Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess (1) veterinarians’ knowledge and practices regarding disposal of euthanized animals, (2) the extent to which veterinarians communicate with their clients about potential risks of rendering pentobarbital-euthanized animals, and (3) the extent to which veterinarians communicate potential relay toxicosis and environmental risks of pentobarbital-euthanized animals to clients.
SAMPLE
A stratified random sample of AVMA members.
METHODS
Over a 3-week period in early 2021, 16,831 of the AVMA’s 99,500 members were surveyed, with 2,093 responses (a 12% response rate). Respondents were assigned to 1 of 3 categories on the basis of their answers: veterinarians euthanizing only food-producing species, veterinarians euthanizing only non–food-producing species, and veterinarians euthanizing both food-producing and non–food-producing species (ie, veterinarians euthanizing mixed species).
RESULTS
Veterinarians responding to this survey appeared to be aware of the major methods of animal disposal, and about 89% reported communicating the method of euthanasia with clients to help ensure appropriate animal disposal. However, the need for additional education on local, state, and federal laws and rendering, as well as on risks of relay toxicosis including wildlife predation and environmental impacts, was reported.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Survey results identified gaps in veterinarians’ knowledge regarding animal disposal following pentobarbital euthanasia. Further education on this topic may be beneficial, particularly for early- and midcareer veterinarians who euthanize non–food-producing species and for veterinarians who euthanize mixed species in urban and suburban communities.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To explore veterinarians’ use of virtual veterinarian-client-patient consultations before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and examine veterinarians’ attitudes toward virtual consultations.
SAMPLE
135 companion animal veterinarians in Canada, the US, and Europe.
METHODS
An anonymous online survey was distributed to gather participating veterinarians’ use of information and communication technologies and their perception of virtual consultations’ effect on patient care, client communication, and their own well-being. Willingness to recommend virtual consultations was evaluated using the Net Promoter Score. Multivariable logistic regression explored factors associated with willingness to recommend virtual consultations.
RESULTS
Percentage of participating veterinarians using the telephone and videoconferencing increased significantly (P < .001) from before (83.6% and 3.0%, respectively) to during the COVID-19 pandemic (97.0% and 22.4%, respectively). Participants were significantly less confident (P < .001) about their ability to reach a diagnosis using a virtual consultation as compared to a hands-on patient examination. Participants perceived client communication to be more challenging during virtual as compared to face-to-face consultations, particularly for building rapport and expressing empathy. Participants were extremely unwilling to recommend virtual consultations (Net Promoter Score = –41.4) with 21.6% (24/111) promoters and 63.1% (70/111) detractors. Confidence doing a virtual patient examination and comfort using videoconferencing technology were both positively associated (P < .05) with willingness to recommend virtual consultations.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Veterinary practices and organizations interested in encouraging virtual veterinarian-client-patient consultations likely need to prioritize veterinarians’ acceptance as an initial focus. The veterinary profession would benefit from further research and education to inform virtual veterinary care.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in dogs with bucket handle meniscal tears and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), compared with dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture and no meniscal tear treated by TPLO alone.
ANIMALS
30 client-owned dogs with cranial cruciate rupture treated by either TPLO and arthroscopy alone if the meniscus was normal (normal meniscus [NM] group, n = 14) or by TPLO and an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy if a bucket handle tear was diagnosed (meniscal tear [MT] group, n = 16).
METHODS
Medical records, lameness score, and symmetry gait analysis parameters were retrospectively collected from patient records preoperatively (PreO), then at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (M1, M3, and M6, respectively). Osteoarthritic (OA) radiographic score was performed and compared at PreO and M6.
RESULTS
PreO gait analysis parameters were lower in the MT group (P < 0.005). In the MT group, the lameness score significantly improved between PreO and M1, and there were no significant differences between groups at M6. OA score was significantly higher in the MT group at PreO and M6. However, postoperative progression of OA did not differ between the 2 groups (P = 0.16).
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Treatment for meniscal tear results in a significant improvement in lameness, with postoperative outcomes at 6 months comparable with dogs with intact menisci. Despite having significant osteoarthritic lesions at all time points, the progression of osteoarthritis is similar between dogs with meniscal tears and those with intact menisci.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the pharmacokinetics of robenacoxib after a single intramuscular dose (4.0 mg/kg) in smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis).
ANIMALS
8 healthy adult male smooth dogfish in human care within the same habitat.
METHODS
All sharks received a single intramuscular dose of robenacoxib (4.0 mg/kg) in the right caudolateral epaxial musculature. Blood samples were collected under manual restraint from the ventral tail vessel at 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours after drug administration. Plasma drug concentrations were determined by HPLC followed by noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis of the data.
RESULTS
A maximum plasma concentration of 1.24 µg/mL was reached at a mean time of 30 minutes following robenacoxib administration with a plasma elimination half-life of 3.79 hours. Plasma concentrations did not fall below the lower limit of quantification (0.1 µg/mL) at the time points sampled in this study.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Intramuscular administration of a single dose (4.0 mg/kg) of robenacoxib in smooth dogfish resulted in rapid absorption to a maximum concentration at approximately 30 minutes after administration and persisted above levels considered to be therapeutic in domestic species for at least 8 hours.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to quantify lymphocytes and eosinophils in the mucosa of the duodenum and rectum in asthmatic horses.
ANIMALS
8 healthy and 10 asthmatic horses.
PROCEDURES
Asthmatic horses were evaluated in a symptomatic (after 6 weeks of exposure to moldy hay) and asymptomatic status (3 and 7 months after being fed alfalfa pellets [n = 4] or treated with inhaled fluticasone [6]). Duodenal and rectal biopsies were endoscopically (n = 4 to 6) taken in each horse. Eosinophils were counted on slides stained with hematoxylin, eosin, phloxine, and saffron, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate T and B lymphocytes using CD3 and CD20, respectively.
RESULTS
The duodenal and rectal epithelium of asthmatic and control horses contained exclusively T lymphocytes (CD3). Symptomatic asthmatic horses, compared to controls, had a significantly higher number of T lymphocytes (CD3) in the duodenal epithelium (P = .016) and the adjacent lamina propria of the villi (P = .04). Compared to symptomatic asthmatic horses, the fluticasone-treated group had significantly fewer T lymphocytes in the total lamina propria of the rectal mucosa (P < .01).
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Taken together, these results suggest that asthmatic horses have greater infiltration of T lymphocytes in the duodenal and rectal mucosa, indicating a certain degree of inflammation, which could be due to a systemic inflammatory effect and/or a local effect of ingested hay allergens in asthmatic horses. Systemic markers of inflammation have not been investigated to better qualify if the infiltration noted is due to a local and/or systemic effect.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To generate and apply a novel workflow method to assess the quality of data from the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) registry.
ANIMALS
Canine and feline trauma patient data entered by identified and verified Veterinary Trauma Centers into the VetCOT registry between April 2017–December 2018 were retrieved for analysis.
METHODS
Analysis software (RVetQual) was created in the R programming language to compare 5,000 cases exported from the VetCOT registry with samples of original corresponding records from 6 veterinary trauma centers. In addition, an evaluation of the consistency and completeness of the trauma registry was conducted.
RESULTS
The utilization of this analysis tool allowed an assessment of the VetCOT trauma registry. Some of the variables effecting the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of the VetCOT trauma registry were canine and feline age, weight, trauma time entered, and mismatches in blood glucose. However, the completeness of the database was minimally affected.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
RVetQual is an efficient, accessible, and adjustable tool that facilitates the assessment of the data quality of the VetCOT registry. Such an assessment can lead to improvement of the quality of information serving to guide further trauma patient care.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To report the density, and the major constituents, of the bacteria on the skin surface of healthy dogs and to assess if scraping the skin before sampling was necessary.
ANIMALS
20 healthy dogs were recruited for the study, with informed consent in all cases.
METHODS
Flocked swabs were used to sample the skin surface and to sample the skin surface after superficial scraping with a blunted spatula. Both samples were taken within a brass guide of 3.5 cm−2 area. Next-generation 16S rRNA sequencing was used to identify and quantify components of the bacterial microbiome.
RESULTS
The median density of the bacterial microbiome on the ventral abdomen of 20 healthy dogs was approximately 1.1 X 105 cm−2 (IQR 1.22 X 104, 1.6 X 105 cm−2). Sphingomonas species were isolated on 17 of the 20 dogs and Corynebacterium kroppstedtii from 15.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This is the first study to report the density of the canine skin microbiome. Superficial scraping of the skin before swabbing does not affect the result of sampling the microbiome in healthy dogs. These results will increase our understanding of the biology of canine skin.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To report the density, and constituents, of the mycobiome on the skin surface of normal dogs.
ANIMALS
20 normal dogs were recruited for this study, with informed consent in all cases.
METHODS
Flocked swabs were used to sample the skin surface and to sample the skin surface after superficial scraping with a blunted scapula. Both samples were taken within a brass guide with an internal area of 3.5 cm−2. Next-generation DNA sequencing was used to identify and quantify components of the mycobiome.
RESULTS
The median density of the mycobiome was 1.1 X 105 cm−2 (IQR, 27,561, 409,572). Cladosporium spp and Vishniacozyma victoriae were found on all 20 dogs.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Knowledge of the density and the composition of the cutaneous mycobiome will increase our understanding of skin biology and may have relevance to future therapeutic trials.
