Cat/Dog

Study May Lead to Early Diagnosis of Feline Kidney Disease

November 21, 2014

An early-warning test for chronic kidney disease in cats may emerge from the development of a biomarker called SDMA. Oregon State University researchers worked with Idexx Laboratories on SDMA, or symmetric dimethylarginine, which they said can spot chronic kidney disease, a leading cause of death in older cats, much earlier than normal. Up to 35 percent of geriatric cats suffer from the disease, according to The Merck Veterinary Manual. A test based on the biomarker would allow veterinarians to identify the onset of kidney disease and order dietary changes and other therapies, Oregon State reported Thursday. Foods with lower levels of protein and phosphorus and added fish oil, antioxidants, L-carnitine and medium-chain triglycerides are known to help. “Damage from [the disease] is irreversible, but this is an important advance, in that we should be able to identify the problem earlier and use special diets to slow the disease,” said Jean Hall, DVM, MS, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The findings, published in The Veterinary Journal, involved a controlled study of 32 healthy but older cats, the university stated. The biomarker identified the onset of kidney disease an average of 17 months earlier and in …

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AVMA Helps Cat Owners With Declaw Decision

November 19, 2014

A free client handout designed to help practitioners talk to cat owners about declaw surgery is available through the American Veterinary Medical Association. The new document, available at www.avma.org/declaw, acknowledges that declawing cats is controversial and points out that scratching is normal feline behavior and that nail caps, frequent trims and positive reinforcement training are among the alternatives to an onychectomy. The AVMA House of Delegates this past July updated the organization’s policy on the declawing of domestic cats. The policy encourages client education about the surgery and its risks and urges that the owner make the final decision in consultation with a veterinarian. The handout, titled “Declaw …. or Not?” was produced by the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee. “The AVMA hopes to help veterinarians connect with cat owners to make the best decision for their cat and household,” Animal Welfare Division director Gail C. Golab, DVM, Ph.D., wrote on her AVMA@Work blog. The website also features assistant director Cia Johnson, DVM, MS, narrating a five-minute video about declawing.

N.J. Hospital Provides Free Care to Military K9s

November 18, 2014

Four-legged military veterans are eligible for free specialty veterinary care under a partnership established between a New Jersey hospital chain, the American Humane Association and the United States War Dogs Association. The arrangement, announced Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day, recognizes the dogs’ months or years of service overseas on behalf of the U.S. military. Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, which has five New Jersey locations, will provide free specialty care to retired military working dogs and contract working dogs. The latter group is made up of canines supplied to the military by contractors. “For more than 25 years, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital has been a leader in providing veterinary care to the animals of New Jersey, but we now want to be known as the leader in veterinary care for our veteran dogs,” said hospital co-founder Anthony DeCarlo, VMD. The sponsors estimated that each dog saved the lives of up to 200 soldiers by uncovering bombs and weapons caches while working in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. “Dogs are as essential to the military as humans, but unlike humans, these dogs are not guaranteed medical care following their retirement,” said Ron Aiello, president of the War …

Abbott, Merck, Purina Team Up on Diabetes Campaign

November 18, 2014

Cats and dogs diagnosed with diabetes during a visit to a participating veterinary clinic in March 2015 will receive a gift bag designed to help their owners manage the disease. The giveaway is part of the new Diabetes Pet Care Alliance, a campaign created by Abbott Animal Health, Merck Animal Health and Nestlé Purina PetCare to raise awareness about diabetes in pets and encourage more screenings. The sponsors say the incidence of diabetes—1 in 250 cats and 1 in 500 dogs—is rising and that pets are underdiagnosed. Veterinary hospitals that enroll in the program at www.usa.petdiabetesmonth.com will receive materials designed to educate clients and local pet owners about the clinical signs of diabetes. The hospitals—up to 1,000 can participate—are encouraged to dedicate time to diabetes screenings in March. Pets newly diagnosed with the disease will go home with a free diabetes management kit containing: An AlphaTrak blood glucose monitoring system from Abbott Animal Health. A 10 mL vial of Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) from Merck Animal Health. A bag of Purina Veterinary Diets food—either DM Dietetic Management Feline Formula or DCO Dual Fiber Control Canine Formula. November is National Diabetes Month.

Researchers Hope to Lick Canine Gum Disease

November 17, 2014

The American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation has awarded more than $25,000 for studies of two potential solutions to periodontal disease in dogs. Paola Massari, Ph.D., of Boston Medical Center will investigate a vaccine that would use a dog’s immune system to fight the bacteria responsible for gum disorders leading to tooth loss and pain. Django Martel, DVM, of the Animal Medical Center in New York will work with colleagues to determine whether antibiotic gel therapy can reduce periodontal disease, the Raleigh, N.C.-based foundation reported. Periodontal disease is a common condition in adult dogs. Most canines show evidence of periodontal disease and associated discomfort by age 3, the foundation noted. “Just like … in humans, periodontal disease in dogs is a painful condition that profoundly affects quality of life and can lead to a multitude of health problems,” said the foundation’s chief scientific officer, Shila Nordone, MS, Ph.D. “We have strategically funded research that will have immediate impact by supporting the evidence-based use of antibiotic gels to treat progressive disease, while also funding research that will provide a long-term solution by developing an effective vaccine to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place,” she said. Each …

Why You Should Keep Pulpitis in Mind When Treating A Discolored Tooth

November 14, 2014

Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Case Discussion Tasha, an 18- month-old female Labrador retriever, recently was presented to me for a discolored right maxillary canine tooth (Figure 1). The discoloration was intrinsic, imparting a gray color to the entire crown. The enamel of the crown was devoid of any defects, cracks or fractures. Differential Diagnoses A tooth may be discolored due to abnormal formation of enamel, such as enamel hypoplasia or hypomineralization. However, this tooth’s enamel was normal in thickness and texture. Exposure to the tetracycline family of antibiotics early in life can result in generalized discoloration of the teeth, but since only one tooth was discolored, a non-vital tooth secondary to pulpitis was most likely in Tasha’s case. What Causes Pulpitis? Pulpitis is inflammation of the pulp, which occurs most commonly due to blunt trauma to a tooth. This trauma may be caused by the patient bumping the tooth on something or biting down hard on something in a way that traumatizes the tooth without causing a fracture of the crown or root. The colors seen with pulpitis—pink, purple, gray, brown—are due to trauma to blood vessels within the tooth, which results in leakage …

Why You Should Manage Expectations When it Comes to Feline Diabetes

November 4, 2014

Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Fourteen diplomates from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (feline practice category) met at the American Association of Feline Practitioners meeting in Indianapolis to discuss the clinical management of diabetes in the cat. Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, DVM, of The Cat Care Clinic in Orange, Calif., invited all ABVP feline diplomates to participate and to discuss the apparent disparity in the results of academic recommendations for managing diabetic cats and the clinical outcome that we, as in-the-trenches practitioners, have experienced. The main expectation in question is that most, if not all, diabetic cats will go into remission if treated properly and that home glucose testing and the use of glargine insulin are essential parts of this. Those answering Dr. Wexler-Mitchell’s call responded with the following statements: “I, too, do not see the same percentage of well-regulated diabetics as is reported. And I do not see the percent of remissions that they say we should in the first six months. I thought perhaps it was just me.” “A good number of my patients aren’t showing that degree of control or remission, nor are many of my clients as motivated as the ‘ideal.’” …

How to Diagnose and Treat Uroabdomen Cases

November 3, 2014

Tucker, a 3-year-old border collie, was rushed to your hospital after getting hit by a car at 9 a.m. He is lucky, as he escaped without any fracture or major laceration. He only seems to have a few skin scrapes. You stabilize Tucker throughout the day, and he looks much better by that evening. He is kept overnight for IV fluids and pain medications. By the next morning, you are disappointed to see that Tucker’s condition has worsened overnight. Blood work and abdominal X-rays make you strongly suspect a bladder rupture. Ultrasound confirms it without a doubt. Fortunately, Dr. Jennifer Stafford, a double-boarded colleague in critical care and internal medicine at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Md., comes to the rescue with a full write-up on uroabdomen (JR Stafford, et al. “A clinical review of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of uroabdomen in the dog and cat.” J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2013, Vol 23, N 2, p. 216-229). As in Tucker’s case, most uroabdomen cases are caused by blunt trauma to the abdomen, such as getting hit by a car. The chances of this happening depend on the degree of bladder distention at the time of the trauma. Uroabdomen …

Sentinel Heartworm Drugs Moving to Virbac

October 31, 2014

Eli Lilly and Co. has found a buyer for the U.S. rights to Sentinel Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Spectrum as part of its acquisition of Novartis Animal Health. The Novartis trademarks, patents and customer lists for the two canine antiparasitics will be transferred to Virbac Animal Health of Fort Worth, Texas, upon Federal Trade Commission approval and the completion of the takeover. Eli Lilly agreed to divest U.S. Sentinel assets when purchasing Novartis Animal Health. The financial terms for the Sentinel purchase were not disclosed. U.S. sales of Sentinel Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Spectrum, which protect dogs from heartworms and fleas, are expected to reach up to $100 million in 2014. Virbac already sells a heartworm preventive, Iverhart, and offers dozens of other products in the parasitic, behavioral, dental, dermatologic, urologic and nutritional categories. “Adding these strong brands and commercial franchise to the current Virbac portfolio of products offered to veterinary clinics and pet owners in the United States will substantially strengthen Virbac’s presence and penetration in the U.S. companion animal veterinary market and leverage its growth potential,” the company reported in a statement issued Monday. Parent company Novartis AG agreed in April to sell Novartis Animal …

Purina Launches Made-to-Order Dog Food