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In This Issue

In This Issue—September 15, 2009

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.235.6.620
Volume/Issue:
Volume 235: Issue 6
Online Publication Date:
15 Sep 2009
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JAVMA News

Pending legislation means to shore up a nationwide decline in some veterinary services. A former practitioner and board-certified veterinary surgeon is the new AVMA editor-in-chief. Convention sessions and symposiums addressed diversity, animal welfare, collaboration across health disciplines, and adding value when increasing fees.

See PAGE 624

Letters to the Editor

See PAGE 657

What Is Your Diagnosis?

See PAGE 665

Pathology In Practice

See PAGE 669

Book Reviews

See PAGE 698

FACTS & FIGURES

Revenue, expenses, and returns on resources for US veterinary private practices, 2005 and 2007

Mean gross revenue during 2007 for private veterinary practices in the United States was $693,846. For all practices, median net practice income was 25% of the median gross practice revenue during 2007.

See PAGE 672

PUBLIC VETERINARY MEDICINE: PUBLIC HEALTH

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2008

Wilds animals accounted for the majority (93%) of all rabies cases in the United States reported to the CDC during 2008. The most frequently reported rabid wildlife were raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes; however, their relative proportions have fluctuated over the years owing to epizootics of rabies among animals infected with various distinct rabies virus variants.

See PAGE 676

Rabies in vaccinated dogs and cats in the United States, 1997–2001

Results of a study of records from 21 states that reported ≥ 1 rabid dog or cat between 1997 and 2001 suggested that rabies is uncommon in vaccinated dogs and cats but can occur. Veterinarians should include rabies in the differential diagnosis for any dog or cat with clinical signs compatible with rabies regardless of vaccination history.

See PAGE 691

Efficacy of fluoxetine for treatment of compulsive disorders in dogs

Fluoxetine has been used for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans and recommended for treatment of compulsive disorders in dogs, but efficacy is unknown. In a randomized, controlled, clinical trial involving 63 dogs with compulsive disorders randomly assigned to be treated with fluoxetine or a placebo, the proportion of dogs with a decrease in severity of the compulsive disorder, as reported by the owners, was significantly higher for dogs treated with fluoxetine than for control dogs after 42 days. However, mean number and duration of compulsive episodes, as determined from daily diary entries, did not differ significantly between groups. The most common adverse effects were decreased appetite and mild lethargy.

See PAGE 705

Computed tomography–assisted management of a mandibular dentigerous cyst in a dog

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In a 6-year-old dog undergoing tomotherapy radiation treatment of nasal carcinoma, repeated computed tomography was used to monitor expansion of a mandibular dentigerous cyst associated with an unerupted left mandibular first premolar. The nasal carcinoma resolved following radiation treatment, but follow-up computed tomography revealed that expansion of the dentigerous cyst was placing the dog at risk for mandibular fracture and loss of vitality of the surrounding teeth. Thus, the unerupted left mandibular first premolar and associated dentigerous cyst were surgically removed. Findings illustrated that computed tomography can be used to determine when and how to initiate treatment for a dentigerous cyst.

See PAGE 710

Plasma ACTH, α-MSH, and insulin concentrations during various photoperiods in horses and ponies with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction

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Determining seasonal influences on hormonal concentrations is of paramount importance in interpreting results of tests for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses and ponies. Blood samples were collected from 13 clinically normal ponies, 14 clinically normal horses, 7 ponies with PPID, and 8 horses with PPID 8 times between February and October, and plasma ACTH, α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone, and insulin concentrations were measured. Seasonal changes in plasma ACTH and α-MSH concentrations were identified in both clinically normal horses and ponies and in horses and ponies with PPID, with concentrations of both increasing as the number of hours of daylight decreased from the summer solstice to 12 hours of daylight.

See PAGE 715

Multimodal treatment of recurrent sinonasal cryptococcal granulomas in a horse

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Nasopharyngeal cryptococcal infection in a mare was treated with oral administration of fluconazole and ethylenediamine dihydriodide and intermittent intralesional injections with fluconazole, amphotericin B, and formalin, resulting in resolution of lesions. However, 2.5 years later, the nasopharyngeal masses reoccurred. Surgical debulking was performed, and the horse was treated with amphotericin B IV and long-term oral administration of fluconazole, after which the horse remained free of clinical signs of infection for at least 3 years. Findings suggested that treatment of sinonasal cryptococcal granulomas in horses may be successful, but illustrate the importance of long-term follow-up and the potential for disease recrudescence.

See PAGE 723

Partial resection of the plica salpingopharyngeus for treatment of bilateral guttural pouch tympany in three foals

Three foals were referred for treatment of bilateral tympany of the auditory tube diverticula (guttural pouches); in all 3, previous medical and surgical treatments had failed to correct the problem. Guttural pouch tympany resolved following bilateral resection of the plica salpingopharyngeus within the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube, and follow-up interviews with owners of the foals 8 months to 3 years after surgery did not reveal any evidence of recurrence. Postsurgical complications were minor, and no long-term complications were identified. Findings suggested that resection of the plica salpingopharyngeus may be a viable treatment for refractory bilateral guttural pouch tympany in horses.

See PAGE 731

Effect of lameness on sow longevity

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In sows, lameness is a common cause of compromised animal well-being and economic loss. However, diagnosis of lameness can be unreliable because of the lack of a criterion-referenced standard. In a cohort study involving 674 sows from a single commercial breeding herd, a lameness assessment was performed on each sow and information was obtained on farrowing performance and longevity. Lame sows had a higher risk (1.710 times as high) of removal from the herd within 350 days after the lameness assessment, compared with the risk of removal for nonlame sows. However, parity and farrowing performance variables were also significantly associated with likelihood that sows would be removed from the herd within 350 days after the lameness assessment.

See PAGE 734

Fecal shedding of, antimicrobial resistance in, and serologic response to Salmonella Typhimurium in dairy calves

Few studies have been conducted to evaluate the usefulness of serologic testing for detection of Salmonella infection in calves, and immune response to and fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms following naturally occurring infection in calves have not been well characterized. In a longitudinal study involving calves from 2 dairy herds at the beginning of a Salmonella outbreak, estimated durations of fecal shedding were 14 and 9 days. Few calves were seropositive for antibodies against Salmonella lipopolysaccharide within the first week after birth or seroconverted. Fecal shedding was more common in calves that seroconverted, but overall, there was not a strong association between seropositivity and fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms.

See PAGE 739

Herd-level prevalence of Mycoplasma mastitis and characteristics of infected dairy herds in Utah

Previous studies have shown that herd-level prevalence of Mycoplasma mastitis varies by region in the United States, but Utah has not been included in any previous surveys of the prevalence of Mycoplasma mastitis in cows. A cross-sectional study involving bulk tank milk samples from 222 dairy farms in Utah revealed that 16 (7%) herds had positive mycoplasmal culture results. Eight of 14 affected herds consisted of > 750 lactating cows. Two of 12 affected herds had reportedly been closed to replacement cattle for > 1 year. It was not possible to determine how Mycoplasma mastitis was introduced into affected dairy herds, but the relative isolation of some affected herds raised questions regarding the role of infected wild ruminant species.

See PAGE 749

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Cover Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Publication Date:
15 Sep 2009
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