Knowing the challenges, how can we work together to build better and more robust grading schemes that are validated and reproducible?

Published May 23, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By Andrew D. Miller, DVM, Dipl. ACVP

The time has come for all of us to have an honest discussion about grading in our profession. No, I do not mean exam grades, but rather those provided by veterinary pathologists on biopsy samples of cancer procured from our animal patients.

Human cancer diagnostics are replete in tumor grading schemes, many of which are directly tied to patient outcome and/or response to therapy. However, veterinary medicine remains woefully behind in developing, validating, and applying grading schemes to cancer in our animal patients. We all want what is best for our patients, so how can we move our field forward and start better developing and utilizing grading schemes in cancer diagnostics?

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Methodology of studies should be carefully assessed before accepting the association between being gonadectomized and lifespan reflects a causal relationship

April 11, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By Martin L. Whitehead, BSc, PhD, BVSc, CertSAM, MRCVS

A Google search shows many veterinary and animal-welfare websites claim neutering prolongs the lifespan of male and female dogs. Certainly, many studies1-10 have reported a consistent association between canines being gonadectomized and longer average lifespan—several months to two years longer in females, and none to over a year longer in males.

However, the methodology of these studies should be carefully assessed before accepting that the association between being gonadectomized and lifespan reflects a causal relationship (i.e. that neutering really does prolong lifespan).

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In the U.S., each state defines minimum requirements for animal boarding facilities differently

Published March 10, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By Greg Bishop, DVM

Small animal practitioners will recognize this scenario: a client hands you a list of vaccines like they are turning in a menu at a sushi restaurant. They are going out of town, and their pet’s boarding facility (aka kennel) has vaccine requirements. The client wants you to give these exact shots.

For an animal health professional, especially one striving to be an evidence-based practitioner, this presents a dilemma. You are supposed to be the one with recommendations for preventive care based on good science. How and where is each kennel coming up with their specific requirements? Of course, mandatory vaccines are not unique to kennels, many veterinarians are familiar with standardized requirements for international animal transport. However, the standardization is the key difference.

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For the general world population, rabies remains a key global public health threat

Published January 31, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By Erica Tramuta-Drobnis, VMD, MPH, CPH

Rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) recommendations were recently amended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); they replace the previous three-dose PrEP schedule with a two-dose one. They, in part, base this decision on various risk categories, now divided into five subtypes. Further changes in the recommendations include titer monitoring, how often and for whom, and the minimum acceptable titer limit.

Are these recommendations medically sound? Are they in the best interest of those at risk of exposure? What does the evidence say?

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The fungal organism Microsporum canis is primarily spread through close contact

Published January 18, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By Lena DeTar, DVM, DACVPM, DABVP

There were only a few percentages we were told to “memorize for boards” in veterinary school, a dozen years ago now. These included odds of malignancy in dog/cat mammary masses (50 percent/90 percent); canine splenic mass diagnoses (33 percent hematoma/hemangioma/ hemangiosarcoma); failure rates of TPLO versus TPP versus. lateral band in canine cruciate disease (now debunked); and, in dermatology, the sensitivity of the Wood’s lamp in diagnosing dermatophytosis: less than 50 percent.

Where did “50 percent” come from, and why has it been lodged so firmly in our heads? So firmly that I recently ran across this same number in the crisp 2022 edition of a small animal textbook. That number is wrong, and my veterinary friends, colleagues, students still quote it. It is also possible the first percentages quoted here need updating—they probably do (See: “When in doubt cut it out! But by how much?” by Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMA on VPN Plus+).

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In considering if an article is valid, there is no alternative to reviewing the Materials and Methods sections of an article for the methodology used in the study

Published December 2, 2022 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

By David W. Ramey, DVM

It is important for veterinarians to constantly strive to improve their knowledge of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, so they remain consistent with new findings. To do otherwise puts them at risk of failing to keep up with the latest clinical advancements.

The most accessible means of obtaining the latest information is usually in clinical journals. However, the readily available sources of biomedical literature are expanding rapidly, while the time to read them is becoming increasingly more difficult to find. If a veterinarian wants to try to stay current with developments in veterinary medicine without getting overwhelmed, it is important to develop a system for reading and evaluating scientific papers.

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