Search Results for “surgery”

Games for cats have existed for some time. However, games in the form of food puzzles, that is, devices that release food when an animal interacts with them, offer added benefits, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Athens, Ga.; the University of California at Berkeley; and Ohio State University collaborated with cat behaviorists and concluded that food puzzles could positively impact feline health and behavioral issues. The final study was published in the September issue of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Subcutaneous ureteral bypasses (SUB) have been performed in adult canines and felines but not in younger patients, a spokesperson at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), told NEWStat. Because of that, the longevity of the device has never been an issue. Until now. On March 3, UC Davis announced the successful implant of a SUB in a 17-week-old spayed female sphinx. Given the age of the patient, time will tell if the device will remain effective.

Feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS) is a problem for older cats, and include myoclonic seizures in response to certain high-pitched sounds. Avoiding the high-pitched sounds is one solution. Another is suggested by a recent study. Researchers from Davies Veterinary Group and the University College London (UCL) School of Pharmacy in the United Kingdom compared the effects of levetiracetam, a relatively novel medication, with the much older first generation drug phenobarbital. The researchers concluded that levetiracetam was more effective for treating cats with hallmark myoclonic seizures. The study was published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery on Dec. 21.

Researchers from the University of Bari, Italy have reportedly discovered an effective method of treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in dogs that doesn't involve surgery or drugs. Their study, published online in The Prostate and scheduled to appear in print in August, details their use of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) to treat dogs with enlarge prostates.

A new Mayo Clinic study shows that many pet owners are severely underestimating the potential health risks of cat bites. The study reviewed 193 biting incidents from 2009 to 2011 and found that people often delay seeking treatment for cat bites, sometimes leading to significant health problems.

VMA Fights State Attempt to Require Veterinarians to Inform Clients of All Treatment Options

These guidelines provide a working framework for enhancing the well-being of senior pet dogs and cats. Approaches to screening the medical status of senior pets are described in detail, with particular emphasis on establishing baseline data in healthy animals, the testing of clinically ill animals, and assessing senior pets prior to anesthesia and surgery.

Early in the new year, an amazing story broke about an 11-year-old boy whose golden retriever, Angel, saved him from a cougar attack in rural British Columbia. The story was picked up by Canadian and American news outlets and the boy and his dog were famous for a day. But what happened behind the scenes? The veterinarian that treated Angel was Jack Anvik, DVM, hospital director of Sardis Animal Hospital in Chilliwack, B.C. Anvik said the dog was brought in by a friend of the family a day after the attack due to bad weather and other factors. “Their examination of the wounds just showed some puncture wounds and the dog did not seem critical enough to them to get it to us right away,” Anvik said. “When Angel walked in she had a limp and some bloodstained fur on her head that the owners had trimmed and cleaned up, but the dog was in surprisingly good spirits, but hey it’s a golden retriever!”

After many months of review, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has revised its position on domestic cat declawing. The revised declawing position statement was approved at a regularly scheduled AAHA Board of Directors meeting in August 2015. The approval came after months of review and revision by the board appointed Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee.

Dr. Karla Bard, Director of Medical Operations at the AAHA-accredited Humane Society of Tampa Bay, led a presentation of landmark research findings at the annual meeting of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) on Saturday, October 7th in Atlanta, Georgia. What she said wasn’t what the audience expected to hear.