Cancer Detection: Sometimes The Nose KnowsApril 17, 2009 Body odor is a billion-dollar industry. Perfumes, deodorants, cosmetics: We spend a tremendous amount of time and money eradicating body odor. OK, why in the world are we discussing BO in Oncology Outlook? Cancer stinks more than we do - really. And apparently it stinks so much that some dogs can be trained to smell it. Body odors are unique among individuals and the type of odor is influenced by a specific pattern of antigens arising from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. While many of us know about the role of MHC proteins in host immunity, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the pattern of MHC proteins may help us diagnose cancer. The MHC patterns of proteins are known to differ within the bodily fluids (urine, sweat, saliva) and offer a new opportunity for cancer screening. As a cancer grows, invades surrounding tissues or metastasizes, it creates an inflammatory environment. Cell walls are destroyed and numerous lymphocytes and macrophages are attracted to the region. Additional cytokines and lymphokines are released, affecting cellular metabolism in various locations, such as in the liver's production of cytochrome P-450 oxidase enzymes. Cell-membrane fragments are …
SPONSORED CONTENTDilution Is the SolutionDiscover the most comprehensive line of therapeutic diets formulated to dilute urine and support urinary health + Learn More
Philanthropist Nancy Smith Answers Community’s Need For Animal RefugeApril 17, 2009 At 6:30 a.m., Nancy Smith wakes up to care for the unusual residents living in the 2-1/2-acre lot behind her Naples, Fla., home, which include 26 wolves and wolf dogs, two coyotes, eight prairie dogs, six sugar gliders, three Florida panthers, a black Asian leopard, a leopard-jaguar cross and four house cats. Although Smith’s backyard is filled with lush greenery, these animals don’t exactly live in the wild. They’re a part of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Education and Experience Center, a nonprofit organization Smith founded in 2001 to provide a home for displaced animals. She begins most days by chopping up fresh vegetables and also often prepares chicken and beef meals for the animals. Then, with the help of several volunteers, she makes her rounds to each animal’s unit, feeding them, giving them fresh water and—twice a week—cleaning out their living spaces with biodegradable cleaners. The biggest perk of this routine, she says, is getting to spend time with the animals, brushing them and taking them for walks. “I’ve always liked dealing with any kind of animal,” Smith says. “I’m in awe of them--they’re just so special.” In order to run this organization, she had …
Lumina Media, LLC Launches ReptileChannel.comApril 17, 2009Lumina Media, LLC, a publisher of pet and animal publications, including Veterinary Practice News, Pet Product News International and Reptiles magazine, launched ReptileChannel.com. on Wednesday, its latest Internet site. During its first week, visitors will be able to win thousands of dollars of giveaways from various sponsors, including Big Apple Pet Supply, The Bug Co., CagesByDesign.com, Doctors Foster and Smith, Ghann Crickets, Jungle, Natural Chemistry, RodentPro.com, Tetra Fauna, The Urban Gecko, and Zoo Med Laboratories. The site provides in-depth reptile and amphibian information by the editors of Reptiles magazine and more than 250 species profiles. “This is an incredible information resource, but most of all, it’s a place where enthusiasts of all levels can share their reptile tales, experiences and obtain useful information to better care for their pets,” said Russ Case, group editor of Lumina Media, LLC. Visitors can also sign up for Club Reptile and earn points for sponsor-provided products, magazines and books. Members can earn points by participating in surveys and forums and by playing virtual games. Lumina Media, LLC’s other Animal Network sites include DogChannel.com, CatChannel.com, FishChannel.com, BirdChannel.com and HorseChannel.com. Click here to visit ReptileChannel.com <HOME>
Oral Hygiene ProgramsApril 17, 2009 As the veterinary profession celebrates more than 20 years of modern veterinary companion-animal dentistry, there is still reluctance in the general veterinary community to stress the importance of oral hygiene homecare programs. All of veterinary periodontology revolves around the combination of effective professional care in the dental operatory under general inhalation anesthesia and daily homecare-oral hygiene programs. The professional care has been referenced as Professional Periodontal Care and the homecare as Client Periodontal Maintenance. Each homecare program is based on an accurate professional diagnosis using testing modules that center on quality extra- and intra-oral exams, accurate measurement of probing depths, charting of periodontal indices and oral radiology diagnostics. Patient monitoring must be comprehensive and certified, registered and licensed technicians should be present. CPM begins immediately as PPC ends. The technician and veterinarian create a patient-specific CPM program based on the periodontal needs uncovered in the diagnostic process. It is important for the veterinarian-technician team to review CPM programs with clients in detail. It is best not to rely on a general periodontal homecare fact sheet that provides the same homecare for every patient treated. This is not only poor medicine but homecare will …
Horse Genome Sequence Made PublicApril 17, 2009 The first draft of the horse genome sequence has been placed in public databases, a tool that will help veterinary researchers better understand the diseases that affect equines. The $15 million project to sequence about 2.7 billion DNA base pairs in the genome of the horse began a year ago, building upon a 10-year collaborative effort among an international group of scientists, known as the Horse Genome Project. The researchers used DNA from Twilight, a Thoroughbred mare from Cornell University, for the sequencing project. Researchers have also produced a map of horse genetic variation using DNA samples from a variety of modern and ancestral breeds, including the Akel Teke, Andalusian, Arabian, Icelandic, Quarter, Standardbred and Thoroughbred. The map will provide scientists with a genome-wide view of genetic variability in horses and help them identify the genetic contributions to physical and behavioral differences, as well as to disease susceptibility. There are more than 80 known genetic conditions in horses that are genetically similar to disorders seen in humans, including musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Comparing the horse and human genomes will also help medical researchers learn more about the human genome. The project …
LSU To Host Symposium On Infectious DiseasesApril 17, 2009The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a Small Animal Medicine Symposium on April 27. The event, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, will focus on infectious diseases of dogs and cats. Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, professor of internal medicine at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will speak. He will discuss the molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases, persistent blood-borne infection, vector-borne infections and canine bartonellosis. Other topics will include canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, methicillin-resistant staphylococci, mycoses, canine leptospirosis, endocarditis, American trypanosomiasis and challenging infectious disease cases. Eight hours of continuing education credit are available. Registrations received by April 23 will be complimentary. Thereafter, the administrative fee will be $25. For details, call 225-578-9900 or visit www.vetmed.lsu.edu. <HOME>
Complete List Of Recalled ProductsApril 17, 2009 Menu Foods Inc. recalled 95 brands of "cuts and gravy" pet food products on March 17. The complete list of affected products is listed here. Although the initial recall focused on products made during a specified period, the recall has since been expanded to all affected products regardless of date of manufacture. For further recall product information, call Menu Foods at (866) 895-2708. Cat Foods 1. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets 2. Authority 3. Best Choice 4. Companion 5. Compliments 6. Demoulas Market Basket 7. Eukanuba 8. Fine Feline Cat 9. Food Lion 10. Foodtown 11. Giant Companion 12. Hannaford 13. Hill Country Fare 14. Hy-Vee 15. Iams 16. Laura Lynn 17. Li'l Red 18. Loving Meals 19. Meijer's Main Choice 20. Nutriplan 21. Nutro Max Gourmet Classics 22. Nutro Natural Choice 23. Paws 24. Pet Pride 25. Presidents Choice 26. Price Chopper 27. Priority US 28. Save-A-Lot Special Blend 29. Schnucks 30. Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans 31. Sophistacat 32. Special Kitty Canada 33. Special …
Vets And Engineers Model First Simulated Virtual-Reality DogApril 17, 2009Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences lays claim to the only simulated canine with a virtual reality interface. The simulated canine, dubbed SimPooch, is in its early stages, but its creators say their project will revolutionize teaching in veterinary medicine. Narda Robinson, DO, DVM, MS, director of CSU's Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine, initiated the SimPooch project in spring 2006, with Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher, Ph.D., coordinator of the college's instructional design. They worked with a group of mechanical engineering students, who then constructed a physical model of a dog's head that reproduced bone, muscle, skin and fat density to provide students real-life physical force feedback. The colleges of veterinary medicine and engineering then worked to create a 3-D dog model and software that will be rigorously tested for its effectiveness in teaching students proper acupuncture techniques. Dr. Robinson says the project was first met with skepticism. Since the concept involved merging two colleges, one of which knew nothing of medicine or acupuncture, success seemed unlikely. But the veil of uncertainty surrounding the project lifted when SimPooch won fourth place in CSU's annual E-Days competition in which more than 100 displays vie for design recognition. "When …
Idexx Unveils Online Feline Disease MapApril 17, 2009As part of its new campaign to promote feline wellness, Idexx Laboratories Inc. of Westbrook, Maine, yesterday launched an interactive feline disease prevalence map at www.kittytest.com. As the centerpiece of its campaign, the map will allow cat owners and veterinarians to determine the prevalence of three common diseases - feline heartworm, feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) - on a state and county basis. Idexx believes the map will help cat owners better understand their cats' risk levels for the diseases while providing veterinarians local and national perspective on how many cases had been confirmed. That information might change a veterinarian's disease testing practices, the company said. The results shown are compiled from Idexx Reference Laboratories test results, test results from its in-clinic Idexx VetLab Station systems from thousands of veterinary practices, and other prevalence studies, the company reported. <HOME>
Vets Asked To Participate In Pet Food Recall SurveyApril 17, 2009 Veterinarians who suspect they have treated animals affected by the Menu Foods Inc. pet food recall can take part in a survey to help pathologists conduct further research on the recalled foods. The American Assn. of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians will be gathering the data on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and will use it to define what constitutes a confirmed case of food-induced kidney toxicity, identify common elements among the cases and establish a clearer understanding and description of the illness. The survey, which can be found at www.aavld.org, asks for information about the brands and lot numbers of pet food ingested, the speed of illness following consumption, the clinical signs of the sick or deceased animals and other information such as chemical markers. Pathologists plan to develop a verified list of animals affected by the recall and the common symptoms and aspects of the illness. They also hope to establish valid estimates of the number of animals affected, their ages, breeds and species. The American Veterinary Medical Assn., which has already informed its members who specifically treat companion animals (about 30,000 veterinarians) about the survey, has a comprehensive …
