FCV Adapts, Evolves Into New StrainsSeptember 28, 2011 When David Bowie sang “Time may change me,” he may have been writing of feline calicivirus (FCV). This virus is not content to live the peaceful life of genetic stability adopted by its feline respiratory disease associate, feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), but rather is constantly morphing and shifting into new strains. Why does FCV behave this way, what are the implications for cats, and what are the implications for feline vaccines? A major reason for FCV’s mutability is its simple genetic material, which comprises a single strand of RNA. When the virus infects a cat’s respiratory cell (or perhaps some other location in the body) and wants to replicate, it first has to convert this single strand of RNA back to DNA for duplication, then make multiple copies of the DNA back into RNA again, to be subsequently packaged and sent out as fresh virions looking for new cells. It is easy to see that this process can open multiple opportunities for changes or mutations to the RNA base order. Additionally, as there is no second strand of genetic material in the virus that might serve as a correction template to match the base pairs, then any change …
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How To Cater To CatsSeptember 28, 2011 We are fortunate to live in a society that celebrates the poise, beauty and quirky personality of cats; with more than 93.6 million owned in the United States, cats outrank dogs as the most widely owned pet by more than 17 percent.1 The big question, then, is why, with an increasing population, do cats represent an ever-shrinking portion of most general practices’ active patients? Why does the average feline examination generate $203 in comparison to $225 for the average canine examination?2 It’s as if cats are looked upon as second-class citizens when it comes to veterinary care. The oft-cited reason is their independent and stoic nature, as well as their tendency to mask pain and illness. But this explanation fails to get to the root of the problem—the failure of our industry to educate cat owners on the importance of wellness care. The unfortunate result for a large number of practices is that vaccines, rather than wellness and preventive care, have become the initiator for a feline veterinary visit. There have been attempts to overcome this lack of knowledge and client education. For example, the American Association of Feline Practitioners has been offering …
Feline Stem Cell Therapy Shows PromiseSeptember 28, 2011 Rosemarie Williams, DVM, owner of The Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital in Wilmington, N.C., introduced stem cell therapy to her feline-only practice in April and says preliminary results look promising. Dr. Williams is studying the effects of adipose-derived stem cell therapy on chronic inflammatory bowel disease and chronic inflammatory kidney disease in cats. Before Williams’ clinical trial, stem cell therapy had been primarily used in canine and equine osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, ligament and cartilage injuries. “About 3 to 5 percent of cats age 5 and older suffer from IBD and at least 30 percent of senior cats have some level of kidney disease,” Williams says. “I’m hopeful this therapy can minimize clinical symptoms and even eliminate disease in some cases. There’s much about the therapy’s effect on cats that is still unknown. I’ve treated six cats with IBD and symptoms have regressed. I hope to treat at least 50 within a year-long timeframe. “All the cats that underwent treatment are gaining weight, indicating that their intestinal tracts are absorbing nutrients more efficiently,” she added. Williams injects stem cells harvested from the cats’ adipose tissue intravenously. In dogs, the tissue is usually administered directly into muscles …
Nutrigenomics Takes ‘You Are What You Eat’ To New LevelFebruary 14, 2011 Veterinary nutrigenomics combines genetics and nutrition to develop optimal diets for companion animals, a field in which researchers and pet food manufacturers are investing significant amounts of time and money. At the University of Illinois, Kelly S. Swanson, Ph.D., and his team are using DNA-based sequencing techniques to characterize the canine and feline gastrointestinal tracts. They are looking at what happens in tissue when animals are fed one diet versus another. The results may lead to a better understanding of the microbial profile and metabolic pathways of animals with varying dietary regimens and at different stages of health and life. Many questions need to be answered before the ultimate goal can be achieved: creating individual diets that make optimal use of, and even manipulate, gene expression. “The dog and cat genome sequence data is being utilized in research, taking genomic biology to gain a better understanding of dog and cat physiology and how nutrition contributes to health and disease,” says Dr. Swanson, an assistant professor of animal and nutritional sciences in the , department of animal sciences. “Genomics in pets is being used to study microbial populations and gene expression changes in blood and various tissues. …
Best ImmunityFebruary 14, 2011 Vaccines have come a long way since the first one was developed to prevent smallpox in the 1700s. Ongoing research has resulted in continuing advancements for humans and animals alike. Many of the most recent advancements have been in the realm of feline vaccines, enough that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) plans to appoint a committee to establish its second set of guidelines for vaccinating cats. Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, president of the AAFP and owner of Chico Animal Hospital in Chico, Calif., says her organization last published recommendations for feline vaccines in 2006. “We’re due for an update and a review of all of the protocols that were recommended then,” Dr. Colleran says. “That work hasn’t been done yet.” Establishing best practices is a work in progress even five years later. “Up until then, there weren’t any science-based guidelines,” she says. “We’re still feeling our way.” While many veterinarians rely on the recommendations of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) for canine vaccines, no other major veterinary organization has issued guidelines for cats, Colleran says. She expects AAHA and other organizations to play major roles in the new AAFP guidelines. Colleran …
Diabetes Emergency Preparedness As Important As InsulinOctober 18, 2010 Owners often are shell-shocked when they hear their pet has diabetes. But a veterinarian’s optimistic attitude can help a client successfully manage the disease. “It’s usually a traumatic piece of information for an owner when a veterinarian tells them their pet has diabetes,” says Randy Lynn, DVM, a technical service veterinarian with Intervet Schering-Plough Animal Health of Summit, N.J. “If the owner is handling the news well, you can discuss the emergency situations that may occur in a diabetic animal. If you’re speaking to them and their eyes gloss over, you might want to send them home with written information, and then have the owner return in a day or two once they’ve processed everything. “It’s a delicate balance that the veterinarian has to weigh. If you tell them too much on day one, you could tip them over the edge.” Dr. Lynn says a diabetes diagnosis gives veterinarians a “chance to shine,” noting that owners will rely heavily on them for information on choosing insulin, injecting insulin and monitoring the animal. Besides hearing the diabetes news, distressed clients also have to be warned about hypoglycemia, the No. 1 emergency concern of veterinarians who …
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 …
Fleas Persist, But Reason Isn’t ResistanceMarch 2, 2010 Veterinarians are in a tough spot when a client challenges the efficacy of spot-on insecticides. They can’t force the client to follow product directions, nor can they administer the flea control every month. Asking a client about product application, the home environment and untreated pets can reveal a potentially resolvable situation. However, more often than not, the owner projects a sterling report of by-the-book compliance and a bewilderment of continued flea propagation. Attempting to resolve the infestation, veterinarians often switch to a different product and the resistance tale grows. “What clients are likely seeing are new fleas from the environment as opposed to fleas surviving after a proper spot-on application,” says Michael Dryden, DVM, Ph.D., a professor of veterinary parasitology in Kansas State University’s Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology. “I have investigated homes that by owner description sound like there could be a resistance problem but found, when I looked closer, there was always a reason for the failure. None was ever resistance.” Without an investigation, experts say, it’s difficult to know why fleas persist on a client’s pet after treatment. One thing researchers agree on is it’s not a resistance issue. “Resistance …
Arthritis Rehabilitation: A Team EffortFebruary 7, 2010 Persuading a client to dedicate time and money to a pet’s potentially lifelong arthritis rehabilitation isn’t easy, experts say. But educating owners to be proactive can delay the onset and severity of the disease and lead to a more therapy-receptive client. A dog receives electrical muscle stimulation after arthroscopy for arthritis. More modalities than ever are available for patients suffering from arthritis pain, certified veterinary rehabilitators say. The key to maximizing the benefits, they say, lies in veterinary and client education along with an appropriate diagnosis. “Arthritis rehabilitation is a multimodal process,” says Janet B. Van Dyke, DVM, CCRT, CEO of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Wellington, Fla. “Veterinarians interested in expanding this area of their practice should consider becoming certified in rehabilitation. A lot can be learned in the three to four months it takes to complete the certification process.” Veterinarians looking to provide rehabilitation services need a general understanding of the available therapies, Dr. Van Dyke says. Back to School Deep-water swimming strengthens muscles and improves aerobic fitness without taxing the joints. More veterinarians are educating themselves on the best practices in animal rehabilitation through the Canine …
Raw Diets Linked To SalmonellaJune 9, 2009 Veterinarians have a responsibility to provide pet owners with information about zoonotic disease that gives a realistic appraisal of any risks pets could present to the household’s human inhabitants and how to minimize this risk. This is especially true if the household contains small children or immuno-compromised individuals. While there are myriad potential patho-gens, this article will focus on one major concern: Salmonellosis. Why It’s Important Salmonellosis was in the headlines continuously last summer (2008) during a large outbreak associated with contaminated food. In this outbreak, at least 1,438 people were proved to be infected and 282 were hospitalized.1 Food-associated outbreaks are not unusual because contaminated food is the primary way that humans become infected with Salmonella. The infection can be acquired from meats and eggs, but many outbreaks have been linked to other sources such as sprouts, peanut butter, tomatoes or, recently, chili peppers. The majority of humans who become ill are young. The rate of diagnosed illness in children under 5 years old is five times higher than any other age group. This probably relates to the disease’s affecting children more severely than otherwise healthy adults. It is estimated that Salmonellosis causes 1.4 …
