Vet Tech Starts Epilepsy SurveyApril 10, 2012 A veterinary technician at North Carolina State University developed an online survey that will be completed by owners of epileptic pets. Julie Nettifee-Osborne, RVT, BS, VTS (Neurology), created the survey under the direction of Karen Munana, DVM, MS, with the intention of shedding more light on the disorder. The 59-question survey collects owner comments on the types and frequency of seizures their animals experience, the cause, any medications used to control seizures and the treatment costs. A quality of life assessment for the treated animal is included. The survey may be found online here. The survey was scheduled to be posted until April 15.
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CVPM Exam Goes ElectronicApril 10, 2012 The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association planned to replace the paper and pencil Certified Veterinary Practice Manager examination with an electronic version in March. The 20-year-old paper and pencil examinations were labor intensive, requiring several proctors and, in some cases, extensive travel for candidates to sit for the test in designated locations. The electronic standard will increase the cost to take the test, but will allow it to be offered at a greater number of locations without compromising test security, according to Christine Shupe, C.A.E., executive director of the VHMA. <HOME>
When Considering Supplements, Just Focus On FactsApril 9, 2012 Giving supplements to heavily-worked, high-performance or older horses is similar to following a vitamin and mineral regimen in a human. Many people take nutritional supplements to improve their health, so trying to improve an animal’s performance is a natural step. For the most part, the supplement industry is self-regulated, so it is up to consumers and their veterinarians to research and choose products that match their needs. Veterinarians are being taught more about nutrition than in years past, so they are in a better position to help clients, says Phil Brown, DVM. “Look at supplements as fine-tuning a horse’s health,” says Dr. Brown, senior vice president of research and development at Nutri-Vet LLC of Boise, Idaho. He says most supplements go beyond multivitamins and are condition-specific. Joint dysfunctions, as well as performance conditioning, can be helped by supplements, he says. “Supplements, or nutraceuticals,” he says, “can help prevent problems, though they can’t treat a disease. “I would tell veterinarians to tell horse owners to do their homework when choosing supplements,” Brown says. “Science-based research is imperative.” Equine practitioner David Pugh, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT and ACVN, agrees. “Equine supplement products may be very good, …
Pathologist Offers More Best-Practice Tips, Part 4April 6, 2012 We wrap up our conversation with pathologist Ken Mero, BS, MS, DVM, Ph.D., of VetPath Services in Stone Ridge, N.Y., by debunking a few myths and preventing a few frustrating situations. How can veterinary practices avoid losing biopsy samples? Few things in life are as frustrating for the practitioner and the pet owner as a lost sample. These suggestions may seem obvious, but make sure: 1. The formalin container is labeled with the client’s and pet’s names as well as the anatomical site of origin. 2. The formalin container lid is tightly closed. 3. The laboratory’s address is on a separate piece of paper inside the shipping box in case the outside label is destroyed. 4. You request cassettes and sponges for small endoscopic specimens so they don’t fragment into tiny particles too small to recover from the formalin container. 5. You use plastic rather than glass containers for shipment. Plastic containers are less likely to break in transit. 6. If your specimen is especially large, save part of it at your practice in case more tissue is needed by the pathologist. This is especially true for large splenic masses. …
Stem Cell Therapy Attracts ConvertsApril 5, 2012 It’s easy to spot Brian Voynick, DVM, CVA, at a lecture or conference–especially one of the holistic veterinary meetings he regularly attends. “I’m the kind of student,” he said, “who is a pain in the neck.” What he means is he asks a lot of questions, during and after the presentation. He can’t help it if he has an inquisitive nature and he wants to explore all options in providing leading-edge care for his patients and clients. So when Dr. Voynick, owner and director of American Animal Hospital in Randolph, N.J., attended a lecture on veterinary stem cell therapy in 2005, he went into full brain-picking mode. “I was really intrigued,” he said. “I love the science of it. I don’t practice all that I look into, because some of it is not yet science based. But this seemed to be.” Voynick became an early convert, and seven years later he remains an ardent advocate of stem cell therapy. These days he sees more benefits than ever in a procedure he says can often bring a big boost to quality of life for patients suffering from painful joint ailments. The latest stem cell …
Secrets Of Fluid Therapy RevealedMarch 22, 2012 Fluid therapy is beset by many misconceptions, so I talked to Dr. Sean Smarick, a board-certified criticalist at AVETS in Monroeville, Pa., to clarify them. What is the true maintenance fluid rate? Maintenance fluids represent the amount of fluids needed to meet the metabolic requirements of a patient. Therefore, deficits from dehydration or anticipation of ongoing losses are typically not included in this amount. Metabolic demands can vary between caged vs. active patients, as well as healthy vs. sick patients. We often tend to use simple formulas or universal recipes such as 1 ml/lb/hour or 40 ml/kg/day, yet they don’t work for all patients. It is important to realize that these linear formulas tend to underdose small patients and overdose large patients. This becomes especially significant when the kidneys aren’t functioning properly (fortunately, they often correct for our inaccurate fluid plans) or when there is an increased risk of volume overload, e.g. in patients with heart failure. If we use multiples of maintenance rates (“twice maintenance,” “three times maintenance,” etc.) to address deficits due to dehydration or anticipated ongoing losses, such errors will be multiplied by the same factor. For patients under 5 kg …
Secrets Of Fluid Therapy Revealed, Part 2March 22, 2012 There are many misconceptions in the fluid therapy world. We continue our conversation from last month with Dr. Sean Smarick, a board-certified criticalist at AVETS in Monroeville, Pa., to clarify them. When should you use LRS vs. saline vs. Normosol-R? There is no question that this is a controversial topic. Ultimately, what matters most is probably how much we give rather than what we give. What also matters is knowing what we are trying to achieve. One could argue that if giving a shock dose to restore effective circulating volume, Normosol-R is not ideal as resuscitation fluids, because the acetate buffer, as well as the magnesium it contains, reportedly can cause vasodilatation and therefore hypotension. If we have a patient in the hospital for days on maintenance (or some multiple thereof), LRS may be of benefit since it contains less sodium. Saline is the highest in sodium and not buffered, so I don’t find myself reaching for it very often. Is it appropriate to deny IV fluids to a cat or a dog with urinary blockage? No, it is not. Fluids are critical to dilute potassium, …
Stimulating Micro-Circulation With Laser TherapyMarch 20, 2012 The target for an effective laser therapy treatment is not any particular pathology itself, but rather stimulation of appropriate cell components that enhance the body’s natural repair mechanisms. These natural functions are not only extremely numerous, ranging from protein synthesis to enzyme secretion, from cell signaling to physical movement, but also highly cell-type dependent. Any attempt to directly target one of these specific enzymes is difficult and fundamentally unnecessary. If instead cellular metabolism, specifically the cell’s ability to use oxygen to create energy, can be stimulated, the functionality of all its natural processes will be enhanced. To do so, we have to introduce more oxygen, the principal fuel for aerobic organisms. The only way to get oxygen and nutrients to the cells for processing and waste products like lactic acid and carbon dioxide away from the cells is through the blood. Generating local circulation, both input and output of blood, is one of the primary mechanisms of laser therapy. Blood pressure determines the rate at which blood flows throughout the body. Obviously, it would help if the animal got up and ran around the office to increase its heart rate and blood flow, but for …
Confessions Of A Therapy Laser NeophyteMarch 20, 2012 I love going to conferences to see what is new in veterinary medicine, as well as to see what new products and devices have been developed. Then I start thinking about how these things can be applied to exotic animals, including wildlife, aquarium and zoo animals. One of the most exciting modalities I have found recently is LLLT, or low-level laser therapy. I received a Companion Therapy Laser unit along with a demonstration on how easy it is to use and discussions on ways it has been used in dogs, cats and horses. I hadn’t heard about it in human medicine but did some research and found that sports teams use it a lot. I also found out veterinarians have been using it in Europe since the 1990s. I decided to use it on myself to learn what the animal feels and senses. I was totally amazed that a sore muscle from some awkward lifting felt better immediately. I was even more amazed that my arthritic knee felt 80 percent better immediately. I wondered if this was what I would see in animals, so I started to make a mental list. We had a limping …
CO2 Laser Surgery: Standard Of CareMarch 20, 2012 Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers have become a standard of care in veterinary surgery. Delivering the ideal wavelength (10.6 Ìm) for all soft tissue surgery, CO2 lasers provide increased precision and result in reduced hemorrhage, swelling, pain and tissue trauma. CO2 lasers also facilitate many laser-improved and laser-specific procedures. Since entering veterinary medicine in the late 1990s, flexible hollow wave guide CO2 lasers have been adapted to the needs of diverse practice types. Now mainstream, this cutting-edge technology is being used in general practices as well as specialty and referral practices. General Small Animal Practice Thousands of small-animal practices in North America use CO2 surgical lasers every day. Jeff Goodall, DVM, of Sunnyview Animal Care Centre in Bedford, Nova Scotia, notes, “We purchased the CO2 laser in November 2003, and we made the use of the laser mandatory for elective surgeries within one year of purchase.” He reports that he now uses his flexible hollow wave guide CO2 laser in over 98 percent of his surgeries. Dr. Goodall’s CO2 laser also facilitated other welcome developments in the practice by “attracting more qualified and experienced staff to our practice when we advertised for positions. They were …
