JAVMA News
Concerns over competition have caused tension between veterinarians in private practice and those who work for nonprofit organizations. And dozens of AVMA stakeholders provided ideas on how the Association could change its governance structure and better serve members.
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Letters to the Editor
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Anesthesia Case of the Month
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special report
Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in West Africa as a model for sustainable partnerships in animal and human health
Throughout the world, the one health initiative needs practical examples in workforce development, training, and service delivery to institutionalize an integrated approach between veterinary and human medicine. The West Africa FELTPs provide an example of such an initiative.
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Evaluation of healthy puppies fed foods fortified with docosahexaenoic acid–rich fish oil
Feeding healthy, growing puppies a diet fortified with fish oils rich in DHA may improve cognitive, memory, psychomotor, immunologic, and retinal function, according to results of a new study. In the study, 48 recently weaned Beagle puppies were assigned to be fed diets with low, moderate, or high levels of DHA until 1 year of age. The high-DHA group had significantly better results for reversal task learning, visual contrast discrimination, and early psychomotor performance in side-to-side navigation through an obstacle-containing maze than did the moderate-DHA and low-DHA groups, and peak b-wave amplitudes during scotopic electroretinography were positively correlated with serum DHA concentrations.
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Comparative vaccine-specific and other injectable-specific risks of injection-site sarcomas in cats
Results of a new case-control study involving 181 cats with soft tissue sarcomas, 96 cats with tumors at non-vaccine regions, and 159 cats with basal cell tumors suggest that different types of vaccines (ie, recombinant vs inactivated rabies) are associated with differential risks of injection-site sarcomas in cats. Importantly, although the number of cats with sarcomas associated with injection of recombinant vaccines was small, study findings nevertheless did indicate that recombinant vaccines are not risk free. Results of the present study also provide corroborating evidence that long-acting corticosteroids are a potential cause of injection-site sarcomas in cats, but that their propensity to cause tumors is low.
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Fluoroscopically guided percutaneous antegrade urethral catheterization for treatment of urethral obstruction in male cats
A review of medical records for 9 neutered male cats with urethral obstruction indicates that in select cases, percutaneous antegrade urethral catheterization may be a valid method for performing transurethral catheterization in cats in which retrograde urinary catheterization is not possible. In particular, findings suggested that patients with iatrogenic urethral tears may be good candidates for PAUC, whereas patients with impacted urethral calculi, severe strictures or ulcerations, or a nondistended urinary bladder may be less amenable to the procedure. For the procedure, an 18-gauge catheter was inserted transabdominally into the bladder, and a guide wire was advanced through the catheter and down the urethra.
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Evaluation of a single subcutaneous infusion of carboplatin as adjuvant chemotherapy for dogs with osteosarcoma
Traditional adjunctive chemotherapy protocols for dogs with osteosarcoma involve IV administration of drugs every 2 to 3 weeks. Now, results of a retrospective case series involving 17 dogs with osteosarcoma that underwent limb amputation or limb-sparing surgery suggest that administration of a single SC infusion of carboplatin may be effective. Dogs in the study received a single continuous SC infusion of carboplatin (total dose, 300 mg/m2) over 3, 5, or 7 days after surgery. Median survival time (365 days) and adverse effects were comparable to those previously reported for chemotherapy protocols requiring IV drug administration over several weeks. However, further investigation is needed to evaluate the efficacy of this protocol.
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Liver lobe torsion in six horses
Six horses were determined to have torsion of a liver lobe. Clinical findings were nonspecific but often included signs of inflammation. Two of the 6 horses were examined because of colic, and 2 were assessed because of peritonitis that failed to respond to treatment; the remaining 2 horses were examined because of nonspecific clinical signs that included inappetence, lethargy, and weight loss. Results of laboratory tests were variable, and values for liver enzyme activities were typically within reference limits or only slightly high. Most horses had high peritoneal nucleated cell counts. Exploratory laparotomy and resection of the affected liver lobe was performed in 5 horses. Three of those patients survived to discharge.
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Duodenal obstruction caused by duodenal sigmoid flexure volvulus in dairy cattle
A condition clinically resembling abomasal volvulus but affecting the duodenal sigmoid flexure has been identified in 29 dairy cattle. Twenty cattle had had an omentopexy or pyloropexy performed 1 day to 2 years before initial evaluation. Surgical findings included an empty descending duodenum, distended abomasum and gallbladder, and volvulus at the base of the duodenal sigmoid flexure. Twenty-two patients were successfully treated; 7 died or were euthanized. Findings suggest that when a focal, dorsal right-sided ping and succussion are present in combination with severe hypokalemic, hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis and high bilirubin concentration, DSFV should be suspected, especially when there is a history of prior abomasal fixation.
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