Animal health pros frequently challenge the status quo. In the face of a heartworm infection, melarsomine has received the American Heartworm Society recommendations along with steroid and antithrombotic agents, as needed. But melarsomine sometimes has limited availability or is unavailable in many countries. Thus, many slow-kill protocols have been circulated as possible … [Read more...]
Dogs’ fur flakes for multiple reasons
Canine skin allergies and skin infections are two of the top 10 issues that veterinarians see. Sandra Seargent, DVM, reviews primary and secondary keratinization disorders. Whether the coat is dry or greasy may not be particularly helpful, as the conditions can be caused by a large number of underlying diseases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 20-19. (Link) When treating … [Read more...]
Cats need dental care – Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (includes photos)
Dental month is a memory, but dental issues still affect cat health. Heidi B. Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC, with Main Street Veterinary Hospital and Dental Clinic, writes about dealing with stomatitis in cats. Source: Clinician’s Brief, January 2018. (Link) Stomatitis can refer to any inflammation in the oral cavity, but, clinically, it typically refers to the exaggerated immune … [Read more...]
Backyard chickens may pose health risks to humans
Zoonotic diseases that backyard poultry may spread to humans include salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and avian influenza viruses. Widespread outbreaks of human Salmonella spp. infections linked to contact with backyard chickens have been documented in the United States since the 1990s. Source: Clinician’s Brief, March 2018. Veterinarians should advise owners of backyard … [Read more...]
Nasal discharge in dogs could be more than one thing. (diagnostic guide)
Douglas Palma, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), has a special interest in respiratory medicine. He trains interns and residents in internal medicine and is residency director for ACVIM. His educational experiences show in this diagnostic chart to help animal health pros move quickly toward a diagnosis when a dog is presented with nasal discharge. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February … [Read more...]
Children, sandboxes, pin worms and pets
Here are the facts about the neighbors’ cats using the sandbox, even though my mother and grandmother told me differently: Human pinworms, such as Enterobius vermicularis are nonzoonotic intestinal parasitic worms of human hosts. Humans are considered to be the only hosts of E vermicularis; therefore, human pinworms cannot originate from pets or other animals and vice … [Read more...]
Getting pets ready to move about the country
Brian A. DiGangi, DVM shares five top tips for traveling with animals. He recommends: Review travel regulations Explain the importance of preventative care Recommend permanent identification Identify and mitigate travel specific risks Discuss steps and protect behavioral health and welfare Source: Clinician’s Brief, January 2018. Clinicians play an … [Read more...]
Canine parvovirus 101
CPV emerged in the 1970s and is still a menace to unvaccinated dogs.The virus itself is small and nonenveloped, making it one of the most robust viruses affecting animals. Because of its environmental persistence, both indirect and direct contact can efficiently spread the virus. When protected by organic matter, the virus may remain infectious for months. Source: … [Read more...]
Autopsies by general practitioners can help owners (photographic guide)
Many pet owners want to know why their pet passed away. A limited cosmetic necropsy may produce a reason, add closure and potentially alert the veterinary staff of local risks. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2017. The term “autopsy” is widely preferred in the pathology community, particularly to emphasize the primary goal of unifying human and veterinary medical … [Read more...]
Enrich the lives of older pets. Don’t ignore them.
The cold that has enveloped most of the U.S. lately has no doubt exacerbated some aging symptoms in older pets. Older animals may suffer from osteoarthritis or neurologic conditions that limit physical activity. Beyond physical activities, cognitive issues increase, sensory capabilities decline and anxiety may follow as older pets often become ignored. Source: Clinician’s … [Read more...]
Top urinary tract and prostate antibiotics
Articles like this one make great staff training and discussion tools. Seasoned veterinarians can help newer colleagues by sharing experiences while younger, less experienced DVMs bring new perspectives from their education or discussions with classmates. Encourage a trusted sales representative to help facilitate the discussions at a scheduled meeting. Source: Clinician’s … [Read more...]
375 kittens help identify obesity risks
A prospective study attempted to identify early life risk factors for cats to become overweight or obese. Results largely agreed with previously reported investigations of obesity risk factors. At two years of age, 25.3 percent of the study population was overweight or obese according to owners. The proportion was 36.8 percent when body condition score was measured by a … [Read more...]
Don’t abandon postmortem exams
Postmortem remains the diagnostic gold standard. A recent retrospective study compared clinical antemortem and pathologic postmortem diagnoses in 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs. The authors suggest that postmortem evaluation provides valuable information in nearly 50 percent of cases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2017. In this study, total agreement between antemortem and … [Read more...]
Quiz: Contemporary fluid strategies in the ICU
Recent research shows that positive water balance and weight gain are actually negative prognostic indicators. This has forced practitioners to rethink the approach to fluid therapy for critical patients. Source: Clinician’s Brief, June 2017. Amy Butler, DVM, MS, DACVECC presents a case-based approach to test your knowledge of current thought on fluid strategies for the … [Read more...]
While uncommon, owners may have Leptospirosis risk
We hear a lot about zoonotic risks where disease in animals can infect animal owners. George E. Moore, DVM, and Michael R. Lappin, DVM, have written clear instructions for animal owners and team members to help prevent zoonotic infection from Leptospirosis sp. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2017. Infection appears to be uncommon for owners of dogs with leptospirosis … [Read more...]
Dealing with dry eye
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is a condition that commonly referred to as dry eye. The medical term means inflammation of the cornea and surrounding tissues from drying. Ian Herring, DVM, offers an easy flowchart to focus on the most common etiologies. Sales representatives, think Schirmer tear tests. Source: Clinician’s Brief, May 2017. Dr. Herring offers a set of … [Read more...]
Ketamine; time for a review
Ketamine is a common, safe, injectable anesthetic used in veterinary medicine. In 1999, it became a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the Federal Controlled Substance Act. Veterinary teams need to review the licit and illicit aspects of ketamine, how to deter and report theft associated with illicit demand and weak regulations, and the legal requirements surrounding the … [Read more...]
Zoonotic diseases quiz is timely
Among the current and future challenges of the Hurricane Harvey devastation is the risk of zoonotic disease exchanges. An entire underground population of rats, mice, feral cats, skunks, raccoons and who knows what else was forced to move along with people. Like humans, they will move back into the area carrying with them all sorts of zoonotic risks including leptospirosis, … [Read more...]
Feline calcivirus review
Feline calcivirus is a single-stranded nonenveloped RNA virus that frequently presents clinical symptoms in young cats and kittens as acute upper respiratory or ocular signs. The virus often infects cats who become subclinical carriers of the virus. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2015. FCV should be treated on an outpatient basis, if possible, as it is highly … [Read more...]
Speaking of tapeworms
Sometimes there’s more to the human-animal bond than we want to admit. More interactions with wildlife as our cities expand into their habitat increase opportunities for new challenges, including a wide variety of Echinococcus spp. tapeworms. Dogs act as an intermediate host between wildlife and humans in some species. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2017. Surveillance in … [Read more...]
Ringworm calls for carpet and surface cleaning
Treating Microsporum canis in pets is straightforward. Veterinary teams frequently make recommendations for cleaning the home, but the efficacy of these recommendations has not been evaluated. Decontamination of hard surfaces involves thorough mechanical cleaning followed by disinfectant application. Less is known about successful decontamination of carpet with … [Read more...]
Canine influenza is spreading
Animal health pros, especially veterinary healthcare teams must be vigilant and stay abreast of the latest news about this highly contagious disease. This includes: areas affected, prevention and canine influenza treatment protocols where appropriate. Communicating with clients is paramount to alleviate concerns and allow for risk assessment. A one-size-fits-all statement is … [Read more...]
Opthalmic exams made simple
Did you ever wonder what veterinarians are doing when they look in to a pet’s eyes? Ron Ofri, DVM, offers a logical, anatomical order to the exam and a list of equipment needed. He proposes veterinary teams perform an ophthalmoscopic examination of all patients, not just ophthalmic case to gain the required proficiency and familiarity with normal fundus variations. Source: … [Read more...]
Anesthesia, quiz yourself
From adverse effects to age-related considerations, how much do you know about the many aspects of anesthesia? Veterinary teams and brave sales representatives can have fun with this quiz during a lunch and learn. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 18, 2017. This self-quiz reviews 5 different aspects of anesthesiology in the small animal patient. For a complete discussion, … [Read more...]
Antibody vs antigen. Tests: review the differences
Effect versus affect; blew versus blue; principle versus principal are among the terms that get confused at times. Add to that list antibody versus antigen for animal health pros. Claire L. Fellman, DVM, and Todd Archer, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Mississippi State University, answer the question, “What are the differences between antibody and antigen tests, and which test should I … [Read more...]
Proper wound drain placement important (photos included)
Eric R. Pope, DVM, MS, DACVS, with Ross University, discusses the dos and don'ts of wound drainage. The photos that accompany his piece are informative. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February 2017. Drains are sometimes necessary for managing fluid accumulations or prophylactically when postoperative fluid accumulation is likely due to dead space or wounds in high-motion areas. … [Read more...]
Canine house soiling can be fixed
Clients are often intolerant of house soiling, such as indoor urination, defecation or marking in adult dogs. Puppy owners may arbitrarily impose a deadline for house training without seeking veterinary advice and may relinquish the puppy if expectations are not satisfied. Ellen Lindell, VMD, DACVB, discusses diagnosis’ and treatments. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February … [Read more...]
Plague still poses risks
The widespread impact of the “black death” is not likely to be repeated in our time. However, plague still poses substantial risk to exposed humans, including pet owners and veterinarians. Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is maintained in various wildlife populations, particularly wild rodents, and is spread through close contact and fleas. Spillover infections of domestic … [Read more...]
Basic cardiology exam in dogs
Wendy W. Mandese, DVM, and Amara H. Estrada, DVM, share the approach to a basic cardiology exam in this brief. They remind us that a thorough physical examination is valuable for diagnosing heart disease and should include extensive examination of all body systems. It is a good review for veterinary teams and their sales reps. Source: Clinician’s Brief, May … [Read more...]
Don’t overlook pain management for gastrointestinal conditions
Gastrointestinal conditions are common, but associated pain management in these patients is often overlooked. Refresh your memory about treatment options with this article. Consider using it as a team exercise at an upcoming staff meeting. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2015. The clinical manifestations of abdominal pain in dogs and cats can be subtle and easily … [Read more...]