2024 veterinary news in review: #13

The dvm360 editorial team is counting down our Top 20 news stories and articles of the year, from January 1, 2024, to November 15, 2024. Rank was determined by measurable audience interest and engagement.

A spotlight is shining on 1 article each day through New Year’s Eve, when the No. 1 dvm360 story of the year will be shared. The following article is No. 14 on this list:

Photo: Todorean Gabriel/Adobe Stock

Navigating canine anaphylaxis

written by By Jayme Hoffberg DVM, DACVECC, Board Certified Criticalist

Originally published March 12, 2024

Anaphylaxis is more than just an everyday allergic reaction and being prepared to recognize and treat these pets in a timely manner is crucial. Anaphylaxis is the systemic, immediate hypersensitivity reaction that is mostly caused by the Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated immunologic release of mediators from mast cells and basophils. The best way to differentiate an anaphylactic reaction from other simpler Type I hypersensitivity reactions is to characterize it as systemic hypersensitivity reaction involving at least 2 organ systems (dermatologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal (GI)).

Anecdotally, it would seem we are seeing more severe, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions in the last 5 years, which may also be due to our improved recognition of the disease. These are often some of the most severely and acutely ill patients we see in practice, and without timely and accurate identification and intervention, mortality can be very high.

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The culprits

There are numerous causes of allergic and anaphylactic reactions including insect bites and stings, vaccines, or other drugs though many of our patients will have an unknown trigger. In this article we are going to focus on IgE mediated type I hypersensitivity.

Our 2 main “bad boys” of anaphylaxis are the mast cell and the basophil. Both release histamine and mast cells will also release heparin. These 2 mediators are stored in granules preformed so there is prompt degranulation and release from the cells. This occurs when an antigen (an allergen) attaches to an IgE antibody on the surface of the cells. The release of these granules occurs within seconds to minutes. Then within 5-30 minutes there is downstream activation of the arachidonic acid cascade which releases prostaglandin, leukotrienes, and platelet activating factor. About 2-6 hours post stimulation, there is release of cytokines and chemokines such as interleukins and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha).²

For information on this story, including identification of canine anaphylaxis and references, continue reading the full article: https://www.dvm360.com/view/navigating-canine-anaphylaxis