Medical

At the time of this writing, the focus on farm animals by the media (and likely therefore consumer perception) seems to be on antimicrobial use in animal agriculture and on farm animal welfare.

Small animal practitioners are well aware that "cats are not small dogs". However, are small dogs just miniaturized versions of their larger brothers and sisters? What about the effect of breed on therapeutics? The incredible diversity of dog breeds presents veterinarians with problems and opportunities inherent to the medical care for such a highly variable species.

Individualized drug therapy increasingly is being recognized as an important aspect of health care for both human and veterinary medicine. However, the number of animal drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sparse in comparison to those for human patients.

A proper understanding of the terms acidosis, alkalosis, acidemia, and alkalemia is necessary to differentiate simple from mixed acid base disorders. Acidosis and alkalosis refer to the pathophysiologic processes that cause net accumulation of acid or alkali in the body, whereas acidemia and alkalemia refer specifically to the pH of extracellular fluid. In acidemia, the extracellular fluid pH is less than normal and the [H+] is higher than normal.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is common in geriatric cats but often appears stable for long periods of time. Several studies have evaluated prognostic markers in cats with CKD, but few have identified which ones precede disease progression. The aim of this study was to find a marker which would predict deterioration of renal function in cats newly diagnosed with CKD.

Many canine patients present to the veterinarian with vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and abdominal discomfort, with or without fever. Based on these non-specific signs of disease, the veterinarian has to build a differential diagnosis list. This list commonly includes acute gastro-enteritis (parasitic, bacterial, viral), dietary indiscretion/foreign body ingestion, toxicity, renal disease, pancreatitis, hypoadrenocorticism, and cholangiohepatitis, among others.

Beginning with Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin there has been an ever escalating arms race between microbes and the doctors that treat life-threatening infection. Fleming's discovery saved countless lives; however, it did not take long for bacteria to respond by developing mechanisms for resistance.

Blood pressure measurement is often not a routine part of small animal practice. This partially has to do with the equipment available to measure blood pressure as well as our patients (they tend not to hold still like we have to).

Nontraumatic inflammatory joint disease is a relatively common, but under-recognized, cause of fever and morbidity in dogs. In one review of 66 dogs referred for fever of unknown origin to a veterinary teaching hospital, approximately 8% were diagnosed with immune-mediated polyarthritis.

Cyanobacteria is another name for blue-green algae. Not all algae produce toxins. Cyanobacteria intoxication is most commonly associated with ingestion of water with excessive growth of Anabaena spp., Aphanizomenon spp., Oscillatoria spp., which produce the neurotoxins anatoxin-? and anatoxin-?(s); Microcystis spp., which produces the hepatotoxin microcystin; or Nodularia spp., which produces the hepatotoxin nodularin. Cyanobacteria ingested with water can be rapidly broken down in the gastrointestinal tract.

Tracheal stent placement is a novel treatment option for dogs presenting with tracheal collapse refractory to traditional medical management and for those in which the nature and location of the collapse make them poor candidates for prosthetic ring placement.

Before considering pathologic cytology of lymph nodes, it is necessary to define normal lymph node cytology. Aspirates from normal lymph nodes contain mixed cell populations in which small lymphocytes are the predominant cell (>80 percent of all cells).

Portosystemic shunts (PSS) are vascular communications between the portal and systemic venous systems that allow portal blood to access the systemic circulation without first passing through the liver. Signs of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) dominate the clinical picture because of inadequate hepatic clearance of enterically-derived toxins.

Physical examination of the newborn is important to look for congenital defects and early signs of illness or potential for illness since deterioration of neonates can occur suddenly and progress rapidly. Prematurity as well as labor that is difficult or prolonged contribute to poor vigor of offspring.

The most common prostatic disease in the dog is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which occurs in intact male dogs that are usually ? 2 years-of-age. Scottish terriers appear to be more severely affected than other dog breeds. The etiology is associated with altered androgen-estrogen ratios as the dog matures.

Today's drug package insert (DPI) can be a powerful ally in the selection and judicious use of a drug. The information that it provides might be categorized as either Product Description, Product Efficacy or Product Safety with some overlap among the categories.

"Arthur", a 9 month-old, male (N), American Bulldog, was admitted to the ES with a complaint of refractory neuromuscular disease. At 5:30 PM, he walked into the house from outside, stumbled and collapsed in the rear.

In the therapy of neoplastic infections with cytotoxic drugs, there is little basis for the selective killing of the abnormal cells as opposed to the healthy cells in the body. There are only a few known differences in receptors and metabolism that are suitable drug targets at the present time.

Many of the reproductive abnormalities that present as emergencies are straight- forward and relatively easy to resolve. Treatment of these diseases, however, requires knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology as well as the options available for dealing with such emergencies.

Accumulations of excessive fluid in the pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial space represent edema of these body cavities. As such, the dynamics of fluid accumulation are governed by Starling's law. In general, pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial effusions can result from either inflammatory or non-inflammatory causes.

TBI in the small animal patient may be the result of a variety of traumatic events. Primary brain injury results from a variety of forces (acceleration, deceleration, torsion, etc.) imparted on the cranium and its contents and may range from mass-lesions caused by vascular disruption (epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, intraparenchymal hemorrhage) to contusions and diffuse axonal injury (most common).

Non-core vaccines are those which we as a profession have determined are not recommended for all dogs or cats. Vaccination, in general, has the benefit of potentially lessening the prevalence or severity of disease, ensuring that patients are examined on a regular basis, increasing practice revenue, and potentially saving clients money in the long-run.

The dog or cat with septic peritonitis may display evidence of sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, and frequently, multiple organ dysfunction. Septic peritonitis is a rapidly progressive clinical syndrome with an array of underlying etiologies. Early recognition accompanied by rapid medical stabilization, early surgical intervention, and diligent postoperative care is crucial to optimize the likelihood of a positive outcome.

The success of any fixed dosing regimen most often is based on the patient's clinical response to the drug. Fixed dosing regimens are designed to generate plasma drug concentrations (PDC) within a therapeutic range, ie, achieve the desired effect while avoiding toxicity.

Copper is an essential trace element in diets and is required for a number of physiologically important enzymes. Cells have highly specialized and complex systems for maintaining intracellular copper concentrations. At toxic concentrations, free intracellular copper initiates oxidative damage causing hepatocellular necrosis and inflammation.

Dysphagia is defined as difficult or painful swallowing. It may be due to obstruction, motility disturbance, or pain. Although dysphagia most commonly indicates a disorder involving the oral cavity or pharynx, esophageal disorders can cause this clinical sign as well.

Polycystic kidney disease was first described in adult male and female long-haired, Persian-type cats in the late 1960's. In 1996, the disorder was shown to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in a family of Persian cats. Both male and female cats were affected. In affected ? unaffected crosses, 42% of offspring were affected and 58% were unaffected. In affected ? affected crosses, 73% of progeny were affected and 27% were unaffected.

One can usually find many sources of information about drugs: FDA website, drug company websites and technical reports, VIN, journals, trade magazines, and so on. The important skill required of veterinarians is to assess that information to determine its usefulness in your daily practice. Below are some principles of evaluating drug information, with the goal of improving treatment and the practice of medicine.