The Fine Art And Pitfalls Of EnucleationFebruary 14, 2011 Enucleation, or eye removal, is similar to limb amputation; it is a salvage procedure. Despite valiant efforts to save an eye, all hope may be lost for vision, and an enucleation may be necessary. We asked John S. Sapienza, a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, N.Y., to share a few pearls of wisdom about the art and pitfalls of enucleation. Do you feel that an enucleation is a specialized surgery? I don’t think that every enucleation requires a specialist’s surgical skills. In the case of ocular or periocular neoplasia, the procedure may be a little trickier. Either way, I would encourage general practitioners to follow some important guidelines if they elect to perform the procedure. When is an enucleation indicated? • Here is a list of 10 reasons: • In case of severe, intractable pain. • When the eye is blind. • With severe proptosis. • In case of endophthalmitis. • With chronic, blinding glaucoma. • When there is severe ocular trauma with hemorrhage. • In case of intraocular neoplasia. • In case of intractable infection. • In case …
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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 …
Best ProtectionFebruary 14, 2011 There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to canine vaccinations, but the American Animal Hospital Association is about to update what one professional calls “some very good science-based recommendations.” A special AAHA council expects to release vaccine recommendations this month that will replace a set issued in 2006. AAHA President Gregg Takashima, DVM, says that despite all the changes in this area of veterinary practice over the past 10 years, much of the decision-making about what is appropriate for patients occurs just as it always has: on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the dog’s lifestyle and the region in which the veterinarian is practicing. Michael San Filippo, media relations assistant at the American Veterinary Medical Association, says current research is too inconclusive to make sweeping recommendations that will work for every dog. “Veterinarians have traditionally vaccinated annually; however, they are now learning that some vaccines induce immunity that lasts less than one year, whereas others may induce immunity that lasts well beyond one year,” he says. “The AVMA recommends that veterinarians customize vaccination programs to the needs of their patients. More than one vaccination program may be effective.” Chris Pappas, DVM, director …
What Will We Say To The Children?February 14, 2011 It was back to business as usual at January’s North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC). Attendees considered the future of veterinary medicine in a recession-battered economy. Attendees and lecturers toiled over questions such as: What will high tuition and student debt do to our profession? What can we do for our clients who love their pets but can’t afford cost of standard care recommendations for ill and injured pets? What can we do when faced with sick pets of homeless, underprivileged and jobless people? We did not find easy answers to these tough questions at the abundant business, medical management or behavior and shelter medicine classes. We encountered some colleagues with set philosophies who solved the problem in their own minds by saying that pets are going to have to be reclassified as “elective” or strictly considered luxuries. The AAHA statement on responsible pet ownership, which suggests that pet owners prepare for medical emergencies with savings accounts or get pet health insurance or make arrangements with third-party payment programs, isn’t much help. Pet Companionship 101 Since before my days in veterinary school (1968-72), I have advocated that being close to animals and keeping pets is a …
Two Sides Of One CoinFebruary 14, 2011 As far back as he can remember, Richard Palmquist, DVM, thought like a scientist. His father was a microbiologist, and young Richard would tag along to the lab on Saturday mornings, watching with curiosity as the elder Palmquist studied infectious disease cultures. His mother, a dental educator, read biology texts to him at his request. And by the time Palmquist was 7, he had a microscope of his own, spending hours looking at slides of tissues and organisms. So, when Dr. Palmquist graduated from Colorado State University’s veterinary school in 1983, he gravitated to conventional medicine. And by the mid-’80s, when he heard that a former client’s pet was being treated for cancer by a so-called “alternative medicine” specialist, he was instantly skeptical. “The guy must be a quack,” Palmquist remembers thinking. He got so worked up that he traveled from his home in California to the veterinarian’s practice in New York, planning to expose him as a fraud. But in New York, Palmquist watched the veterinarian, Martin Goldstein, DVM, present case after case where nonconventional treatments had improved or prolonged an animal’s life: A blind cat whose sight returned after dietary therapy. A paralyzed …
What We Killed In 2010February 14, 2011 Can you guess how many animals I euthanized last year? Sadly, this morbid mental exercise is kind of like guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar. But it ís undertaken less as a senseless descent into morbidity than by way of reaching into our profession’s heart of darkness and attempting an exorcism of the demons that live there. That’s what whatikilledtoday.com was all about. Though it has sadly gone the way of other great websites whose dearth of financial backing sounded the death knell for its continued online presence, it was an excellent blog based on one wildlife worker’s euthanized cases. From crabs and fish to common small mammals, this not-for-profit wildlife rehab employee had it rough on the death front. (I can only hope he has a less stressful job now, wherever he is.) Mostly, these “beautiful deaths” are recorded matter-of-factly, allowing any of us to read into their grim words what we will. This is why these minimalistic entries are nothing short of brilliant (if you have a thing for Nietzsche and Kafka, that is). How better to convey the loss of life than by memorializing the death through the lasting, ecumenical …
Utah State One Step Closer To Getting Vet ProgramFebruary 10, 2011 A bill that would create a veterinary education program at Utah State University passed the Senate today. It was then tabled for further financial review. Specifically, House Bill 57 would allow Utah State University to enter into a partnership agreement with Washington State University to establish a vet program. Washington State University already has a College of Veterinary Medicine. Students would complete the first and second years of study at Utah State University and the third and fourth years of study at Washington State University. Initially, up to 20 Utah resident students and 10 nonresident students would be accepted each year into the program, according to the bill. The bill would also require the Legislature, subject to future budget constraints, to annually appropriate money to pay for the nonresident portion of tuition for Utah students enrolled at Washington State University under a partnership agreement. House Bill 57 is currently tabled in the Senate 3rd reading calendar, where house bills are placed if they have a fiscal note of $10,000 or more. This bill has a fiscal note of $1.7 million. If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1. To read …
Comment Deadline For ‘Roadmap’ Education Report Gets ExtensionFebruary 9, 2011 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges reported today that it is extending the comment deadline for the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium’s draft report on the future of veterinary medical education from Feb. 28 to May 1. The association, which spearheads the NAVMEC, said the extension will allow for more deliberation and input. “The original deadline was very ambitious and we know that many national veterinary meetings are scheduled between March and May,” said Jeanne Johnson, director of communications for the association. The report, “Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century: Responsive, Collaborative, Flexible,” outlines how to work toward an economically sustainable future for veterinary medical education and prepare graduates with the core competencies required to meet society’s evolving needs, according to AAVMC. For example, the draft report stresses the need to research the most effective teaching models and offers an analysis of ways to share education resources and best practices across institutions. The NAVMEC began soliciting comments on the report, available at the group’s website, in mid November. Related webinars have been ongoing since December. The webinars discuss how and why the consortium was …
North Dakota Considers Bill Allowing Police, Vets To Seize AnimalsFebruary 9, 2011 Legislators in North Dakota have introduced a bill that would allow police and veterinarians to seize animals they believe are being treated inhumanely. A public hearing on the measure is set for Friday, Feb. 11, 2011. As introduced, Senate Bill 2365 would grant a law enforcement officer or licensed veterinarian the right to take custody and control of an animal if there is “reasonable cause to believe” that the animal has been subjected to activity prohibited by state laws pertaining to the humane treatment of animals. The measure would allow law enforcement officers to seize an animal without a warrant or court order. If the officer or the veterinarian seizing the animal knows the animal’s owner, they must notify the owner immediately. If they don’t know the owner, they must publish a notice indicating that the animal may be sold or otherwise disposed of if it is not claimed in five days (from the date of notice). The law enforcement officer or veterinarian would have a lien on the seized animal for the reasonable value of the animal’s care and shelter and for any expenses incurred in notifying the animal’s owner. SB 2365 would allow the …
FDA Warns About Compounded Use Of Deslorelin Now That SucroMate Equine Is ApprovedFebruary 9, 2011 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to veterinarians today reminding them that now SucroMate Equine is approved and available for veterinary use in the United States, deslorelin should not be imported from other countries or compounded from bulk. SucroMate Equine is the only marketed FDA-approved animal drug that contains deslorelin as the active ingredient. The drug, manufactured by Thorn BioScience, was approved in November 2010 as a way to regulate ovulation in mares. The injectable, sustained-release suspension is said to increase the likelihood of conception during breeding for both natural bred and artificially inseminated horses. The suspension comes in a 10 mL vial that can be used for 10 doses. The strength is 1.8 mg deslorelin acetate per mL. The FDA’s letter to veterinarians outlines its “rigorous” drug evaluation process. It also emphasizes that animal drugs compounded from bulk do not go through this process. “An animal drug that is compounded from bulk drug ingredients is not FDA-approved,” the FDA said in its letter. “This means FDA has not evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the compounded drug or the adequacy of the manufacturing process. “In prescribing FDA-approved SucroMate Equine …
