VolitionRx tests nucleosome diagnostic for veterinary space applicationsOctober 5, 2018 VolitionRx Ltd., a multinational Belgium-based life sciences company with offices in Texas, London, and Singapore, announced it is entering the veterinary market after "very encouraging" preliminary results from a study using its NuQ diagnostic blood tests for canine cancer testing. NuQ, currently used to screen for colorectal and prostate cancers, works by measuring and analyzing irregular levels of nucleosomes—a section of DNA wrapped around a core of proteins—in the blood to identify cancers. According to the company, the proof-of-concept study showed that blood nucleosomes also can be detected in dogs. With the promise of veterinary medicine applications, VolitionRx said it will now move NuQ into larger trials to answer the question of whether the method will work with animals. The company said it intends to outsource much of the veterinary clinical trial work through a partnership with Heather Wilson-Robles, DVM, DACVIM, associate professor and Fred and Vola N. Palmer chair in comparative oncology with Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in the Small Animal Clinical Sciences department. "The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine Oncology Department is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Volition," said Dr. Wilson-Robles. "Its innovative work in …
SPONSORED CONTENTProtect your patients from the start.Simparica Trio (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) is the first monthly preventative of its kind. Combining three ingredients for month-long protection. + Learn more
They Ate What?! X-ray Contest 2018October 1, 2018Toys, tiles, and towels—and a large one at that! Animals eat all sorts of things, forcing their owners to make a mad dash to their veterinarian. Once again, our annual X-ray contest drew dozens of entries, each of them perplexing in their own way, and the next one more bizarre than the last. Choosing a winner was tough, but our panel of experts came through. The winner receives $500, courtesy of IDEXX Laboratories Inc., and a one-year subscription to its Web PACS, a picture archiving communications system valued at $2,400. Total retail value of the prize is $2,900. Check out the top rad, along with the honorable mentions.
Vetology launches pet X-ray-reading AI software August 2, 2018Vetology Innovations LLC has launched artificial intelligence radiology software designed to provide veterinary professionals with an automated diagnostic resource for patient radiographs. The San Diego-based company's AI, in development since 2017, provides a "comprehensive, rapid, and affordable resource for veterinarians evaluating patient radiographs and determining necessary medical treatments." Vetology's software uses artificial neural networks trained on known normal and abnormal X-ray images, allowing veterinarians to upload an image and receive a written analysis in less than 90 seconds. Software features include unlimited automated heart size evaluation and vertebral heart score calculations and image storage. "Pioneering the creation of this technology for the veterinary industry has been our goal for many years," said Seth Wallack, DVM, DACVR, founder of Vetology Innovations. "We're incredibly proud of what we've accomplished and what it means for the future of those who are committed to delivering better patient care. Without a doubt, AI will have a dramatic and positive effect on the entire veterinary industry. "The automated heart evaluation function of our AI technology is something we are excited about because without any input from a human, the software can immediately notify a veterinarian that further cardiac evaluation may be needed," …
Study explores predicting canine disease risk through genetic testingJune 21, 2018 Genetic testing can be used to predict if a dog is at risk for developing certain diseases, enabling preventative care for better health, reports a new study by Wisdom Health and Genoscoper Laboratories. Published in PLOS Genetics, the study, "Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs," also shows fewer mixed-breed dogs than purebreds are affected by the most common disease-causing mutations tested in the study. "There has been a long-standing perception that mixed-breed dogs are less disease prone than purebred dogs," said Cindy Cole DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, general manager at Wisdom Health. "This DNA-testing-based evidence shows that while mixed-breed dogs are in fact less likely than purebreds to develop the recessive disorders evaluated in the study, they may still be carriers." The study examined the DNA of more than 100,000 dogs (18,000 purebreds representing 330 breeds, types, and varieties, and 83,000 mixed-breed dogs) for the presence of 152 genetic disease mutations, including: Progressive retinal atrophy (multiple forms) Hyperuricosuria Collie eye anomaly Multidrug sensitivity (MDR1) von Willebrand's disease (multiple forms) Based on the 152 diseases tested: Approximately two out of 100 mixed-breed dogs are at risk of becoming affected; 40 …
Celebrity pig Esther helps campaign for large animal CT scannerApril 17, 2018Canadian social media starlet Esther the Wonder Pig has ignited a campaign to raise money for a large animal CT scanner for the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The first of its kind Canada, the Pegaso CT scanner will provide diagnostic imaging for pigs, standing horses, and other large animals. Last fall, Esther, the 650-pound pig from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, started experiencing health complications that caused her to seizure and hyperventilate. Veterinarians at OVC recommended a CT scan to better diagnose her condition, but told owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter a scanner able to accommodate an animal of her size was not available in Canada. Further, transporting Esther to the U.S. would involve a three-week quarantine upon her return. Fortunately, the pig recovered on her own and was able to forgo the scan, but Jenkins and Walter decided to ignite a fundraiser to save other large animal owners future distress. "We wanted to give large animals the same opportunities that we give to our typical companion animals," said Jenkins. "As soon as we realized there was nothing there for Esther, we started working to get a large-scale scanner in place. …
Shedding light on diagnostic transilluminationMarch 9, 2018Transillumination is defined in Veterinary Dentistry: Principles and Practice as “assessment of the reflectivity of the internal tooth structure to evaluate vitality of the pulp by placing a light behind a tooth and viewing it.”
A focus on equipmentMarch 8, 2018Diagnostics have become a vital component to veterinary medicine, so it makes sense as clinics add greater diagnostic capabilities to their practices that managing, and if possible integrating, all that data, takes on greater importance.
How to find the best value for X-ray and imaging equipmentFebruary 13, 2018Every clinic has its druthers when it comes to X-ray and imaging equipment, and there is no shortage of reasons why one type of equipment or a specific brand is selected over another.
Juniper Systems releases equine ultrasound reproduction solutionNovember 20, 2017Juniper Systems Inc. has announced the release of EmberEquine, a new equine ultrasound reproduction solution developed to optimize workflow. The Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet, running EmberEquine software, pairs with Draminski's 4VetJ Ultrasound to provide practitioners with everything needed to simplify mare exams and recordkeeping, according to the company. The 4VetJ allows veterinarians to record measurements directly on the ultrasound for improved accuracy and efficiency. Measured images are then sent to the Mesa 2 Rugged tablet via Wi-Fi, attached to the mare record form, and safely stored on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet and Microsoft Cloud for easy access. The unit offers touchscreen interface, wireless design, and all-day battery life. In addition, the EmberEquine software provides veterinarians with a powerful yet user-friendly interface for quick data entry on the Mesa 2 Rugged Tablet during each reproduction exam, the company states.
Recent discoveries advance diagnostics, understanding of CKDNovember 17, 2017A significant number of animals develop some form of kidney disease during their lifetime (approximately 1 in 3 cats1 and 1 in 10 dogs2). Kidney disease can be challenging to diagnose and manage, but recent discoveries have led to more diagnostic tools and a greater understanding of this disease.
