VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl podcast, we interview Dr. Kristina Kiefer, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor at University of Minnesota on the use of stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs. Osteoarthritis is a non-reversible disease in which the joint loses cartilage and begins to ossify. This causes pain and therefore lameness. Current therapies involve weight control, pain management (including NSAIDs, tramadol, etc.), alternative medicine (e.g., acupuncture), and physical therapy. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (ASC) therapy is currently being looked at as a possible treatment for this disease. This involves the collection of mesenchymal stem cells from fat in normal dogs undergoing routine surgeries. Because the cells come from one dog to another, it is considered allogeneic (non-self). The reason stem cell therapy is promising is that these cells are multipotent, or are capable of becoming many types of cells, and anti-inflammatory. In theory, mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into cartilage. We suspect that allogeneic stem cell therapy will increase healing of joints affected by osteoarthritis and slow down arthritic progression. [caption id="attachment_7920" align="alignright" width="300"] Dr. Kiefer administering canine stem cells[/caption] Dr. Kiefer is teaming up with the Clinical Investigative Center (CIC) at the University of Minnesota on a study called "Evaluation of Allogeneic Stem Cells as an Adjuvant Therapy for Osteoarthritis." They are currently enrolling patients in the study. If you are in the state of Minnesota, Iowa, or the surrounding area, this study is seeking canine patients that have osteoarthritis in one or more joints, that clinically impacts their daily life. Inclusion criteria are adult dogs that have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis through physical examination, blood work, urinalysis and radiographs, and the commitment to complete a 12 week study. If the dog qualifies, they will be randomly assigned to a treatment group or control group. The treatment group will receive allogeneic stem cells either intravenously or intra-articularly, while the placebo group with receive saline in place of cells. Stem cell therapy is provided free of charge to all participants. If a patient was assigned to a placebo group, they will receive stem cell therapy at the conclusion of the study. To enroll in the study, please contact the CIC at vcic@umn.edu or 612-624-2485. Dr. Kiefer can be contacted directly at kief0048@umn.edu

In this VetGirl podcast, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC discusses the use of desmopressin (DDAVP) for the treatment of aspirin-induced coagulopathy! So, if you're about to take a dog to surgery, and just found out he's been on chronic aspirin therapy, consider listening to this podcast... it'll help with the oozing!

In this VetGirl podcast, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC discusses the use of desmopressin (DDAVP) for the treatment of aspirin-induced coagulopathy! So, if you're about to take a dog to surgery, and just found out he's been on chronic aspirin therapy, consider listening to this podcast... it'll help with the oozing!

In this VetGirl podcast, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC discusses the findings of a large, prospective multicenter evaluation of coagulation abnormalities seen in dogs following severe trauma. So, should you be running more coagulation panels in your hit-by-car (HBC) cases? If you see a lot of trauma cases in your busy ER, this podcast is a must-listen to!

A big shout out to guest blogger, veterinary nutritionalist Dr. Catherine Lenox, DVM, CVA, DACVN for this great nutrition blog contribution! In today's VetGirl podcast, we're going to discuss a step-by-step basic approach to the obese veterinary patient. With obese patients, prevention is key. However, with pet obesity on the rise, we all need a plan for obese patients. This step-by-step guide is designed for management of the “basic” obese patient. By “basic,” I mean the dog or cat does not have any concurrent health issues that need to be addressed, and is not already consuming a low number of calories. Obese patients with systemic diseases (including things like adverse food reactions, diabetes, or renal disease) would be managed differently. Patients who are obese but are already consuming a low number of calories (I call them the “easy keepers”) are also more complicated and would require additional diagnostics such as thyroid testing, rechecking the diet history with the owner (maybe the “cup” is really 16 ounces instead of 8 ounces), evaluation of the activity plan, and a potential consult with a board-certified nutritionist (DACVN) to ensure adequate nutrient composition of the chosen diet and plan. 1. Take a thorough dietary history This includes not only the type of food fed with amount and frequency, but also treats, table scraps, human foods, foods for medication administration, dietary supplements, food used for training purposes, anything the dog or cat could get into (other pets' food, etc), and anything else the pet may be eating on a regular basis. Try to estimate calories consumed as best as possible. Calorie information on many diets can be found on the packaging, or in the company product guides, on the company's website, or by calling the manufacturer. 2. Estimate body condition, muscle condition, and ideal weight Body condition score and muscle condition score should be assessed on all patients. Body condition score is a subjective assessment of cutaneous fat mass, and is generally on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being emaciated and 9 being obese. 4-5/9 is ideal for most patients, with emphasis on making pets leaner if there is presence of joint disease or neurologic disease. Muscle condition score describes the lean muscle mass and can be assessed by palpating over the epaxial muscles, scapulae, hips, and hindlimbs. Body condition and muscle condition charts can be found, along with other nutrition resources at: http://www.wsava.org/nutrition-toolkit Ideal weight is best estimated in one of two ways. The first way is based off historical weight or by asking the owner if the pet looked normal at a specific weight. This does not always work, so I use the following method, keeping in mind that each point on the 9-point BCS scale is equivalent to approximately 10% of body weight. Ideal Body Weight (IBW) = current weight / (100% + ([BCS-5] x 10)%) Example: a 10 kg dog with BCS of 8/9: IBW = 10 kg / (100% + (8-5)%) = 10 kg / (100% + 30%) = 10 kg / 1.3 = 7.7 kg This is always an estimation and the patient should be monitored frequently (see step 6). 3. Calculate resting energy requirements for ideal body weight Always use body weight in kilograms for the following formula: RER = 70 x (BW)^0.75 This can be done on a regular calculator by using the following formula: RER = BW x BW x BW =, √ √ =, x 70 Example: Take our 10 kg dog who should weigh 7.7 kg as mentioned above. Resting energy requirements for IBW = 70 x (7.7)^0.75 = 324 kcal/day. 4. Compare current intake to estimated energy requirements a. Complicated cases: For dogs with RER [IBW] x 1.0 > current intake, check thyroid, recheck diet history, increase activity, and/or consult with a DACVN For cats already consuming less than 0.8 x RER [IBW], recheck diet history, discuss environmental enrichment, and/or consult with a DACVN. For these complicated c

A big shout out to guest blogger, veterinary nutritionalist Dr. Catherine Lenox, DVM, CVA, DACVN for this great nutrition blog contribution! In today's VetGirl podcast, we're going to discuss a step-by-step basic approach to the obese veterinary patient. With obese patients, prevention is key. However, with pet obesity on the rise, we all need a plan for obese patients. This step-by-step guide is designed for management of the “basic” obese patient. By “basic,” I mean the dog or cat does not have any concurrent health issues that need to be addressed, and is not already consuming a low number of calories. Obese patients with systemic diseases (including things like adverse food reactions, diabetes, or renal disease) would be managed differently. Patients who are obese but are already consuming a low number of calories (I call them the “easy keepers”) are also more complicated and would require additional diagnostics such as thyroid testing, rechecking the diet history with the owner (maybe the “cup” is really 16 ounces instead of 8 ounces), evaluation of the activity plan, and a potential consult with a board-certified nutritionist (DACVN) to ensure adequate nutrient composition of the chosen diet and plan. 1. Take a thorough dietary history This includes not only the type of food fed with amount and frequency, but also treats, table scraps, human foods, foods for medication administration, dietary supplements, food used for training purposes, anything the dog or cat could get into (other pets' food, etc), and anything else the pet may be eating on a regular basis. Try to estimate calories consumed as best as possible. Calorie information on many diets can be found on the packaging, or in the company product guides, on the company's website, or by calling the manufacturer. 2. Estimate body condition, muscle condition, and ideal weight Body condition score and muscle condition score should be assessed on all patients. Body condition score is a subjective assessment of cutaneous fat mass, and is generally on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being emaciated and 9 being obese. 4-5/9 is ideal for most patients, with emphasis on making pets leaner if there is presence of joint disease or neurologic disease. Muscle condition score describes the lean muscle mass and can be assessed by palpating over the epaxial muscles, scapulae, hips, and hindlimbs. Body condition and muscle condition charts can be found, along with other nutrition resources at: http://www.wsava.org/nutrition-toolkit Ideal weight is best estimated in one of two ways. The first way is based off historical weight or by asking the owner if the pet looked normal at a specific weight. This does not always work, so I use the following method, keeping in mind that each point on the 9-point BCS scale is equivalent to approximately 10% of body weight. Ideal Body Weight (IBW) = current weight / (100% + ([BCS-5] x 10)%) Example: a 10 kg dog with BCS of 8/9: IBW = 10 kg / (100% + (8-5)%) = 10 kg / (100% + 30%) = 10 kg / 1.3 = 7.7 kg This is always an estimation and the patient should be monitored frequently (see step 6). 3. Calculate resting energy requirements for ideal body weight Always use body weight in kilograms for the following formula: RER = 70 x (BW)^0.75 This can be done on a regular calculator by using the following formula: RER = BW x BW x BW =, √ √ =, x 70 Example: Take our 10 kg dog who should weigh 7.7 kg as mentioned above. Resting energy requirements for IBW = 70 x (7.7)^0.75 = 324 kcal/day. 4. Compare current intake to estimated energy requirements a. Complicated cases: For dogs with RER [IBW] x 1.0 > current intake, check thyroid, recheck diet history, increase activity, and/or consult with a DACVN For cats already consuming less than 0.8 x RER [IBW], recheck diet history, discuss environmental enrichment, and/or consult with a DACVN. For these complicated c

Today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast is by veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Lisa Radosta from Florida Veterinary Behavior Service discusses cognitive dysfunction in dogs and cats. Dr. Radosta discusses how to implement a simple, one-page cognitive dysfunction quiz that can be used by veterinary clinics for pet owners to test for it. This VetGirl podcast specifically discusses DISHA, which is short for Disorientation, Interaction, Sleep Wake-Cycle, House-training, and Activity/Anxiety/Aggression level changes.

Today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast is by veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Lisa Radosta from Florida Veterinary Behavior Service discusses cognitive dysfunction in dogs and cats. Dr. Radosta discusses how to implement a simple, one-page cognitive dysfunction quiz that can be used by veterinary clinics for pet owners to test for it. This VetGirl podcast specifically discusses DISHA, which is short for Disorientation, Interaction, Sleep Wake-Cycle, House-training, and Activity/Anxiety/Aggression level changes.

Today's VetGirl podcast is by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC. She discusses a multicenter prospective evaluation of dogs with trauma. This podcast will review trauma scoring with different scoring systems: animal trauma triage [ATT], modified Glasgow coma scale [MGCS], and acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation [APPLE]. More importantly, it'll review the usefulness of these scoring systems and see if they can predict outcome. Overall, this study found that the severity of injury (e.g., penetrating trauma), along with surgery and how low the blood lactate levels were helped predictf survival.

In this VetGirl podcast, we review a clinical case example of canine leptospirosis. Small dog from the city? Azotemic with increased liver enzymes? It's leptospirosis until proven otherwise? This podcast reviews a true case example of Darby, a 5 year old Papillon.

In this VetGirl podcast, we review a clinical case example of canine leptospirosis. Small dog from the city? Azotemic with increased liver enzymes? It's leptospirosis until proven otherwise? This podcast reviews a true case example of Darby, a 5 year old Papillon.

Today's VetGirl podcast is by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC. She discusses a published case report of a French bulldog with severe aspiration pneumonia post-ovariohysterectomy and brachycephalic surgery, only for it to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She discusses the successful use of a unique type of ventilation called airway pressure release ventilation (with a reverse inspiratory to expiratory ratio). After two weeks on the ventilator, the dog did great! This podcast is vent-heavy and is a must-listen to for emergency critical care residents!

Today's VetGirl podcast is by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DACVECC. She discusses a published case report of a French bulldog with severe aspiration pneumonia post-ovariohysterectomy and brachycephalic surgery, only for it to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She discusses the successful use of a unique type of ventilation called airway pressure release ventilation (with a reverse inspiratory to expiratory ratio). After two weeks on the ventilator, the dog did great! This podcast is vent-heavy and is a must-listen to for emergency critical care residents!

PaO2, SpO2, and end-tidal CO2, oh my!! Dr. Jane Quandt, DACVA, DACVECC explains all you need to know about these confusing abbreviations! Why should you care? Because it lets you assess your oxygenation and ventilation! Find out why you need to care (a lot!) when your pulse oximetry reading (SpO2) is only 90%!

PaO2, SpO2, and end-tidal CO2, oh my!! Dr. Jane Quandt, DACVA, DACVECC explains all you need to know about these confusing abbreviations! Why should you care? Because it lets you assess your oxygenation and ventilation! Find out why you need to care (a lot!) when your pulse oximetry reading (SpO2) is only 90%!