Abstract
An Ideal deal
Members of ESFM now have access to JFMS papers as soon as they are accepted via the Ideal online library. Members will have free access to the full text of papers for all preceding issues as well as current papers. If you subscribe to more than one Harcourt Health Science Journal you will be able to view all of them online. Access is only available to the subscriber of the print version.
All you need is your subscriber number which is printed on the address label of your ESFM Journal. If you have thrown it away please call Harcourt Customer Services:
Tel: +44 (0)20 8308 5700/+1 877 839 7126
Fax: +44 (0)20 8309 0807/+1 (0)407 363 9661
E-mail:
Or contact the ESFM office on:
Tel: +44 (0)1747 871872
Fax: +44 (0)1747 871873
E-mail:
1 To register please refer to www.ideallibrary.com/registration/individual
2 Enter the requested details including the last 6 digits of your subscriber number
If you have problems with access contact the Harcourt Technical Support Team on:
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Clinical Research Abstracts for BSAVA Congress 2002
ESFM members are invited to present clinical research abstracts for BSAVA congress concerning recent or current clinical research activities. Research abstracts will run concurrently with the main BSAVA programme on the 4th, 5th and 6th of April 2002. The author making the short (15 minute) presentation is entitled to free registration for the entire Congress. If you would like instructions and abstract forms these can be obtained from the ESFM office. Abstracts must be returned to BSAVA by November 1st, 2001.
FAB PKD Screening Scheme – results from the first six months
The FAB Polycystic Kidney Disease Screening Scheme has now been running for over six months and the first 200 certificates have been analysed. Breeders and owners across the country have been having their cats tested −74% of these were Persians and 19% Exotic Shorthairs – others included Ragdolls, Asians and Birmans.
Results show that 40% of Persians scanned were positive; 19% of Exotics also tested positive. Within the results for the Persians, the Chinchillas/Goldens were looked at separately as their GCCF registration policy does not permit mating to other Persians – of these 17% were found to be positive. Of the other breeds, tested numbers are as yet too few to draw conclusions.
There are now 14 centres in the UK and Ireland and a mobile facility where cats can be scanned by approved ultrasonographers. Where there is no ultrasonographer available within the area, breeders have been working together to arrange for enough cats to be seen together to make bringing the mobile facility to them a viable option.
About PKD
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited disease in Persians and some Persian-related breeds in which a large number of fluid-filled cysts form within the kidneys. The cysts are present from birth in affected cats, but initially they are very small. They gradually increase in size until eventually they compromise the surrounding normal kidney tissue and cause kidney failure.
About the Scheme
The FAB PKD Screening Scheme was launched in November 2000. Under the Scheme cats are scanned using ultrasound to ascertain whether there are any cysts in the kidneys. An FAB-approved certificate is then issued which refers to the microchipped cat. This enables breeders to develop a breeding programme in the knowledge of which cats are positive and negative and to select accordingly.
Further information on PKD and the list of qualified ultrasonographers is available from the FAB website – www.fabcats.org. Tel: 01747 871872 or fax 01747 871873, e-mail:
FAB would be very interested to hear of other schemes or people with experience of the problem in other countries.
Major new UK cat group launched
Nine major veterinary and animal welfare organisations in the UK have united to form The Cat Group, a new association designed to ensure closer cooperation and exchange of information between those working with cats. The Cat Group will also, through the Internet, provide an authoritative public information resource on current feline health and welfare issues.
Founding members include Animal Health Trust, The Blue Cross, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, European Society of Feline Medicine, Feline Advisory Bureau, Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Universities Federation for Animal Welfare.
Chairman of The Cat Group is Professor Os Jarrett from the University of Glasgow, well known for his work on viral diseases in cats. Commenting on the Group's formation, Professor Jarrett said, ‘It makes sense that organisation concerned with feline health and welfare pool their expertise to address veterinary and welfare issues. The Cat Group will review the latest information on matters such as disease testing policies and the pros and cons of early neutering, and then publish an overview which will be useful to vets, pet owners and cat welfare workers alike’.
The Cat Group's findings, together with information about member organisations, will be available on an Internet site by the end of 2001.
Cat-only clinics
ESFM is compiling a list of feline-only practices across Europe. The list is growing gradually
Falstersvej 9
2000 Frederiksberg
Tel: +45 3888 4777
Fax: +45 3888 5777
e-mail:
Tyomiehenkatu 4C 00180 Helsinki
Tel: +358 9 686 6560
Fax: +358 9 685 2299
e-mail:
Dr Chantal Pavageau
19 Place de la Revolution
44800 Saint Herblaine
Nantes
Tel: +33 2 40 58 01 80
Fax: +33 2 40 63 29 12
Dr Chantal Bailly Maitre-Pia
5 Rue Francais 54000 Nancy
Tel: +33 3 83 96 10 74
Fax: +33 3 83 98 06 90
Dr Corinne Laruelle
16 Rue Edouard Larue 76600 Le Havre
Tel: +33 2 35 21 15 25
Fax: +33 2 35 43 62 32
Drs Michele Fradin-Ferme & Marie Ehrel Ibis Rue Parrot
75012 Paris
Tel: +33 1 43 43 63 44
Fax: +33 1 43 43 22 30
e-mail:
2068 Stratford Road
Hockley Heath
West Midlands B94 6NT
Tel: +44 (0)1564 782 307
e-mail:
Tom's Place Veterinary Surgery
6 Clifton Road
London W9 1SS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7289 1000
e-mail:
95 Albert Road
Southsea Hants PO5 1RU
Tel: +44 (0)239 283 1000
e-mail:
103–105 Stanmore Hill
Stanmore
Middlesex HA7 3DZ
Tel: +44 (0)208 954 0554
e-mail
38 Blackford Avenue
Edinburgh EH9 2PP
Tel: +44 (0)131 466 7110
e-mail:
258 Derby Road
Bramcote
Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG9 3JN
Tel: +44 (0)115 949 1616
e-mail:
The Tile House
Deepdene Wood
Dorking RH5 4BD
Tel: +44 (0)130 664 0514
e-mail:
Myra also sees cats on a referral basis at
11 Belsize Terrace
London NW3 4AX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7794 5408
Referral only
Langford House
Langford
Bristol BS40 5DU
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9558
Fax: +44 (0)117 928 9559
www.bris.ac.uk Referral only
Lanwades Park
Kentford
Newmarket
Suffolk CB8 7UU
Tel: +44 (0)1638 552700
Fax: +44 (0)1368 555600
e-mail:
University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals
Easter Bush Veterinary Centre
Roslin
Midlothian EH25 9RG
Tel: +44 (0)131 650 6182
Fax: +44 (0)131 650 7652
Referral only
Please send information on cat-only clinics to ESFM, Taeselbury, High Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6LD, UK or e-mail to
Diary
If you are holding a feline meeting and would like to publicise it further, please send details to: Claire Bessant, JFMS, Taeselbury, High Street, Tisbury Wiltshire SP3 6LD, UK. Fax: +44 (0)1747 871873. E-mail:
SCIVAC/ESFM Conference on Feline Medicine
28–30 September, 2001, Perugia, Italy
Speakers include: Marco Bernardini, Andrea Boari, Alessandro Bonioli, Tomaso Furlanello, Deborah Greco, Michael Lappin, Stefano Romagnolim, Giorgio Romanelli, Roberto Santilli, Fabia Scarampella, Andrew Sparkes and Frank Verstraete.
Topics include: fever of unknown origin, seizures in cats, uveitis, feline dentistry, vaccination protocols, emerging infectious diseases of cats, radiology, chronic renal failure, diabetes, emerging endocrinopathies, hyperthyroidism, dermatology, oestrus control, mammary hyperplasia and more.
For further information contact SCIVAC at Palazzo Trecchi, Via Trecchi, 26100 Cremona, Italy. Tel: (0372) 460440; Fax: (0372) 457091; Website: www.scivac.it; e-mail:
FAB Annual Conference
6 October, 2001, Ringway Hotel, Basingstoke, UK
The Older Cat
Danielle Gunn-Moore, University of Edinburgh
Maud van de Stadt, FAB Resident, University of Bristol
Sarah Caney, FAB Lecturer, University of Bristol
Vicky Halls
Penney Barber, FAB Lecturer, University of Edinburgh
Andrew Sparkes, Animal Health Trust
Cost: £35 for members, £45 for non-members. Payment by cheque or credit card to FAB at Taeselbury, High Street, Tisbury, Wilts SP3 6LD. Tel: 01747 871872; Fax: 01747 871873; e-mail:
Book Reviews
Ear Diseases of the Dog and Cat
R G Harvey, J Harari & A J Delauche
This valuable and timely book is written by three well-known authors including a dermatologist, a surgeon and a neurologist.
It is intended for veterinary students and clinicians. Despite ear disease being a common problem for the small animal clinician there are no comprehensive texts devoted to this topic. Consequently, this book fills a significant gap in the market.
The book is organised partly with a problem-orientated approach: There are chapters on the normal ear (structure and function, microbiology), diagnostic procedures, the aetiopathogenesis and classification of otitis externa, disease of the pinna, otitis media and otitis interna, para-aural abscess, medical management of ear disease, ototoxicity and other side-effects of otic medication, cleaning the external ear canal, aural haematoma and other pinnal surgery, surgical resection, aural ablation and bulla osteotomy, and perioperative analgesia and management.
The book is well referenced with most of the recent articles on this subject. There are a few omissions such as a limited discussion of the treatment options for feline squamous cell carcinoma with no mention of the use of photodynamic therapy, laser surgery and intralesional chemotherapy.
The reviewer found very little to criticise. The description of the nerves involved in Horner's syndrome could have been improved with a line diagram of the structures involved. Some of the tables are a little hard to read because a small font size has been used against a yellow background. There is no mention of the use of milbemycin therapy for demodicosis. There are occasional spelling mistakes, for example, according to Ackerman's histopathology text, Tzank should be spelt Tzanck. The reference number 14 on page 208 should read Walker not Waker. On page 79 reference is given to Cole et al 2000 but this is not mentioned in the text.
There are 406 (colour) illustrations, mainly of a wide variety of clinical cases with some line diagrams, microscopic views and photographs of anatomical structures and imaging techniques, and the vast majority are of excellent quality. Some of the cases with ophthalmic/neurological diseases are a little out of focus. The book is well produced and should survive frequent handling.
The text and illustrations are excellent and cover a significant amount of material. The book should be very useful for students and practitioners dealing with canine and feline dermatological problems related to the ear. This book ought to be on the shelf of all small animal vets.
A P Foster
Manson Publishing/The Veterinary Press, 2001. £49.95. ISBN: 1–84076–003–6
Small Animal Oncology
This softcover book is divided into 71 chapters. In the first three chapters some general items are discussed. Chapter 1 covers pathogenesis and tumour biology, Chapter 2 diagnosis and staging, and Chapter 3 treatment options. The other 14 chapters provide information on epidemiology, aetiology, pathology, clinical presentation, staging, management and prognosis for tumours occurring in the different body systems. The readability of the book is good and the layout of the book is nice. There are many black and white pictures, however, not all of them of high quality. In addition, there are eight pages with colour plates. The book has a good index.
According to the text on the back cover the purpose of this book is to provide a basic clinical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the more common tumours in dogs and cats for the practising veterinary surgeon, undergraduate student and veterinary nurse. As a consequence the information of most tumours is kept concise and easily accessible. For more detailed information, especially on epidemiology and aetiology, the reader is referred to other articles and textbooks. Recent literature, up to 1999, has been incorporated into the text.
On some items the authors balance between presenting basic information and trying to be complete. Chemotherapy is one of these items. Several detailed chemotherapy protocols are listed throughout the different chapters. For the treatment of malignant lymphoma even rescue chemotherapy protocols are listed. One can debate if this is considered to be of interest for the general veterinary surgeon. In addition, despite the fact that one and a half pages cover the safety of handling cytostatic drugs, one can question the administration of chemotherapy outside specialised clinics.
The oncology of both dogs and cats is discussed in this book, with an emphasis on the dog. As more literature exists on canine oncology this is understandable. However, some specific topics in feline oncology could have been discussed in more detail. For example, only 25 sentences describe the vaccine-induced fibrosarcomas. No information on treatment results and prognosis of this disease is given. Fibroadenomatous hyperplasia of the mammary gland is only mentioned once, without any further information at all.
Despite these few minor criticisms, Small Animal Oncology gives the reader what has been promised ‘a core of basic, easily accessible and clinically relevant information on several items in veterinary oncology’.
Eric Teske
Blackwell Science Ltd, 304 pages, £39.50. ISBN: 0632 0528 21
Comparative Veterinary Histology with Clinical Correlates
E Aughey & F L Frye with H Johnston
In their preface, Elizabeth Aughey and Fredric Frye write that ‘the objective of this atlas is to stimulate in veterinary undergraduates, an appreciation of the relationship between structure and function which is essential in the context of understanding all biology’. Without a thorough knowledge of the appearance of healthy cells and tissues, the abnormal cannot be recognised. Thus the book sets out to provide a firm basis of understanding of normal tissue architecture for the veterinary undergraduate, from which he or she can then go on to discern histological changes associated with the disease process. The book is also a valuable resource for other students of biological science and for post-graduates who are finding it necessary to incorporate histology in their studies. Aspiring histopathologists may also find the large number of colour plates helpful as they familiarise themselves with normal tissue architecture, particularly dealing with unfamiliar species.
The text begins with an introductory chapter covering basic principles of histological preparation, staining techniques, types of microscopy and examples of some common artefacts; the section on artefacts could have been expanded, as artefactual change can be a significant problem to the student learning to discriminate between the normal and the abnormal.
The second chapter describes the structure of the cell, types of epithelium and glands and chapters 3–5 cover connective tissue, blood and muscle respectively. The text is illustrated throughout with mostly good, clear colour plates, as well as some electron-micrographs and diagrams to assist appreciation of tissue structure. Occasional photomicrographs are not completely focused or slightly too dark, but considering the huge number of plates and the reasonable price of the book, this is a minor criticism. The photomicrographs not only display haemotoxylin and eosin staining, but also illustrate a range of beautiful histochemical stains that enhance various parts of the tissue structure and assist their identification by the student. Immunohistochemical staining is not illustrated but would require a separate chapter (perhaps applicable to a second edition).
Chapters 6–16 deal with the different organ systems, and a very interesting aspect of the book is the breadth of comparative veterinary histology that is provided, not only between different mammalian species but also covering avian, reptile, amphibian and fish species. Many fascinating differences in organ systems are illustrated eg, reproductive tract (including types of placentation), special senses and skin.
In distinction from standard histology books, at the end of each chapter, the authors give examples of histopathological lesions (sometimes also illustrated by gross anatomical photographs) which provide a correlation with clinical disease, linking the knowledge of normal histological patterns with lesion recognition. This should underpin the value of the histology discipline to the undergraduate and the authors should be congratulated in encouraging this mental bridge between pre-clinical and clinical years.
In summary the book presents excellent value at a cost of £39.95; it is clearly and concisely written and is also beautifully illustrated. It is recommended as a valuable resource. particularly for the undergraduate veterinary student and other students of biology interested in comparative veterinary histology.
Tony Blunden
London: Manson Publishing, 2001. 296 pages, hardback, £39.95.
Abstracts
Etue SM, Penninck DG, Labato MA, Pearson S, Tidwell A (2001) Vet Radiol Ultrasound
The sonographic appearance of the feline pancreas and associated anatomic landmarks including the pancreatic duct, duodenum, duodenal papilla, portal vein, and gastric lymph node were evaluated in 20 healthy, awake cats. The pancreas appeared nearly isoechoic to surrounding mesenteric tissues, isoechoic to slightly hyperechoic to adjacent liver lobes, and hypoechoic to the spleen. The mean thickness measurements for the right pancreatic lobe, body, and left pancreatic lobe were 4·5 mm (range 2·8–5·9), 6·6 mm (range 4·7–9·5), and 5·4 mm (range 3·4–9·0), respectively. The pancreatic duct was consistently visualized in the left pancreatic lobe and had a mean thickness of 0·8 mm (range 0·5–1·3). It could be differentiated from the pancreatic vessel, by its central location, and the duct's lack of Doppler flow signal. The duodenum was used as a landmark to identify the right lobe of the pancreas. The mean duodenal wall thickness measurement was 2·8 mm (range 2·1–3·8) in sagittal section, and 3·0 mm (range 2·2–4·4) in transverse section. The duodenal papilla was identified in 4 of 20 cats. It ranged in size from 2·9 to 5·5 mm in width, and had a maximum height of 4·0 mm in transverse section. The portal vein was used as a consistent anatomic landmark for identification of the left lobe and body of the pancreas. The mean diameter of the portal vein at the level where the pancreatic body joins the left pancreatic lobe was 4·3 mm (range 2·7–5·9) when viewed in sagittal section, and 4·5 mm (range 3·6–6·1) in transverse section. The gastric lymph node was identified cranial and ventromedial to the pyloroduodenal angle in 6 of 20 cats. It had an asymmetrical shape with a larger caudal pole in five of the six cats. The largest dimensions of the gastric lymph node were 10 mm in length, and 6 mm in width for the larger caudal pole, and 5·1 mm in width for the smaller cranial pole.
Miyamoto K (2001) Am J Vet Res
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate accuracy of measuring plasma clearance of inulin as an alternative renal function test for estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in cats. ANIMALS: 10 cats, first studied with intact kidneys and subsequently studied following partial nephrectomy. PROCEDURE: Clearance studies were performed in 10 clinically normal cats; those same cats then underwent partial nephrectomy, and clearance studies were performed again. Plasma concentration of inulin was determined after administration at 50 mg/kg of body weight to cats while renally intact and 45 mg/kg after the partial nephrectomy. Plasma clearance of inulin (PCin) was determined by dividing the dose by the area under the plasma inulin concentration versus time curve. Results for PCin were compared with values obtained simultaneously for urinary clearance of exogenously administered creatinine (Ccr), a widely accepted method for measurement of GFR in cats with intact kidneys and cats with reduced renal mass. RESULTS: Results of PCin were strongly correlated (r2 = 0 · 912, P < 0 · 001) with Ccr. Repeatability of determination of PCin was similar to that of Ccr. Sensitivity and specificity of PCin were superior and equivalent to that of Ccr, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Determination of PCin provides a reliable estimate of GFR in cats and is a promising alternative to determining Ccr in cats.
Ho CM, Ho ST, Wang JJ, Lee TY, Chai CY (2001) Am J Vet Res
OBJECTIVE: To determine antiemetic efficacy of prophylactic administration of dexamethasone and its influence on sedation in cats sedated with xylazine hydrochloride. ANIMALS: 6 healthy adult cats (3 males and 3 females). PROCEDURE: The prophylactic antiemetic effect of 4 doses of dexamethasone (1, 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg of body weight, IM) or saline (0·9 percent; NaCl) solution (0·9066 ml/kg, IM) administered 1 hour before administration of xylazine (0·966 mg/kg, IM) was evaluated. Cats initially were given saline treatment (day 0) and were given sequentially increasing doses of xylazine on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. After xylazine injection, all cats were observed for 30 minutes to allow assessment of frequency of emesis and time until onset of the first emetic episode. The influence of dexamethasone on xylazine-induced sedation in these cats also was evaluated. RESULTS: Prior treatment with 4 or 8 mg/kg of dexamethasone significantly reduced the frequency of emetic episodes and also significantly prolonged the time until onset of the first emetic episode after xylazine injection. Time until onset of the first emetic episode also was significantly prolonged for dexamethasone at a dose of 2 mg/kg. Time until onset of sedation after administration of xylazine was not altered by administration of dexamethasone. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dexamethasone (4 or 8 mg/kg, IM) significantly decreased the frequency of emetic episodes induced by xylazine without compromising sedative effects in cats. Dexamethasone may be used prophylactically as an antiemetic in cats treated with xylazine.
