UC Davis Gives Cat New EyelidsMay 15, 2015Practice made perfect for UC Davis veterinary ophthalmologists, who after performing a rare transplant on feline cadavers were able to construct upper eyelids on a cat born without them. The surgery, called lip commissure to eyelid transposition, was successfully performed on a 9-month-old female domestic shorthair named Billie, who suffered from a congenital defect known as eyelid agenesis. The condition was a source of constant discomfort as hair around Billie’s eyes rubbed against the corneas, according to the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. The absence of eyelids also prevented Billie from blinking and lubricating her eyes. A surgery team made up of Ophthalmology Service veterinarians Ann Strom, DVM, MS, and Lionel Sebbag, DVM, knew about a procedure never tried before at UC Davis but documented in the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2010. Drs. Strom and Sebbag practiced removing tissue from the cadavers’ cheeks and lips and transplanting it as an eyelid, the university stated. Once confident in their ability, the surgeons consulted with Billie’s owner, who gave the go-ahead for the transplant. Billie’s tissue grafts showed no signs of rejection or infection at one- and two-week checkups. After two months, the new eyelids were taking …
SPONSORED CONTENTSupport patients' cognitive function and mobility.Cognitive and mobility decline are common issues facing aging pets, and new Hill's Prescription Diet Brain Care + j/d can help. + Learn More
Blue Buffalo Faults Supplier for Wide Use of Byproduct MealMay 12, 2015Blue Buffalo Co., one of the world’s largest pet food makers, admitted in a courtroom May 6 that a substantial portion of its products at one time contained poultry byproduct meal, and the company blamed the situation on a supplier’s “mislabeling scheme.” The acknowledgment came as the Wilton, Conn., manufacturer asked a U.S. District Court judge in St. Louis to interrupt proceedings in a lawsuit filed by competitor Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. The judge granted a three-month delay to give Blue Buffalo time to sue Wilbur-Ellis Co. and draw the San Francisco animal feed supplier further into the case. Blue Buffalo and Purina have engaged in a long-running war of words and legal fight over allegations that some Blue Buffalo food was made with poultry byproduct meal contrary to the company’s labeling and advertising. A countersuit filed by Blue Buffalo accuses Purina, the world’s No. 2 pet food manufacturer, of defamation, unfair competition and false advertising. Both companies verbally attacked each other in the days after the court hearing. “Despite this admission, Blue Buffalo still has not informed consumers of the presence of poultry byproduct meal in Blue Buffalo pet food, refuses to accept responsibility for the product it …
Why Compliance Tops Flea and Tick Control MustsMay 11, 2015Originally published in the April 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News The most effective flea- and tick-control products are the ones that pet owners will actually use according to the label recommendations. So believes Michael Murray, DVM, technical marketing director for U.S. Pet Parasiticides at Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. “While that may seem simple and obvious on the surface, many important factors influence the outcome,” said Dr. Murray said. By probing into a pet’s routine with a few questions, veterinarians can ferret out those factors and help ensure compliance – leading to what is likely to be a better outcome for patients, Murray said. “First, what is the pet owner’s perception of the value, not the cost, of using flea and tick control for their pet?” he said. “This differs among pet owners, and finding out how clients spend time with their pets can provide important insights into how a parasite infestation would affect the relationship between the owner and their pet.” One question he suggested be posed to clients is whether a pet sleeps with a family member and how a flea or tick infestation would affect that interaction. He also suggested that veterinarians should find out if …
Cerclage Wire for Rostral Mandibular InstabilityMay 6, 2015Originally published in the April 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Last month we discussed iatrogenic mandibular fractures of the rostral mandible, specifically the iatrogenic parasymphyseal fracture. One of the repair techniques for this fracture, and for traumatic symphyseal separation, is use of a cerclage wire placed behind the canine teeth. Though most practitioners are familiar with this seemingly basic procedure, there are subtle nuances of placement that will help your patients thrive following placement of the cerclage. No. 1. Not every patient with instability requires placement of a cerclage wire Some animals, especially brachycephalic small-breed dogs and some cats, may have significant symphyseal laxity as an incidental finding on anesthetized oral examination. If the patient is not showing signs of discomfort or jaw locking, symphyseal laxity is not likely causing any problems. In cases with no recent history of trauma, placement of a cerclage wire will likely not allow for a long-term decrease in laxity without a more invasive procedure such as symphysiodesis (cutting into the fibrous joint of the symphysis and encouraging scar tissue formation), and this is often not necessary. No. 2. Step-by-step: placement Before placing a cerclage wire, the intraoral soft tissues dorsal to the …
Careless Dog Owners Could Be in Mess of TroubleMay 4, 2015Dogs can run, but they can’t hide from PooPrints. BioPet Vet Lab, which specializes in canine genetic testing, is partnering with the appropriately named London borough of Barking and Dagenham to track down dog owners who fail to remove their pets’ public deposits. Starting in September 2016, people who don’t pick up after their dogs could be fined 80 pounds, or about $125. The registration of dogs’ DNA could become mandatory five months earlier if a pilot program proves successful. That’s where BioPet and its U.K. licensee, Streetkleen Bio, come in. Canine cheek swabs will be taken and sent to BioPet’s Knoxville, Tenn., laboratory for identification and registration of the dogs. When Barking and Dagenham party poopers come across a pile of dog doo, a sample will be shipped to BioPet in an attempt to identify the canine offender. “Wardens will patrol the borough’s 27 parks and open spaces and test any rogue mess,” the BBC news agency reportedly bluntly. Borough leaders decided to enforce a Public Space Protection Order, a quality-of-life measure that allows governments across the United Kingdom to crack down on anti-social behavior in public areas such as parks, cemeteries and beaches. The effort in Barking and …
Why the Basics Still Apply to Canine Skin AllergiesMay 4, 2015Originally published in the April 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Prevention, diagnosis and good management are still the most important elements of treating a dog with allergic skin disease, experts say, despite the presence of a potentially game-changing medication. “Apoquel has helped a lot of dogs, but you still need to implement good parasite control, including flea prevention, and you still need to ID the potentially underlying adverse reactions,” said Jeanne B. Budgin, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, president of the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology. “In my opinion, Apoquel is not a replacement for diagnostics directed at identifying the cause of allergic skin disease,” Dr. Budgin said. Apoquel soared in popularity upon its release in January 2014. Many practitioners experienced a shortage of the drug when manufacturer Zoetis of Florham Park, N.J., ran low on supplies and faced production issues. Shortage Dr. Budgin, who works at Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, N.Y., said she hasn’t experienced the shortage. She said she’s been able to keep patients that were started on Apoquel on the treatment. For others, the shortage has been an issue. One such affected practitioner is Christine Zewe, DVM, a resident in dermatology at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine …
Survey: Clients Want to Know About ParasitesApril 30, 2015Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Tens of thousands of dollars in additional revenue may be a series of phone calls away for U.S. veterinary hospitals. The Companion Animal Parasite Council and Bayer Animal Health in January released the results of a survey that found that 90 percent of U.S. pet owners want to hear about local spikes in pests such as disease-carrying ticks and heartworm-transmitting mosquitoes. Pet owners are willing to open their wallets, too, with 89 percent saying they likely would schedule an appointment to get their pet tested if a heightened parasite risk was communicated. The survey’s sponsors forecast that a two-doctor practice that informed clients about urgent parasitic risks in their home county and delivered related services could generate from $163,000 to $789,000 a year in extra revenue, depending on the level of pet owner response. “It’s amazing what some fairly simple changes can do financially for our profession,” said Karen E. Felsted, MS, DVM, CPA, CVPM, founder of president of PantheraT, a practice consulting firm in Dallas. She is the former CEO of the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. Dr. Felsted was joined by CAPC leaders Susan E. Little, …
Why Ticks Are Looming Large for Dogs and CatsApril 29, 2015Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Ticks have been steadily spreading across the United States in recent years, their incidence growing rapidly right along with the white-tail deer population. It’s still a bit early to say for sure, but it doesn’t look like that spread will be slowing this year. A parasite forecast published each spring by the Companion Animal Parasite Council gives veterinarians and pet owners a good idea of what they can expect in the way of tick, intestinal parasite and heartworm prevalence. “We expect to see—unless intervention is increased—continued spread of the tick-transmitted diseases and some continued small climb in heartworms,” said Dwight Bowman, MS, Ph.D., a Cornell University veterinary parasitology professor and CAPC board member. Tick-transmitted agents that test (Lyme, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia) are increasing in the percentage of animals positive within an area—and the current ranges are expanding too, he said. It’s always hard to tell what a year will hold in terms of parasites. Extreme cold and dry weather have a significant negative effect on flea and tick populations, and while much of the northern half of the U.S. has experienced cold and snowy weather, it has not been …
Study Confirms Benefits of Pedicle Tie SpaysApril 24, 2015High-volume sterilization clinics may save time and money using a pedicle tie procedure when spaying cats, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Kirk Miller, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, a clinical instructor at the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, teamed up with four other researchers to compare the feline pedicle tie (PT) to traditional pedicle double ligation (PDL). They found that PT was safe, posed a very low risk of additional bleeding and slightly reduced the patient’s anesthesia time. Surgery took about two minutes less in PT cases. “Saving two minutes may not sound like much, but when you do thousands of these procedures every year, like we do, it can add up in savings of both time and money,” said Dr. Miller, who practices with the Oregon Humane Society in Portland. “Over the course of a year this may free up about two weeks of time for both the surgeon and anesthetist. “That increased efficiency means we can serve more animals, provide the care they need and make them eligible to find new homes.” The researchers performed ovariohysterectomies using the PT technique on 2,136 cats. They determined that the pedicle tie was effective at stopping blood flow through …
Vet Fired After Bragging of Killing CatApril 17, 2015 Facebook This photo appeared on Dr. Kristen Lindsey’s Facebook page. Click on the photo above to see the original image. (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.) We'll be posting updates as they come in. Read the original story. Update 6 (4/18/2015, 7:45 a.m. PDT): The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners posted on their Facebook page that they are aware of the situation regarding Kristen Lindsey, DVM, and request people write to them via email. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners has been made aware of the situation with one of our licensees. We will... Posted by Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners on Friday, April 17, 2015 Update 5 (4/17/2015, 6:45 p.m. PDT): KBTX.com has more reactions about the controversial killing. (Warning, video does contain GRAPHIC IMAGES.) Update 4 (4/17/2015, 6:15 p.m. PDT): There have been reports that the cat was being fostered by volunteer with True Blue Animal Rescue in Brenham, Texas. The organization has put up their own statement, …
