Shedding Light On Surgical ExodonticsSeptember 1, 2010 Many indications exist for extraction of a firmly rooted tooth. These include endodontic disease (when root canal therapy is not economically feasible or medically desirable), tooth resorption and crowding of persistent deciduous and permanent teeth. Though tooth extractions occur daily in nearly every practice, many practitioners have not been taught how to effectively and efficiently extract firmly rooted teeth. Having the right tools makes all the difference. Exodontics is a fancy word for extraction of teeth. Considering how much work it is to remove a firmly rooted or ankylosed tooth, the procedure deserves a fancier word than “pulling”! This article will discuss the necessary armamentarium and things a practitioner should look for when making purchase decisions. Do you have a dental X-ray unit? Preoperative dental X-rays are a must for firmly rooted teeth. Anatomic variation in root shape, size, curvature and even number of roots makes taking a preoperative radiograph a good thing. Do you have a high speed/low-speed dental unit? Whether compressor-driven or nitrogen-driven, a high-speed unit is an important tool to remove bone on the buccal surface of firmly rooted teeth to create a window and to minimize forces necessary to …
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Nutrition By The Book: Reducing The Figure Of Obese Pets Is A PriorityAugust 10, 2010 Only 7 percent of pets that could benefit from therapeutic food are on such a regimen, according to an American Animal Hospital Association study. This reality led an AAHA task force to develop nutritional assessment guidelines that can not only help identify the right diet but emphasize how proper nutrition can enhance pets’ quality of life and optimal health. AAHA’s Nutrition Guidelines The American Animal Hospital Association’s Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are based on the notion that good nutrition enhances a pet’s quality and quantity of life and is integral to optimal animal care. “Incorporating nutritional assessment into the routine examination protocol for every patient is important for maintaining optimal health, as well as their response to disease and injury,” said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, executive director of AAHA. “The goal of the new guidelines is to provide a framework for the veterinary practice team to help make nutritional assessments and recommendations for their patients.” The guidelines, made available through an educational grant from …
Pain Control A Necessity, Not OptionAugust 10, 2010 Some veterinarians still make pain control a client option. The availability of pharmaceuticals and the knowledge to mute pain pathways allow veterinarians to tackle acute and chronic pain more effectively than ever. So why not adopt a multimodal pain control protocol? Steps to Control Chronic Pain Make an accurate diagnosis after considering all of the animal’s adverse health influences. . Manage all aspects of disease along with pain. . Control weight. . Use a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG), which can be administered subcutaneously. . Make sure the animal’s home has nonskid flooring and raised food and water dishes. Slings should be used when appropriate. . Apply heat/cold. . Break the pain cycle. Choose medications that …
Using Supplements To Fight CancerJuly 7, 2010 With cancer blamed for as many as half of the canine and feline deaths in the U.S., veterinarians and owners are looking for solutions and are more frequently turning to supplements. As veterinarians find clinical evidence to support aggressive supplement use, organizations like Morris Animal Foundation and the American Kennel Club are on board as well. “My colleague Cheryl London is investigating the use of curcumin, a derivative of the popular Indian spice turmeric and has Morris funding,” says Ohio State University professor C. Guillermo Couto, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. “Her research is separate from mine, but we are both investigating ways supplements can affect osteosarcoma.” London, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM (Oncology), also is an Ohio State professor. Dr. Couto is clinically evaluating the effects of artemisinin, also known as sweet wormwood, an herb that has killed human and canine cancer cells in the laboratory. “From what we’ve found with its effectiveness in test tubes, it should be achievable to arrest the cancer cell cycle of dogs with osteosarcomas,” Coutou says. “Incubation with dihydroartemisinin—the active metabolite of all artemisinin compounds—resulted in biological activity against canine osteosarcoma cell lines, which included induction of apoptosis and arrest of …
Shining A New Light On Laser TherapyJuly 7, 2010 Therapeutic lasers aren’t quite a pain-management magic wand, but their adherents say they come close. When used properly, these light-emitting diodes perform virtual miracles in patients dealing with chronic pain, going through physical therapy or healing from trauma or post-surgical wounds—and they’re even proving to have regenerative effects, too. Photos courtesy of CAO Group Inc. A burn victim, top, and two weeks later after being treated with a diode laser. At the recent American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery conference in Phoenix, researcher Juanita Anders, Ph.D., of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences presented a study that showed how lasers trigger nerve growth. “The researchers showed that 980-nanometer wavelengths caused actual sprouting of nerves in a diabetic cell culture,” reports Ron Riegel, DVM, president of the American Institute for Medical Laser Applications in Mendenhall, Pa. “When they exposed it to laser, they tracked the mitochondria reproduction, which was higher, and they also found that they had actual neural sprouting in a large portion of the culture.” This kind of healing, inflammation relief and pain management is something Janet Van Dyck, DVM, of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute …
Crowns Can Be Long-Lasting SolutionJuly 7, 2010 Dogs can generate huge amounts of force when they bite an object. Just ask Cherry Hill, N.J., police officer Kevin Seta, the handler of a 10-year-old German shepherd named Boz. Cherry Hill, N.J., police officer Kevin Seta and his K-9 partner Boz. Photos copyright University of Pennsylvania Trainers of police dogs often utilize bite sleeves. During training, or in the throes of duty, large canine teeth can fracture from the force and leverage placed on them. When Boz was 4, his right mandibular canine tooth fractured during a bite work session. Seta knew to take Boz to the University of Pennsylvania’s Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service at Ryan Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia. Boz’s fractured canine tooth was a complicated crown fracture, resulting in pulp exposure and the loss of about one-third of the tooth. Once Boz was placed under anesthesia, dental radiography was performed to determine the extent of trauma to the fractured canine tooth and to assess all other teeth. Pathology was limited to the fractured canine tooth, and radiographic examination showed that Boz’s tooth was a good candidate for endodontic treatment and placement of a protective crown over the tooth after …
Getting Started With Chinese HerbsJune 3, 2010 Some veterinarians are worried about the safety and possible toxicity of Chinese herbs,1 but this is not a concern when you buy from the companies commonly used by veterinary herbalists. Companies in China that do not have an American counterpart may add adulterants or toxic substances.2 Which companies have quality-control procedures and follow U.S. good manufacturing practices? Examples include Golden Flowers, Health Concerns, Jin Tang Herbals, K’an Herbals, May Way, Natural Path and World Herbs (Darcy Naturals).3 All these companies examine raw herbs to ensure the right species, avoid the use of toxic species and submit both the raw ingredients and the final product to laboratory tests. In addition, one company uses organic herbs. At least three of the companies import raw herbs from China and process them in the U.S. The companies belong to quality assurance groups such as the National Animal Supplement Council4 and the Chinese Herbal Medicine Coalition5, which work with the Food and Drug Administration to establish certification standards for safe and effective use of their products. All have experienced herbalists as founders or staff members. All give or sponsor continuing education, enabling practitioners to better understand …
In-House Analyzers Can Be Good FitJune 3, 2010 Is it time to bring the laboratory in-house? Given today’s flattened economic climate and veterinary practitioners’ shrinking caseload, a full lab suite in the office could serve new and existing clients, deliver a higher level of patient care—and allow clinics to tap into the revenue stream flowing to commercial laboratories. Calculating a Return on Investment With a quick keyword search, the Internet delivers dozens of return-on-investment, or ROI, calculators to help determine whether a capital purchase can be financially justified, say industry experts. The majority of the calculators asked for these key figures: Original investment, or initial cost of the item The interest rate (if any) The term of the loan (if any) Number of procedures done How much will be charged for each procedure If the cost of the equipment exceeds the estimated income, clinics may consider sticking with commercial laboratories or adjusting how much they charge for blood work or chemistry panels.
World Vets: Inside JobMay 11, 2010 Colorful drawings of whales and other sea creatures decorate a room that in less than a morning is transformed from a primary-school science lab into one of the most efficient veterinary clinics in all of Honduras. I’m here to help, but that’s me near the deep-blue block wall, feeling like a complete fish out of water. As a volunteer, the only thing I can claim in common with the clinic’s cadre of professionals, including five experienced U.S. veterinarians, is the official World Vets scrub shirt I received in the mail. Hey, at least when I first put it on I looked like I belonged. That illusion shatters quickly when, after patient training, veterinary technician Laurie Doton asks me to fill a syringe with a pre-surgery sedative. What I hear is, “Please cut yourself and bleed all over the cement floor, causing curious children and their parents to look at each other in horror as they wonder just exactly what they’ve gotten their pets into.” OK, so it isn’t that bad. Most of the horror is my own as I scramble to stop the flow of embarrassment, finally employing my no-longer-blue shirt to keep my A-positive …
Ultrasound Sees Ultrarapid GrowthMay 4, 2010 Once a specialty diagnostic with limited use in the veterinary field, ultrasound has evolved into a widely accepted—and expected—standard of care. John Feleciano, DVM, Dipl. ACVR, VDIC manager of radiology with Idexx Laboratories in Clackamas, Ore., says ultrasound no longer is an optional service. Case Study Eric Lindquist, DMV, Dipl. ABVP, the founder and CEO of SonoPath.com, participated in a study of intraoperative ultrasound for precise biopsy and resection of transabdominally detected intestinal lesions in three cats. He explains the ultrasound of the patient, a 14-year-old FS DSH that presented for vomiting and weight loss. No abnormalities were seen on bloodwork or urinalysis. The intraoperative ultrasound was performed in order to identify the intestinal wall lesion seen during the transabdominal sonogram. The intestinal lesion could not be seen by the surgeon on exploratory laparotomy given that the intestinal serosa was not involved in the pathological process, but the intestinal wall was focally infiltrated with lymphoma. Moreover, the extent of the lesion could not be seen either unless it was defined by the ultrasound image. Ultrasound allowed for adequate resection of the lesion since the clinical sonographer …
