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Anything's Possible In Pet Cures
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WHEN veterinarians treated pets for illnesses 20 years ago, success was definitely a crapshoot. Today, the odds have shifted. This was the message of the 73rd Annual Western Veterinary Conference Feb. 11-15 in Las Vegas. "Overall, anything that can be done for people can be done for your pet," says Dr. Stephen Crane, conference executive director.
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And when Crane says "anything," he means pretty much anything-even physical therapy.
Dr. Peter Schwarz, a board-certified surgeon in Albuquerque, says he treated a Lhaso apso with a herniated disc. Twenty years ago, this dog would have been euthanized. Today, surgery is a viable option,although complete mobility is not always regained afterward: at first, the Lhaso was not recovering well, Schwarz said. However, after three weeks of electrical stimulation and hydrotherapy (physical therapy in water), the dog not only walked again but recovered fully.
"Veterinary conferences aren't open to the public but they do impact all pet owners," says Crane. "This is where the cutting edge stuff is revealed, where veterinarians learn new ways to help our pets." The Western conference in Las Vegas is arguably the oldest and most prestigious in America, attended by more than 8,000 pet care professionals. Some of the nation's most renowned researchers and board-certified specialists are among the 220 presenters offering 850 hours of programming, much of it presented here first.
Physical therapy for pets may sound over the top, but Schwarz believes it will soon be routinely offered following many orthopedic surgeries. "I'm convinced that it can speed the rate of recovery, and in some cases make recovery possible in the first place," he says.
Schwarz says the biggest obstacles to overcome are pragmatic ones. For example, currently physical therapy for pets is only performed by human therapists and an elite group of veterinary technicians with special training. Schwarz thinks techniques in physical therapy will soon be taught to vet techs at conferences, and in schools, which will quickly double the number of people qualified to practice such techniques. As for hydrotherapy, since pets can't visit the YMCA, veterinary surgeons are installing pools.
Just as dogs with herniated discs were once euthanized, so were dogs that suffered seizures. That's no longer true, of course.
However, some dogs have seizures so severe that medications have limited effectiveness, or trigger severe side effects. Dr. Michael Podell, a board-certified neurologist and associate professor of neurology at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbus, was presenting new data at the conference on treating cluster or continuous seizures: instead of rushing an epileptic pet to an emergency clinic, the owner can administer a shot of Valium (diazepam) at home using a plastic syringe; the concentration is greater than the pill form, which is slow to act or ineffective.
For dogs that suffer side effects from potassium bromide used in conjunction with phenyl barbital to control seizures, Podell's research may reveal an alternative. He says that so far, there's been
side-effect-free success with one day of intense potassium bromide offered intravenously, followed by daily potassium bromide pills. The day-long intravenous treatment makes a huge difference. Podell was also scheduled to speak on new research to explain genetic influences causing canine epilepsy.
In fact, genetics is now a huge issue as the canine gene map becomes better understood. Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Wayne Rosenkrantz, of Tustin, Calif., planned to discuss how 31 dog breeds have been positively identified to have a genetic predisposition for skin problems. These include many terriers, akitas, cocker spaniels and most retrievers. He was also scheduled to discuss new shampoos for seborrhea, the most common dog skin problem. A new spray/rinse (called Advance PH Formula) makes its debut at the show to treat bacterial and yeast infections.
The conference also covered large animals, such as cows and horses, as well as alternative pets like reptiles and birds. Avian behaviorist Liz Wilson, of Levittown, Pa., planned to reveal research about birds that develop phobias about their owners. "I'm not just talking about a slight fear here," she says. "These birds really think they're going to die when their once-beloved favorite person walks into a room." Research on exactly how this phobia develops is ongoing, although Wilson points out that African birds (except lovebirds) and cockatoos are far more prone than birds from the Western Hemisphere. She speculates that early forced weaning might contribute in predisposed birds. The phobia is fixable but this takes months, incredible patience and sometimes Prozac.
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