Fish and amphibian anesthesia.

This article is designed to provide the veterinary practitioner with some basic information on how to anesthetize fish and amphibians. General guidelines regarding working with these aquatic animals are covered. Specific topics include methods of anesthetic delivery, anesthetic monitoring, and recovery. Various anesthetic regimes and dosages are presented both in the text and in table form.     

Use of complementary veterinary medicine in the geriatric horse.

The use of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine continues to grow within the veterinary community. As more clients seek out complementary and alternative medicine for their own health care, they begin to seek out these forms of therapy for their animals. For the equine practitioner, this includes those clients with geriatric animals. It is hoped that this article provides some insight into what conditions may be helped with CVM (complementary veterinary medicine) and when an equine practitioner may want to consider CVM as a form of therapy for the geriatric horse.     

Current therapies in exotic animal oncology.

The majority of information on oncology therapies has been reported in humans, canine, and feline patients, and laboratory animals with experimentally induced tumors. A variety of treatments,including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and others have been used with exotic animals. There are many species of exotic pets, and anatomic differences, as well as husbandry and nutritional requirements, must be taken into account to provide optimal care. By providing a broad overview of therapies and considerations for treatment, this article is intended to provide the practitioner with an overview of approach and options when addressing oncology cases in exotic animals.     

Feline lens disorders

The lens is the second most powerful structure for refraction in the eye, and is important in the fine-focusing ability in individual species. Specific disorders of the feline lens are frequent in clinical practice and include: congenital anomalies, nuclear sclerosis, cataracts, lens subluxations and luxations, intraocular sarcomas, and anterior lens displacement associated with aqueous misdirection glaucoma. Clinical signs and current therapeutic options are discussed for the general practitioner. A close working relationship with the regional veterinary ophthalmologist is advised.     

Clinical reasoning and decision analysis.

Decision analysis enables outstanding information needs to be correctly identified and ensures that all the options are accurately represented so that appropriate decisions can be made. The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to the use of decision analysis in the practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine. Decision trees using utilities and economic outcomes are presented. The diagnostic process, including the critical appraisal of clinical decision support systems that may be used in this process, is described.     

The potential of the combined use of targeted type I interferon pathway inhibitors and oncolytic viruses to treat sarcomas

Replicating oncolytic viruses (OVs) are appealing, new, FDA‐approved, therapeutic options for humans with head and neck cancers and melanomas. These treatments are not yet available for veterinary patients, but recent clinical trials have shown several OVs to be safe in dogs and cats. Specific viruses being used to treat sarcomas in dogs include modified canine adenovirus 2, myxoma virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and reovirus. In cats with vaccine‐associated sarcomas, poxviruses have been injected postoperatively and a reduced rate of tumour recurrence was documented. To date, the response rates of canine and feline patients to OV therapy have been variable (as they are in people). Optimal methods of OV administration and dosing schedules continue to be evaluated. One way to improve outcomes of OV therapy in veterinary patients may be to use OVs in combination with other immunomodulatory therapies. This review discusses the potential utility of concurrent therapy with an OV and an inhibitor of the type I interferon pathway.     

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs and Cats: Online Support for Veterinarians and Owners

Pet owners increasingly refer to online sources before, during, and after seeking veterinary advice for their pets. Although some online information is inaccurate or unhelpful, there is much useful material, and we believe much is to be gained by directing owners to online material that supports and complements veterinary advice. With regard to managing veterinary patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), there is an excellent online community that not only offers moral support and practical advice, but also facilitates clinical research and fundraising. For genetic diseases like canine EPI that affect primarily young animals, but for which a decade or more of treatment can reasonably be expected, online support can greatly facilitate optimal lifelong management. In this article we provide some information that may be of value when veterinarians consider which web sites to recommend to their clients managing patients with EPI.     

Normal hematology and hematologic disorders in potbellied pigs

Potbellied pigs have become a notable portion of small animal and farm animal practitioners' caseload. Relatively little information is readily accessible for the veterinary practitioner in regard to normal hematologic values or alterations of the hemogram in response to disease, however. This article is a review of blood collection techniques in swine adaptable to potbellied pigs in addition to collection artifacts observed in the swine hemogram. Alterations of the hemogram in disease states that may be encountered in potbellied pig medicine are reviewed.     

Evidence based medicine in veterinary daily practice

The veterinary practitioner should base decisions concerning diagnostic procedures and treatments in practice on recent, valid and clinically relevant information. He may rely on journal papers, colleagues, the internet or other sources. It is a great challenge to find appropriate information in a reasonable time. Furthermore, the practitioner has to judge the information regarding its actuality and validity. Ideally, such information should provide a high level of evidence. This means that this information is more likely to be "correct". Good information can be obtained through high quality trials, such as randomized and blinded controlled clinical trials. Universities, publishers and professional organizations should promote editing of scientific information to support practitioners in decision making.     

Ethical and evidential considerations on the use of novel therapies in veterinary practice

Novel therapies may be necessary both in the interests of the individual animal and in the advancement of veterinary science. However, special consideration is necessary to safeguard the welfare of the animals, ensure fully informed consent from the owner, determine the procedure's value in other cases and appropriately disseminate results. This article reviews ethical and evidential considerations raised when novel therapies are undertaken in veterinary practice, based on a series of committee meetings and intervening discussions held between members of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee and Officers (2010–2011). The aim of this article is to encourage the advancement of novel veterinary therapies while safeguarding the welfare of animals.     

United States food and drug laws and ratites as emerging food animals.

The ratite practitioner must balance the need to treat patients with the obligation to minimize the risk of drug residues. If a practitioner treats birds intended for market, the possibility of residues should be considered before administering therapeutic agents. Improved management practices can and will preclude the need in many instances for drug therapy. Practitioners should be aware of the conditions that must be met in order to justify extralabel use. When treating ratites intended for food, practitioners should comply with the documentation requirements listed in these regulations and be aware of the list of prohibited drugs. The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD), at 1-888-US-FARAD (1-888-873-2723) or by electronic mail at farad@ucdavis.edu or farad@ncsu.edu, is a valuable source of information regarding residue avoidance. Emergence of ratites as food species should stimulate research to provide answers to questions concerning pharmacokinetics and tissue depletion in order to improve the quality of veterinary services for flock owners, to obtain approval for drugs for these species, and to provide information by which to establish appropriate withdrawal periods.     

Topical and systemic medications for wounds.

There are a plethora of topical and systemic medications available to the veterinary practitioner today that aid the wound healing process. Some of these help to maintain a moist environment. Others increase growth factors, provide local energy sources, control infection, provide for debridement, increase wound blood flow and temperature, or reduce wound edema. Modern wound care requires that the proper products(s)be used, depending on the condition of the wound and the phase of wound healing. This article discusses various wound care products and provides guidelines on their use.     

Calcineurin inhibitors: a novel approach to canine atopic dermatitis

The introduction of calcineurin inhibitors represents a major addition to the armamentarium of drugs available to veterinary clinicians for the management of allergic skin diseases. Both cyclosporine and tacrolimus have been proven to be well tolerated and effective for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs. Although broad spectrum in their mechanism of action, they lack the major adverse effects of glucocorticoids and provide an appealing alternative to traditional therapies. The purposes of this article are to review clinically relevant information regarding these agents and to provide tips for maximizing the benefit obtained from these therapies.     

Pet fish formulary.

Aquarium fish are one of the most popular pets in the United States. Understanding the use of chemotherapeutics in these animals has increased markedly in recent years, and this information is now readily accessible to the private practitioner in this article. The authors introduce the veterinary clinician to the commonly used chemotherapeutics, routes of administration, species-specific precautions, and treatment tips where appropriate.     

Vaccine-associated adverse events.

Although vaccination plays a vital role in maintaining animal health, there are risks associated with this medical procedure. Veterinarians are beginning to reexamine dogmatic vaccine protocols and consider both risks and benefits of vaccination, with special emphasis on adverse event information generated by practitioner experience. The current status of postmarketing surveillance for commercially available veterinary vaccines is presented, along with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of surveillance programs. An overview of adverse events commonly reported by veterinarians is included, along with practical information on how veterinarians can share their observations and learn about adverse events reported by their colleagues.     

Avian care and husbandry.

Birds are becoming more popular as pets, and the need for veterinary professionals to learn more about these pets is crucial. This article introduces the veterinary staff to basic information required to provide high-quality care to avian patients. High-quality nutrition for a variety of species and ages is included in this article. The importance of proper husbandry and intellectual stimulation with toys is also discussed. Special emphasis is placed on instructions for clients when making appointments, as well as recognizing signs of illness for both clients and veterinary staff. Capture, restraint, and sample collection are an important part of this article, as well as medication administration, anesthesia, supportive care, preventive care and grooming. A variety of aspects concerning the care of the avian patient are covered for the benefit of the client and veterinary technician.     

Chemical restraint and analgesia in the horse

Chemical restraint in the standing horse is used for a variety of procedures in veterinary medicine. The choice of agent depends on the physical status, temperament, and size of the patient; the procedure to be performed; and safety for the patient, veterinarian, and owner. The combination of certain agents may provide more desirable restraint and analgesia than does the use of individual agents. The use of analgesics in the horse is not without side effects, some of which may be detrimental to the patient's condition. Analgesics should be chosen with these untoward effects in mind. Draft breeds possess differences that may provide a challenge to the practitioner. One such difference is their clinically apparent increased sensitivity to tranquilizers and sedative-hypnotics; consequently, reduced dose regimens for chemical restraint should be employed initially.     

Nutritional requirements of the critically ill patient

The presence or development of malnutrition during critical illness has been unequivocally associated with increased morbidity and mortality in people. Recognition that malnutrition may similarly affect veterinary patients emphasizes the need to properly address the nutritional requirements of hospitalized dogs and cats. Because of a lack in veterinary studies evaluating the nutritional requirements of critically ill small animals, current recommendations for nutritional support of veterinary patients are based largely on sound clinical judgment and the best information available, including data from experimental animal models and human studies. This, however, should not discourage the veterinary practitioner from implementing nutritional support in critically ill patients. Similar to many supportive measures of critically ill patients, nutritional interventions can have a significant impact on patient morbidity and may even improve survival. The first step of nutritional support is to identify patients most likely to benefit from nutritional intervention. Careful assessment of the patient and appraisal of its nutritional needs provide the basis for a nutritional plan, which includes choosing the optimal route of nutritional support, determining the number of calories to provide, and determining the composition of the diet. Ultimately, the success of the nutritional management of critically ill dogs and cats will depend on close monitoring and frequent reassessment.     

Diagnosis and approach to poisoning in the horse.

Poisoning in the horse can present a highly complex case. The practitioner, owner, toxicologist, and pathologist play important roles, and all contribute information that may be important to the case. Once all the information is available, all the evidence is collected (historical, clinical, pathologic, and analytic), and proper sampling of specimens has occurred, a complete summary of the findings can be provided to the client. Based on identification of a potential toxic source and, ultimately, the diagnosis, specific treatment of affected animals and prevention of additional cases can be initiated. Consultation with a veterinary toxicologist aids in the follow-up of a poisoning case and can help to provide a thorough background to assist in preventing reoccurrence.     

Gastrointestinal Disease in Exotic Small Mammals

Exotic small mammal medicine is a relatively new specialty area within veterinary medicine. Ferrets, rabbits, and rodents have long been used as animal models in human medical research investigations, resulting in a body of basic anatomic and physiologic information that can be used by veterinarians treating these species. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of veterinary articles that describe clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment options of gastrointestinal (GI) disease as it affects exotic small mammals. Although there is little reference material relating to exotic small mammal GI disease, patients are commonly presented to veterinary hospitals with digestive tract disorders. This article provides the latest information available for GI disease in ferrets (Helicobacter mustelae gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], GI lymphoma, systemic coronavirus, coccidiosis, and liver disease), rabbits (GI motility disorders, liver lobe torsion, astrovirus, and coccidiosis), guinea pigs (gastric dilatation volvulus [GDV]), rats (Taenia taeniaeformis), and hamsters (Clostridium difficile). Both noninfectious diseases and emerging infectious diseases are reviewed as well as the most up-to-date diagnostics and treatment options.