Use of the Nobuto blood-sampling paper strip for Newcastle disease serology

Dried whole blood collected by the paper-strip method of Dr. Kenzo Nobuto was evaluated for use in the Newcastle disease hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test. When dried blood on the Nobuto strip was eluted in 1.0 ml of diluent, the resulting HI titers were similar to titers obtained with sera diluted 1:10. Both storage time and temperature influenced the stability of HI activity in dried blood, though the influence was minimal and is considered to have little significance in diagnostic serology, The advantages of this method of blood collection for Newcastle disease HI tests are discussed.     

Use of bone markers in veterinary medicine

Bone metabolism can be monitored in humans and several animal species in vivo by measuring enzymes and other protein products released by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. The biochemical markers of bone formation currently in use include bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and propeptides derived from the N or C terminal ends of the typ I procollagen molecule. The most useful markers of bone resorption are breakdown products of type I collagen. The oldest established method is the measurement of hydroxyproline in urine, which is not specific for bone, because it can be found in all collagen types and is also derived from diets. The measurement of collagen crosslinks, deoxypyridinoline and pyridinoline, is comparatively more specific to monitor bone resorption. Deoxypyridinoline and pyridinoline are used in human medicine for diagnosis and evaluation of bone diseases and in predicting the occurrence of fractures and rates of bone loss. The carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen, which has been used in several animal species, is also a promising bone marker. This article reviews the use of different bone markers in veterinary medicine and the possibilities for diagnosing and preventing bone diseases.     

Future directions in reptile medical education

Reptile medicine has emerged as a specialty area within the broader field of zoological medicine. It encompasses the medical needs of approximately 7,500 vertebrate species. This vertebrate class is highly diversified, having biological and medical peculiarities that differ both between and within major groups. Historically, veterinarians who have become recognized specialists with reptiles have had limited formal training in their medical management. The pet reptile trade is a multi-million-dollar business, and the popularity of reptiles as pets has resulted in a need for more veterinarians with training in their medical management. While few private practices have high volumes of reptile cases, many small-animal practices will have the opportunity to see a significant number of reptiles on an annual basis. Most practitioners with reptile medical expertise have merged their experiences as reptile pet owners with the principles of veterinary medicine taught in veterinary college. Several North American veterinary colleges have reptile medicine courses, and most have didactic and clinical courses in exotic and zoo animal medicine that include lectures and practical experience. Most accredited zoological medicine residency training programs include training in reptile medicine. The case load and interest in reptile medicine will probably never be sufficient to lead the average veterinary college to develop much more than what is currently offered. Consequently, those few colleges having more extensive course offerings, both didactic and clinical, will serve as educational centers for this discipline. Future Web-based teaching programs in reptile medicine will allow students nationally and internationally to have access to instructional material that can be continually updated.     

Equipping the reptile practice.

Reptile medicine and surgery has advanced so much in the last 15 years, and clients are becoming increasingly aware of the needs of their reptile pets. As such, it is important for veterinary practitioners to advance their education in reptile medicine if they intend to add reptiles as patients to their clinics. Equally important is to realize one's limitations and to not only know when it is time to refer but to find out which practices near them are the best prepared for referral of these unique pets.     

Diseases of the reptile pancreas.

A great deal of research is still needed to better understand the reptile pancreas especially with regard to diagnosis and treatment. However, vigilant clinicians and pathologists have important roles to play in expanding our knowledge base in this field, and are encouraged to share their findings through publications and presentations.     

Clinical aspects of reptile behavior.

At first glance, the abstract world of reptile ethology may seem remote to clinicians dealing with the health and disease of captive animals. By delving a little deeper, however, veterinarians can learn to appreciate the reasons for certain behaviors and actually use these behaviors as indicators of various biologic states. Close scrutiny of subtle changes in behavior can further help assess reptile well-being and judge captive welfare. In the future, it is hoped that improved ethologic understanding will result in behavioral enrichment for reptiles, as is already promoted for many nondomestic mammals and birds.     

Use of biochemical markers of bone metabolism in veterinary medicine

Effective, non-invasive bone assessment methods for screening, diagnosis and follow-up of the skeleton are more and more requested in veterinary medicine. In contrast to clinical parameters, invasive methods and imaging techniques, indices of bone turnover is a tool for bone metabolism evaluation of the whole skeleton. Biochemical bone markers therefore provide a more real-time assessment of the bone status with simple blood- or urine-analysis. This article surveys currently available biochemical marker of bone metabolism used in veterinary medicine. Additionally, information is provided about physiological and pathological, as well as therapeutic variations of biochemical bone marker concentrations in various species.     

Use of serum amyloid A in equine medicine and surgery

Serum amyloid A (SAA) has become an indispensable part of the management of equine patients in general practice and specialized hospital settings. Although several proteins possess acute phase properties in horses, the usefulness of SAA exceeds that of other acute phase proteins. This is due to the highly desirable kinetics of the equine SAA response. SAA concentrations exhibit a rapid and pronounced increase in response to inflammation and a rapid decline after the resolution of inflammation. This facilitates the detection of inflammatory disease and real-time monitoring of inflammatory activity. SAA may be used in all stages of patient management: (1) before diagnosis (to rule in/rule out inflammatory disease), (2) at the time of diagnosis (to assess the severity of inflammation and assist in prognostication), and (3) after diagnosis (to monitor changes in inflammatory activity in response to therapy, with relapse of disease, or with infectious/inflammatory complications). By assessing other acute phase reactants in addition to SAA, clinicians can succinctly stage inflammation. White blood cell counts and serum iron concentration change within hours of an inflammatory insult, SAA within a day, and fibrinogen within 2–3 days; the interrelationship of these markers thus indicates the duration and activity of the inflammatory condition. Much research on the equine SAA response and clinical use has been conducted in the last decade. This is the prerequisite for the evidence-based use of this analyte. However, still today, most published studies involve a fairly low number of horses. To obtain solid evidence for use of SAA, future studies should be designed with larger sample sizes.     

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.