment for bone cancer in dogs,
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveIs immunotherapy the key to wiping out canine cancer?June 24, 2020An intact and functional immune system is essential to protect an organism against invading pathogens and infectious disease. However, the immune system also plays a pivotal role in identifying and eliminating transformed cells that, if left unchecked, would progress to cancer. Clinical evidence of the immune system's ability to control cancer comes from a number of observations in both the veterinary and medical settings. Consider the following examples: Cats receiving chronic immunosuppression following renal transplant have a higher incidence of lymphoma compared with the general feline population1,2 Spontaneous regression of transmissible venereal tumor is associated with an increased proportion of tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells3 Canine osteosarcoma patients that develop bacterial infections after limb-sparing surgery experience significantly prolonged survival times.4 The presence of tumor-specific, cytotoxic T cells within tumors, such as ovarian carcinoma, confers a favorable prognosis,5 whereas infiltration with regulatory or suppressor T cells confers a worse prognosis6 These observations, coupled with two decades of experimentation in murine cancer models, indicate that finding ways to initiate, augment, and broaden a patient's antitumor immune response holds promise for the treatment and possible prevention of cancer. Indeed, this is the aim of cancer immunotherapy, and recent advances in this field have …
Hookworm rampant across U.S.June 24, 2020Des Moines, Iowa, is the number one city for hookworm in May, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) reports.
Why do some greyhounds bleed and others clot excessively?June 24, 2020Sighthounds in general, and greyhounds in particular, have evolved over the past 6,000 to 7,000 years to follow their prey by sight. Hence, they have developed numerous physiologic and hematologic adaptations specific to the breeds.