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May 2023
Notebook: May 2023
News briefs from across the industry and beyond. This month’s articles include: Statement Issued on The Standardization of the Abdominal Ultrasound Examination; Dry Food Effects on The Antioxidant Profile of Dogs; Genetic Test Can Detect Deadly Bleeding Disorder in Dogs; and more!
Congressional Offices Consider Making Xylazine a Controlled Substance
Both congressional lawmakers and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are reported to be in serious discussion about making the veterinary sedative xylazine a controlled substance.
In a statement, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said that it is “closely engaged with the relevant congressional offices and committees” that are discussing scheduling xylazine, noting that it understands that the DEA “has begun its internal process to schedule the drug.”
AVMA reports that this change in status from a veterinary prescription drug to a drug scheduled under the federal Controlled Substances Act is intended to provide additional tools for law enforcement and bring stricter punishments to bear on the illicit market. While there is no significant xylazine diversion from veterinary channels, the AVMA says that scheduling xylazine to help control the illicit trade will impact use of the drug in veterinary medicine.
In the statement, the AVMA states, as policy discussions on the topic move forward, the AVMA is working to lessen the impacts of such a decision on veterinary practice. Advocacy efforts on this issue include educating members of Congress and their staffs about the legitimate uses of xylazine across many areas of veterinary medicine; working to prevent xylazine from being scheduled federally at a higher level than necessary; and advocating for a reasonable implementation timeframe to allow for manufacturers to transition to a scheduled status.
Photo credit: MightyPics/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Health Screening Test Instituted for Brachycephalic Dog Breeds
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), a US-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease, has licensed the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS) for use in the United States and Canada. The RFGS was developed by the University of Cambridge and The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom to objectively measure the severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in dogs and help make a clinical diagnosis. The OFA is instituting respiratory function grading of brachycephalic breeds as one of its health screening tests.
Photo credit: Evgeniy Anikeev/iStock via Getty Images Plus
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“You don’t build a business, you build people. Then people build the business.”
—Zig Ziglar,
motivational speaker
Genetic Test Can Detect Deadly Bleeding Disorder in Dogs
Bree, an Irish wolfhound owned by Thomas Pare, has a saliva sample taken from her at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman.
A team led by Washington State University (WSU) researchers developed the DEPOHGEN test following a study in which they examined Scottish deerhounds and identified a gene associated with the condition known as delayed postoperative hemorrhage or DEPOH. Animals with a mutation in the DEPOH gene are significantly more likely to experience the condition. The study was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
“Dogs with the DEPOH mutation have a much higher risk than other dogs of developing this after undergoing surgery,” said Michael Court, PhD, BVSc, the study’s corresponding author. “The DEPOHGEN test will allow us to prevent delayed postoperative hemorrhage by administering antifibrinolytic drugs to dogs that test positive for the gene before any surgery.”
The researchers report that delayed postoperative hemorrhage was first recorded in greyhounds, but it has also been noted in other sighthound breeds, like Scottish deerhounds and Irish wolfhounds. Following the identification of the DEPOH gene, the team examined samples from WSU’s pet DNA bank and discovered the mutation in additional sighthounds, like Italian greyhounds and salukis, as well as in some other popular breeds, such as golden retrievers and border collies.
Court, a veterinarian and professor of pharmacology and genomics in WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Program in Individualized Medicine, said “Clotting factors stop the bleeding when you’ve had surgery, but you don’t want that blood clot to hang around forever. Normally, the body breaks down that clot as the tissue heals, usually over days to weeks, not just one or two days as it does in dogs with the mutant gene.”
The new test, which is available through WSU, will make it possible to detect the gene in pets prior to nonemergency surgeries and give preventative treatment when warranted. Court is also hopeful the test will eventually be included in common health panels used to evaluate puppies and dogs for many conditions.
Photo courtesy of WSU College of Veterinary Medicine/Ted S. Warren
Feline Veterinary Scholarships Announced![GettyImages-1300144006_[Converted].png](/link/d32b3d1b688342caaf9b6f788808e813.aspx)
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and EveryCat Health Foundation are delighted to announce they are offering two $2,500 scholarships for veterinary students enrolled in accredited veterinary colleges or schools in the United States or Canada. The purpose of the scholarships is to support and encourage veterinary students who are interested in careers in feline medicine or clinical scientific research of felines. Available for third- or fourth-year veterinary students (classes of 2023 and 2024), the scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, leadership skills, and excellence in the study of feline medicine.
“The future of feline veterinary care is dependent on students with a passion for feline medicine and research,” said Jackie Jaakola, executive director of EveryCat Health Foundation. “These scholarships will help facilitate that passion for two deserving students.”
Pet Behavior Lessons Learned During the Pandemic
The AVMA recently reported on industry predictions that were made about pet behaviors during the pandemic. During a presentation for the Small Animal Behavior Symposium at the Veterinary Meeting and Expo in Orlando, Florida, two members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), Valarie Tynes, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, and Laurie Bergman, VMD, DACVB, discussed those predictions. They stated that fears about a rash of canine separation anxiety cases and related behavioral problems once pandemic-related lockdowns were lifted appear to be unwarranted.
The AVMA reported that anecdotal evidence so far shows no significant increase in cases of canine separation anxiety, according to Tynes, owner of a veterinary behavior practice in Texas.
“The message I had then, and I still have now, is we don’t know what causes separation anxiety,” Tynes said. “There is often this suggestion that a big change in the owner’s schedule causes the dog to develop separation anxiety, but how can you really know that? You’re talking about a condition that, by definition, occurs when you leave.”
Bergman noted two behavior studies published recently, one concerning dogs and facial recognition and the other concerning the stress of clinical examinations on feline patients.
The first study, “Comparative brain imaging reveals analogous and divergent patterns of species- and face-sensitivity in humans and dogs,” was published in Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers wanted to know whether dogs are primed to see faces the same way that humans do.
“Dogs read human facial expressions, but our expression isn’t the first thing they see,” Bergman explained. “The study showed dogs recognize human head shape and canine head shape, and anything that disrupts that outline can cause alarm.”
The second study, published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, looked to quantify the effects in cats on fear, anxiety, and stress of separation from the owner at a veterinary clinic and of the location of the physical examination. The findings showed that cats’ heart rates were substantially elevated when their owners were not in the room.
Veterinary staff members may find curbside appointments without the owner preferable, but they may not be ideal for the feline patient, the presenters said. They added that a cat may become immobile during examination without the owner, and while that may be good for the veterinarian and veterinary technician, it can be a sign of learned helplessness.
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Forfa Named New Director of FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced the appointment of Tracey Forfa, JD, as director of the agency’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Forfa has been with CVM since 2002 and was appointed the Deputy Center Director in 2008. She previously served as acting director in 2016, and again in early 2023 prior to her permanent appointment.
Before joining CVM, Forfa helped to support the FDA’s mission in other capacities. In 1996, she worked in the Office of the Chief Mediator and Ombudsman, working on product jurisdiction and external dispute resolution. She joined the agency in 1993 as a member of the regulations and policy staff at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, working on issues such as human tissue and blood banking.
Forfa earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and her law degree from the University of Baltimore in Maryland. She has also completed the FDA’s Executive Education Program in Regulatory Policy through the University of Maryland.
Statement Issued on the Standardization of the Abdominal Ultrasound Examination
The American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) and European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI) recently released a consensus statement for the standardization of the abdominal ultrasound examination in dogs and cats. The statement was published in the journal Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound. Gabriela Seiler, DVM, DACVR, DECVDI, professor at North Carolina State University, chaired the joint committee that prepared the consensus statement.
“It was helpful to have a committee of many radiologists with different backgrounds and different work environments, from academia to private practice and teleultrasonography,” Seiler said in an announcement. “Every comment and suggestion was discussed by the committee—even if not included because our consensus opinion differed.”
The guidance includes illustrated images for each organ or system, tables listing still images and video clips to be acquired, and recommendations on documentation, patient preparation, and equipment. The ACVR states that ultrasound is a modality that is easily accessible to veterinarians and technologists as well as others and that these guidelines can be used as a tool to enable consistent image quality across practitioners and aid in interpretation.
Breakthrough Surgical Procedure Relieves Dogs from Chronic Pain
Finn, a two-year-old Labrador retriever, has recovered well after an innovative surgery to address tethered cord syndrome.
After Finn, a two-year-old Labrador retriever started having trouble walking up the stairs, his owner Amanda Rinderle noted that he became increasingly sore, he was not pushing off with his back legs, and he needed to be carried upstairs. After seeing an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist and trying conservative treatments including steroids, painkillers, and physical therapy, nothing seemed to help.
“If your dog is acting abnormally, pain is a common cause, but it can be difficult to diagnose,” says Elizabeth Parsley, DVM, assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. “An MRI is where we find abnormalities consistent with tethered cord syndrome. We look at the end of the spinal cord for a tethered appearance or if it is pulled upward. We will also move the dog’s back in different positions to see if the spinal cord is moving as we’d expect. With a tethered cord, the abnormal tension does not allow normal movement of the spinal cord.”
Finn’s orthopedic surgeon had previously worked with Parsley and knew that she had worked with dogs who had been diagnosed with tethered cord syndrome. An MRI and additional testing confirmed the surgeon’s suspicions, that it was most likely tethered cord syndrome, and that surgery was Finn’s best option to relieve his pain.
“The surgery to address tethered cord syndrome entails cutting the piece of connective tissue at the end of the spinal cord called the filum terminale,” Parsley explains. “You transect the filum to release that tension. In veterinary medicine, the only documented approach is the extradural approach, or the part of that connective tissue outside the sac around the spinal cord. Human medicine recommends doing the intradural approach, or the part that’s inside the sac around the spinal cord, which is what I did.”
The night after the procedure, Rinderle noticed a profound difference in Finn. “Despite having this invasive surgery, he was already more comfortable. He would not let us touch his back half before, which he lets us do now. He’s running around outside with his friends now and is so much happier.”
Parsley reports that all eight of her surgical tethered cord cases are doing markedly better. “It’s been a fascinating, translational One Health–type of approach,” she said.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Rinderie
Knee Replacement Surgery at Texas A&M Changes Canine Patient’s Life
Delilah, a black Labrador retriever–Great Pyrenees mix puppy became the first knee replacement patient at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), reports Megan Myers of VMBS Communications.
Delilah has osteochondrosis (OC), a developmental skeletal disorder.
“At a very young age, [Delilah] was missing a major component of the weight-bearing surface of the knee, a critically important joint for canine mobility,” said Brian Saunders, DVM, PhD, DACVS, a VMBS associate professor and veterinary orthopedic surgeon. “Our normal treatment methods to address OC (such as arthroscopic surgery, followed by rest, rehabilitation, and medications) were not going to be able to address Delilah’s defect because it was so large.”
Many dogs are not eligible for a knee replacement because of a history of previous infections. But Delilah was young (only a year old) and had never had knee surgery or any other major medical issues. That made her a candidate for knee replacement surgery, and further investigation confirmed she was a good candidate for the procedure. Eric Golestan, Delilah’s owner, was part of the final decision.
Saunders said, “This is a lifelong investment in a pet, and a lot of long-term monitoring and follow-up care is necessary to make sure everything’s going well.”
Golestan accepted the challenge, and surgery was scheduled.
During Delilah’s surgery, Saunders removed the cartilage from the femur and tibia. Next, metal implants were placed on the bottom of the femur and the top of the tibia, with a polyethylene (surgical plastic) liner inserted between them. These implants are shaped somewhat like a normal knee and allow the joint to function properly.
After Delilah’s procedure ended, the real work began for Golestan and Delilah. As summarized by Saunders, “Leash walks only for three months, and no off-leash activity indoors or outdoors; two to four medications for several weeks after surgery; rehabilitation exercise; and re-check visits for examinations and x-rays.”
At Delilah’s six-month postsurgery appointment, her implant was found to be fully secure and she was given the “all clear” to return to full activity levels.
“She runs at 110%, and now she can do anything she wants,” Golestan said.
Photo by Farano Gunawan on Unsplash
Size, Sex, and Breed May Predict Dogs’ Cancer Diagnosis
A recent analysis of several thousand dogs finds that traits such as size, breed, and whether an animal has been spayed or neutered may be associated with whether a dog may be diagnosed with cancer. The AVMA reports that about one in four dogs will develop cancer at some point during their lifetime, a number that rises to nearly 50% after a dog’s 10th birthday.
In a study published in PLOS ONE, veterinary oncologist Andi Flory, DVM, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), co-founder and chief medical officer of PetDx, a California-based pet diagnostics company, and her team evaluated previously collected data from 3,452 dogs in three separate groups. Based on their findings as well as evidence regarding tumor size and progression from prior studies in humans and canines, the authors of the study recommended that all animals start cancer screening at age seven and that breeds with a lower median age of diagnosis get screened earlier.
In an article in Scientific American, experts who are not involved in the study report being wary of the cancer screening recommendations. The articles states that a key problem, according to Cheryl London, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), a veterinary oncologist at Tufts University, is the lack of effective early canine cancer screening tools. “If we’re talking about true cancer screening, we don’t have the tools in veterinary medicine to actually do that yet,” London says.
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Dry Food Effects on the Antioxidant Profile of Dogs
A recent article in Pet Food Industry discussed a collaboration of Colombian researchers who observed that dog foods with different antioxidant levels didn’t have the effects on dogs’ blood chemistry that the scientists had predicted. The results were published in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science.
Antioxidants play a double role in dog food, both preserving the food and benefiting the animals’ health. The researchers reported that the relationships among ingredients and associated changes in the antioxidant levels in dogs’ bodies may be complicated.
They related that antioxidants in dog food can counteract free radicals and certain oxygen molecules, called reactive oxygen species, in dogs’ bodies. An imbalance in the reactive oxygen types and antioxidants, oxidative stress, can alter the structure of DNA, proteins, and other molecules, leading to cell degeneration associated with aging, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, kidney disease, and cancer.
In their article, Colombian scientists noted that little research has focused on how variations in dogs’ diets can influence pets’ levels of oxidative stress. They conducted an experiment using six beagles and ultimately observed that while the antioxidant profile of the dogs’ blood seemed to be influenced by the diet’s nutritional profile and the act of eating it, the largest effect seemed to result from the individual dogs themselves. The scientists concluded that the biological process relating dog food formulation to oxidative/antioxidant equilibrium in dogs remains unclear.
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