Surgical Advances Provide Options In Treating Common Eye ConditionsApril 17, 2009 Small animal ophthalmology has seen both incremental and significant advances in awareness and treatment in recent years. But multiple areas remain in which enhanced treatment options would be welcomed by specialists, general practitioners and pet owners alike. “If you look at diseases that affect the eye, I don’t think they’ve changed much over the years,” says David Wilkie, DVM, Dipl. ACVO, head of the comparative ophthalmology department at Ohio State University. “Many of the conditions are seen in purebred dogs because they are inherited or breed-associated. So what drives trends in ophthalmology are the breeds that are popular at the time.” Disease Trends One such breed-related condition is eyelid imperfections. “As the trend in breeding brachycephalic pets becomes more popular, we see a huge trend in poor eyelid conformation,” says Teresa Tucci, DVM, Dipl. ACVO, of Veterinary Specialists Inc. in Homestead, Fla. “Corneal neovascularization, pigmentation, ulceration and perforation can be incited by eyelid imperfections.” Dr. Tucci notes that many conditions related to poor eyelid conformation can be corrected or prevented, particularly if detected and treated early. Although occurrence of eye-related conditions in small animals remains fairly constant, the rate at which …
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Pain Control In Cancer ManagementApril 17, 2009 As cancer progresses, tissue destruction occurs, causing the release of cell membranes, cytosolic proteins and nuclei acid. The inflammation created is painful and can stimulate additional angiogenesis, cell cycle initiation and cancer progression. In this Oncology Outlook, I want to propose a “pain ladder” that provides guidance in the management of cancer pain and reviews measures used in our clinical facility. Pain Levels The goal of a pain management strategy is to relieve pain and prevent or delay additional complications. In human medicine, the World Health Organization recommends the use of a one through 10 scale to characterize the severity of pain and provide guidance in selecting appropriate pain relief measures. While many others use scales, algorithms or charts to track an animal’s pain, I propose the following three categories of cancer pain and suggest some measures for additional relief. Mild to Moderate Pain: This occurs as a tumor compresses surrounding tissues and is possibly warm to the touch, but the general aches or stiffness do not limit a pet’s duration of normal activity. Cautious but regular use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug would be the first choice. Following some reconstructive surgical procedures …
Vets Promote Summer Safety To Pet OwnersApril 17, 2009 With summer around the corner, veterinarians and animal organizations are preparing pet owners for the hot days to come. A lot of summer safety warnings concern how to beat the heat and prevent heat stroke. But other health concerns also loom, says Louise Murray, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, director of medicine for the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York. High-rise syndrome is a big concern, especially in Manhattan, she says. When the weather warms up, people open their windows, many of which don’t have screens. Cats (and even some dogs) looking out the window may slip or try to catch a leaf or butterfly floating by. “It is incredibly common,” Dr. Murray says, adding that they see about a case or more every day. If the fall doesn’t kill them, it usually causes severe injuries like ruptured lungs, multiple fractured limbs and fractured jaw, or even all of the above, she says. Veterinarians need to spread the word about window screens, Murray says. “You wouldn’t leave a window open for your kids., Why would you for your cats?” she adds. Veterinarians should be proactive and communicate with clients about summer safety, …
Technology Predetermines Dog SexesApril 17, 2009 The world’s first dogs to have been sex-selected before conception have been born, according to XY Inc., a company based in Fort Collins, Colo., that developed the XY Sex Selection Technology. The black Labrador pups—three female and two male—join a line of other animal species that the company says has produced sex-selected offspring. Species include the domestic cat, cattle, horses, sheep, elk, the bottle-nosed dolphin and the Mediterranean water buffalo. “Using sex-sorted sperm to artificially inseminate dogs is probably not too practical for typical breeding,” said Greg Burns, DVM, owner of South Mesa Veterinary Hospital in Fort Collins and part of XY’s research team. “However, for specialty breeding, this is a major breakthrough with great potential.” One example is in the case of Seeing-Eye dogs. Female Labradors are typically desired for their calm and gentle disposition and intelligence. “The Seeing Eye would find it very helpful if some litters could be produced that are mostly females, and I believe that access to sex-selection technology would be useful to dog guide schools around the world,” said Eldin Leighton, the Jane H. Booker director of canine genetics for The Seeing Eye, which breeds dogs. XY …
Nutritional Advances Aid In Prevention, Treatment Of IllnessApril 17, 2009 The importance of proper pet nutrition, long understood and preached by the veterinary community, is catching on among pet owners as well. “Veterinarians are being approached by clients on a more regular basis for recommendations on what their pets should be eating,” says Amy Dicke, DVM, technical services veterinarian for The Iams Co. in Dayton, Ohio. “Owners are becoming more concerned about their pets’ diets, so veterinarians have to be more comprehensive in dealing with the topic of nutrition.” Nutritional Trends A key trend driving nutrition for dogs and cats is the shift toward a preventive model of veterinary medicine. “Prevention is much easier than treatment,” says Brent Mayabb, DVM, technical services manager for Royal Canin Veterinary Diets in Saint Charles, Mo. “Many conditions in pets can be prevented through proper nutrition, and the veterinary community overall is becoming more savvy in this area.” Obesity in pets is one example of a condition that can often be averted with preventive nutrition and treated with specialty diets as well. As pet owners become aware of the need to manage their pets’ weight, they often invest in the growing number of veterinary diets …
With Prosthetics, Husky Walks AgainApril 17, 2009 A formerly abused amputee dog has regained the ability to walk thanks to a series of groundbreaking prosthetic implant surgeries. Triumph, a 4-year-old Siberian husky found on the side of a road in Adana, Turkey, with both her hind legs cut off, is the first canine to receive permanent prosthetic legs, according to Denver’s Alameda East Veterinary Hospital. Triumph was adopted by a woman in Nashville, Tenn., and taken to Robert Taylor, DVM, who performed the surgeries. The task of developing custom artificial legs and surgically implanting them began more than a year ago and required a three-phase approach. The initial implants for Triumph’s back legs were provided in late 2005. In 2006, Triumph returned to Colorado for follow-up visits and improvements. The most recent and final phase included another adjustment surgery in December. Triumph’s implant surgeries are now complete and she is walking and running every day with her new legs, according to the hospital. Taylor had the help of some key companies to give Triumph her permanent prosthetic legs, including Ultramet, which made the porous tantalum body for the implant, and BioMedtrix, which helped with the design. The material used to …
World’s Tallest Dog Helps Promote Heart Disease TestApril 17, 2009 Veterinary Diagnostics Institute of Irvine, Calif., has teamed up with the Guinness World Record’s tallest living dog to promote a new blood test designed to help diagnose heart disease or heart failure in dogs. Gibson is a great Dane owned by Sandy Hall, a breeder from Grass Valley, Calif. “Great Danes are among those breeds of dog commonly affected by heart disease,” says Steven R. Ness, president and chief operating officer of Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, also known as VDxI. “In fact, about 15 percent of dogs have some form of heart disease, often with no noticeable signs.” Ness says some dogs with heart disease are asymptomatic and others may exhibit signs that may be mistaken for other health problems. “Some signs include cough, lethargy and difficulty breathing,” Ness says. The company is promoting its new Canine CardioCare blood test that measures brain natriuretic peptide levels, or NT-proBNP. These levels flag potential cardiovascular disease and help veterinarians create diagnostic protocols to diagnose various diseases of the canine heart. Veterinarians interested in testing a patient’s NT-proBNP levels can visit VDxI’s website to sign up as a client. VDxI then sends a complete supply kit …
Vaccination And Parvovirus Testing In KittensApril 17, 2009 This column is based on abstracts presented at the 24th annual ACVIM Forum in Louisville (2006). It is a common practice to vaccinate a cat immediately upon its arrival to a shelter. This protocol is based on a resurgence of feline panleukopenia (FPV) cases. The vaccine is highly efficacious, with antibody titers appearing within a week. There is concern that the vaccine may cloud the diagnosis of panleukopenia. Practictioners rely on test kits to diagnose panleukopenia in cats with clinical signs. The vaccine is a modified-live virus and could result in the fecal shedding of virus, which would cross-react with the commonly used canine parvovirus test kits. In dogs it was shown that using an MLV vaccine resulted in positive fecal parvovirus testing for four to five days after vaccination.1 Researchers from the University of Florida looked at the effects of MLV vaccine on parvovirus shedding in kittens.2 A total of 64 SPF kittens (8 to 10 weeks old) were included in the study. The kittens were divided into groups and eight different vaccines were given. These vaccines included six MLV and two inactivated vaccines. Seven vaccines were given subcutaneously, one intranasally. Antibody titers …
Study Finds High Prevalence Of Retrovirus Infection Among Cats With Oral DiseaseApril 17, 2009 The prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus is significantly higher in feline oral disease patients than it is in the general cat population, according to the findings of a new study. Sponsored by Idexx Laboratories Inc. of Westbrook, Maine, the study screened 8,982 orally diseased cats between January and April of 2006. Of these cats, 1,276 were retrovirus-positive, a 14.2 percent prevalence. According to the researchers, cats with gingivitis and stomatitis exhibited 14.3 percent and 23.9 percent prevalence of retroviral infection, respectively. Other recent studies have found the nationwide prevalence of FeLV and FIV in the general cat population to be about 3.3 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, the researchers report. “The clinical significance of these results has far-reaching implications,” says Jan Bellows, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, Dipl. ABVP, one of the study’s authors. “It is generally believed that feline gingivitis is related to an immune response to plaque and bacteria, while gingivostomatitis is probably a multifactoral disease in which most patients have elevated calicivirus titers. “Illness in retrovirus-infected cats is often secondary disease acquired because of immunosuppression and not a direct effect of the retrovirus infection,” Dr. Bellows adds. “Both FeLV and …
Challenging The Status QuoApril 17, 2009Originally published in the November 2007 issue of Veterinary Practice News After struggling with an especially unmanageable case of diabetes mellitus in her own cat for almost a year and hearing euthanasia recommended by colleagues, Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, went back to the drawing board. It was 1994 and she had left her position as vice president of marketing at Hill’s Pet Nutrition to start law school. She began studying ingredients on the label of dry food she had been feeding the 4-year-old cat. What she discovered not only cured her Punkin of diabetes in five days but also led to her patenting a canned food for diabetic cats and developing her “Tight Regulation” protocol, which she says has permanently cured several hundred diabetics in her feline practice. Spreading the Word In her new book, “Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life” (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007), Hodgkins shares her rationale and offers case studies from her Yorba Linda, Calif., practice, All About Cats Health Center. She also explains the history and influence of the pet food industry to help readers understand why today’s cats are being fed dry food, which she firmly believes is causing a multitude of …
