The use of fluoroquinolones in veterinary dermatology

The fluoroquinolones are a group of antibiotics with considerable application for use in veterinary dermatology. They are rapidly bactericidal against a wide variety of clinically important organisms including Staphylococcus intermedius and gram-negative enteric bacilli by virtue of interference with the supercoiling of bacterial chromosomal material. Their favourable pharmacokinetic features make them applicable in many animal species, and in a range of dose formulations. The only major clinical contraindication is that fluoroquinolones should not be given to young, rapidly growing dogs as they can induce a noninflammatory, erosive arthropathy. For many years the only veterinary-labelled fluoroquinolone available was enrofloxacin. The selection of a fluoroquinolone has become more complex now that there are more choices available. Orbifloxacin, difloxacin and marbofloxacin now join enrofloxacin on the veterinary market, although not all of these are licensed in every country. The use of fluoroquinolones in dermatology remains controversial. The authors recommend that fluoroquinolones be considered in circumstances where canine pyoderma has been refractory to appropriate 'first line' antibiotics. They are most useful in the management of recurrent pyoderma and in chronic, deep pyoderma with extensive scar tissue. In addition, fluouroquinolones frequently are the drugs of choice for canine ear infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

The use of disinfectants in veterinary practice

The use of chemical disinfectants within the veterinary practice is only permitted when the disinfectants are legally registered. A distinction has to be made between disinfectants to be used on the skin of men or animals and disinfectants to be used on surfaces like floors, walls, cages, stables and for veterinary instruments. For the first group, to be considered as (veterinary) medicines, the Act on (Veterinary) Medicines applies. For the second group, to be considered as veterinary biocides, the Pesticide Act applies. A small survey carried out by the Keuringsdienst van Waren shows that in veterinary practice disinfectants are applied in an inappropriate way. A lack of knowledge and the lack of hygienic protocols could be reasons for these misuses. In this article the Keuringsdienst van Waren gives information about the legal aspects of disinfectants that fall within the scope of the Pesticide Act.     

The use of muscle relaxants in veterinary anaesthesia

Extract

A balanced anaesthetic technique should be capable of providing sleep, analgesia, and muscular relaxation. By using a specific drug to provide muscle relaxation, the amount of general anaesthetic needed may be reduced. Relaxation of skeletal muscles during anaesthesia often makes access to the surgical site easier and in this way minimizes surgical trauma. Because the voluntary muscles are relaxed, operative procedures may be more easily accomplished.     

The use of ciclosporin A in veterinary dermatology

Ciclosporin A (CsA) has potent immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory activity that has been exploited in human medicine to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs and to manage atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Over the past decade, CsA has been employed more frequently in veterinary dermatology and its value in the management of several canine and feline dermatoses is now well established. CsA inhibits calcineurin phosphatase, suppressing T cell activation and the synthesis of T cell cytokines consequently impairing the activity of B cells, antigen-presenting cells, mast cells, basophils and eosinophils. The pharmacokinetics of CsA are similar in humans, dogs and cats and the drug has a wide safety margin in dogs, cats and rabbits. Adverse effects, principally transient vomiting and soft faeces/diarrhoea, may be seen shortly after instituting treatment but often resolve despite continuing treatment. Gingival hyperplasia and cutaneous effects such as hirsutism may occur after prolonged treatment.     

The use of sutures in Australian veterinary practices

One hundred and twenty six respondents at a continuing education course in February 1986 provided information on suture use in their practice. The 100 responses from four Australian states were subject to analysis of suture type and size used for various procedures and correlated with practice type, location and state. The use of gut and nonabsorbable sutures in cassettes was pervasive. Superior materials and sutures in individual foil packets were used commonly only for a more complicated procedure (enterotomy).     

The veterinary technician's role in laser surgery.

The use of surgical lasers in veterinary practice has grown significantly since 1996. Many veterinarians have studied and implemented the basic physics and tissue didactics required to successfully incorporate a surgical laser program into their practice. The support role of the veterinary technician is crucial to ensuring an efficient, safe, and successful outcome of any surgical laser procedure. The technician's role may include practice management duties, client communication, and laser safety officer duties. Although there are a variety of lasers, the most common types used in veterinary practice are carbon dioxide (CO2) and diode. This article presents an overview of the veterinary technician's role as a key support person in ensuring a safe and positive outcome in the implementation of CO2 and diode lasers in a veterinary practice.     

Tropical veterinary surgery

Summary Environmental variables affecting anaesthesia and surgery in the tropics are defined and discussed. It was concluded that the practical application of anaesthetic techniques in the tropics requires a wider appreciation of the physical environment than in temperate zones but there is no evidence that changes of either latitude or altitude have any effect on the principles of anaesthesia and surgery. The implications of these conclusions with regard to surgical practice and veterinary education are discussed.

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Sumario Se discuten y definen variables ambientales que afectan la anestecia y la cirugia en los trópicos. Se concluyó que la aplicación práctica de las técnicas de anestecia en los trópicos requiere de una apreciación mas amplia del ambiente físico que en las zonas temperadas, pero no hay evidencia de que los cambios en altitud ó latitud, tengan algún efecto sobre los principios de anestecia y cirugía. Se discuten las implicaciones de estas conclusiones con referencia a la práctica de la cirugía y la educación veterinaria.

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Résumé Les facteurs variables affectant l’anesthésie de la chirurgie sous les tropiques sont définis et discutés. On conclut que l’application pratique de techniques d’anesthésie sous les tropiques exige une appréciation plus étendue du milieu physique que dans les zones tempérées, mais il n’y a pas de preuve que des changements, soit en latitude, soit en altitude, ont un effet quelconque sur les principes de l’anesthésie et de la chirurgie. Les implications de ces conclusions par rapport à la pratique chirurgicale et l’éducation vétérinaire sont discutées.

     

The use of pulse oximetry in clinical veterinary anaesthesia

A commercial human pulse oximeter was used in several species to measure heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂), and the results compared with those from an ECG and bench oximeter. The heart rates were always the same, but differences in the SaO₂ ranged between 4.2 per cent to 10.3 per cent. Correlation coefficients between the two SaO₂ measurement techniques ranged from 0.81 to 0.94, depending on the species investigated.     

Current British veterinary attitudes to the use of perioperative antimicrobials in small animal surgery

A questionnaire was sent to 2951 mixed and small animal veterinary practices to examine the use of perioperative antimicrobials in cats and dogs in the UK. The percentage of respondents who always used antimicrobials in two surgical procedures classified according to NRC criteria as 'clean' was 25.3 per cent for removal of a 1 cm cutaneous mass and 32.1 per cent for routine prescrotal castration. Factors considered important in decision-making about when to use antimicrobial agents included immunosuppression, presence of a drain, degree of wound contamination, potential for spillage of visceral contents and implantation of prosthesis. The most common antimicrobial agents mentioned were potentiated amoxicillin (98.0 per cent), amoxicillin (60.5 per cent), clindamycin (21.8 per cent), enrofloxacin (21.7 per cent), cephalexin (18.6 per cent) and metronidazole (12.7 per cent). Forty-three per cent of all responding veterinarians listed a long-acting preparation for perioperative use. The routes used were subcutaneous (76.1 per cent), intravenous (25.8 per cent), intramuscular (19.8 per cent), oral (13.5 per cent) and topical (7.7 per cent). Antimicrobials were given before surgery (66.6 per cent), during surgery (30.2 per cent), immediately after surgery (12.0 per cent) and after surgery (6.3 per cent). This survey has identified the suboptimal use of perioperative antimicrobials in small animal surgery with improvements needed with respect to timing, duration, choice of antimicrobial and a more prudent selection of surgical cases requiring prophylaxis.     

The use of information technology in large animal veterinary education

To facilitate large animal veterinary education, information technology has to connect the classroom to the farm. Technology needs to be portable, durable, and cost-effective. Dairy production medicine was one of the first areas in veterinary medicine to use computers to manage large sets of milk production-related data. Now equine practice has embraced technology in almost every diagnostic imaging methodology. The personal desktop assistant (PDA) has allowed students to take large volumes of information with them during clinical rotations. The technology is advancing so quickly that it is difficult to keep up with new software and hardware developments, let alone purchase the most current versions. This article reviews information technology as it is used in large animal practice and, consequently, in large animal veterinary education.     

The use of information and communication technology in veterinary education

The internet provides new opportunities to deliver distance and e-learning to the veterinary profession both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. There are now numerous examples of successful computer-based educational projects in UK higher education, which provide useful models for veterinary science. This will present challenges for academics who will need to adapt their teaching methodologies and students who will have to develop new ways of learning. The future of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the veterinary sector is difficult to predict but it is likely to have far reaching effects on the profession.