College of Veterinarians of British Columbia bans onychectomyJune 14, 2018The College of Veterinarians of British Columbia (CVBC) has banned the practice of partial digital amputation, also known as onychectomy or declawing, of domestic cats, effective immediately. The province is the second in Canada to ban declawing, following the procedure's condemnation from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). "Elective and nontherapeutic declawing is ethically problematic and not an appropriate means of dealing with feline behavior issues," reads CVBC's statement. The college acknowledges there are medical conditions that may necessitate partial or full digital amputation as an appropriate medical therapy, such as biopsy for diagnosis, severe trauma, or medical conditions affecting the health of the nail (i.e. onychodystrophy, paronychia, neoplasia of the nail bed/phalanges), but adds there is no medical condition or environmental circumstance of the cat's owner that would justify declawing. Declawing has already been banned in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and several cities in California. Earlier this year, Nova Scotia became the first Canadian province to ban the procedure, with the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association amending its code of ethics to declare the practice, when performed electively, "ethically unacceptable." While CVMA does not regulate veterinarians in Canada and cannot enforce a nationwide ban, the association announced …
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Canadian researchers team up to fight canine osteosarcomaJune 14, 2018A group of researchers called the Dog Osteosarcoma Group–Biomarkers of Neoplasia (DOGBONe) at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, have joined forces to determine more accurate ways of measuring bone cancer, with the main objective of identifying biomarkers to assess patients with canine osteosarcoma. The presentation of osteosarcoma in dogs is remarkably similar to that of humans, according to the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC); so much so that computers are unable to distinguish between tumor samples from each species based on gene expression patterns. These similarities make canine osteosarcoma research all the more valuable, as any progress in developing better treatments for one species means progress for the other as well. "The dogs are a model for the worst of the human disease," said Geoffrey A. Wood, DVM, Ph.D., DVSc (pathology), of the OVC's Department of Pathobiology. "Right now, the information we find out in human osteosarcoma serves as a model for the dogs. There's an opportunity to go both ways between the species, for the benefit of both." The team consists of the university's top osteosarcoma researchers from across four departments at OVC, including co-leaders Dr. Wood and Alicia Viloria-Petit, Ph.D., MSc, BSc, of the Department of …
Postoperative bleeding in greyhounds; what it may mean for deerhoundsJune 8, 2018In 2011 I wrote about research underway at The Ohio State University (OSU) to investigate the cause of excessive postoperative bleeding that occurred in many greyhounds one or two days after surgery.
Why an oral tumor diagnosis isn't always straightforwardJune 6, 2018When I was in veterinary school, my naïve impression of the process for obtaining a histopathologic diagnosis of tumors was this: fix the specimen in formalin, section and stain the tumor, look into the microscope, and obtain a definitive diagnosis.
Help clients who travel hire the best professional pet sitterJune 6, 2018As more than 88 million Americans prepare for family vacations this summer, educational association Pet Sitters International (PSI) reminds pet owners to use caution when deciding who will watch their animals, recommending they forgo hiring hesitant friends and neighbors to fill this role and instead seek professional pet sitters, trained to handle potential emergencies. "When it comes to finding pet care, don't prioritize convenience over quality," said Beth Stultz, PSI vice-president. "Just because you can quickly find and book the services of a pet lover with a profile on a pet-sitting or dog-walking app doesn't mean you are choosing a qualified pet-care provider. Pet owners should take a closer look to ensure they are hiring not just a pet lover, but a pet lover who is also a true pet-care professional." Professional pet sitters come to clients' homes, which limits interruption to pets' routines and eliminates the stress and danger of exposing them to new, unfamiliar environments. Additionally, many professionals provide services for owners traveling with animals, offering pet-care services at hotels for clients who need to leave their animals and participate in non-pet friendly events or activities. PSI advises pet owners to schedule a consultation …
Enter Veterinary Practice News' 2018 They Ate What?! X-ray ContestJune 1, 2018Pets eat the most puzzling things that land them in the vet's office: shoes, coins, socks, teddy bears, watches, rubber ducks, rocks, lightbulbs, kitchen utensils, pendants, golf balls, and more. If the rads weren't there to prove this stuff actually happens, the tales would be hard to believe. That's why Veterinary Practice News is asking the veterinary community to submit radiographs to the 2018 They Ate What?! X-ray contest that show how truth is often stranger than fiction when it comes to the contents of some pets' stomachs. The winner, selected by a panel of veterinarians and Veterinary Practice News editors, will receive $500 and a one-year subscription to Web PACS, a Picture Archiving Communications System valued at $2,400, from contest prize sponsor, IDEXX Laboratories Inc. How to enter: Go to VeterinaryPracticeNews.com/xraycontest and log in or register to enter. Upload high-resolution images—large files reproduce best—and fill in your name, clinic name and address, telephone number, and a short explanation of the case, including the outcome. If available, include images of the patient and the recovered item(s). The submission deadline is July 23. The winner and honorable mentions will be unveiled in the …
Caring for the geriatric petJune 1, 2018Puppies and kittens are adorable, but I can’t help loving another group—geriatric pets. There’s something about the weak and the wobbly, the skinny and the stinky.
Lysine: A therapeutic zombie?May 16, 2018Science is a process for developing and refining our understanding of nature over time. The work of a community of scientists, often with vigorous competition and conflict between individuals, gradually improves the accuracy of our understanding.
The purebred paradoxMay 11, 2018Purebreds are overrepresented in popular culture. Though a few of the Hollywood elite may proudly promenade their “rescue mutts” as they shop Rodeo Drive, most lay claim to full-blooded epitomes of dogdom.
Kindred Biosciences' Mirataz commercially available in U.S.May 9, 2018Update: this product is now commercially available in the U.S. Kindred Biosciences Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for Mirataz (mirtazapine transdermal ointment) for the management of weight loss in cats. Mirtazapine, which blocks specific serotonin and histamine receptors that play a role in appetite and nausea, demonstrated a 3.9 percent increase in body weight in cats with unintended weight loss in as little as 14 days, according to San Francisco-based Kindred. To help improve owner and patient compliance, Mirataz will be available in a topical formulation applied to the inner pinna of a cat's ear. Research shows daily topical application for 14 days resulted in measurable plasma concentrations of mirtazapine in cats, the manufacturer stated. Mirataz offers the confidence of a product approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine, convenience of transdermal application, Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) production quality, known stability, manufacturer technical support, and a practical way to manage feline weight loss without administration of oral medication, according to Valentine S. Williams, DVM, DACVS, director of veterinary affairs at Kindred Biosciences.
