Why Diagnosing Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats is Still a ChallengeAugust 19, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Loved this article? Then subscribe today! Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, or PLI, is the most accurate laboratory test for diagnosing pancreatitis in dogs and cats, experts say. Accurately identifying this gastrointestinal malady has long baffled practitioners. Pancreatic biopsy is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for pancreatitis, but it is uncommonly performed due to the invasiveness and expense of the surgery. Most clinical cases can be diagnosed with a combination of a compatible history and clinical signs, and with the serum PLI and abdominal ultrasound, said Steve Hill, DVM, MS, of Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego. “Routine serum amylase and lipase levels, which are commonly part of general chemistry panels, have limited utility in diagnosing pancreatitis due to their low sensitivity and specificity in both dogs and cats,” said Dr. Hill, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, small animal, and the immediate past president of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society. “The most accurate laboratory diagnostic test is the pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, which measures pancreas-specific lipase and has very good sensitivity and specificity for acute and chronic pancreatitis,” he …
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What You Need to Know About Murmurs and Heart Disease in Senior DogsAugust 12, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Subscribe today! A loud murmur may not indicate heart disease in a dog, and conversely, a dog with heart disease may not necessarily have a loud heart murmur. That was the top piece of advice to general practitioners offered up by Pamela M. Lee, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (Cardiology), an assistant professor in veterinary clinical sciences at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In older, small- to medium-size breed dogs, the most common heart diseases are degenerative issues, such as endocardiosis, also called chronic degenerative-valve disease or acquired valvular heart disease, Dr. Lee said. For large-breed dogs, the most common heart disease is dilated cardiomyopathy, where heart muscle contracts poorly, Lee said. When checking for endocardiosis, it’s the type of heart murmur, not the loudness, that a practitioner should listen for. “One of the big things to know, at least with endocardiosis: The severity of the heart disease does not correlate with a loud heart murmur,” Lee said. This may be important to keep in mind, because experts spoken with, including Lee, pointed to …
Elanco Launches Osurnia for Canine Ear InfectionsAugust 5, 2015Osurnia, a new treatment for inflamed or infected canine ears, also may help with owner compliance because of its makeup and dosing schedule, according to manufacturer Elanco Animal Health. Osurnia (florfenicol/terbinafine/betamethasone acetate) comes in gel-filled, single-dose tubes that are administered seven days apart to treat canine otitis externa. A dog owner is instructed to squeeze the gel into the ear canal through a flexible, soft tip, and then gently massage the ear to spread the medication. The two-dose regimen should appeal to owners, Elanco stated today in announcing the launch of the drug. “Pet owner compliance is one of the biggest challenges veterinarians face when treating otitis externa in dogs,” said Wayne Rosenkrantz, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, of Animal Dermatology Clinic in Tustin, Calif. “With Osurnia, the innovation of an effective treatment administered in just two doses is much more convenient for pet owners and will increase the likelihood that they will complete the entire treatment program.” Osurnia was developed by Novartis Animal Health, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug before Elanco acquired the company earlier this year. Osurnia is indicated for the treatment of otitis externa associated with susceptible strains of the …
Zoetis Reveals Anti-Itch Therapy for DogsAugust 4, 2015Zoetis Inc. plans to arm veterinary dermatologists with a new weapon this fall: an antibody therapy designed to turn off the itch switch in dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis. The Florham Park, N.J., drug and vaccine maker reported Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a conditional license for Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic. Delivered monthly by injection, the antibody neutralizes interleukin-31, a protein that instructs a dog’s brain to begin scratching, Zoetis stated. The therapy joins another Zoetis product, the daily drug Apoquel, as a way to control canine itching regardless of the underlying problem. While Apoquel is indicated for cases of allergic or atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 1 year old, the new therapy may be used with any dog afflicted with atopic dermatitis. “By helping to relieve itching and the clinical signs associated with atopic dermatitis in affected dogs, it will also help restore quality of life for both atopic dogs and the people who love them,” said Arizona veterinary dermatologist Thomas Lewis II, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, who participated in clinical studies of the antibody therapy. Apoquel has been in short supply since the pill was launched in January 2014, and Zoetis is not …
Voyce Pro Offers Remote Monitoring of Dogs’ HealthJuly 28, 2015The manufacturer of the Voyce health monitor has launched a service that allows veterinarians to track a canine patient’s well-being away from the clinic. Voyce Pro, from i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va., is a veterinary-exclusive program that practitioners may use to look after dogs recovering from surgery or being treated for heart, joint or respiratory disease or conditions such as obesity and anxiety. Voyce President Jeff Noce called the service, which was unveiled in July at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, “an entirely new level of personalized care for veterinary patients.” “Based on the success and feedback we had with our consumer model, Voyce, we have created the wellness monitoring program exclusively for veterinarians,” Noce said. Worn around a dog’s neck, the battery-powered monitor measures resting heart and respiratory rates, activity, calories burned and distance traveled. Sent over a Wifi connection to an Internet-enabled computer or smartphone, the readings may help a veterinarian identify and react to trends. “In conjunction with exam findings and diagnostics, the program provides a more comprehensive view of a patient’s ongoing health status,” said Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM, the company’s director of veterinary medicine. “Voyce Pro helps identify and manage acute and chronic health …
Idexx Launches 10-Minute Test for LeptoJuly 21, 2015Idexx Laboratories Inc. today introduced an in-clinic test that can diagnose canine leptospirosis, a potentially fatal bacterial infection, within 10 minutes. The rapid diagnosis is a big improvement over the most common testing method, Idexx reported. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is performed at university and commercial laboratories and may take up to a week to deliver results. “The SNAP Lepto Test represents an important step forward in helping veterinarians quickly and affordably detect antibodies to dangerous Leptospira infections in dogs,” said Jonathan W. Ayers, president and CEO of the Westbrook, Maine, company. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that usually strikes dogs, cattle, horses, pigs and wildlife. The disease is frequently spread through contact with infected urine. “It most commonly affects young adult large-breed dogs that swim and run alongside wildlife hosts,” Idexx noted. “Over the past 10 years, the disease has also been found in small dogs living in urban environments, likely due to encounters with rodents and wildlife hosts who have wandered into the city.” Richard Goldstein, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief medical officer at Animal Medical Center in New York City, called the new test “a key to both determining the true prevalence of leptospirosis …
What You Need to Know About Oral Eosinophilic Diseases in Dogs and CatsJuly 20, 2015Originally published in the July 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Loved this article and want to see more like it? Then subscribe today! I recently saw a 5-year-old, spayed Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Kaycee. Kaycee was presenting for a dental cleaning and possible extractions. Due to Kaycee’s signalment, I knew I should take a look at her soft palate during her conscious and anesthetized examinations. When I opened Kaycee’s mouth, I could see irregularity to the entire surface of the soft palate, with multiple areas of ulceration. Some of the areas of ulceration had areas of yellow punctate raised plaques. Cavaliers are commonly affected by a condition called eosinophilic stomatitis, which often manifests on the soft palate.1 This inflammatory condition is similar to eosinophilic granulomas in cats, but histologically, the disease in Cavaliers often lacks granuloma formation. Other dog breeds may be affected, including Alaskan malamutes, Siberian huskies, Labradors and Italian greyhounds (Figure 1). Soft palate lesions may also be solitary, circular, raised, yellow/pink lesions (Figure 2). Some dogs are presented with clinical signs of decreased appetite and drooling, but surprisingly, many dogs with significant changes to the soft palate …
Sleepypod Dog Harness Wins Top Safety RatingJuly 16, 2015One of the top dogs in the pet harness industry is trumpeting a safety achievement for big dogs: a certified five-star crash test rating for the new Clickit Sport XL. The extra-large Clickit Sport, made by Sleepypod of Pasadena, Calif., is the only travel harness of its size to receive the Center for Pet Safety’s highest score, the company announced Wednesday. The Center for Pet Safety, based in Reston, Va., tests harnesses and other pet products submitted by manufacturers. The Clickit Sport XL is designed for dogs with a chest circumference of 34.5 to 40 inches, or up to about 90 pounds. The Center for Pet Safety used a 90-pound dummy canine model and a crash sled to measure Clickit Sport XL’s durability and protection. “Our research has returned findings that [extra-large] dogs can cause significant strain on the vehicle seat belt system,” said Lindsey Wolko, founder of the nonprofit organization. “Meeting the 90-pound crash protection level is a significant achievement.” Sleepypod holds a five-star rating for the Clickit Sport in all four sizes: small, medium, large and extra-large. Winning certification of the three smaller harnesses was easier, said Michael Leung, Sleepypod’s co-founder and lead product designer. The …
Why You Should Consider Nonsurgical Care for CCL DiseaseJune 8, 2015Originally published by June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News As someone who offers her thoughts on veterinary topics in print and online quite often, Narda G. Robinson, DO, DVM, MS, FAAMA, hears a great deal from pet owners and fellow practitioners about cranial cruciate ligament disease, a common aliment that can greatly impact a pet’s mobility and lifestyle. Just don’t try and tell her surgery is the “gold standard” for treating CCL disease. Nor should surgery always be presented as the best treatment, said Dr. Robinson, director at the CSU Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “My first question is: ‘What constitutes a ‘gold standard?’” Robinson said. “Is this based on opinion or scientific evidence? I’d prefer to see whatever is a ‘gold standard’ supported by evidence of benefit, safety and the least invasive approach possible rather than often-held opinions.” She noted that there are many instances of pelvic limb lameness that don’t require surgery, yet there isn’t enough evidence to say how a comprehensive rehabilitation program compares to various surgical outcomes for cruciate injury. “Based on what I’ve seen and heard from folks around the country, and even from other countries, …
Do Dogs and Cats Get Cavities?June 8, 2015Originally published in the June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Dental caries (the medical term for cavities caused by tooth decay) are common in people but rare in our veterinary patients. Dental caries were first described in domesticated dogs in 1962.1 The NIH reports that 92 percent of adult humans between the age of 20 and 64 have cavities of their permanent teeth. The prevalence of caries in dogs is low, having been documented at 5 percent in a study of 435 dogs.2 Caries in cats are very rare (almost nonexistent). Etiology What’s the difference between caries and the more commonly seen veterinary problem of tooth resorption? The etiology of caries is due to a combination of having the right bacteria in the mouth (usually a bug called Streptococcus mutans) and having carbohydrate substrates for S. mutans to form acids that eat away at the surface of a tooth. Often times, even that is not enough to cause cavities. Often there is a genetic predilection of a developmental abnormality of a tooth to allow the enamel to be penetrated by these acids. The most common type of caries lesions is referred to as “pit-and-fissure” caries, which most commonly occurs …
