Specialty Spotlight: “Urine for a Wild Ride!” A Review of Diuretic Therapy in Canine Congestive Heart Failure Aaron C. Wey, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) Heart disease is common in canine patients, with estimates as high as 10% of all dogs seen in your hospital developing some form of heart disease during their lifetime. While all dogs with heart disease do not progress to develop overt signs of congestive heart failure, those that do require frequent communication, consistent monitoring, and therapeutic adjustments…
Specialty Spotlight: Top 5 Neurology “Pitfalls” to Try to Avoid in General Practice Todd Bishop, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) Neurologic cases can be intimidating. They often present suddenly and progress quickly. The good news is that many frustrating outcomes are preventable with a few consistent habits and early recognition of red flags. Below are five of the most common neurology “pitfalls” we see in referral practice and how to avoid them. 1. Calling every neurologic episode a “seizure.” Not every episodic…
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) Laura Perez, DVM, CVA, CCRT, FFCP Upstate Veterinary Specialties is excited to now offer Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) to our patients. Lithotripsy or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been available for over 30 years and is used in human medicine to break up urinary and renal calculi with acoustic soundwaves. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) was derived from lithotripsy and was first successfully used to treat a non-union fracture in a human in 1988. Successful treatment of…
Fall is Falling! How to Treat (not trick) Your Pruritic Patient Amy Schnedeker, DVM, MS, DACVD The temperatures are falling, the leaves are changing color, and kids are back in school. That beautiful time of year has returned to upstate New York…Fall! But with seasonal changes come new environmental allergens and more questions about itchy pets. I find that most flare-ups happen during the transition seasons of spring and fall, but for some reason, upstate New York has its own…
Sea lions, barn cats, celestial influence, and migrating waterfowl—what do they have in common? They’re all part of the unfolding story of H5N1, the bird flu that’s raising new questions for pet owners and veterinarians. Once thought to be caused by the stars, influenza now reveals a different kind of power: traveling the world and constantly evolving—through small mutations (antigenic drift) and, at times, big genetic reshuffles (antigenic shift). The Big Picture: A One Health Issue Bird flu, or avian…
Specialty Spotlight: Management of Cystic and Urethral Calculi Davida Rausch, DVM, DACVS-SA Management of Cystic and Urethral Calculi Cystic (bladder) and urethral calculi (stones) are one of the most common reasons for surgery to be performed on the urinary tract. Knowledge of common types of stones is needed to guide therapy, know when surgery is indicated, and evaluate for concurrent disease processes. Struvite Stones Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) calculi are one of the most common types of stones and account…
Managing Hypotension Under General Anesthesia Cheyenne J. Cannarozzo, DVM, Practice Limited to Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine Hypotension is one of the most commonly encountered complications under general anesthesia1. While certain disease states and co-morbidities predispose animals to hypotension under general anesthesia, the inhalational agents commonly used for maintenance of anesthesia (eg. Isoflurane, Sevoflurane) and the hypnotic agents commonly used for induction (eg. propofol) induce vasodilation and consequently lower blood pressure. Additionally, the volatile anesthetic agents commonly used are myocardial depressants…
Updates in the Treatment of Canine Lymphoma Ashleigh Cournoyer, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) Lymphoma is the most common form of cancer affecting dogs, originating from the hematopoietic system. Lymphoma is considered a systemic disease; thus, the mainstay of treatment is systemic therapies (chemotherapy, steroids). While traditional cytotoxic agents like doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine have been utilized for decades, there have been recent advancements with the development of newer drugs like Laverdia and Tanovea. These treatments offer alternative options for managing canine…
The Rational Use of PPIs – How Much is Too Much? Samantha Duxbury DVM, DACVIM (SAIM) Physiology: Gastric acid secretion is a normal physiologic process for which the stomach has inherent, natural protective mechanisms to prevent erosion and ulceration1. Gastric acid has several important roles and aids in protein digestion as well as the absorption of cobalamin, iron2 and calcium3. Furthermore, it also suppresses bacterial overgrowth in the stomach which in turn contributes to maintenance of the intestinal microbiome4. …
Anaphylaxis Chelsea Zorn, DVM, DACVECC Anaphylaxis With warmer and nicer weather also comes the increased exposure to allergens for our canine and feline friends, potentially leading to anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal, systemic allergic reaction that occurs suddenly after contact with an allergy-causing substance. There are anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions, which are both systemic, immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions. Anaphylactic reactions are mediated by IgE (i.e., secondary to insect bites, venom, food, and medications), while anaphylactoid reactions are IgE-independent…
