The value of EBVM and a move forwardOctober 20, 2022One of the key elements of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) is the need to regularly review and update our understanding and practices as new evidence is developed.
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Thinking differently about aging in dogsSeptember 19, 2022The traditional view of aging as a natural and inevitable phenomenon that we can only palliate and combat by treating individual diseases once they occur is gradually being replaced. A more useful view is aging is simply a biological process like any other, one that can be understood and manipulated to preserve health and well-being. As is so often the case in medicine, a change in perspective is necessary to facilitate new discoveries and new therapies.
It's time to put diagnostic tests to the testAugust 11, 2022All too often, companies develop and promote diagnostic tests in the veterinary field with no reasonable evidence that using them will benefit patients. Given the lack of meaningful regulation in this area, completely useless tests based on pseudoscience are freely sold to vets and pet owners. Even tests that work as claimed may become widespread well before there is evidence to believe their use will improve patient outcomes.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveA look inside the open-hospital model of veterinary careAugust 5, 2022By Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMAOne approach I have experienced and believe deserves greater study and broader adoption, is the open-hospital model.3For most of my career, I have worked in a hospital that encourages clients to be with their pet at any time while they are in our care, whether in the exam room for a routine checkup, hospitalized in the ICU, and even during dentistry, surgery, or other invasive procedures.
Urinary tract obstruction in catsAugust 3, 2022One of the most common emergency conditions managed in general veterinary practice is urinary tract obstruction (UTO) in cats. Despite this, there is controversy about many aspects of UTO management, and even widely accepted practices are often based on limited or poor-quality evidence.
Does music have a calming effect on pets?June 28, 2022While more research is needed, music is widely viewed as beneficial for dogs and cats in kennels, shelters, and veterinary settings. Indeed, use of music, particularly so-called “classical music” (generally characterized by lower tempo and volume than other genres), is believed to be calming and to reduce stress and anxiety.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveManaging sepsisJune 10, 2022By Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMAManaging sepsis is a great example of the challenge of practicing evidence-based medicine in an evidence-poor environment. Extrapolation from evidence in humans and reasoning from physiologic first principles are rational and necessary strategies, but, of course, they sometimes lead to practices that turn out to be ineffective or even counterproductive in veterinary patients.
Learn the truth about carbs and catsMay 26, 2022Some owners feed their cats canned food instead of kibble to keep carbohydrates down, but is that really true?
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveWhen in doubt, cut it out! But by how much?April 13, 2022By Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMARegardless of its mysterious provenance, the 3-cm margin for MCT excision has been widely adopted. Given the technical difficulty of this practice and the risk of post-surgical complications, it is likely many patients have suffered such complications or even been denied treatment for their disease due to the lack of an available veterinarian comfortable performing such an aggressive surgical excision. The adoption of standards without strong evidence has real-world consequences for our patients.
Why diagnosing OA pain in cats is not easyApril 8, 2022Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most common age-related conditions in cats.
