Veterinary

28/07/2022

THURSDAY, July 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Feeding raw meat to your dog may spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to researchers who studied the p**p of dogs fed these diets.

What did the British scientists find? Dogs who were fed raw meat were more likely to shed antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coliin their f***s.

Meanwhile, past research has found that daily interactions between dogs and their owners have the potential to spread bacteria.

"We know humans and animals share bacteria with one another, so what we find in your pet may well also be in you," said Kristen Reyher, a professor of veterinary epidemiology and population health at the University of Bristol Veterinary School and a co-author on the research.

"Pet owners should be encouraged to practice good hygiene and not feeding raw food to your dog can be part of this," Reyher said in a university news release. "We can all do our part to decrease antibiotic resistance and its terrible effects on both human and animal health."

For pet owners, that might mean not feeding their dogs raw meat or, if they do, taking extra precautions when handling the meat and using more caution when cleaning up dog p**p.

SOURCE: University of Bristol, news release, July 20, 2022

13/06/2022

cats can manage and cover their pain and suffering very well
keep this pain scale in your clinic to help you in your dicision

10/06/2022

Vaccine Reactions
Clinicians play a role in prevention of disease and protection of animal and public health. Proper immunization has led to decreased incidence of many diseases.1 Although the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks, clinicians should be aware of risks and know how to manage potential adverse effects. Adverse effects should be reported to the vaccine manufacturer and other pertinent organizations (eg, US Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics

10/06/2022

Introduction to Dentistry, Diagnostics & Extractions. Diagnostics in small animal dentistry, clinical and radiographic assessment of oral and dental structures, using and filling-in dental charts for dogs and cats.

13/05/2022

Very interesting

Have you ever had those itty bitty vein problems when you REALLY need to take a blood glucose reading from a neonate (without butchering their toe beans!).. then grab your phone, turn the light on and place it under the limb.

The vein highway lights up and you can insert the tiny 29G insulin needle to get a drop of blood within seconds! This also works really well when placing IVs in rabbit ears or anything small.

Now there is no more desperate attempts made in vain! Sorry, vein 😉

(This is the medial aspect of the neonatal kittens hind leg)

01/03/2022

Why avian vets HATE leg rings!!! We see injuries like this regularly. Leg rings catch on things, leg rings can cause callusing, leg rings can tighten and cut off circulation, leg rings can cause discomfort and trigger plucking, leg rings can be the wrong size, leg rings can cause a bird to lose its leg. Leg rings do not help a lost bird get home. They do not identify a bird to anyone other than the breeder that put it there. LEG RINGS KILL. If your bird has a leg ring, we encourage you to get it removed by an avian vet (don't do it yourself - you should see those injuries). If you want your bird to be easily identified, get your bird microchipped. Yes that's a thing. Birds can be microchipped and we'd much rather that, than to see one more bird suffer like the budgie in our picture. Please share. Awareness really needs to be raised.

28/02/2022

15/12/2021

Reading canine body language accurately is important for patient health and comfort, veterinary team safety, and proper client education and consultation.1-3 Because dogs cannot talk, veterinary professionals must rely on interpretations of the animals’ body language cues for communication.1,2,4 Clues such as proximity preference, food acceptance, postures, and expressions improve understanding of patient emotions. The more relaxed a patient is, the more likely an interaction will be safe and successful.1,3 Increased levels of anxiety, fear, and stress are associated with increased handling challenges and decreased team safety.2 Use these photos and images to review a variety of expressions, postures, and positions associated with different canine emotional states.
1-Arousal can influence a dogs decision making, reactiveness, and tolerance to stressors. A more aroused dog may show sudden or unpredictable behavior changes, be more likely to show a fight or flight response, or be less tolerant to stress.
The first image (A) displays normal pupil size, relaxed eyelids, and soft facial muscles and is interested without being overstimulated. The second image (😎, however, shows the same dog in an aroused state. The dogs pupils are dilated, eyes are opened wide, ears are more tightly held to the head, and forehead muscles are tense. The dog in this image is not fearful but is highly excited and may have exaggerated responses to stressors.
2- Dogs can pant for a variety of reasons, and recognizing the characteristics of different types of panting can help identify stressed patients.2 Stress panting is often misidentified by clients, who think the dog is overheated and needs water. Properly identifying stress panting is an important client education step.
(see images).
3-Dogs show their teeth for a variety of reasons, and interpreting the reason is important for the safety of the veterinary team and any person interacting with the dog.

The dog in the first image (A) is showing teeth as a defensive display to communicate emotional discomfort. The lips are retracted and tense all around the mouth, the ears are held forward, the pupils are moderately dilated, and the dog is looking at the threat. By showing the teeth but choosing not to bite, the dog is communicating that he is uncomfortable but would prefer not to bite. If the perceived threat abates, escalation to a bite is unlikely and unnecessary.4 When a dog displays this expression, stopping an interaction and giving the dog space by moving away should result in a more relaxed emotional state.

In the second image (B), the dog is displaying an appeasement grin. Notice the ears are folded back but soft, the eyes are soft and squinty, and the lips are pulled up over the front teeth but relaxed along the sides of the mouth.

The third image (C) also shows a dog displaying an appeasement grin before greeting a favorite person. The dogs eyes are soft, ears are slicked back and relaxed, and he is looking at the person and even reaching out with a paw to try and touch her.

4- Brachycephalic patients are complex at times because their faces are always wrinkled, and they have limited ability to communicate with expressions because of their conformation. Because of airway abnormalities, many brachycephalic dogs pant regularly, even when not stressed or hot; the whites of the eyes are often visible all the time; and their lips and mouth are less flexible.2 Proximity preference, food acceptance, and tail carriage are frequently more reliable than facial expression in brachycephalic dogs.(see images)
The first image (A) shows a pug that is orienting away from an interaction but looking toward it with mild concern, resulting in a larger amount of the sclera being visible. The pugs brow is also pinched compared to its normal position. Although the dogs eyes appear wide in the second image (😎, they are soft and symmetrical, and the facial muscles appear relaxed. This dogs wide eyes do not indicate anxiety.

5- Dogs present different body parts as a form of communication. The dog in the last image is demonstrating signs of fear; a dog that looks away and stands with the side of the body showing and head lowered prefers not to interact. A defensively aggressive dog, on the other hand, generally looks at the threat, orients toward it, or both,3,4and a stoic, calm dog would choose to face the veterinary nurse rather than look away and would not a have a frozen body. Submissive is a term that is not generally used in the veterinary setting because it has a limited definition in specific familiar social groupings,2and is therefore not the correct answer in this case. In addition, muscle tension is visible throughout the limbs, the neck, and the back, and the tail is tucked and the ears are folded, which means the dog in the image is certainly not relaxed.

05/12/2021

Intravenous (IV) fluid administration is probably the most frequently used therapy in veterinary hospitals. Aggressive IV fluid resuscitation in emergent patients and continuous IV fluid administration in hospitalized patients have long been considered fundamental in the management of critically ill animals. However, research into whether the type and volume of fluids infused can contribute to comorbidities and decrease the chances of a favorable outcome continues. This article reviews new trends in fluid therapy in human and veterinary critical care medicine and provides some clinical guidelines for fluid administration based on these trends.

TRENDS IN CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
Avoidance of Synthetic Colloid Solutions
Colloid fluids include natural colloids (e.g., plasma products, purified albumin solutions) and synthetic colloids (e.g., hydroxyethyl starch [HES], dextrans, gelatins). Colloid solutions contain large molecules (molecular weight 10% increase in basal body weight during hospitalization. In several studies of critically ill people, a positive fluid balance has been associated with increased mortality, longer hospitalization periods, and requirement of renal replacement therapies.19,20 Critically ill dogs have also been identified to have a greater risk of fluid overload with subsequent increased risk of mortality. In one study, dogs that developed fluid overload had a 50% mortality rate.21 One of the major pitfalls in veterinary medicine is the lack of close monitoring of body weight in the most critically ill. In the author’s experience, many cases of oligo-anuric AKI that are referred for hemodialysis have a positive fluid balance from overzealous fluid therapy and lack of close monitoring for body weight increase or other clinical signs of edema (FIGURE 3). The physiologic consequences of aggressive fluid therapy, even in patients with renal dysfunction, range from disruption of important cellular processes to severe multiorgan dysfunction (BOX 1).

Use of Early Enteral Nutrition
The systemic benefits associated with early enteral nutrition in critically ill animals are incalculable. It cannot be emphasized enough that early nutrition plays a key role in the management of animals with acute illness. Delaying enteral nutrition is recommended only in critically ill people with uncorrected shock, persistent hypoxia and acidosis, ongoing upper GI bleeding, GI obstruction, severe gastric fluid retention, or abdominal compartment syndrome.23 The use of nasogastric/nasoesophageal tubes in small animals has been increasing in clinical practice and is improving the management of the most critically ill. These tubes do not require general anesthesia or heavy sedation for placement and for the most part do not cause major discomfort to the animal. When calculating fluid balance, enteral nutrition should be included in the sum of all the intakes. In patients without fluid losses and a zero or positive fluid balance, enteral nutrition can replace IV fluid supplementation and provide a more physiologic delivery of daily water requirements.

FLUID ADMINISTRATION IN SPECIFIC DISEASE CONDITIONS
BOX 2 lists some of the most common reasons for IV fluid resuscitation in veterinary medicine. Despite the recognized benefits of fluid therapy in these situations, evidence-based medicine is rarely applied, and the fluid choice and volume administered are often inappropriate. In many cases, inappropriate fluid regimens do not lead to overt harmful effects because the kidneys and cardiovascular system compensate for the excessive volume or supraphysiologic load of electrolytes delivered, but in some cases, inadequate fluid therapy leads to exacerbation of cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal dysfunction in the critically ill.

A major mistake in veterinary medicine is the inappropriate replacement of fluid deficits by delivering fluid to the patient in terms of maintenance rates and not calculated volume over a target of time. For example, giving an animal 2 times the maintenance rate of fluids for replacement of a 6% volume deficit may take over 24 hours. Instead, the desired volume to be replaced should be divided in a short period of time (6 to 12 hours), in addition to maintenance rate of fluids and calculated ongoing losses. Increasing evidence in the human and veterinary literature demonstrates that specific disease conditions require appropriate prescription fluid therapy and an understanding of the possible adverse effects of fluid therapy. Following is some information regarding the approach to IV fluid therapy in common disease states observed in critically ill small animal patients.

Anemia
Correction of intravascular volume deficits is essential in stabilizing anemic animals. Normally, oxygen delivery to cells exceeds oxygen consumption by a factor of 3 or 4 under resting conditions. If lower hemoglobin concentrations lead to decreased oxygen delivery, oxygen consumption can remain constant because the cells can increase the amount of oxygen extracted from each hemoglobin molecule. However, in anemic animals with fluid deficits, oxygen delivery is compromised by not only low concentrations of hemoglobin but also the decreased ability of red blood cells to reach hypovolemic tissues. Although many veterinarians consider dilution of the circulating cell mass an indication for delaying fluid therapy in anemic animals, volume deficits should be corrected to allow the remaining red cells to deliver oxygen. Fluid therapy must be used as described above with goal-directed resuscitative efforts and rapid de-escalation until blood products become available. The approach to fluid therapy in patients with anemia from hemorrhagic shock (TABLE 1) takes into account the cause of hemorrhage and the cause and timing of blood loss. For example, in animals with acute hemorrhage and risk of exsanguination from trauma, rupture of an intracavitary neoplasm (e.g., splenic hemangiosarcoma), or coagulopathy, permissive hypotension and volume-restricted resuscitation strategies are advocated to prevent blood clot dislodgment and exacerbation of hypovolemic shock.13 These strategies are implemented after a surgical plan has been established to stop the source of bleeding or blood products become available to replace the components lost.

In animals with ongoing causes of anemia (e.g., immune-mediated hemolysis, chronic inflammation, chronic kidney disease, GI or external parasitism), initial fluid therapy should be guided to rapidly correct fluid deficits or percent dehydration over several hours. If the patient requires a blood transfusion, the use of separate IV access lines (2 IV catheters) is encouraged to rapidly correct both anemia and intravascular volume deficits, with rapid optimization of macrovascular parameters and correction of decreased oxygen delivery to tissues. If the patient is hypotensive or has severe signs of hypovolemic shock due to the combination of anemia and decreased intravascular fluid volume, a bolus of crystalloids (LRS, Plasma-Lyte 148, or Normosol-R 10-20 mL/kg IV over 10 minutes) can be given to more rapidly correct clinical signs of hypovolemia.

Cardiomyopathy
Although patients with underlying cardiomyopathies may require fluid therapy because another systemic process is causing volume loss, the use of fluid therapy in animals with cardiomyopathies and evidence of pulmonary edema or concern for congestive heart failure is absolutely contraindicated. Patients that are being treated for congestive heart failure, especially geriatric animals, tend to have an increase in kidney values during hospitalization, most likely due to unmasked chronic renal disease and ongoing cardiorenal syndrome. It is imperative to recognize that increases in renal functional markers such as creatinine are not an indication for IV fluid therapy in animals currently undergoing treatment for congestive heart disease. In these situations, worsening of the pulmonary function leads to decreased oxygen delivery to tissues, especially the kidneys and heart.
Sepsis and Septic Shock
No specific guidelines are available for IV fluid therapy in animals with signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis; therefore, fluid therapy recommendations (TABLE 1) are extrapolated from the international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock in people.6 Some of the recommendations from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign are based on animal studies of sepsis.

Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Dysfunction
Fluid therapy in hypovolemic patients with AKI is aimed at optimizing cardiac preload and stroke volume to restore systemic blood pressure, cardiac output, and, as a result, renal perfusion pressure (TABLE 1). Unfortunately, overzealous fluid therapy without close monitoring of body weight and daily fluid intake is common, with deleterious effects on GFR11,22 and other organ systems. The choice of fluid also appears to have a pivotal role in renal function and mortality, especially in critically ill and septic human patients, where chloride restriction and avoidance of synthetic colloids may improve outcome and reduce the requirement for extracorporeal blood purification.2,3,5,9,12-15 Another major pitfall in the management of animals with AKI or ureteral/urethral obstructions is the lack of identification of polyuric (high-output) phases associated with diuresis. During the recovery phase of AKI, animals can quickly go from an oligo-anuric urine output state to a polyuric phase with sometimes excessive fluid loss. The polyuric phase can be easily missed if urine output and body weight are not monitored in the hospital, or when animals are sent home after functional renal markers such as creatinine and urea start improving. Similarly, cats commonly develop postobstructive diuresis after alleviation of urethral obstruction.24 In cases of urinary obstruction, especially in the acute resuscitation phase, the fluid choice should be one that rapidly corrects electrolyte and acid-base imbalances. Two studies have demonstrated that the use of balanced crystalloids (e.g., LRS, Plasma-Lyte) instead of 0.9% saline solution leads to a more rapid correction of electrolyte and pH abnormalities in obstructed cats

Pulmonary Disease
No specific guidelines exist in veterinary medicine to help guide fluid therapy in animals with lung disease, so fluid therapy should be judicious and tailored to each patient. Pulmonary conditions such as infectious or aspiration pneumonia and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema can worsen without judicious use of fluids. In these cases, fluid therapy should be titrated on an individual basis. Fluid therapy can exacerbate pulmonary dysfunction by increasing hydrostatic pressure and endothelial dysfunction caused by inflammation at the level of the pulmonary capillaries, ultimately leading to fluid extravasation and impaired gas exchange.22 Based on human studies showing better outcomes and decreased need for mechanical ventilation, fluid therapy in an animal with suspected or diagnosed pulmonary disease should be restricted, with the aim of having a zero or negative fluid balance.27 If a cardiogenic cause of pulmonary edema is suspected, fluid therapy should not be initiated until underlying heart conditions are ruled out.

Hypoalbuminemia
Albumin is responsible for up to 80% of the oncotic pull within the intravascular compartment. The use of crystalloids in severely hypoalbuminemic animals can lead to further extravasation of water into the interstitial space and worsening of edema in vital organs. As mentioned above, the use of colloids to increase oncotic support and reverse edema is now in question. Crystalloid therapy should be considered as a resuscitation strategy in a hypoalbuminemic animal with severe cardiovascular collapse only when plasma products or albumin are not available. When used, the effects of IV crystalloid fluids are short lived, as 80% of the fluid volume infused leaves the intravascular space within 20 to 30 minutes of administration. The long-term approach for fluid therapy in hypoalbuminemic patients should include early enteral nutrition, which not only can optimize water balance but also improve oncotic support through increased delivery of nutrients to the GI tract.
Gastrointestinal Disease
GI emergencies are among the most common reasons for prescribing fluid therapy in small animals. Outpatient IV or subcutaneous crystalloid supplementation to correct fluid deficits caused by vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of oral water intake is common practice in veterinary medicine. Appropriate fluid therapy for animals with GI conditions should include calculation of total fluid deficit from physical examination findings along with measurement of ongoing losses and calculation of required daily intake to maintain homeostasis.

01/12/2021

Can Dogs Eat Bananas?
Bananas are an important staple food globally. But can dogs eat bananas? Here's what to know about sharing this human food with pups.

What to know if you want to feed your pup banana
Many of us look at what we feed our dogs and wonder if they wouldn’t benefit from a bit more variety, or freshness, in their diet. And most fresh fruits are safe for dogs in moderation.

Many people love bananas, and for some of us, they were even the first fruit we ever ate. And for most people, bananas are a relatively cheap, easy-to-access, healthy food. In 2017 alone, some 114 million metric tons of bananas were produced globally, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

But are bananas safe for dogs? According to the experts, yes, but there are some considerations you should make to feed dogs bananas safely.

Here’s what the experts want you to know about feedings dogs bananas.

Why are some foods dangerous for dogs?
According to veterinarians, a dog’s digestive system is a bit different from humans, meaning some foods we have no problem digesting are harder for dogs’ systems to break down, which can cause digestive problems.

Some foods also contain toxins, or other substances that can damage or destroy healthy cells.

Many foods also contain parts, such as seeds, peels, cores, or spikes, that a dog could choke on. In some cases, certain foods may also cause digestive distress for dogs if they eat too much of it.

Can dogs eat bananas?
According to veterinarians, bananas are generally a safe food for dogs.

“Bananas can make great treats,” says Angela Witzel Rollins, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition), a professor of veterinary nutrition at the University of Tennessee. “Just avoid the peels.”

But the experts say it’s best to avoid other banana-flavored treats, such as candies, ice cream, and baked goods, because they can contain things that dogs don’t digest well, such as milk and preservatives.

Many banana-flavored treats are also high in fat and processed sugar, both of which are bad for a dog’s health if they eat too much of them.

Are parts of a banana dangerous for dogs?
All of a banana’s flesh is safe for dogs to eat. But while banana peels aren’t toxic to dogs, they can be very difficult to digest. Banana peels may even cause a blockage in a dog’s intestines, which may require veterinary attention to resolve.

For safety’s sake, the experts say you should always remove a banana peel before feeding banana flesh to a dog.

They add that it’s also a good idea to make sure discarded banana peels aren’t put somewhere dogs can easily find them, such as an open trash or organics bin.

Are there any nutritional benefits from feeding dogs bananas?
Bananas aren’t often referred to as a superfood, but maybe they should be. Bananas contain small amount of dozens of important nutrients. But according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), bananas are especially rich in:

Potassium
Potassium is an essential nutrient that helps cells function properly by maintaining the correct fluid volume inside cells and elements of a cell’s membrane that allow nutrients to pass through it, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is involved in at least 100 different enzyme reactions in the body, primarily those that help us digest protein, per the NIH. Vitamin B6 also plays a role in healthy immune functioning, blood formation, and cognitive development.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C contains high concentrations of antioxidants, compounds that help protect cells from damage that can contribute to developing conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In fact, vitamin C even seems to help regenerate other antioxidants, such as vitamin E.

Vitamin C also helps with:
-the production of collagen, an important connective tissue that helps with wound healing and skin structure immune function
- the digestion of proteins
- the absorption of non-heme iron, the type of iron found in plants

Fiber
According to the experts, fiber is an excellent nutrient for humans and dogs. Fiber helps promote healthy digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer, which can help dogs maintain a healthy body weight or lose weight.

Magnesium-
Magnesium is also involved in more than 300 enzyme processes in the body that help:

digest proteins
control blood pressure and blood glucose levels
nerve and muscle function
energy production

Is there any other reason to feed dogs bananas?
The experts say there is no specific reason, or need, to feed bananas to dogs. But they do say that, like humans, dogs enjoy variety in their diet.

So switching things up, and giving a dog the occasional fruit or veggie, may be exciting or interesting for them.

According to veterinarians, eating a varied diet may also help prevent dogs from becoming bored and even rejecting foods that should make up most of their diet, such as dry or wet food specially formulated to meet their specific nutritional needs.

How to feed dogs bananas
While all the banana flesh, or fruit, is safe for dogs to eat, the experts say you should always remove a banana’s peel before feeding it to a dog. They also recommend cutting the banana into small pieces before feeding it to dogs to avoid the risk of them eating it too quickly, eating too much, or choking on it.

According to the AKC, allowing a dog to eat a lot of bananas can cause digestive problems. Bananas are also especially high in fruit sugars or fructose. And veterinarians say eating too much sugar, of any kind, can lead to serious complications for dogs just as it can for humans, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“Bananas are perfectly safe to feed your dog as long as they are cut into small pieces,” says Tina Wismer, DVM, the senior director of toxicology for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

“Be sure to always remove the peel and remember that snacks should equate to no more than 5 percent of their daily caloric intake, so keep portion sizes small.”

Fun ways to feed dogs bananas
The AKC says there are plenty of ways to feed bananas to dogs safely that may also make the event especially enjoyable or exciting, such as:

- freezing a whole banana and then removing the peel and cutting it up
- mushing banana into regular food
- putting banana flesh into a toy such as a Kong and freezing it
- mixing banana in with other dog-friendly fruits or veggies, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, apples, cucumber, mango, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, watermelon, broccoli, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, peas, spinach, and green beans
- coating or mixing banana in with other dog-friendly favorites, such as peanut butter or mild cheese
- puréeing frozen banana to make dog-friendly banana ice cream