Impact of collaborative care on survival time for dogs with congestive heart failure and revenue for attending primary care veterinarians.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of in-person collaborative care by primary care veterinarians (pcDVMs) and board-certified veterinary cardiologists (BCVCs) on survival time of dogs after onset of congestive heart failure (CHF) and on associated revenue for the attending pcDVMs. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS 26 small-breed dogs treated for naturally occurring CHF secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease at a multilocation primary care veterinary hospital between 2008 and 2013. PROCEDURES Electronic medical records were reviewed to identify dogs with confirmed CHF secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease and collect information on patient care, survival time, and pcDVM revenue. Data were compared between dogs that received collaborative care from the pcDVM and a BCVC and dogs that received care from the pcDVM alone. RESULTS Dogs that received collaborative care had a longer median survival time (254 days) than did dogs that received care from the pcDVM alone (146 days). A significant positive correlation was identified between pcDVM revenue and survival time for dogs that received collaborative care (ie, the longer the dog survived, the greater the pcDVM revenue generated from caring for that patient). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that collaborative care provided to small-breed dogs with CHF by a BCVC and pcDVM could result in survival benefits for affected dogs and increased revenue for pcDVMs, compared with care provided by a pcDVM alone.

Qualitative study of the information expectations of clients accessing oncology care at a tertiary referral center for dogs with life-limiting cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the content aspects of the information expectations of clients accessing oncology care services at a tertiary referral center for dogs with life-limiting cancer. DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of data acquired during in-person single and dyadic interviews. Sample-43 dog owners participating in 30 interviews. PROCEDURES: Independent in-person interviews were conducted with standardized open- and closed-ended questions from April to October 2009. Thematic analysis was performed on transcripts of the interview discussions. RESULTS: For the clients, the central qualification was that the information given had to be the truth. Information was expected about all aspects of their dog's cancer and its treatment, varying in relation to clients' basic understanding of cancer, their previous experience with cancer, and their information preferences. Provision of information generated the trust and confidence necessary to engage in treatment, the ability to make informed decisions, and the ability to be prepared for the future. Provision of information also engendered a sense of control and capability and fostered hope. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When dealing with owners of dogs with life-limiting cancer, results indicated that in addition to abiding by the principle of truth-telling, it is important for health-care service providers to ascertain clients' understanding of and experiences with cancer as well as their information preferences and thereby adopt a tailored approach to information giving. Provision of information enabled client action and patient intervention but also enhanced clients' psychosocial well-being. Veterinary healthcare service providers can purposely provide information to build and sustain clients' ability to successfully cope with their pet's condition.

Decision analysis for fracture management in cattle.

Bovine fractures are common and each bovine patient is unique, presents innumerable challenges, and requires careful judgment. In cattle the fracture repair usually should be of acceptable quality to not cause a decrease in milk or meat production or interfere with natural breeding. The decision to treat a fracture in cattle is made by evaluating the cost and success rates of the treatment, the value of the animal, and the location and type of fracture.

Analysis of the distribution of veterinary antimicrobial products to veterinarians in Germany in 2011 and 2012.

For the implementation of risk management measures against the development and spread of antimicrobial resistances it is important to gain a quantitative insight into the use of veterinary antimicrobial agents. Since 2011, all pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers in Germany are required to report their sales data of veterinary antimicrobial products (VAPs). In 2011, 1706 t of antimicrobially active substances were sold to veterinarians registered in Germany, in 2012 the amount decreased to 1619 t. Tetracyclines and penicillins had the largest shares in both years, followed by sulfonamides, macrolides and polypeptides. Amoxicillin alone accounted for more than a quarter of the total amounts of all sold antimicrobials. In regard to AMR it is most important to limit the use of critically important antimicrobials, namely fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. While in both years these groups accounted for less than 1% of the amount of sold antimicrobials, this does not reflect adequately their use, since they are used in much lower doses. Furthermore, it is worrying that the sales of fluoroquinolones and 3rd generation cephalosporins increased by 26% and 14%, respectively, between 2011 and 2012, while the sales of 4th generation cephalosporins decreased only by 2%. More than 95% of the active substances were contained in VAPs intended for oral application; only fluoroquinolones, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins as well as fenicols were primarily or even exclusively applied by injection.

Veterinary applications of induced pluripotent stem cells: regenerative medicine and models for disease?

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can now be derived from a tissue biopsy and represent a promising new platform for disease modelling, drug and toxicity testing, biomarker development and cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine. In regenerative medicine, large animals may represent the best models for man, and thereby provide invaluable systems in which to test the safety and the potential of iPSCs. Hence, testing iPSCs in veterinary species may serve a double function, namely, developing therapeutic products for regenerative medicine in veterinary patients while providing valuable background information for human clinical trials. The production of iPSCs from livestock or wild species is attractive because it could improve efficiency and reduce costs in various fields, such as transgenic animal generation and drug development, preservation of biological diversity, and because it also offers an alternative to xenotransplantation for in vivo generation of organs. Although the technology of cellular reprogramming using the so-called 'Yamanaka factors' is in its peak expectation phase and many concerns still need to be addressed, the rapid technical progress suggests that iPSCs could contribute significantly to novel therapies in veterinary and biomedical practice in the near future. This review provides an overview of the potential applications of iPSCs in veterinary medicine.

Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid detection of iridovirus in the Chinese giant salamander.

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) iridovirus (GSIV) is an emerging infectious pathogen responsible for severe hemorrhagic disease and high mortality in cultured Chinese giant salamanders. A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on the major caspid protein (MCP) gene has been developed to detect this virus. Primer pairs for the LAMP assay were designed based on the GSIV MCP gene sequence. Amplification results indicate that under optimized conditions the LAMP assay has the ability to specifically detect the virus in both diseased animals and infected epithelioma papilloma cyprinid (EPC) cells. The assay was shown to be 10-fold more sensitive than nested PCR and was able to detect concentrations of 10(-9) (approximately 0.01 pg/µL). The LAMP assay is relatively easy to perform in situ and the amplification products can be observed directly under UV light or via staining with SYBR Green I. The LAMP assay is also rapid and cost-effective. This study establishes the use of a LAMP assay for rapid detection of GSIV, which is a novel and important tool for the diagnosis of GSIV infection in laboratory or farmed Chinese giant salamanders.