Opioids are commonly used in the peri- and post-operative period to manage pain associated with knee surgery in dogs. The recent decrease in availability of opioids has led to an increase in the use of alternative techniques, such as local anesthetics. Epidural injection is commonly used to provide analgesia to dogs undergoing hind limb surgical...
Last month, thanks to legislative work spearheaded by the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, lawmakers amended the Illinois Controlled Substances Act (SB 1665) to exempt veterinarians from the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), effective immediately. Here are some of the highlights: Veterinarians are exempt from registering for the PMP. Veterinarians are now prohibited from accessing patient...
“What is your strategy for feeding your cattle herd this winter?” This is a question worth asking your cattle clients now. What your clients usually do may not work this year. The winter weather led to substantial losses in alfalfa fields. The spring weather delayed or prevented planting corn and delayed harvesting hay. Many cattle...
Tell us about your background. I grew up in western Pennsylvania, the daughter of two veterinarians who owned a mixed-animal practice. This meant that as a toddler, I was accustomed to going on farm calls and knew that a down cow likely needed calcium. With this constant veterinary exposure, 4H was a natural progression. I...
Wildlife Rehab – What Can You Do? It’s an all-too-familiar scenario: A client walks into your clinic with a wild animal. “I found this on the side of the road. Can you do anything?” Responses can range from excitement to terror to concern over the liability or cost of treating this animal. What can you...
Tips to Help Busy Practitioners with Chicken Cases Have you been seeing a lot of backyard chickens at your practice recently? If yes, you are certainly not alone. More and more clients are reaching out to veterinarians to ensure health and treat emergent issues in their hens, and the issues they are presenting with are...
Tell us about your background and interests. I received both my undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Illinois. I completed a small animal internship in Connecticut before returning to the University of Illinois for a zoo specialty internship. I completed my residency in zoo medicine at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington,...
Surgical Procedure May Aid Breathing Serious heart and lung disorders in brachycephalic dogs contribute to life-threatening disease. Despite suffering similar conformational deformities, brachycephalic cats such as Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair cats remain largely unstudied as a population at significant risk for systemic and quality of life issues. Mounting evidence suggests brachycephalic cats also develop...
Biomarkers Aid Diagnosis of Cardiac Conditions Cardiac biomarkers are substances that are released into the blood when the heart is damaged or stressed. Measurements of these biomarkers are used to help support the diagnosis of a variety of conditions, including heart failure, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathies. The most widely utilized cardiac biomarkers in dogs and cats...
Tell us about your background. I am originally from Sydney, Australia. I went to veterinary school at the University of Sydney. Following graduation, I worked for a year in general practice in Sydney, then completed a specialty internship in internal medicine and emergency and critical care medicine at a private referral hospital in Sydney, Australia....