JAVMA News
Veterinary colleges have created inclusive environments with few incidents of harassment or negative comments toward groups that remain underrepresented, a recent study indicates. Leaders in veterinary academia and the broader profession met in March to discuss the profession's financial challenges.
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Letters to the Editor
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Phenobarbital versus bromide as a first-choice for treatment of epilepsy in dogs
Results of a new randomized clinical trial suggest that both phenobarbital and bromide are reasonable first choices for treatment of dogs with epilepsy, but that phenobarbital may be more effective and better tolerated during the first 6 months of treatment. The study involved 46 dogs with epilepsy that had not previously received any antiepileptic treatment. Phenobarbital treatment resulted in eradication of seizures (17/20 [85%]) significantly more often than did bromide (12/23 [52%]); phenobarbital treatment also resulted in a greater percentage decrease in seizure duration (88 ± 34%), compared with bromide (49 ± 75%). Seizure activity worsened in 3 bromide-treated dogs.
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Comparison of two assays for antibodies against canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus in shelter dogs
Serologic testing can be used to assess the immunity of dogs to infection with canine parvovirus or canine distemper virus during disease outbreaks in animal shelters. For many of the currently available assays, however, samples must be shipped to a laboratory and results may not be available for several days. In a study involving 431 dogs admitted to a shelter in Florida, 2 semiquantitative screening tests—an ELISA and an immunofluorescence assay—were evaluated for their ability to detect protective antibody titers against CPV and CDV. Overall, the ELISA had fewer false-positive results than did the IFA and could be performed on-site in the shelter in < 1 hour, suggesting that it could be useful in identifying infection risk during disease outbreaks.
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Three-view radiography versus computed tomography for detection of pulmonary nodules in dogs with neoplasia
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Relationship between paradoxical breathing and pleural diseases in dyspneic dogs and cats
A new review of medical records for 389 dyspneic dogs and cats suggests that paradoxical breathing is strongly predictive of pleural space disease. In the study, 27.2% of the dogs and 64.4% of the cats had paradoxical breathing, and dogs (OR, 12.6) and cats (OR, 14.1) with paradoxical breathing were significantly more likely to have pleural disease than were dogs and cats without paradoxical breathing. Sensitivity and specificity of paradoxical breathing as a predictor of pleural disease were 0.67 and 0.83 in dyspneic dogs and 0.90 and 0.58 in dyspneic cats, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of paradoxical breathing were 0.49 and 0.91 in dyspneic dogs and 0.66 and 0.87 in dyspneic cats, respectively.
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Gastroesophageal reflux and laryngeal dysfunction in a dog
Physical examination of a 7-year-old neutered male dog with a 6-month history of coughing, gagging, change in phonation, excessive panting, and chronic intermittent vomiting and diarrhea did not reveal any remarkable findings, and results of clinicopathologic testing were within reference limits. Laryngeal examination revealed edema, erythema, and ulceration of the larynx and pharynx, with normal laryngeal movement, and esophagoscopy and esophagography revealed esophagitis consistent with gastroesophageal reflux. Following treatment for gastroesophageal reflux and suspected Helicobacter infection, the dog's respiratory signs resolved, suggesting that laryngeal dysfunction may have been induced by gastroesophageal reflux.
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Treatment of dematiaceous fungal keratitis in a dog
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Comparison of radiography, nuclear scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance imaging to detect specific conditions of the distal tarsal bones of horses
Equine practitioners must consider which diagnostic imaging modality is most appropriate when treating horses with lameness attributable to the tarsus. In a review of medical records for 20 lame horses that underwent radiography, nuclear scintigraphy, and MRI, medullary and subchondral bone sclerosis were seen radiographically in 9 of 16 horses with this lesion on MRI scans, pathological changes related to osseous hyperintensity were detected radiographically in none of the 10 horses with this lesion on MRI scans, and osteoarthritis was seen radiographically in 5 of 8 horses with MRI evidence of osteoarthritis. Nuclear scintigraphy was effective in localizing pathological changes, but MRI provided superior anatomic detail.
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