Laser Therapy May Work On TL IVDDMarch 11, 2010 Laser therapy, the latest modality to enter the marketplace, is taking the veterinary profession by storm. But veterinary practitioners need to find out how laser helps and which units work before plunging tens of thousands of dollars into underpowered or dubious devices that pale in comparison to similarly priced laser powerhouses. Facts come from research, and laser therapy currently lacks evidential support in veterinary clinical settings. This calls into question specifics about optimal laser dose and ideal wavelengths. Until studies take place on species treated within our facilities, veterinarians are once again left relying on tissue culture, rodent and human studies. One application where laser therapy may shine is in patients recovering from thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease. TL IVDD is the most common spinal cord dysfunction in dogs.1 Dachshunds outnumber other breeds for the disease by a significant margin; one study showed that dachshunds account for nearly 72 percent of cases.2,3 Compressive spinal cord injury (SCI) causes both primary and secondary tissue damage. The secondary injury phase occurs one to two days after injury and leads to biochemically mediated neuronal death and spinal cord inflammation.4 Medical intervention yields the best clinical …
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‘Person’-alities In Veterinary PatientsFebruary 7, 2010 2. Draper TW. Canine analogs of human personality factors. The Journal of General Psychology. 1995;122(3):241-252. 3. Lee CM, Ryan JJ, and Kreiner. Personality in domestic cats. Pscyhological Reports. 2007;100:27-29. 4. Morris PH, Gale A, and Howe S. The factor structure of horse personality. Anthrozoos. 2002;15(4):300-322. 5. Lloyd AS, Martin JE, Bornett-Gauci HLI, et al. Horse personality: variation between breeds. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2008;112:369-383. 6. Gosling SD, Kwan VSY, and John OP. A dog’s got personality: a cross-species comparative approach to personality judgments in dogs and humans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2003;85(6):1161-1169. 7. Visser EK, Van Reenen CG, Rundgren M, et al. Responses of horses in behavioural tests correlate with temperament assessed by riders. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2003;35(2):176-183. 8. Draper TW. Canine analogs of human personality factors. The Journal of General Psychology. 1995;122(3):241-252. 9. Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Schellenberg DB, et al. Multiple risk factors for the gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome in dogs: a practitioner/owner case-control study. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 1997;33:197-204. 10. Herbold JR, Moore GE, Gosch TL, et al. Relationship between incidence of gastric dilatation-volvulus and biometeorologic events in a population of military working dogs. Am J …
Tui Na: Chinese Massage Or Something More?December 30, 2009 Veterinary Tui Na, or Chinese bodywork, has recently joined the Traditional Chinese Medical repertoire along with TCM-style acupuncture and food therapy. Proponents point to the antiquity of Tui Na, citing its origin as circa 1700 BCE.1 Why some practices survived so long, however, is that the closed society of China kept its medicine primitive and folkloric until the Communist Revolution. Today, TCM risks extinction in China because of decreasing enrollment and interest by medical students.2 Calls for the “abolition of traditional Chinese medicine” have erupted in scholarly circles due its lack of scientific basis and outdated precepts.3 Even TCM hospitals are adopting more Western medical style diagnostics and relying less on techniques such as tongue and pulse diagnosis.4 China is now banking on the West’s appetite for all things Asian to keep TCM alive as well.5 Indeed, Americans have transformed both TCM and its veterinary counterpart, TCVM, into big business. It is curious to note that as China works to upgrade its veterinary medical educational standards to meet those outside of China,6 some U.S. holistic groups point to TCVM as a gold standard.7,8 However, the wholesale importation …
Alternative Medicine Under PressureNovember 24, 2009 1. Angell M and Kassirer JP. Alternative medicine – the risks of untested and unregulated remedies. NEJM. 1998;339:839-841. 2. Weissmann G. The Atlanta Falcon and Tono-Bungay: Dietary supplements as subprime drugs. [Editorial] The FASEB Journal. 2009;23:1279-1282. 3. Kurtzweil P. How to spot health fraud. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Obtained here on 09-16-09. 4. American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association 2009 Blog. Obtained here on 09-13-09. 5. A quote coined by Feyerabend. Cited in Happle R. The essence of alternative medicine. A dermatologist’s view from Germany. Archives of Dermatology. 1998;134:1455-1460. 6. Ohio State University Veterinary Continuing Education Program. Introduction to Animal Reiki for Veterinary Professionals course. 2 CE hours. Brochure downloaded here on 09-12-09. 7. Ohio State University Veterinary Continuing Education Program. Introduction to Animal Reiki for Veterinary Professionals course. 2 CE hours. Brochure downloaded here on 09-12-09. 8. Tufts University E-News. East-West synergy. Obtained here on 09-12-09. 9. Williams D and Locke L. Letter to the Colorado Horse Council on the End of the 2007 Legislative Session Report. Obtained here on 09-12-09. 10. Johnson C. Keeping a critical …
When Does Medicine Become ReligionOctober 8, 2009 1. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. “Prayer and spirituality in health: ancient practices, modern science.” CAM at the NIH. 2005;XII (1). Accessed here on June 26, 2009. 2. Evans J. “Hands-on healing.” The Times. July 14, 2008. 3. Guinan P. “Therapeutic touch” is not a Catholic hospital pastoral practice.” The Linacre Quarterly. 2004;71(1):5-14. 4. Committee on Doctrine, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Guidelines for evaluating Reiki as an alternative therapy.” Issued March 25, 2009. Accessed here on June 26, 2009. 5. Galton.org. “Correspondence between Charles Darwin and Francis Galton; Letter 474.” Cited in Weissmann G. “NIH funding: Not a prayer.” [Editorial] The FASEB Journal. 2006;20:1278-1280. 6. Carey B. “Healing power of prayer debunked.” The New York Times. 2006; March 31: A16. Cited in Weissmann G. “NIH funding: Not a prayer.” [Editorial] The FASEB Journal. 2006;20:1278-1280. 7. Osler W. “The faith that heals.” British Medical Journal. June 18, 1910; 1470-1472. Cited in Levin J. How faith heals: a theoretical model. Explore. 2009;5:77-96. 8. Osler W. “The faith that heals.” British Medical Journal. June 18, 1910; 1470-1472. Cited in Levin J. How faith heals: …
Sniffing Out CancerOctober 8, 2009 1. Williams H and Pembroke A. Sniffer dogs in the melanoma clinic? The Lancet. 1989;1:734. 2. Church J and Williams H. Another sniffer dog for the clinic? The Lancet. 2001;358:930. 3. Church J and Williams H. Another sniffer dog for the clinic? The Lancet. 2001;358:930. 4. Welsh JS. Another cancer detected by “pet scan”. BMJ. 2004;329:1286. 5. Willis CM, Church SM, Guest CM, et al. Olfactory detection of human bladder cancer by dogs: proof of principle study. BMJ. 2004;329:712-714. Cited in Cole TJ. Commentary: teaching dogs new tricks. BMJ. 2004;329:715. 6. Cole TJ. Commentary: teaching dogs new tricks. BMJ. 2004;329:715. 7. McCulloch M, Jezlerski T, Broffman M, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of canine scent detection in early- and late-stage lung and breast cancers. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2006;5(1):30-39. 8. Horvath G, Jarverud GAK, Jarverud S, et al. Human ovarian carcinomas detected by specific odor. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2008;7(2):76-80. 9. Ligor M, Ligor T, Bajtarevic A, et al. Determination of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath of patients with lung cancer using solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2009;47(5):550-560. 10. Wells DL, Lawson SQ, and Siriwardena …
When Folklore Meets Food FadMay 5, 2009 1. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 2. BBC News, Oct. 31, 2008. “Chinese melamine scandal widens.” 3. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 4. Barboza D and Barrionuevo A. “Filler in animal feed is open secret in China.” The New York Times. April 30, 2007. 5. Laflamme DP, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et. al. “Pet feeding practices of dog and cat owners in the United States and Australia.” JAVMA. 2008; 232(5):687-694. 6. Laflamme DP, Abood SK, Fascetti AJ, et. al. “Pet feeding practices of dog and cat owners in the United States and Australia.” JAVMA. 2008; 232(5):687-694. 7. Xie H. Personal communication on March 24, 2009. 8. Clemmons RM. “Feeding according to TCM. “ Obtained at Google cache page. Part of the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine Course VEM 5208, “Additional Approaches to Disease Prevention and Treatment.”
Complementary Medicine Footnotes September 2007 IssueApril 17, 2009 1 Peuker ET, White A, Ernst E, et al. Taumatic complications of acupuncture. Arch Fam Med. 1999;8:553-558. 2 MacPherson H. Fatal and adverse events from acupuncture: allegation, evidence, and the implications. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999;5(1):47-56. 3 MacPherson H. Fatal and adverse events from acupuncture: allegation, evidence, and the implications. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999;5(1):47-56. 4 Lectures on implants and gold bead therapy listed for the 2008 AAVA Annual Meeting - Nashville, Tennessee, March 7-9, 2008, obtained at http://www.aava.org/php/aava_blog/?p=40 on July 29, 2007. 5 Gerard PS. Images in Clinical Medicine: acupuncture-like fragments. NEJM. 1995;332(26):1792-1794. 6 Imray TJ and Hiramatsu Y. Radiographic manifestations of Japanese acupuncture. Radiology. 1975;115:625-626. 7 Durkes T. Gold bead implantation in small animals. The Medical Acupuncture Web Page. From the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) 25th Annual Congress. Obtained at http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/articles/durkgold.html on July 29, 2007. 8 Durkes TE. Gold bead implants. Problems in Veterinary Medicine. 1992; 4(1):207-211. 9 Durkes T. Gold bead implantation in small animals. The Medical Acupuncture Web Page. From the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) 25th Annual Congress. Obtained at http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/articles/durkgold.html on …
TCM And The Chinese New YearApril 17, 2009 1. Levitt S and Tang J. Taoist Astrology. A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books. Pp. 69-70. 2. MacPherson H and Kaptchuk TJ. Acupuncture in Practice: Case History Insights from the West. Elsevier Health Sciences, 1997. P. 434. 3. Liu S, Yi L-S, and Liang Y-Z. Traditional Chinese medicine and separation science. J Sep Sci. 2008; 31:2113-2137. 4. Cho WC-S. Application of proteomics in Chinese medicine research. Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(6):911-922. 5. Zheng J-F, Qu Z-M, Luo C-Y, et al. The electrogastrogram in cows and goats with Pi-Xuzheng (Spleen Deficiency Pattern). American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. 2008; Volume 2. Obtained online at http://ajtcvm.org/?p=66 on December 14, 2008. 6. Li WF, Jiang JG, and Chen J.Chinese medicine and its modernization demands. Arch Med Res. 2008; 39(2):246-251. 7. Ko RJ. A US perspective on the adverse reactions from Traditional Chinese Medicines. J Chin Med Assoc. 2004;67:109-116. 8. Buckley L. Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine marks shift towards global market, raises concerns about social and ecological impact. Worldwatch Institute website. Obtained at http://www.worldwatch.org/node/47 on December 14, 2008. 9. Zhang …
Supplements Can Ease CDSApril 17, 2009 1. Head E. and Zicker S.C. “Nutraceuticals, aging, and cognitive dysfunction.” Vet Clin Small Anim. 2004; 34:217-228. 2. Dodd C.E., et al. “Can a fortified food affect the behavioral manifestations of age-related cognitive decline in dogs?” Veterinary Medicine. 2003; 98(5):396-408. 3. Robinson N.G. Based on the author’s and pain medicine colleagues’ experience in the Colorado State University Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine, 2006-present. 4. Landsberg G. “Therapeutic options for cognitive decline in senior pets.” J Am Anim Hosp Assn. 2006; 42:407-413. 5. U.S. Marketing Research Summary, “Omnibus Study on Aging Pets, November 2000”; Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Topeka, Kan. 6. Hill’s Pet Nutrition website. Article obtained on Nov. 24, 2008. Click here to access article. 7. Head E. and Zicker S.C. “Nutraceuticals, aging, and cognitive dysfunction.” Vet Clin Small Anim. 2004; 34:217-228. 8. Ruehl W.W., et al. “L-Deprenyl therapy for canine cognitive dysfunction. Kirk’s current veterinary therapy XIII: small animal practice.” Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2000, p.53-57. 9. Rème C.A., et al. “Effect of S-adenosylmethionine tablets on the reduction of age-related mental decline in dogs: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.” Veterinary Therapeutics. 2008; 9(2):69-82. 10. Osella M.C., et al. …
