Wrap up: USDA launches screwworm resources for hunters, wildlife pros, and other news

Happy Friday, dvm360 readers! New World screwworm (NWS) kept us busy again this week, with news on both the surveillance side and the treatment side. dvm360 also shared fresh guidelines, new longevity research, and a couple of pieces to help veterinary professionals and patients finish the week comfortable.

Leading things off, dvm360 assistant editor Abi Bautista-Alejandre reported on a new USDA webpage built to help hunters and wildlife professionals identify and report suspected NWS cases — a gap that matters, since wildlife surveillance remains an ongoing challenge for federal and state officials. Since the first confirmed case in a Texas calf this summer, 47 additional animal cases have been identified in Texas and 1 in New Mexico, across cattle, sheep, goats, and dogs. Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology), cautioned against assuming the worst on sight: "Just because you see something crawling across the ground does not mean it is a screwworm."

Here is what else came out this week on dvm360.com:

• The FDA emergency authorized Capstar and generic nitenpyram tablets to prevent and treat New World screwworm infestations in dogs and cats — the first FDA-authorized prevention option for NWS in these species. Risk to most US pets remains low, but the authorizations give practitioners a tool for animals living in or traveling to affected areas.
• A Texas A&M–led analysis of more than 50,000 dogs, published in GeroScience, found that dogs with 5 or more chronic conditions were more than twice as likely to die each year as dogs with a single condition, regardless of age or size. Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), and colleagues make the case for assessing multimorbidity rather than treating diagnoses in isolation.
• American Animal Hospital Association released new diabetes management guidelines for dogs — separated from the feline guidelines for the first time — covering diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and diet, with new attention to continuous glucose monitoring and long-acting insulins.
• Tyler Carmack, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CHPV, CTPEP, CVPP, walks through 5 practical pain management tools for hospice and palliative patients, from prescribed movement to subanesthetic ketamine, and why the most effective plans layer physical, integrative, and pharmaceutical approaches.
• On this week's Rapid Rounds segment of The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success, cohosts Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, and Jennifer Edwards, DVM, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, break down 5 protein strategies built for long shifts — Shaw's case is that consistent quality protein intake is one of the highest-return habits a veterinary professional can build.
• And more!