In With The NewApril 17, 2009 In the domain of the veterinary oncologist, the reality of gravely ill patients tends to trump any natural tendency toward optimism. So when someone like Gregory K. Ogilvie, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), Dipl. ECVIM (oncology), peers into the immediate future of cancer treatment and says, “We’re looking at some tremendous breakthroughs,” it’s a moment to savor. “I’ve been in this for over 25 years,” he adds, “and it feels like we started with sticks and stones compared to the treatment options we have today.” Add the voice of Douglas Thamm, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), to those express-ing hope that 2009 will be a watershed year in the cancer fight. “This is a really exciting time,” he says. “The long and short of it is we’ve just scratched the surface of how to use these new therapies.” Ditto Katherine Skorupski, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (on-cology): “Absolutely I’m excited about these new treatments. … If they work as well as they should and could, we may be choosing them over chemotherapy or even surgery. “They have a huge potential to impact the way we practice veterinary oncology.” So what exactly is all the rosy hubbub …
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Feline Diabetes: Diet, Insulin And ConfidenceApril 17, 2009In at least one regard, cats have been great at following the lead of humans, only to suffer unwanted consequences. As with humans, increasing numbers of cats are living with the effects of diabetes. In many cases, the root cause is all too familiar–advancing years and a sedentary lifestyle, which fosters weight gain and, eventually, obesity. For people and for cats, "This body condition predisposes to diabetes," says Margie Scherk, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (feline), founder of Cats Only Veterinary Clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia, and immediate past president of the American Assn. of Feline Practitioners. The good news? Feline diabetes can be highly manageable and need not shorten Kitty's life. Be consistent with treatment and diet, as well as attentive to the cat's blood glucose curves and frutosamine values, Dr. Scherk advises colleagues and clients alike. "We will get your kitty's condition stabilized over two to three months," she tells cat owners. "Be patient, because it does take some time." Scherk says her 2,500-client practice sees about three new diabetic cats a month, and it's common for clients to be fearful and a bit overwhelmed about what lies ahead. "They're concerned about the unknown costs associated with the ongoing condition," …
Seize The MomentApril 17, 2009 Advanced diagnostic procedures such as endoscopy and ultrasound are sometimes viewed as referral-only procedures. However, improvements in training and equipment have created a growing niche for these tools in general veterinary practice. With proper training and advice, practitioners may hone their skills to a level that allows the practical use of endoscopy for some cases and promotes good decisions regarding referral for other cases. Even if your practice goals don’t include the purchase of endoscopy equipment, you may benefit from becoming more familiar with this procedure. The initial cost outlay for veterinary endoscopy equipment varies. The purchase price for a general setup ranges from $5,000 to $20,000, whereas experienced endoscopists may seek equipment costing from $30,000 to $50,000 or more. Some vendors provide attractive equipment leases and lease-to-purchase options. Used and reconditioned equipment is often available at a lower cost. In addition to cost, however, veterinarians should factor in the service and support available from endoscopy vendors familiar with the veterinary market. These vendors can be an excellent resource for proper care and use of the products. Technicians trained in the cleaning and storage of endoscopy equipment can add years to the …
Get Ready For Your Close-ups! It’s X-ray Contest TimeApril 17, 2009 Veterinary Practice News’ third annual radiograph contest on the weird things vets find in animals will feature a new category especially for students. Eklin Medical Systems of Santa Clara, Calif., returns as sponsor of the popular “You Found What?” contest. Contestants will compete in two categories, professional and student. All entries must be submitted electronically to sperry@bowtieinc.com, with the e-mail subject field specifying CONTEST. Student entries must be made using digital radiography equipment. Entries must be received by Feb. 29. Winners will be announced in the June issue of Veterinary Practice News and will receive digital cameras. “We are excited to sponsor the third annual Eklin Challenge,” said Gary R. Cantu, Eklin’s president and chief executive officer. “We are especially pleased to be offering a student category. “With the growing presence of digital radiography in the majority of U.S. veterinary medical colleges, we are seeing a new wave of veterinarians entering the marketplace with digital training. They will change the way veterinary care is practiced. “I look forward to seeing the interesting cases they submit.” Statistics reported by pet-health insurance provider Veterinary Pet Insurance of Brea, Calif., …
Finding Common Ground In Pet RecoveryApril 17, 2009 More than 1 million pets are lost or stolen every year, and one in three pets will get lost during their lifetime, according to the California Veterinary Medical Assn. Without pet identification, 90 percent will not get home. The CVMA recommends that animals, in addition to wearing collars and tags, be microchipped. But for this to be effective, the pet must be registered in a recovery database. “In spite of great strides over the past two years, many pet owners are still not aware of the benefits of microchipping and enrolling their pet in a recovery database,” says Brent Saunders, senior vice president, Schering-Plough Corp. “This is why HomeAgain is investing so significantly to educate the consumer.” Although Schering-Plough is not new to the microchip industry—HomeAgain microchips have been on the market for more than 10 years—the company recently launched its HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network, hoping to improve the odds of owners finding their lost pets. “The proactive network supports pet owners in a number of ways, including sending alerts to local shelters and veterinarians and mobilizing volunteers to help search for a missing pet,” Saunders says. Rescuers in the vicinity of a …
Get Trained And Start Small, Rehab Practitioners AdviseApril 17, 2009 The line from the movie “Field of Dreams” that promises, “If you build it, they will come,” doesn’t always hold true in real life. James St. Clair, DVM, laughs when he repeats it. Four years ago, he spent $150,000 to open a canine rehabilitation center, outfitting a 2,500-square-foot building with cold laser and electrical stimulation machines, underwater and land treadmills, balance balls and, for good measure, a swimming pool. Nobody came. Today, he continues his private practice in one storefront in Meriden, Conn., while successfully operating TopDog Canine Rehabilitation Center and Fitness in another. He’s reconfigured it into a compact 600 square feet and, except for the pool, offers the original services using a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner and a massage therapist. He and other entrepreneurs are promoting franchises. He counsels veterinarians wanting to enhance their practices with rehab services and publishes TopDog Home Therapy Booklets for clients. The hard-won lesson: “If done right, done well and if you start slow and don’t go overboard initially, the money will follow,” Dr. St. Clair says. “Obviously, adding this kind of service is a huge benefit to a practice. The potential is enormous.” …
Crime Scene Vet Probes Cruelty CasesApril 17, 2009 Her work is shocking, emotionally taxing and difficult to comprehend. She sees painful images of cruelty and malice. She examines remains, photographs brutality and documents abuse. When the investigations are over, her findings help put criminals in prison. Melinda Merck, DVM, of Atlanta is a forensic veterinarian dedicating her career to educating people about animal welfare, enforcing anti-cruelty legislation and working to convict animal abusers. Her latest book, “Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigations” (Blackwell Publishing, 2007) is scheduled for release in July. She says its role is to fill the gap in education for veterinarians and pathologists in recognizing and reporting animal abuse, and the specific skills veterinarians need to understand animal-cruelty investigations and performing forensic examinations on animals. “Veterinarians have an obligation to step out of their own small world and make an impact,” Dr. Merck says. Merck believes so strongly in the veterinarian’s role in recognizing and reporting animal abuse that in November, after six years of private practice, she sold her feline-only clinic in Roswell, Ga., to work full time for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as its veterinary forensics consultant. “I always had a …
Recognizing The Signs Of AbuseApril 17, 2009 When a 14-pound Jack Russell terrier mix presented with multiple broken bones to Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in Manhattan, N.Y., without a logical explanation from its owner as to how the injuries occurred, Robert Reisman, DVM, medical coordinator of animal cruelty cases, became suspicious. The terrier’s owner said the fractures resulted from another dog jumping on him, but there was only a five-pound difference between the two dogs. “You have to do some questioning to understand what they’re saying and determine if the account of the incident fits with the injury,” Dr. Reisman says. After taking radiographs, Reisman determined that the dog had suffered two fractures of the right hind femur, one below the hip joint and one above the knee joint. In addition, one of its right ribs was fractured, along with its left hind femur, which had broken into multiple pieces. Reisman has been a veterinarian at Bergh – the hospital featured on Animal Planet’s “Animal Cops” TV show – for 20 years. He has learned to recognize the signs of animal abuse, not only based on the animal’s condition, but also on the owner’s demeanor. “There’s a series of things vets …
Medicine In The Digital AgeApril 17, 2009 Accurately and efficiently diagnosing equine patients is critical to their well being. Efficiency is also crucial to a veterinarian’s bottom line. Digital radiography has changed the way both small and large veterinary practices are diagnosing and treating their patients, and this is especially true in the case of equine practitioners. “On the equine side, digital has had a really big impact,” says William Hornof, DVM, Dipl. ACVR. Dr. Hornof is the past president of the American College of Veterinary Radiologists and is the chief medical officer for Eklin Medical Systems in Santa Clara, Calif. He explains that because so many equine veterinarians are mobile, DR has allowed them to be far more efficient. Instant Gratification “In the old days, you had to leave a farm to process and read film,” Hornof says. If you didn’t get the right view, you had to go back and do it again. In some cases, the hassle could lead to accepting less than ideal images. But with DR, equine veterinarians get the images they need stallside. “When you leave the farm, you know you have what you want,” Hornof says. “From a quality and completeness standpoint, digital has …
How To Read And Interpret Pet Food LabelsApril 17, 2009 Most pet owners have come to realize that there is a science to reading the labels of the food they buy for their pets. Although some loose rules are set out by regulators mandating the information that must be included on a label, these rules don’t really result in consumer-friendly information for the pet-food purchaser. Furthermore, most pet owners do not know these rules, and manufacturers can manipulate them to present their products in the best light. It is possible, however, to learn a few of the most common tricks about labeling, to allow the best choice of foods. Veterinarians can serve as an excellent source for this information if they understand the basic principles themselves. Dry Matter Basis: It is important to understand the concept of “dry matter basis” (DMB) to make any sense of pet-food labels. DMB means the amount of a particular ingredient expressed as a percent of the total solids in the can or bag, if the food’s moisture is removed. Understanding DMB allows comparison of dry and canned foods, with their very different moisture content, in a fair way. It allows the pet-food shopper to compare apples to apples, so to …
