Regardless of what side of this complex issue you stand on, this is a pretty interesting story. 'Trackr', a German Shepherd Dog, was a service dog who was famous for finding the last survivor of the 9/11 attacks. They've cloned him. Not one clone, not two, but 5 identical pups! (Due to the size variations, I suspect there were at least 2 litters. They don't say in the story, but I wonder how many times they had to repeat the procedures to get these 5 pups).
Oh by the way, one of the companies that did the cloning is associated with a disgraced scientist who forged data.
Lots of fodder here for debate. Dig in!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Whale saves diver
Apparently a Beluga whale rescued a diver in the whale's tank in China. Here's the story. It's very interesting to wonder whether this was just blind instinct? Or did the whale know exactly what it was doing? Perhaps it's just instinct for a marine mammal to recognize the signs of another mammal in distress. Perhaps it's a maternal instinct (similar to a baby newborn whale that needs help to ascend for its first breath). But perhaps, just perhaps, the whale knew that the human needed help, and it decided to act just because it wanted to. Who knows?
Why is this important to us? Well, first, it's just interesting. Second, it's just shows another facet of the human-animal bond. That's why our pets (read: 'family members with fur') mean so much to us. They respond to us on so many different levels. It's not just about the food and shelter, they really pay attention to us, and we pay attention to them. It may not be a life saving event, but every day our pets show us some little interaction that makes us think there is a deeper connection. Some little event that shows us they understand more than we think they should. Are we fooling ourselves? Who knows?
Then that just leaves the question as to why anyone would want to have a breath-holding contest in arctic temperature water...
Why is this important to us? Well, first, it's just interesting. Second, it's just shows another facet of the human-animal bond. That's why our pets (read: 'family members with fur') mean so much to us. They respond to us on so many different levels. It's not just about the food and shelter, they really pay attention to us, and we pay attention to them. It may not be a life saving event, but every day our pets show us some little interaction that makes us think there is a deeper connection. Some little event that shows us they understand more than we think they should. Are we fooling ourselves? Who knows?
Then that just leaves the question as to why anyone would want to have a breath-holding contest in arctic temperature water...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursaday Grab-bag
Here's several interesting items:
Researchers have documented that cats use a different purr sound when they are soliciting attention versus just being contented.
Good review of Dr. Grafinger and TVEC in a sports website!
A new airline has just started. It only carries pets as passengers. So far they are booked months ahead of time.
Edit 7/22/09: How 'come nobody told me about the typo in the title?!?!? :-)
Researchers have documented that cats use a different purr sound when they are soliciting attention versus just being contented.
Good review of Dr. Grafinger and TVEC in a sports website!
A new airline has just started. It only carries pets as passengers. So far they are booked months ahead of time.
Edit 7/22/09: How 'come nobody told me about the typo in the title?!?!? :-)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
New cancer drug for dogs!
This is actually a really significant event: recently major pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that the FDA had approved a new drug specifically for use in the treatment of cancer in dogs. The name of the drug is Palladia, and it is approved for use in dogs for the treatment of cutaneous (skin) mast cell tumors.
The reason this is such a big deal is that it shows that the big drug companies are interested in developing drugs specifically for pets. We've been treating cancer in pets for many years, but it has always been with products approved for human use. It's great to have safety and usage data specifically from companion animals right off the bat. Usually we have to wait for that research to be done after the product is approved for use in humans, and this takes time. Hopefully, this drug will be successful, both in treating cancer, and as a financial success for Pfizer. That way, other companies will see that the pet market can be lucrative, and this might stimulate further drug development.
Right now Palladia is available free, but only through specialists of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). (The ACVIM is the veterinary group that trains and certifies veterinary internists and oncologists). It's important to note that the drug is free, but there may be other charges for administering the drug, exam fees, bloodwork, x-rays, etc. that will need to be performed in order to make sure the pet is a good candidate for this treatment. We have Palladia at TVEC; call us for more information.
It's early to really judge the drug yet, but this looks like a significant, and positive, step in the treatment of cancer in dogs.
The reason this is such a big deal is that it shows that the big drug companies are interested in developing drugs specifically for pets. We've been treating cancer in pets for many years, but it has always been with products approved for human use. It's great to have safety and usage data specifically from companion animals right off the bat. Usually we have to wait for that research to be done after the product is approved for use in humans, and this takes time. Hopefully, this drug will be successful, both in treating cancer, and as a financial success for Pfizer. That way, other companies will see that the pet market can be lucrative, and this might stimulate further drug development.
Right now Palladia is available free, but only through specialists of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). (The ACVIM is the veterinary group that trains and certifies veterinary internists and oncologists). It's important to note that the drug is free, but there may be other charges for administering the drug, exam fees, bloodwork, x-rays, etc. that will need to be performed in order to make sure the pet is a good candidate for this treatment. We have Palladia at TVEC; call us for more information.
It's early to really judge the drug yet, but this looks like a significant, and positive, step in the treatment of cancer in dogs.
Monday, July 13, 2009
TVEC in the News!
Recently our own Dr. Jeff Nunez was interviewed for a story on the evening news! Here's the video.
Also, he was interviewed by the local newspaper. Here's the link, although you'll need to be a subscriber to see it (you get free access for 7 days).
Heat stroke, bad.
Dr. Nunez, good!
Also, he was interviewed by the local newspaper. Here's the link, although you'll need to be a subscriber to see it (you get free access for 7 days).
Heat stroke, bad.
Dr. Nunez, good!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Dietary Supplements for Pets
There is a very good article at msnbc.com about dietary supplements for pets. It points out several important facts that often don't get enough play in the media.
Sometimes people are afraid to tell their vet about all of the things they give their pet, because they are afraid the vet will get mad at them or laugh at them. Be aware that there are some well known adverse reactions that can occur between supplements and other treatements, or between different types of supplements. Always tell your vet what supplements you are giving your pet, and preferably, ask your vet before giving them!
- In humans, 'dietary supplements' don't have to be proven effective, they just have to be safe.
- There is very little scrutiny of dietary supplements.
- Dietary supplements for pets get even less scrutiny.
- An alarming percentage of the tested products either don't contain what they say they contain, or they contain other, harmful ingredients.
- Although there is much anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of dietary supplements, there is minimal actual scientific data to back that up.
Sometimes people are afraid to tell their vet about all of the things they give their pet, because they are afraid the vet will get mad at them or laugh at them. Be aware that there are some well known adverse reactions that can occur between supplements and other treatements, or between different types of supplements. Always tell your vet what supplements you are giving your pet, and preferably, ask your vet before giving them!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Out of the mouths of Babes
Recently, Dr. Stubbs went to her children's preschool to talk to the children about being a veterinarian. After the presentation, the children (4-5 years old) made a thank you card for Dr. Stubbs, including both their interpretation of what a veterinarian does, as well as some drawings of veterinarians. I think the pictures are pretty self-explanatory! (Click on the pictures for a larger image).
Getting a thank you card like this is very rewarding, no matter what profession you are in.
Getting a thank you card like this is very rewarding, no matter what profession you are in.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Health Care
There was an interesting story recently run on ABC News. The gist of the story was the health care costs are rising not just for human patients, but for veterinary patients as well. It profiles some owners who chose to spend lots of money on their pets, and it shows some of the technology that veterinarians are using these days. It's a bit of a stretch to make comparisons between overhauling the human health care system and the state of the veterinary health care system, but the REALLY interesting thing is that this national news story exposes people to the fact that there is much more to veterinary medicine than they may have thought.
There are veterinary specialists these days in all sorts of fields like internal medicine, oncology, radiology, cardiology, surgery, dermatology, opthalmology, radiation oncology, etc. And the types of care that is being offered is very similar to the things that are being provided for the pets' owners. I suspect that this is an eye-opener to many people. Sure, there will be many people who believe spending this kind of money on a pet is a waste, but there will be many more who believe that their pet is a family member and they wouldn't think of NOT spending the money. (Draw your own conclusions about the cost issue. For what it's worth, very few cases cost as much as the examples in the story. It's the journalist's job to make the story more sensational by intentionally picking the most exorbitant examples)
The ABC piece was not filmed at TVEC, but it gives you a sense of the kinds of things going on here 'behind the scenes.' And in spite of the heavy emphasis on the sexy technology in the video, we (and most vets) know that it's not about the gadgets. We know that it's about listening to the client, paying attention to the pet, and using tests and technology appropriately to come up with the most effective solution to the problem.
There are veterinary specialists these days in all sorts of fields like internal medicine, oncology, radiology, cardiology, surgery, dermatology, opthalmology, radiation oncology, etc. And the types of care that is being offered is very similar to the things that are being provided for the pets' owners. I suspect that this is an eye-opener to many people. Sure, there will be many people who believe spending this kind of money on a pet is a waste, but there will be many more who believe that their pet is a family member and they wouldn't think of NOT spending the money. (Draw your own conclusions about the cost issue. For what it's worth, very few cases cost as much as the examples in the story. It's the journalist's job to make the story more sensational by intentionally picking the most exorbitant examples)
The ABC piece was not filmed at TVEC, but it gives you a sense of the kinds of things going on here 'behind the scenes.' And in spite of the heavy emphasis on the sexy technology in the video, we (and most vets) know that it's not about the gadgets. We know that it's about listening to the client, paying attention to the pet, and using tests and technology appropriately to come up with the most effective solution to the problem.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Gall Bladder Mucocele
We've seen a couple of cases recently of gall bladders gone bad. To be more precise, they have been filled with a gelatinous mass of gunk. Usually the gall bladder contains bile, a greenish-black fluid. After a meal, the bile is released into the intestines to aid digestion. In some animals, for reasons that aren't exactly clear, the bile stays in the gall bladder and gradually gets thicker and thicker. Eventually, bile cannot flow out properly and begins to 'back up' into the liver where it is toxic to the liver. Usually the wall of the gall bladder is also abnormal. The condition is called either gall bladder mucocele or cystic mucinous hyperplasia. Ultrasound is the primary way the condition is diagnosed. In a normal patient, the bile appears black within the gall bladder. As you can see below in a patient with a mucocele, the gall bladder is filled with white or light gray strands, and the contents of the gall bladder are very organized and immobile.
The above ultrasound picture is from a little dog had a long history of elevated liver enzymes, but minimal symptoms. Over the weekend she stopped eating, felt bad, and had some vomiting. Her veterinarian sent her to TVEC for an ultrasound and within the hour she was diagnosed with a gall bladder mucocele. The gall bladder had ruptured, spilling toxic bile into the abdomen. That night she had surgery and the remnants of the ruptured gall bladder and it's hardened contents were removed. Fortunantely for her, she made a full recovery and is doing well at home! This isn't true for all patients; if not treated immediately, gall bladder rupture can be fatal.
There is some controversy about this condition in patient's who aren't sick. Like the above example, many pets can have this condition for a while without any symptoms. If you happen to find this condition when you perform an ultrasound for other reasons, do you remove the gall bladder in a patient who isn't sick? This isn't a minor procedure, and there are risks from the surgery. But leaving it alone isn't a simple decision either, because many patients can be asymptomatic for a long time before they suddenly get sick and die a short time later. It really is a ticking time bomb, and you don't know whether it is safer to try and defuse it, or whether it is safer to leave it alone. Some veterinarians feel strongly one way or another, but it really is a case by case decision. When the patient is sick, or there is the suspicion of a gall bladder rupture, everyone agrees you have to go to surgery. Fortunately, many dogs do very well with surgery and make a complete recovery.
The above ultrasound picture is from a little dog had a long history of elevated liver enzymes, but minimal symptoms. Over the weekend she stopped eating, felt bad, and had some vomiting. Her veterinarian sent her to TVEC for an ultrasound and within the hour she was diagnosed with a gall bladder mucocele. The gall bladder had ruptured, spilling toxic bile into the abdomen. That night she had surgery and the remnants of the ruptured gall bladder and it's hardened contents were removed. Fortunantely for her, she made a full recovery and is doing well at home! This isn't true for all patients; if not treated immediately, gall bladder rupture can be fatal.
There is some controversy about this condition in patient's who aren't sick. Like the above example, many pets can have this condition for a while without any symptoms. If you happen to find this condition when you perform an ultrasound for other reasons, do you remove the gall bladder in a patient who isn't sick? This isn't a minor procedure, and there are risks from the surgery. But leaving it alone isn't a simple decision either, because many patients can be asymptomatic for a long time before they suddenly get sick and die a short time later. It really is a ticking time bomb, and you don't know whether it is safer to try and defuse it, or whether it is safer to leave it alone. Some veterinarians feel strongly one way or another, but it really is a case by case decision. When the patient is sick, or there is the suspicion of a gall bladder rupture, everyone agrees you have to go to surgery. Fortunately, many dogs do very well with surgery and make a complete recovery.
Dapper!
What does the well dressed young Boston Terrier wear to his recheck examination? Why, a button-down collar and matching tie, of course! Nice, Buddy!
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