JAVMA News
Food and Drug Administration officials hope agricultural and pharmaceutical industries will follow plans that would end some production uses of antimicrobials important for human medicine. The agency and trade associations also are working on preventive measures for manufacturers to take to increase the safety of pet food.
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Letters to the Editor
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Effect of anesthetic breathing circuit type on thermal loss in cats during inhalation anesthesia
Results of a new study suggest that in cats undergoing inhalation anesthesia for ovariohysterectomy, duration of the procedure has a greater influence on thermal loss than does the specific type of anesthetic circuit used. In the study, 141 domestic cats hospitalized for routine ovariohysterectomy were randomly assigned to undergo inhalation anesthesia with a nonrebreathing circuit or a reduced-volume circle system, with oxygen flow rates of 200 and 30 mL/kg/min (90.9 and 13.6 mL/lb/min), respectively. No difference in body temperature was found between the 2 treatment groups at any measurement time. However, the duration of the surgical procedure had a significant effect on body temperature, regardless of the type of anesthetic circuit used.
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Incidence of intervertebral disk degeneration–related diseases and associated mortality rates in dogs
Insurance claim records for 665,249 dogs with health-care coverage and 552,120 dogs with life insurance coverage were searched to identify dogs with diseases related to intervertebral disk degeneration. Overall, the incidence rate of IVD degeneration-related diseases was 27.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.2 to 28.4) occurrences/10,000 dog-years at risk, indicating that approximately 0.3% of dogs in this population were affected each year. The incidence rate of IVD degeneration-related disease was greater in male than in female dogs and increased with age. Overall mortality rate attributed to IVD degeneration-related diseases was 9.4 (95% CI, 8.9 to 9.8) deaths/10,000 dog-years at risk and was greater in males than in females.
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Samarium Sm 153 lexidronam for the treatment of dogs with primary tumors of the skull
A new review of medical records for 20 dogs with multilobular osteochondrosarcoma (n = 13) or osteosarcoma (7) of the skull suggests that administration of samarium Sm 153 lexidronam (153Sm-EDTMP) may be a treatment option when other treatments have failed or surgery is not feasible. No clinically important adverse effects related to 153Sm-EDTMP treatment were documented. When dogs were evaluated 21 days after administration of 153Sm-EDTMP, 4 had subjective improvement, 13 had progressive disease, and 3 had insufficient follow-up to assess response. Survival time, defined as the time from 153Sm-EDTMP administration to the date of death, ranged from 3 to 1,314 days (median, 144 days).
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Rapid prototype modeling and customized titanium plate fabrication for correction of a persistent hard palate defect in a dog
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Use of zoledronate for treatment of a bone fragility disorder in horses
In recent years, a debilitating, progressive bone fragility disorder primarily affecting the axial skeleton and proximal aspects of the appendicular skeleton has been identified among horses in California. In a prospective case series involving 10 horses with clinical and scintigraphic evidence of a BFD, treatment with zoledronate (0.075 mg/kg [0.034 mg/lb, IV, once]) at the time of diagnosis appeared to be useful. Clinical improvement (defined as improvement in the lameness score, resolution of signs of musculoskeletal pain, or both) was detected in 9 of 10 horses; scintigraphic uptake was unchanged in 2 and subjectively decreased in 8. Placebo-controlled studies are necessary to accurately determine efficacy and long-term safety.
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Investigation of an outbreak of besnoitiosis in donkeys in northeastern Pennsylvania
Besnoitiosis is caused by infection with protozoan parasites of the genus Besnotia; these cyst-forming coccidians affect multiple species worldwide. In 2010, an outbreak of besnoitiosis was documented in 2 donkey operations in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Eight of 29 donkeys had lesions suggestive of besnoitiosis, and the diagnosis was confirmed in 6 of the 8. The most common lesion site was the nares, followed by the skin and sclera. Donkeys with clinical disease had higher antibody titers and tested positive for a greater number of immunoblot bands than did donkeys without clinical disease. All 5 animals evaluated with a PCR assay for Besnoitia spp had positive results. Ponazuril was not effective in the 1 infected donkey that was treated.
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Results of computed tomography in horses with ethmoid hematoma
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Frequency of use and proficiency in performance of surgical skills expected of entry-level veterinarians by general practitioners
In general, new veterinary graduates should be most proficient at the procedures, skills, and areas of knowledge most frequently used in practice, as this will allow them to make the most immediate contributions to the practices at which they work. In a survey sent to 750 general practitioners randomly chosen from the AVMA membership database, respondents were asked to rate the proficiency and frequency of use expected of entry-level veterinarians in regard to 26 surgical skills. Response rate was 52%. Greater than 60% of respondents expected new graduates to have high proficiency and require minimal supervision for 21 of the 26 skills. Results indicated a broad consensus among general practitioners independent of demographic characteristics.
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