JAVMA News
Extension veterinarians, while few in number, aid fellow veterinarians, animal owners, and rural communities. In other news, federal trade authorities are investigating whether homeopathy product advertisements are backed by sufficient evidence.
See page 1076
Letters to the Editor
See page 1093
ECG of the Month
See page 1097
ECG of the Month
See page 1101
Theriogenology Question of the Month
See page 1105
Animal Behavior Case of the Month
See page 1109
Pathology in Practice
See pageS 1113, 1117
special report
Effects of euthanasia and occupational stress in personnel working in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and biomedical research facilities
A systematic review of published studies on occupational stress and compassion fatigue among personnel working in animal-related occupations found a lack of consistent terminology or standard definitions. The studies provided insufficient information to identify consistent causal factors or outcomes that could be used for development of stress management programs.
See page 1121
An enzyme immunoassay for antibodies to a recombinant Blastomyces antigen as an aid in the diagnosis of blastomycosis in dogs
A quantitative Blastomyces dermatitidis antigen enzyme immunoassay has been used to help diagnose blastomycosis in dogs, but fails to differentiate B dermatitidis antigen from Histoplasma capsulatum antigen. In a study in which an EIA for antibodies against a recombinant Blastomyces adhesin-1 repeat antigen was used to test samples from 70 dogs with and without blastomycosis, the antibody EIA had sensitivity similar to that for the quantitative antigen EIA and higher than that for an agar gel immunodiffusion assay for antibodies against the Blastomyces A antigen. In addition, the antibody EIA had a specificity of 88% (7/8) in dogs with histoplasmosis, suggesting it might be useful in helping to distinguish blastomycosis from histoplasmosis.
See page 1133
Owner-reported adverse events following vaccination of dogs that did or did not receive a Leptospira vaccine
Veterinary practitioners have expressed concern about the safety of Leptospira vaccines in dogs, with adverse events ranging from focal injection-site reactions to death secondary to anaphylactic shock having been reported, but information on the true incidence of adverse events following vaccination is lacking. In a retrospective cohort study involving 130,557 dogs vaccinated by mobile veterinary clinics, the incidence rate for all owner-reported adverse events among dogs that received a Leptospira vaccine (53.0 dogs with ≥ 1 event/10,000 dogs) was significantly higher than the rate for dogs that did not receive a Leptospira vaccine (22.1 dogs with ≥ 1 event/10,000 dogs). However, the overall rate of adverse events was low and vaccination was safe in most cases.
See page 1139
Outcomes of dogs undergoing radiotherapy for treatment of oral malignant melanoma
Aggressive surgery is the first choice for local treatment of oral malignant melanomas in dogs, but may be declined by owners because of concerns about postoperative aesthetic changes or difficulties eating. In a review of medical records of 111 dogs with oral malignant melanoma treated by radiotherapy (with or without adjunctive debulking, chemotherapy, or both), median survival times for dogs with stage I, II, III, and IV melanoma were 758 days (n = 19), 278 days (24), 163 days (37), and 80 days (31), respectively. Survival times differed significantly between dogs with stage I disease and those with all other disease stages. Severe (primary or secondary) adverse effects were identified in 9 dogs.
See page 1146
External skeletal fixator intramedullary pin tie-in for repair of tibiotarsal fractures in raptors
An external skeletal fixator intramedullary pin tie-in (TIF) is the principal method used to stabilize and manage tibiotarsal fractures at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center. In a review of medical records for 34 raptors with 37 tibiotarsal fractures, 31 of the 37 (84%) fractures successfully healed following surgical reduction and TIF application. Mean healing time was 38 days (range, 15 to 70 days). Importantly, although most tibiotarsal fractures were successfully managed, other comorbidities (eg, systemic infections and visual deficits) negatively affected the rehabilitation of some raptors and sometimes resulted in euthanasia. Overall, 20 of the 34 (59%) raptors were eventually rehabilitated and released.
See page 1154
Predictor variables for and complications associated with Streptococcus equi subsp equi infection in horses
In a retrospective case-control study involving 108 horses with Streptococcus equi subsp equi infection (strangles) and 215 horses with pyrexia for reasons other than strangles, predictor variables associated with strangles included mucopurulent nasal discharge and external abscesses in the pharyngeal region. Strangles was more likely to be diagnosed in the spring than in the summer. Importantly, clinical signs of strangles were not evident in 12 of 25 case horses classified as S equi carriers (infected > 40 days), indicating that not all horses infected with S equi develop clinical signs of strangles. The authors recommended guttural pouch endoscopy and lavage with PCR assay of lavage fluid samples to identify S equi carrier horses.
See page 1161
