How to prepare for euthanasiaMay 24, 2023End-of-life care can easily be the worst part of veterinary medicine. It does not matter where you fall in the hierarchy of a practice, dealing with it can be very uncomfortable.
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Surgical instrument selection and careApril 25, 2023Selecting the right tools makes for a more pleasant experience in performing procedures. Keeping tools in good working order also makes the job much less frustrating.
Dermatitis, otitis externa among top pet insurance claimsApril 13, 2023Skin, dental, and stomach ailments are among last year’s most commonly claimed pet medical conditions, Nationwide reports.
VBD screening critical to pet healthMarch 10, 2023Ticks can spread a variety of diseases. As their range expands throughout the country, it becomes more difficult to avoid encountering these adaptable parasites. With forecast maps from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) showing alarming changes in the regional distribution of vector-borne disease (VBD), the increased risk also poses new challenges for veterinary professionals.
Working with kennel vaccine policiesMarch 10, 2023Small animal practitioners will recognize this scenario: a client hands you a list of vaccines like they are turning in a menu at a sushi restaurant.
A primer on mastitis in small animalsMarch 9, 2023Mastitis is most commonly caused by infection, and in severe cases, can lead to significant health issues and even death in the mother and nursing babies if not treated.
Practicing antimicrobial stewardshipFebruary 1, 2023 Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), particularly as related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), should be considered daily due to its global prioritization by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other human and veterinary key groups.
SDMA testing key to better kidney diagnosesJanuary 31, 2023A robust kidney evaluation—from juvenile to geriatric—should include all reliable screening diagnostics. In addition to creatinine (CREA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) testing now plays an increasingly important role in diagnostics.
Tips on clinical sonography to improve the practiceJanuary 24, 2023Today’s technology offers a vast array of image quality advancements, workflows, and techniques. These machines have competitive factors that play a role in any ultrasound implementation on any given patient. Moreover, ultrasound has become extremely available in clinics.
The Wood's lamp versus M. CanisJanuary 18, 2023There were only a few percentages we were told to "memorize for boards" in veterinary school, a dozen years ago now. These included odds of malignancy in dog/cat mammary masses (50 percent/90 percent); canine splenic mass diagnoses (33 percent hematoma/hemangioma/ hemangiosarcoma); failure rates of TPLO versus TPP versus. lateral band in canine cruciate disease (now debunked); and, in dermatology, the sensitivity of the Wood's lamp in diagnosing dermatophytosis: less than 50 percent. Where did "50 percent" come from, and why has it been lodged so firmly in our heads? So firmly that I recently ran across this same number in the crisp 2022 edition of a small animal textbook. That number is wrong, and my veterinary friends, colleagues, students still quote it. It is also possible the first percentages quoted here need updating—they probably do (See: "When in doubt cut it out! But by how much?" by Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMA on VPN Plus+). A closer look at M. canis Dermatophytosis in small animals is generally caused by one of three fungal organisms: Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. M. canis is the only one of these that produces pteridine …
