What You Need to Know About Jaw LockingMarch 13, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Last month, we discussed differential diagnoses for cats that are unable to close their mouths. One possible cause for cats’ and dogs’ inability to close the mouth is open-mouth jaw locking, which is rare enough that you may not have learned of it in veterinary school. Photo © 2012, John R. Lewis, University of Pennsylvania Figure 1: Open-mouth jaw locking in a Persian cat. Note the mouth is locked open so wide that there is no contact between maxillary and mandibular teeth. The slight shift of the mandible to the right suggests locking is occurring on the right. Clinical Signs and Etiology In cases of open-mouth jaw locking (OMJL), cats and dogs present with the mouth wide open, and the lower jaw often has shifted to the side where the coronoid process (the tip of the ramus) is locking on the ventrolateral aspect of the zygomatic arch (Figure 1). On presentation, patients may be drooling, pawing at the face and vocalizing. The defining clinical trait that allows OMJL to be distinguished from other possible causes of inability to close the mouth on conscious examination is that …
SPONSORED CONTENTTake Control With ProHeart 12 (moxidectin)One dose offers year-long protection with a single injection, putting compliance in your hands. + Learn more
Where do you Stand on the Antibiotics Debate?March 4, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Choosing the right antibiotics—or whether to prescribe them—is far from a straightforward matter, and as concern grows over excessive antibiotics use, there’s a lot to consider. From the start, veterinarians are taught the correct use of antibiotics, which includes making a proper diagnosis, taking cultures and assessing sensitivities to choose the right antibiotic. It’s the next step in the process that becomes more difficult for veterinarians, said clinical pharmacist Sue Duran, RPh, MS, Ph.D., a fellow in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the chairwoman of the board certification committee for the International College of Veterinary Pharmacy. “Both human and animal clinicians experience peer pressure from owners to prescribe antibiotics for their patients,” said Duran, a clinical pharmacist with the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, said pinning down the “whys” behind antibiotics overprescribing is difficult. “There are various reasons unnecessary prescribing can happen,” said Weese, an associate professor in the department of pathobiology at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College in Canada. In some cases, antibiotics are used without a reasonable suspicion of a bacterial infection, such as …
More Options for Bad Joints in Aging PetsMarch 2, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News There’s no shortage of ways for a veterinarian to approach the treatment of joint problems in aging pets. For dogs in particular, a path taken from several fronts is recommended by Brenda S. Kennedy, DVM, MS, of Canine Companions for Independence. “A multimodal approach is necessary to reduce pain and minimize further degeneration in the joints,” Dr. Kennedy said. “This is especially true for senior pets, who are more likely to be in a more advanced stage of the disease process.” Kennedy was to speak in January at the North American Veterinary Community conference in Orlando, Fla. Her talk was titled “Canine Longevity: Strategies to Extend Healthspan.” The multimodal therapy she refers to can include the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), analgesics such as tramadol, amantadine and gabapentin, or injectable polysulfated glycosaminiglycans like Adequan, or products like oral glucosamine, chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Adjunct therapies like acupuncture and physical rehabilitation may also be beneficial, she added. Start With Diet, Exercise The basics of diet and exercise are a message that Kennedy and other experts drive home. “Maintenance of a lean body condition along with …
Purina: ‘No Quality Issues With Beneful’February 26, 2015Pet food manufacturer Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. is defending its Beneful brand as safe in light of a lawsuit that claims the food killed or sickened an undetermined number of dogs. The lawsuit alleges that the illnesses and deaths were linked to contaminated grain and food-grade propylene glycol used in eight Beneful kibble recipes. The document, filed Feb. 5 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, requests class-action status, which if granted could turn thousands of dog owners nationwide into plaintiffs. St. Louis-based Purina issued a statement calling Beneful “a favorite of millions of pet owners and their dogs.” “First and foremost, there are no quality issues with Beneful,” the company stated. “Beneful is a high-quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs every day. In fact, in 2014, nearly 1.5 billion Beneful meals were served to millions of happy, healthy dogs who enjoy and thrive on this food.” The lawsuit was filed by Discovery Bay, Calif., dog owner Frank Lucido, who said his German shepherd and Labrador retriever became sick and his English bulldog died within weeks of starting a Beneful diet. Lucido’s attorney, Jeffrey B. Cereghino, claimed in the lawsuit that testing of Beneful by the Association for Truth …
AKC Updates Website, LogoFebruary 25, 2015Staying current with technology, the 130-year-old American Kennel Club has launched a redesigned website along with what the registrar of purebred dogs describes as a streamlined, modern logo. The New York-based AKC contracted with the design firm Makeable to plan and build the new website, which is optimized for mobile devices and features greater functionality on all breed pages, the organization reported. “We spent more than a year immersed in research and discovery to ensure we presented a redesigned platform that would not only serve the members of our sport, but also the millions of dog owners around the country,” said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. He called the website—www.AKC.org—“progressive and inclusive while also staying true to our heritage.” Besides maintaining an expansive log of purebred dogs, AKC advocates for canine health, oversees more than 5,000 clubs and affiliated organizations, and maintains rules and regulations governing competitions such as breed shows and agility events.
Putney Releases Injectable Carprofen for DogsFebruary 12, 2015Drug maker Putney Inc. this week began selling Carprofen Sterile Injectable Solution, a generic version of Rimadyl, the anti-inflammation medication that has earned longtime rights holder Zoetis Inc. hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. The development gives Putney all three dosage forms of generic Rimadyl: injectable, chewable tablets and caplets. The active ingredient, carprofen, is formulated to control osteoarthritis pain and inflammation in dogs and for postsurgical pain. “Putney is helping veterinarians make pet health care more affordable for their pet owner clients by bringing new FDA-approved veterinary generic medicines to the market,” CEO Jean Hoffman said. Putney launched Carprofen Chewable Tablets in December. At the time, the Portland, Maine, company estimated industry sales of chewable Rimadyl and its generic equivalents at $70 million a year. Another U.S. drug maker, Bayer Animal Health, offers generic Rimadyl in soft chewable tablets under the brand name Quellin. Zoetis’ 2014 earnings report, released Wednesday, highlighted the threat to sales of one of its flagship products. “Growth was offset by competition to our Rimadyl franchise and competitive pressure in vaccines and parasiticides,” Zoetis stated. Rimadyl was released in 1997 by Pfizer Inc., which years later spun off its Pfizer …
Voyce Dog Monitor Available for PurchaseJanuary 28, 2015Voyce, a computerized collar that monitors a dog’s vital signs, is ready for the marketplace more than a year after winning acclaim at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. The $299 device, which requires a prepaid subscription plan, will ship in small, medium and large sizes in March, according to the manufacturer, i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va. Orders also are being taken for extra-large collars, which should begin arriving on doorsteps in April. Voyce is being promoted to dog owners and to veterinarians, who can “partner with their clients,” i4C President Jeff Noce said. “By providing vets with objective data trends, previously difficult to obtain, there is now an opportunity for early detection and diagnosis, offering dogs, their pet parents and vets the ability to identify and implement treatment plans earlier and track treatment progress over time,” Noce said. Outfitted with WiFi technology, an accelerometer, sensors and a rechargeable battery, Voyce is designed to measure and transmit resting heart and respiratory rates, activity levels, rest patterns and calories burned. The data may be viewed on desktop and tablet computers and smartphones. Shared with veterinarians, the information helps “connect the dots between visits,” the company stated. The subscription plan …
Registration Opens in April for Free Eye ExamsJanuary 28, 2015Free eye screenings will be offered in May during the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ annual National Service Animal Eye Exam Event. The exams are open to certified and active working animals in the United States and Canada or those enrolled in a formal training program. Among the eligible occupations are guide, handicapped assistance, detection, military, search and rescue, and therapy. Registration for the eighth annual event, which is co-sponsored by Stokes Pharmacy of Mount Laurel, N.J., will run from April 1 to 30 at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Owners or handlers of eligible service animals will receive a registration number allowing them to schedule a May eye appointment with a participating veterinary ophthalmologist. More than 7,000 animals were served in 2014 and more than 30,000 over the program’s seven years. While dogs are most commonly examined under the program, other animals, such as horses and a donkey, were checked in 2014. ACVO reported that the exams have rooted out eye ailments in hundreds of animals. One guide dog, Swap, was diagnosed in 2012 with pigmentary uveitis, a condition that affects the vision of golden retrievers. “Had I not gone to the event and had Swap’s eyes checked, …
Rabies Booster Works in Some Exposed PetsJanuary 26, 2015Pets whose rabies vaccination has expired will likely survive exposure to the deadly virus if they are quickly given a booster, according to Kansas State University researchers. The discovery also means that pet owners potentially could choose short-term quarantine of such animals at home rather than euthanasia. Many states now require unvaccinated pets that are exposed to rabies to be quarantined for six months at an animal control facility, a costly proposition for owners faced with paying thousands of dollars in kennel bills. “This has the potential to save a lot of pets’ lives,” said Michael Moore, DVM, MPH, the project manager at the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “Our hope is that now animals with an out-of-date vaccination status that are exposed to rabies will be allowed to be handled the same as dogs and cats with up-to-date vaccinations. They will be given a booster and a 45-day observation at home.” The study, published Jan. 15 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was the first to present scientific data on animals with out-of-date rabies vaccinations, Kansas State reported. Most of the 74 dogs and 33 cats that Dr. Moore and his colleagues …
How To Sort Out Cats That Can't Close Their MouthsJanuary 21, 2015Originally published in the January 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News I’ve had a run of feline patients who presented with the inability to close their mouth. Coincidentally, a recently published review in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry discussed diagnoses behind the inability to close the mouth.1 Let’s review some of the more common causes. Differential Diagnoses When a cat is suddenly unable to close its mouth, there are only a handful of differentials: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) luxation; TMJ fracture or caudal mandible fracture; Open-mouth jaw locking; Acquired dental malocclusion; Mandibular neurapraxia (a.k.a. trigeminal neuropathy or trigemninal neuritis). The patient history and comprehensive physical examination provide clues for an accurate diagnosis. If no history of trauma exists and no signs of head trauma are seen, TMJ luxation and TMJ/caudal mandibular fractures are unlikely. Caudal mandibular fractures and TMJ fractures may result in a shift of the mandible and an inability to close the mouth. Symphyseal separation or parasymphyseal fracture will not typically cause an inability to close the mouth, therefore if a cat presents with symphyseal separation and is unable to close the mouth, this suggests additional trauma caudally, usually in the form of a TMJ luxation or caudal mandibular/TMJ …
