Therapeutic Lasers For Elite Level Equine CompetitorsJuly 2, 2012 The United States equine competition season for three-day eventing reached its apex at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington, Ky. It is one of the pivotal international competitions which help determine who is to be selected for the Olympic teams competing in London this summer. The pressure on every athlete, human and horse, to stay healthy, focused and yet relaxed and comfortable is enormously challenging. The eventing season is an endurance trial that requires either avoiding or recovering from fatigue and injuries. Managing these conditions in both the human and equine athlete plays a big role in determining who advances and who goes home. Virginia is home to many of the top three-day eventing competitors, who mostly travel and compete in Florida and the Carolinas for the winter, then return North for the summer and fall events. As equine sports medicine veterinarians to elite competitors, my wife, Stephanie Davis, DVM, and I travel with our clients not just as their veterinarians, but also as participants. Dr. Stephanie is also an avid eventer at the preliminary level. We seek every advantage with technology to keep our sport horses at peak performance. Many …
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Understanding, Treating Chronic Kidney DiseaseMay 25, 2012 Chronic kidney disease, one of the most common diseases among dogs and cats, involves the loss of functional renal tissue due to a prolonged, usually progressive process. But thanks to both traditional and cutting-edge methods for diagnosing and treating the condition, veterinarians have more options than ever for helping these animals enjoy longer lives. Causes, Signs and Symptoms In most cases of chronic kidney disease, the underlying cause is unknown, says Mark Acierno, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, MBA, an associate professor and dialysis service coordinator at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. “It’s likely a combination of environmental and congenital factors, but we’re really not sure in most cases,” Dr. Acierno says. “Sometimes there’s a defining event, but often there isn’t.” The causes can be categorized in different ways, adds Anthony Ishak, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa, Fla. “There are acute insults that destroy enough renal parenchyma in an irreversible manner and result in decreased functional renal mass,” Dr. Ishak says, citing leptospirosis, pyelonephritis, lilly intoxication, ethylene glycol intoxication, hypovolemia/hypotension, pancreatitis and sepsis as examples. “There are also chronic diseases that result in progressive loss in renal …
Y/d Feline And Concurrent DiseaseApril 27, 2012 The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. About 30 to 40 percent of cats with feline hyperthyroidism also have chronic kidney disease, she said. The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. Veterinarians have had nutrition as a new tool for managing feline hyperthyroidism for a little more than six months. Previously, veterinarians typically relied on radioactive iodine, thyroidectomy or anti-thyroid drugs, options that can prove expensive and have varied side effects. Nutrition can also be useful in managing concurrent diseases associated with hyperthyroidism, according to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., which launched its Prescription Diet y/d Feline Thyroid Health in both dry and wet formulations late last year. The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. About 30 to 40 percent of cats with feline hyperthyroidism also have chronic kidney disease, she said. “Since [both are geriatric diseases], it’s not at all surprising …
Warming To The RoleApril 5, 2012 When clinics add laser therapy to their pain-management arsenal, veterinary technicians often become the point people—and the most ardent advocates—of the technological advance. In the beginning, however, it’s not unusual for them to harbor a healthy dose of skepticism. Anneke Van Tricht is among those who took no convincing. In fact, before she’d ever used the Companion Therapy Class IV Laser that is now her veterinary tool of choice, she was sure it would ease patients’ pain and increase their mobility. You might even say she felt it in her bones. Especially in her vertebrae. “I had experienced the benefits of laser therapy on the human side with my own back (injury) five years ago,” said Van Tricht, a veterinary technician at Midway Animal Hospital in Seminole, Fla. “It saved me from surgery. For me, it’s a miracle.” Wielding the hand piece of relief is now one of her favorite tasks, Van Tricht said. Not only does it give her the chance to have a direct effect on patients’ quality of life, it makes her a driver of a significant source of new revenue for the practice. Not all clinic duties carry such rewards, …
With Thyroid Replacement, Consistency MattersJanuary 30, 2012 Everyone is aware of the economic challenges facing veterinary practices today: Visits to the veterinarian are down, and clients are getting concerned about some pet care costs. Some are even selecting alternate resources, including online pharmacies, and requesting prescriptions to have medications filled at human pharmacies at a lower cost. Practice managers or buyers might try to economize by going for the least expensive option when purchasing medications to stock for the clinic pharmacy, to help offset some of these concerns. Medically speaking, if veterinarians are dispensing human generic products in certain categories, there may not be a big difference in the actual product, but this is not the case for every prescription. Educate your staff and clients about when quality and consistency count, such as with thyroid replacement therapy. Overall, some aspects of hypothyroidism in dogs are fairly straightforward and simple. Most cases arise from irreversible acquired thyroid gland disease, due to either immune-mediated lymphoid thyroiditis (a heritable trait) or idiopathic follicular atrophy (normal thyroid tissue is replaced by connective and adipose tissue). In the immune-mediated form, there is a chronic, progressive lymphocytic destruction of the thyroid gland with a slow onset. Auto antibodies …
Welcome To Election Year Tax LimboJanuary 30, 2012 Question: Is there going to be a massive change to the tax code? Answer: Maybe yes, maybe no. Probability: A group of people will pass a group of tax-law modifications about which they know very little and these mods will change taxes. Certainty: Taxes will get more complex, as always. There are deep economic theories at play along with deep politics. There are groups with political agendas shouting that taxes are going up and if you earn more than $250,000 per year you will be hit hard. There are others pressing mightily for dramatic tax cuts in the name of economic expansion. Either could happen, but has not yet happened across the board with any certainty. It is, unfortunately, in the control of the group of people discussed above. Changes Likely in 2013 The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 was passed in December 2010 and extended the Bush tax cuts for two more years (2011 and 2012), thereby leaving the maximum individual tax rate at 35 percent through 2012. The 15 percent capital gains tax rate stays in place for 2012. Unless Congress takes action, this …
How To Maximize A Clinic’s Cash FlowNovember 29, 2011 The current economy has affected veterinary practices in many ways. Practice owners can use a multitude of tools to manage through these challenging economic times. Practices have experienced record drops in revenue, a decrease in the number of patient visits per year, lower average transaction cost, greater marketing expense and an overall greater demand on time to just maintain the same level of revenue as two years ago. This has forced many practice owners and managers to find ways to improve cash flow to cover the practice’s expenses. Several steps can help to alleviate the cash flow crunch. The supplies and drug inventory should be closely inspected and analyzed to get cost of sales in line with industry standards. Aggressive marketing campaigns can generate new business and retain current customers. When these basics don’t pan out, an owner might consider reducing staff hours to ensure that the lay staff salaries are appropriate for the amount of revenue being generated. The next step might include reducing associate DVM hours and having the owner cover additional hours. The true challenge as a manager or owner comes when these methods still do not provide the cash …
Banking Stem Cells A New Option For AnimalsNovember 29, 2011 Cryobanking allows pet owners to put something away for a rainy day—their pets’ stem cells—in case the animal suffers arthritis or degenerative disease later in life. “Banking stem cells is like having an extra insurance policy for your pet,” explained Jeremy Delk, CEO of MediVet America of Nicholasville, Ky. MediVet sells in-clinic equipment and the adipose stem cell procedure kit, as well as provides banking services for harvested cells. After a regenerative medicine procedure, the veterinarian can send any leftover cells to MediVet’s laboratory in Nicholasville, where they will be banked for future use. This is a good move, Delk said, because stem cells do not cure the degenerative diseases for which they are indicated. Instead, stem cell therapy reduces the inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis and degenerative joint diseases, and it provides healing to the joint, but that joint might need a future treatment, or a different joint might need treatment. Banking extra cells allows a second procedure to be done without having to harvest new tissue from the pet—a cost savings to both the veterinarian and the pet owner. Cryobanking is the long-term preservation of the fraction of hemopoetic stem cells that …
Putting A New Nutritional Tool To WorkNovember 7, 2011 The word is out: Nutrition is a new option for managing cats with hyperthyroidism. Limiting dietary iodine induces euthyroidism in cats that have naturally occurring hyperthyroidism, according to studies by Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan. Hill’s determined that if the iodine content can be kept below 0.32 ppm, hyperthyroidism in cats can be controlled through nutritional therapy alone. Hill’s released its Prescription Diet y/d Feline Thyroid Health in dry and wet formulations in October. Hill’s describes the food as a daily, low-iodine nutrition solution designed to manage hyperthyroidism in cats, and says it is clinically proven to improve thyroid health in three weeks. The next step is incorporating this new option into the veterinary practice. First Things First: Diagnosis “Fortunately, diagnosing [feline] hyperthyroidism is pretty easy,” said David Bruyette, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, medical director at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. Hill’s invited Dr. Bruyette to use the pet food with some of his patients before the new product’s launch. “Most veterinarians now are screening older cats by measuring T4, the major thyroid hormone,” he said. “The vast majority of cats—about 93+ percent—that are hyperthyroid will have a high total …
Technology Brings Stem-Cell Therapy In-HouseNovember 2, 2011 Stem-cell therapy for the treatment of joint diseases in animals, particularly dogs, cats and horses, has been available in the U.S. for a number of years. Today, second-generation technology is enabling more veterinarians to take advantage of this modality by making the investment less expensive and improving the process and delivery. Proponents say stem cells harvested from adipose tissue accelerate the healing of muscles and joints in adult animals suffering from osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, ligament and cartilage injuries and other degenerative joint diseases. Researchers have found that “activating” stem cells before returning them to the animal’s body enhances the healing of these musculoskeletal problems. “This technology can be adapted for any animal, be it a dog, horse, cat or an exotic,” said Mike Hutchinson, DVM, owner of Animal General of Cranberry, near Pittsburgh. “We take that individual’s fat, process it and activate the stem cells. Then, we put them back into the same animal. We are using the animal’s own repair system, the adult stem cells.” Because it is an autologous procedure, he said, it is safe and effective. MediVet America of Nicholasville, Ky., is the company that sells the in-clinic equipment, adipose stem …
