Let there be lightDecember 13, 2017Veterinary professionals say laser therapy can provide clinically significant benefits and expand options for delivering compassionate care with fewer drugs and less surgery.
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Zomedica announces therapeutic development milestonesDecember 13, 2017Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp. veterinary pharmaceutical and diagnostic company announced a development update on the company's four therapeutic candidates for use in companion animals, namely dogs and cats. ZM-012 and ZM-007: Metronidazole for acute diarrhea in dogs Development milestones for ZM-012 and ZM-007, complementary oral formulations of metronidazole targeting the treatment of acute diarrhea in dogs include: Finalized novel tablet formulation for ZM-012 to replace the large, bitter tasting human-approved generic tablet commonly prescribed by veterinarians for their canine patients. The beef-flavored oral tablets are intended for dogs greater than 9 pounds or 4 kilograms. Finalized the oral suspension formulation for ZM-007, which is intended for small breeds and puppies under 9 pounds or 4 kilograms. Completed pilot testing for both formulations at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine to measure metronidazole's effectiveness to treat acute diarrhea in dogs. Scheduled December 2017 pre-submission meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) to present the regulatory strategy and development plan for ZM-012. A safety study will commence for ZM-012 in the first half of 2018 for completion in the second half of 2018. The company also expects to hold a pre-submission …
Drug-resistant heartworm strain found in Louisiana LabradorDecember 12, 2017A drug-resistant strain of heartworm was discovered in a dog in Metairie, La., according to local veterinarian, Cynthia Benbow, DVM, CVA. Maddie, a yellow lab from Metairie, was a patient of Dr. Benbow. According to the news release issued by Benbow's office, Maddie contracted heartworm while on a monthly preventive. The heartworms had resurfaced in Benbow's long-time patient after a bout three years prior even though Maddie's owner had, as Benbow described, "religiously" stuck with the prescribed prevention regimen. Testing revealed the dog was infected with a drug-resistant strain of heartworm. A sample of Maddie's blood was sent to Ray Kaplan, DVM, at the Department of Infectious Diseases at University of Georgia (UGA) College of Veterinary Medicine, according to Benbow. Dr. Kaplan's lab confirmed that the heartworms were indeed drug-resistant, and established the strain for research purposes, naming it Metairie-2014. Louisiana hosts "by far the most cases" of suspected drug-resistant heartworm strains, according to Cassan Pulaski, a doctoral candidate at Louisiana State University (LSU). Southern states show higher incidences of likely drug-resistant strains, particularly those surrounding the Mississippi River Delta, he said. It's unknown how many drug-resistant heartworm strains exist because local veterinarians do not have the research tools to verify resistant strains, according to …
Zoetis launches Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 vaccine for canine influenzaDecember 12, 2017Zoetis' Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 is a new bivalent vaccine helps protect dogs against CIV H3N2 and CIV H3N8, which have caused serious disease outbreaks in 38 states across the US.1 In an efficacy study, dogs that received the Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 vaccine were protected from disease after CIV H3N2 challenge.2,3,4 Vaccination also appeared to help decrease the number of days after challenge that dogs shed CIV H3N2 virus—from an average of 4.9 days in the placebo-vaccinated controls to an average of 1.3 days in Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 vaccinates.2,5,6 During a safety study that involved 364 dogs, including 164 client-owned dogs and 200 dogs from commercial breeding facilities, 725 doses of vaccine were administered and no significant adverse events were observed.7 Dogs that frequently are in the company of others could benefit from the protection Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 offers, said Stephan Carey, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, assistant professor, Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and past president of The Veterinary Comparative Respiratory Society, and Zoetis consultant. "Dogs that attend day care, visit the dog park, or stay at boarding facilities are all at risk for contracting either strain of CIV," he said. …
Yunnan baiyao for patients with hemorrhage, neoplasiaDecember 11, 2017Herbal remedies are widely available to animal owners as over-the-counter products intended for both human and veterinary use. Some veterinarians prescribe these remedies, usually as part of a broader complementary and alternative medicine approach.
UC Davis veterinarians warn of poisonous Amanita phalloides mushroomsDecember 11, 2017Veterinarians at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine are warning pet owners to be aware of Amanita mushroom intoxication. The Amanita phalloides version, commonly known as the death cap mushroom, is extremely toxic to animals. Found throughout Northern California and many other locations, A. phalloides can be potentially fatal to animals with ingestion of only a small amount. One of the most poisonous of all known mushrooms, its toxins cause acute liver failure and can also damage other organs such as the kidneys and the intestinal tract. "We've had several calls from local pet owners concerned about Amanita mushrooms," said Kate Hopper, BVSc, Ph.D., DAVECC, director of the small animal clinic at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. "They report these mushrooms growing in the Sacramento area currently, but it may grow in all areas of Northern California." On Dec. 4, the UC Davis veterinary hospital admitted an 8-week-old male Alaskan Klee Kai puppy that ingested the mushrooms over the weekend. "The dog's owner reported that they have hundreds of these mushrooms on their lawn in Loomis, and they think there are a lot more in the local area," said Dr. Hopper. According to Dr. Hopper, …
KSU study demonstrates loss of compounded drug potencyDecember 11, 2017A new Kansas State University (KSU) study funded by Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) shows a commonly compounded antimicrobial drug used in veterinary medicine may be losing potency over time. The study recently was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The KSU research team showed that compounded formulations of doxycycline lost potency within three weeks of receipt, with many dropping to sub-therapeutic content in that time, as defined by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards. The findings could have a significant impact for practicing veterinarians who rely on this antimicrobial to treat various infectious diseases in animals, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and leptospirosis, and as an adjunct therapy for heartworm disease. "These study results have important ramifications for practicing veterinarians," said John Reddington, DVM, Ph.D., president and CEO for MAF. "The study helped fill in a knowledge gap about compounded medications, and may lead to additional studies on this important but often overlooked topic." The research team at KSU included Tanner Slead, a MAF Veterinary Student Scholar, and his mentor, Kate KuKanich, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM. The team compared FDA-approved formulations of doxycycline with compounded doxycycline obtained from …
Information overload means good newsDecember 8, 2017Let’s face it; we can’t even keep up with all the email, client communications, and news flashing on our smartphones while maintaining a busy clinical load. Once-a-year continuing education barely keeps us afloat in the ocean of veterinary information, and now that information—thanks to accelerating advancements in technology and biological research—is coming at us more and more rapidly and in more forms.
UC Davis creates 3D printed mask for dog with fractured skullDecember 6, 2017Loca, a 4-month-old female Staffordshire bull terrier, was bitten by another dog so severely that her right zygomatic arch (cheekbone) and mandible (jawbone) were fractured, and her temporomandibular joint (TMJ) suffered extensive damage. In addition, there were multiple puncture wounds on her face and neck. University of California, Davis, veterinary hospital Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS) faculty members Frank Verstraete, BVSc, DrMedVet, MMedVet, and Boaz Arzi, DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC, and resident Colleen Geisbush, DVM, saw promising aspects to this challenging case. First, Loca was young, which meant there was a good chance that the damage to the TMJ could correct itself with natural bone regrowth. Second, this case offered them the opportunity to utilize a new face mask they developed with biomedical engineering students. Designed to be used as a cast for a fractured skull while it heals, the mask was the result of a long-standing collaboration between the oral surgeons and the UC Davis College of Engineering. To assist with surgery preparation, DOSS has used COE's Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department many times over the years to 3D print skull models in BME's Translating Engineering Advances to Medicine (TEAM) Laboratory. Recently, DOSS has been working with BME …
Wiley releases second edition on common neoplasias in geriatric dogs, catsDecember 5, 2017Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Second Edition by Alice Villalobos, DVM, with Laurie Kaplan, MSC, newly released by Wiley, provides a complete clinical approach to the most common neoplasias in geriatric dogs and cats.
