Top 5 Articles for June 2017

A retrospective study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery reported that declawed cats have an increased risk for back pain and behavioral problems after declaw surgery. Such results, the authors wrote, should prompt further questioning of the practice of declawing in the United States.

2. ACVIM 2017: An Alternative Treatment for Heartworm Disease

For dogs with heartworm disease, the American Heartworm Society recommends adulticide treatment with melarsomine along with doxycycline and a macrocyclic lactone. However, melarsomine is not always accessible (in some countries it is unavailable), and the cost of this protocol can be prohibitive for some pet owners.

3. Poverty, Dog Ownership, and Canine Rabies Vaccination in Uganda

Results from a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey conducted in Uganda revealed that poverty level heavily influences dog ownership and canine rabies vaccination coverage. This study, according to the researchers, “represents one of the most comprehensive attempts to characterize the dog population and rabies risk in Uganda.”

4. ACVIM 2017: Measuring Quality of Life in Owners of Dogs with Heart Disease

At ACVIM 2017 in National Harbor, Maryland, Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN, discussed quality of life (QoL) for caregivers of human and veterinary patients with heart disease and presented results of a study evaluating QoL among owners of dogs with heart disease.

5. "Community Immunity" Needed to Fight Dog Flu In Florida

The highly contagious H3N2 strain of dog flu was reported in Florida last week and has since spread to over a dozen dogs in northern and central Florida. Now, the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is hoping to create “community immunity.”