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More than 60 years ago an enteric disease of cattle was described in North America that was characterized by outbreaks of diarrhea and erosive lesions of the digestive tract.17 The disease was called bovine viral diarrhea virus or BVD. The virus causing BVD was named bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV).

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative agent of Johne's Disease (JD), is prevalent worldwide. The NAHMS Dairy 1996 study, estimated 21.6% of the dairy herds in the US were infected with MAP, resulting in annual economic losses for the dairy industry of $200-250 million.

The advantage of contrast studies is that they highlight and allow assessment of the tissue-contrast interface, and allow assessment of the size, shape, location and patency of various viscera. Contrast can be used to locate structures not apparent on survey films, such as masses, obstructions, and foreign object.

The goals of fluid therapy in camelids are similar to those in other species. The mechanics and details are somewhat different. Of the possible routes, oral and intravenous are the major routes used to correct problems of hydration. Subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and intraosseus administration all have specialty applications, but are not useful or necessary in most situations.

The majority of food animal veterinarians do their best to make the most appropriate decisions for their clients' livestock. But there are times when we simply don't know what the best decision is. Likewise, there are times when a "new" procedure or "new" product is suggested by the client or one of our colleagues that we are unaware of or have not tried. Problem solving requires the use of multiple sources to educate oneself about the particular problem.

Dealing with a sick cria and an anxious client can be quite daunting at times. This task becomes less daunting when one understands the main problems and how to manage them. Neonatal crias are typically admitted to the UT College of veterinary medicine due to prematurity/weakness/inability to stand, suspected or real failure of passive transfer (FPT), and septicemia.

The issue of disease transmission between species is nothing new. Veterinarians have always been aware of the potential risk of wildlife being a source of disease transmission to livestock. A classic example is transmission of Leptospirosis species from wildlife to cattle via urine contamination of the environment.

Ileal biopsy in dogs with diarrhea may provide additional information that affects the final diagnosis.

When I administer a vaccine to my patients, especially cats and small dogs, I use the original needle on the syringe only to withdraw the liquid from the diluent vial, inject it into the vaccine vial, and withdraw the vaccine.

We had space problems in our laboratory refrigerator because the bulky packages that contain diagnostic tests don't leave room for other medicines and vaccines.

Shelters are moving hundreds of animals from place to place to avoid euthanasia, but veterinarians warn of infectious disease issues.

Officials, veterinarians test, process some 500 horses during FEI World Equestrian Games

Read this reader tip for keeping Elizabethan collars clean.

Hemostasis has three stages: platelet plug formation (primary hemostasis), platelet plug stabilization with cross-linked fibrin (secondary hemostasis), and clot breakdown (fibrinolysis).

One of my clients who is blind was concerned about how to administer the correct daily dose of liquid medicine into the pet's food.

In the spirit of "reduce, reuse, and recycle," we use the top sticky strip from our prescription labels as a label on slide holders.

To keep IV fluids warm during administration, we warm the fluid bags in an incubator.

Dr. Miller asks, if all life is of equal value, why limit it to animal life?

In most cases, we administer drugs at a different site than we want to drug to act. Understanding how drugs get to their site of action and how long they stay there is essential to making therapeutic decisions about which drug, what route, how much, how often, and for how long.

A gallbladder mucocele is an enlarged gallbladder that contains an excessive amount of mucus. Histologically, the gallbladder mucosa is characterized by cystic mucosal hyperplasia, with or without inflammation or necrosis. Dogs with gallbladder mucoceles can be asymptomatic early in the course of disease.

Cats with fevers (103? F-106? F) are a common occurrence in everyday practice. Most cases respond to antibiotic therapy or are self-limiting (abscesses, viral infections, post-surgical fevers). However, the most frustrating case is one in which a routine course of antibiotics does not improve the clinical condition of the cat, routine diagnostics do not identify the cause and the fever is ongoing.

A 2-year-old male cat was being treated for urinary obstruction at a veterinary hospital. Immediately after his intravenous catheter was flushed with a pre-filled syringe of what was believed to be heparinized saline, the cat urinated, tremored, torsed and collapsed. Hospital staff could not resuscitate the cat.

For most diagnostic tests, the 'titer' is the minimum dilution of a substance that is required to yield a positive result. For example, for detection of anti-Leptospira sp. Antibodies, the titer is the dilution of serum which still causes microbes to crosslink.

A geriatric wellness exam will not be one size fits all, it tends to be a dynamic process whereby additional testing is added on depending on the findings of the physical examination. There are however certain building blocks that are vital.

In geriatric dogs, heart and lung diseases are not uncommon with cough being the most common clinical sign. Differentiating between lung and heart as the cause of the cough is often not difficult, though in some cases both diseases are present.

Hyperthyroidism is a common disease of cats over 6 years of age. Feline hyperthyroidism is caused by adenomatous hyperplasia or adenoma of the thyroid gland; carcinomas are rare.

Hypertension and CRF: It is known that high blood pressure is associated with renal disease in many species including cats and dogs. That this is important is known from many studies including ones involving dogs.

Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is a family of viruses that cause vomiting, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and leukopenia. The virus can infect dogs of any age but, because of effective client education and early, aggressive vaccination protocols, is commonly noted in dogs less than 1 year of age.

This session will deal with case examples where blood pressure measurement is indicated. This is meant to be an interactive session with participation of the attendees. Your diagnostic skills will be tested as will your knowledge on blood pressure issues.

Cats with respiratory distress represent a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the small animal veterinarian. The most common causes of feline respiratory distress are pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, asthma, and neoplasia. Available methods to try to elucidate the etiology of an individual cat's respiratory distress include evaluation of historical and physical examination findings, thoracic radiography, cytology and ultrasonography or echocardiography.