Use a joint approach to osteoarthritisJuly 9, 2018As they age, approximately 20 percent of dogs experience osteoarthritis, a condition exacerbated by excess weight as well as by stress on joints from working or performance activities. Breeds such as golden and Labrador retrievers are overrepresented, but degenerative joint disease isn’t limited to highly active dogs or even to old dogs.
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The other ED: Ectodermal dysplasiaJuly 8, 2018From time to time, I will pull out a “dental zebra” from the archives: a case that you won’t see every day, but you’ll see it at least once in your career.
Will death do you part?July 7, 2018There’s an underlying expectation among pet owners that veterinarians understand the human-animal bond is everlasting. As such, how a veterinarian handles this end-of-life process can determine the client’s future relationship with the practice.
Blue Buffalo Clinical Trials Office celebrates second year of OSU partnershipJune 27, 2018The Blue Buffalo Veterinary Clinical Trials Office (BBVCTO) at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating its second year supporting studies to improve the animal and human health. In the past year, the BBVCTO assisted with the design and management of more than 30 clinical trials, enabling 300 client-owned pets to participate in studies that aim to extend the lives of dogs and cats through advanced treatments. "Our partnership with Blue Buffalo has made it possible for us to provide support for studies that test new diagnostic tests and treatments across a wide spectrum of pet health including cancer, renal failure, heart disease, and arthritis," said Cheryl London, DVM, Ph.D., director of the BBVCTO and professor of veterinary biosciences. "Clinical trials in veterinary medicine are critical for identifying new approaches to more effectively detect and treat diseases in the pets we love. They also have the added benefit of advancing outcomes for people with similar diseases." Providing hope to pet parents The BBVCTO supervises clinical trials involving client-owned dogs and cats. The pets continue to live with their families during these studies with the ultimate goal of finding new therapies, diagnostic tests, and medical devices that …
Is tramadol an effective analgesic for dogs and cats?June 26, 2018Awareness of the importance of analgesia for veterinary patients has increased significantly over the past two decades. It is widely considered important, for medical and ethical reasons, to provide effective pain relief for dogs and cats, whether their pain is due to surgery, injury, or chronic medical conditions.
4 scientific articles to use in everyday practiceJune 25, 2018What would you consider to be the definition of a classic scientific article? In my mind, it is an article that changes the way you think. It is an article that changes the status quo. That changes the way you practice—the very next day.
Rehab medicine gets pets back on trackJune 21, 2018Elmo, an obese sealpoint Siamese cat, had severe hip arthritis. His pain was so severe that he was unable or unwilling to use his litterbox. Elmo’s dedicated owners brought him for rehab to Marti Drum, DVM, DACVSMR, at the University of Tennessee.
MyCatDNA analysis aims to breed healthier catsJune 21, 2018MyCatDNA test, a new feline DNA test from Wisdom Health, a division of Mars Petcare, is designed to help veterinarians and breeders maintain the health and wellness of cats from a genetic level. MyCatDNA test, also known as the Optimal Selection Feline test in North America, provides insight into an individual cat's unique genetic makeup, allowing breeders to make more informed breeding decisions and subsequently lessen the chance of passing down inherent diseases to future generations. "New insights based on genetics, such as mutations linked to health conditions and traits, can transform the lives of cats and their offspring," said Leslie Lyons Ph.D., a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri–Columbia. "Having these discoveries and many other tools readily available to cat owners and breeders on a global scale can only improve the health care of cats and our breeding decisions." The MyCatDNA test develops a comprehensive view of a cat's unique genome, including inherited characteristics. The analysis is able to identify more than 40 genetic mutations that cause inherited feline diseases, as well as traits such as blood type, coat color/length, and body type. Owners can then access online health profiles for their …
Study explores predicting canine disease risk through genetic testingJune 21, 2018 Genetic testing can be used to predict if a dog is at risk for developing certain diseases, enabling preventative care for better health, reports a new study by Wisdom Health and Genoscoper Laboratories. Published in PLOS Genetics, the study, "Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs," also shows fewer mixed-breed dogs than purebreds are affected by the most common disease-causing mutations tested in the study. "There has been a long-standing perception that mixed-breed dogs are less disease prone than purebred dogs," said Cindy Cole DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, general manager at Wisdom Health. "This DNA-testing-based evidence shows that while mixed-breed dogs are in fact less likely than purebreds to develop the recessive disorders evaluated in the study, they may still be carriers." The study examined the DNA of more than 100,000 dogs (18,000 purebreds representing 330 breeds, types, and varieties, and 83,000 mixed-breed dogs) for the presence of 152 genetic disease mutations, including: Progressive retinal atrophy (multiple forms) Hyperuricosuria Collie eye anomaly Multidrug sensitivity (MDR1) von Willebrand's disease (multiple forms) Based on the 152 diseases tested: Approximately two out of 100 mixed-breed dogs are at risk of becoming affected; 40 …
Why annual screening for exposure to infected ticks is vitalJune 20, 2018It's important to remember that a single tick can transmit multiple infectious agents that may cause or contribute to serious illness, including kidney disease. And because dogs don't always show clinical signs, it can be challenging to understand the true harm of any given infection to a pet's health. This makes regularly screening of pets—including asymptomatic or seemingly healthy ones—to identify exposure to infected ticks all the more important. Here's a quick look at why regular, comprehensive screening is critical, and what veterinarians can do to help keep dogs healthy. All dogs need to be screened annually for exposure to infected ticks It's quite possible a patient could be fighting an infection without showing any signs of disease. That is why limiting screening to symptomatic pets and those known to have had a tick on them is too restrictive—it will miss infections. All dogs need to be tested, and pet owners need to be reminded that negative results are the goal in order to verify that preventive measures against ticks are working. A new study reinforces the importance of detecting exposure The study, found at idexx.com/ckdstudy, showed two key findings: 1) dogs with Ehrlichia antibodies …
