A behavior screening questionnaire improves problem identification in veterinary primary care with implications for patient health.

OBJECTIVE: To compare how often owners identified concerns about their pets' behavior during routine examinations in 2 test conditions (voluntarily or when completing a questionnaire), and to test the efficacy of a simple behavior screening questionnaire to be used by practicing veterinarians. ANIMALS: Privately owned dogs and cats presenting for routine examinations to 1 of 2 primary care clinics. METHODS: The study was conducted in 2 sequential phases. In Phase 1, veterinary staff recorded whether pet owners or veterinarians inquired about behavior during routine examinations. In Phase 2, a different set of pet owners completed a short behavioral screening questionnaire as they waited for the veterinarian. We compared the 2 phases for how often behavior concerns were identified, the types of concerns, the pets' ages, and the owners' levels of satisfaction and desire for help. RESULTS: Dog and cat owners were more likely to identify behavior concerns when prompted than they were to volunteer this information, especially for older patients in which behavior changes may be the first sign of disease. Most owners were satisfied with their pets' behavior, though owners were more likely to be unsatisfied with certain identified concerns. Owners who were dissatisfied were much more likely to want help. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A behavior screening questionnaire enhances detection of behavior problems that may have medical implications and impact the security of the pet in its home. A behavior screening questionnaire can elevate standard of care by enabling veterinarians to quickly assess behavior during every examination.

Owner evaluation of quality of life and mobility in osteoarthritic cats treated with amantadine or placebo.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine if amantadine improves owner-identified mobility impairment and quality of life associated with osteoarthritis in cats. METHODS: Using a blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover design, 13 healthy client-owned cats with clinical and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis and owner-identified mobility impairment were studied. Cats received 5 mg/kg amantadine or placebo q24h PO for 3 weeks each with no washout period in between. Locomotor activity was continuously assessed with a collar-mounted activity monitor system, and owners chose and rated two mobility-impaired activities using a client-specific outcome measures (CSOM) questionnaire on a weekly basis. Locomotor activity on the third treatment week was analyzed with two-tailed paired t-tests. The CSOM scores were analyzed using a mixed-effect model and the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Owner-perceived changes in quality of life were compared between treatments using the χ2 test. Statistical significance was set at P <0.05. RESULTS: Mean ± SD activity counts during the third week of each treatment were significantly lower with amantadine (240,537 ± 53,880) compared with placebo (326,032 ± 91,759). CSOM scores assigned by the owners were significantly better with amantadine on the second (3 ± 1) and third (3 ± 1) weeks compared with placebo (5 ± 2 and 5 ± 1, respectively). A significantly greater proportion of owners reported improvement in quality of life with amantadine compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Amantadine significantly decreased activity, but improved owner-identified impaired mobility and owner-perceived quality of life in cats with osteoarthritis. Amantadine appears to be an option for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis in cats.

Korean Sa-Ahm Acupuncture for Treating Canine Oral Fibrosarcoma.

A nine-year-old male neutered Golden Retriever presented with oral fibrosarcoma. Sa-Ahm Traditional Korean acupuncture was provided along with medicinal herb treatment. Based on Sa-Ahm's theory, the constitution of this case was hypoactive Large-Intestine (LI) meridian qi. The acupuncture treatment was focused on reinforcing LI meridian qi along with reinforcing Small-Intestine and Liver meridian qi. The necrosis of the tumor started from 8 months after treatments and was completely necrotized around 1 month after initiation of tumor necrosis. Karnofsky Performance Status score was 80 to 100 % throughout the treatment except during the active stage of tumor necrosis having KPS of 50%. In this study, oral fibrosarcoma was managed well by both Sa-Ahm acupuncture and medicinal herb treatment. The result suggested that Sa-Ahm acupuncture along with herbal treatment could be a potential medical option for canine oral FSA therapy.

Assessing Communications Competencies through Reviews of Client Interactions and Comprehensive Rotation Assessment: A Comparison of Methods.

The primary purpose of this study was to compare two methods for assessing student communication skills: a labor-intensive review of video-recorded interactions and global communications assessment using a comprehensive rotation-assessment tool. Secondary goals of the study were to evaluate student strengths and weaknesses to inform the pre-clinical communications curriculum and to evaluate for consistency between types of reviewers. Video recordings of 43 student encounters with clients presenting their animals for wellness or diagnostic appointments to the primary care service at a veterinary teaching hospital were reviewed by one of three primary care clinicians, a social worker, and a clinical communications instructor, using a common rubric. Scores using the rubric were compared with overall scores for verbal communications on a comprehensive rotation-assessment tool, both for the primary care rotation and for other small-animal rotations. Duration did not vary significantly between wellness and diagnostic appointments, or between dog and cat appointments. Scores achieved by students on video review varied by evaluator, with the clinical communications instructor scoring students the lowest and the social worker scoring students the highest. Strengths identified included greeting the client appropriately, gathering initial information about the reason for the visit, and using lay terminology appropriately. Weaknesses included summarizing information for the client, talking to clients about money, and making strong recommendations.