summer 2008
improving the quality of health care
o n th e
for your best friends
Treadmill
to re c ov ery
C O M PA N I O N A N I M A L H E A L T H F U N D • W E S T E R N C O L L E G E O F V E T E R I N A R Y M E D I C I N E
Feline Study
Puts PCR
to the Test
by Matt Barron
W
hen Dr. Belle Nibblett set out to investigate
the presence of parasitic bacteria in cat
populations, the usual research path from test
to results became a winding road that led the
graduate student back to the test itself. Nibblett, a
resident in small animal medicine at the Western
College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), initially
wanted to compare the presence of hemotrophic
Mycoplasma in cats housed at the Saskatoon
SPCA with cats treated at WCVM’s Small Animal
Clinic. Formerly known as Haemobartonella and
Eperythrozoon species, the renamed hemotrophic
mycoplasmas (or hemoplasmas) are small,
epicellular parasites of cat red blood cells that
cause a range of clinical signs culminating in lifethreatening anemia.
Nibblett suspected that the blood-bound bacteria would be a bigger problem
with the SPCA’s feline population since feral cats would be at higher risk of
infection through transmission from fleas and ticks as well as from contact with
other cats. She had good reason to think the presence of the parasite would be
high: a retrospective study of WCVM’s feline cases between 1995 and 2006 found
that 14 per cent of anemic cats were infected with hemotrophic Mycoplasma
species.
In a healthy cat, hemotrophic Mycoplasma infection may remain
subclinical. But if a healthy cat’s infected blood is accidentally donated to an
unhealthy cat, severe anemia and even death could result. That situation, points
out Nibblett, is something the WCVM wants to prevent.
Mycoplasma tricky to test
For various reasons, hemotrophic Mycoplasma can’t simply be grown
on a petri dish and identified like most bacteria. Nibblett’s study would have
been impossible without recent advances in PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
technology — a DNA-based technique whose sensitivity is thought to be
unparalleled.
Yet, after two months of collecting and analyzing blood samples from 50
cats, Nibblett found that only one of the SPCA cats and none of the WCVM cats
had tested positive for the bacteria. “It was absolutely a surprise because the
initial screening had shown such very high numbers,” she says.
Nibblett and her graduate supervisor, Dr. Elisabeth Snead, began suspecting
a problem with the sensitivity of the PCR test. After all, the researchers sought
very small numbers of bacteria, not the millions typically grown in a petri dish.
The focus of Nibblett’s study shifted to include the PCR test itself: was there
anything wrong with the test? This proved to be an important question. After all,
PCR technology isn’t just used by researchers: veterinarians also rely on PCR
testing when they need to confirm particular diagnoses.
Above: Dr. Belle Nibblett examines a female patient while a
clinical team works in WCVM’s new anesthesia induction area.
2 • Vet Topics • Summer 2008
Photos: Michael Raine
Nibblett decided to resubmit the same blood samples to the laboratory
and see if the chosen lab could produce the same answer twice using its PCR
technology. In each case, the lab’s results were consistent. This seemed to rule
out the possibility that problems with the PCR test caused the low numbers in
her study, or the possibility that the test wasn’t sensitive enough.
Nibblett says changing rates of infection over the past few years is a possible
explanation for the fewer number of subclinically-infected cats in her study. In
any case, after increasing the number of cats to be screened for hemotrophic
Mycoplasma infection to 115, the graduate student found that 12 per cent of
SPCA cats were infected with hemotrophic Mycoplasma while four per cent of
the client-owned cats were infected.
Can you see the difference?
While the PCR assay was exonerated in her study’s test results, Nibblett still
had questions about the PCR test in general: would she get the same answer
if she sent the same blood sample to two different laboratories? Curiously, she
received a different answer on multiple samples. For instance, one laboratory
detected two Mycoplasma species in the blood sample while the other lab
detected only one species.
“Myself, as a doctor, I’ve given up on the idea that tests are black and
white,” Nibblett says. “There’s often a fair bit of grey area within the answer of
diagnostic testing. We want to accept it (the diagnostic test) as being perfect, but
it’s not. So we have to become aware of its limitations — such as this study that
shows you can’t get the same results from every lab.”
PCR testing is very sensitive and useful if it’s understood, points out Nibblett.
But as her study showed, there was a 10 per cent discrepancy rate between results
from PCR testing at two different laboratories. This isn’t necessarily due to a
problem in how the laboratories perform the test: it’s actually because the test is
slightly different at various laboratories. If veterinarians are unaware of the test’s
limitations, there could be problems for their patients as well as for veterinary
research.
“That difference might be significant if your cat tests negative (for a
disease), but it’s really positive. They won’t get the antibiotics they need,”
explains Nibblett. She adds that it’s far better to send samples to the same
laboratory to maintain consistency in the results.
While it’s desirable for laboratory tests to be standardized by the
International Standards Organization (ISO), PCR testing still hasn’t gone
through that process. Nibblett hopes that this study will draw attention to the
test’s limitations among veterinary researchers and practitioners.
As for the circuitous development of her research study, Nibblett would have
liked to find more conclusive results on the risks of Mycoplasma infection in
cats and possibly a better way of treating the disease.
At this point, no research team has published
a consistently effective antibiotic therapy
for Mycoplasma infection in cats.
The lack of “positive” cats
in her study prevented Nibblett
from looking into effective
antibiotic protocols, “but
that’s par for the course
in doing research,”
acknowledges Nibblett. V
Roaming Males More at Risk
If your kitty is a mixed-breed male that roams outdoors
and likes to get in the occasional brouhaha with his
rivals, he’s at a higher risk of developing hemotrophic
Mycoplasma-induced anemia.
Those risk factor indicators stem from a retrospective
study that was conducted by Dr. Belle Nibblett and
her WCVM collaborators: Drs. Elisabeth Snead, Cheryl
Waldner, Sue Taylor and Marion Jackson.
During her research work, Nibblett reviewed the
medical records of 170 feline patients at the WCVM
Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1995 and 2006.
All of the selected patients had a primary diagnosis of
anemia while records showed that 23 of the cats had
clinical disease caused by hemotrophic Mycoplasma
(HM) infection.
Based on those numbers, the rate of HM infection
among anemic cats was 14 per cent. Cats with HM
infection were less likely to be purebred and male cats
were almost three times more likely to be infected than
females. Access to the outdoors was present in 95 per cent
of the infected cats. As well, close to 20 per cent of the
HM-infected cats had been in a cat fight within a six-week
period before coming to the veterinary teaching hospital.
Clinical signs included lethargy, weakness or anorexia
in 74 per cent of the HM-infected anemia cases. Veterinarians classified the anemia as regenerative in almost 60
per cent of cases.
In addition,
veterinarians
recorded the
retroviral status of 19
of the 23 patients: 10
per cent of those cases
tested positive for feline
immunodeficiency virus and
15 per cent tested positive for
feline leukemia virus. Half of the HM-induced
anemia cases received blood transfusions as part of their
therapy.
What was the prognosis for the HM-infected cats?
WCVM researchers defined a good outcome as survival
one year after the cat was brought to the hospital.
Overall survival of HM-infected cats was 63 per cent, and
all of the cats that had no concurrent illness recovered
and survived. Factors that reduced a cat’s chances of
surviving included positive retroviral status, concurrent
illness and the presence of a non-regenerative anemia.
In June 2007, Nibblett had the chance to share
findings from this study with her peers during the annual
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
(ACVIM) Forum in Seattle, Washington. Besides giving a
poster presentation, Nibblett’s research was part of the
Forum’s research abstract program.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 3
D
uring Dr. Belle Nibblett’s five-year stint as a
veterinarian in Fort Wayne, Ind., she helped many
clients — especially elderly ones — deal with the
long-term illnesses and eventual death of their pets. As a result,
the small animal practitioner has several four-legged namesakes
romping around in homes throughout the state of Indiana.
“Because I helped them, the new pet is called Belle or
some variant thereof,” says Nibblett, a resident of small animal
internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine
(WCVM). “I’m very honoured by such things, of course.”
And although she’s now far away in Western Canada,
Nibblett still values the relationships that she developed with
clients and their pets while practising at two veterinary clinics in
Fort Wayne. In fact, she still keeps in contact with many of her
former clients.
The human-animal bond — between clients and pets as
well as between veterinarians and pets — is something Nibblett
values and understands. “It seems so cliché in a lot of veterinary
writing right now, this talk about the human-animal bond. And
yet, for most of us, that’s truly what it’s all about.”
Nibblett’s link to the veterinary profession began in 1996
after she finished her Bachelor of Science degree at Bishop’s
University in Lennoxville, Québec. “Veterinary science was the
logical choice,” says Nibblett, who completed her four-year
veterinary degree at WCVM in 2000.
One early moment that influenced her career plans came
when Nibblett was a teenager growing up in Veregin, Sask. She
and the family dog were running near railroad tracks when
a train struck and killed the Irish setter. Nibblett had yelled a
warning, but her dog hadn’t responded — a tragic event that
also sparked the veterinarian’s passion for obedience training.
“I had a love of animals, and when I got two dogs following
this incident, I wanted them to be absolutely mechanistic in their
obedience — and they were. Spectacularly well-trained. But my
current dogs have almost no training,” admits Nibblett with a
smile.
While living in Indiana, Nibblett’s experience broadened
from dogs and cats to more exotic animals such as orangutans
and even snow leopards. Working as a relief veterinarian at
the Children’s Zoo in Fort Wayne, Nibblett carried out such
procedures as skin sutures on a snow leopard — an unfortunate injury that
occurred during transport to its new home halfway around the world.
Nibblett also worked part time as a night-shift veterinarian at a bustling
emergency veterinary clinic, dealing with everything from seizures, infected
uteruses and chocolate toxicity cases. It was the ideal place to sharpen
her emergency skills and to learn how to work under stress. “The biggest
veterinarian emergencies you can have: I saw them all in one night,” she says,
laughing. “Or it seemed that way, some nights.”
While she liked working with large animals, Nibblett’s love of dogs and
cats eventually influenced her decision to specialize in small animal internal
medicine. “I enjoyed my exotics, my skin cases and my eye cases, but I felt I
would be too restricted in any one of those specialties. Internal medicine would
allow me to see the broadest array of cases.”
After years of hard work, the goal of working as a specialist is within
Nibblett’s grasp. Once she writes her qualifying exam for the American College
of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and completes her residency at WCVM
this summer, she will travel to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and teach
veterinary students at Ross University.
Belle’s Bond
by Matt Barron
“I’ve come to appreciate that these
creatures give you all of their attention
without asking for anything in return.”
4 • Vet Topics • Summer 2008
Eventually, she will likely return to practise in a private clinic where
other specialists in internal medicine, surgery and cardiology work as a team.
Nibblett also hopes to be involved in research projects alongside her teaching
and clinical work — an interest that grew during her Master of Veterinary
Science (MVetSc) program over the past few years.
But ultimately, Nibblett’s motivation stems from the bond between pets
and their owners, between animals and herself.
“I so value what that relationship can bring to the lives of my clients as
well as what it’s brought to my life,” she says. “As a teenager, it helped me to
learn about caring for another creature that’s completely reliant on you for
their needs. And then as an adult, I’ve come to appreciate that these creatures
give you all of their attention without asking for anything in return.” V
Matt Barron has written for regional and national magazines,
including Up Here magazine, Outdoor Canada, and Canadian
Geographic. He works part-time on web projects for the Vaccine and
Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon, Sask.
Our Group of Seven
Whether your group consists of artists or animal
health researchers, the need for constant
encouragement and support is critical to the
creative process of painting a masterpiece
— or discovering new ways to improve animal
health care.
This spring, the Companion Animal Health
Fund (CAHF) sparked the imaginative spirits
of seven groups of scientists at the Western
College of Western College of Veterinary
Medicine (WCVM) with more than $80,000 in
research funding. The grant money represents
the contributions of hundreds of western
Canadian pet organizations and owners.
With their support, the Fund is backing seven
veterinary studies that focus on critical aspects
of companion animal health.
Over the next two years, scientists at WCVM
— along with their collaborators at the
University of Saskatchewan and across Western
Canada — will conduct the projects that target
diagnostic as well as therapeutic challenges in
companion animal health.
What will be the results of their work? Vet Topics
looks forward to reporting the scientists’ findings
as they contribute new angles, shades and
tones to the overall picture of companion
animal health care in Western Canada.
Prognostic factors for survival of cats diagnosed with
mammary gland tumours
Drs. Elemir Simko, Monica Salles, Hélène Philibert and Valerie
MacDonald, WCVM
Feline mammary adenocarcinomas (MACs) are relatively common and many
are life-threatening even after complete excision. The survival range in cats with
surgically-excised MACs is wide, but reliable prognostic factors for predicting length of
postoperative survival are few.
The predictability of the current grading system for the length of survival of
cats with excised MACs is reliable only for a small proportion of the tumours. The
WCVM research team’s goal is to identify reliable prognostic factors for survival and to
enhance predictability of the grading system for all types of MACs.
Researchers will evaluate the pathological features of about 60 feline cases of
MACs that were diagnosed by Prairie Diagnostic Services in previous years, then they
will correlate these findings with the postoperative clinical follow up information.
The pathological features determined to have strong correlation with post-operative
survival of cats will be used as additional prognostic factors to enhance predictability
of the current grading system.
Sample preparation techniques for soft X-ray scanning
and transmission microscopy of animal tissues
Drs. Trisha Dowling and Katherine Ball, WCVM; Drs. Julie
Thompson, Robert Blyth and Chithra Karunakaran, Canadian
Light Source, Inc.
Soft X-ray scanning and transmission microscopy (STXM) using synchrotron
radiation is a powerful research technique that allows tissue samples to be mapped
based on chemical elements, chemical species and cellular concentrations of
drug compounds. This multi-disciplinary research team is using the technology
Continued on page 6
Above: “Meggie.” Photo: Rodger Lourenzo, courtesy of the Manitoba
Veterinary Medical Association’s Great Manitoba Dog Party Photo
Contest.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 5
Group of Seven cont’d
with the intent of evaluating the intracellular distribution of gallium, a
novel antimicrobial for treating urinary tract infections in dogs caused by
uropathogenic Escherichia coli.
But before the STXM technique can be developed for future studies,
researchers need to understand if traditional tissue sample preparation methods
(freezing or embedding) cause significant disruption of intracellular chemical
distribution.
In this study, the team will compare two different tissue sample preparation
techniques to determine the best method for STXM analysis using synchrotron
radiation prior to testing gallium in dogs. The researchers will prepare samples
of mice bladder tissue using freezing and embedding methods. Next, the
researchers will use STXM to measure intracellular concentrations of sodium,
potassium and magnesium (elements that are sensitive markers of intracellular
chemical disruption during the tissue preparation process) in the samples.
Finally, the team will compare concentrations from the two different
techniques — as well as against literature values — to determine the extent of
disruption caused by sample preparation procedures. Based on those findings,
the team can confirm the best method of sample preparation for soft X-ray
scanning and transmission microscopy of animal tissues.
C-reactive protein as a prognostic indicator in dogs
with acute abdomen
Drs. Angelica Galezowski, Marion Jackson and Elisabeth
Snead, WCVM
The acute phase response is the body’s innate and non-specific reaction to
tissue injury. The response includes changes in acute phase proteins (APPs).
APPs have been used in the early detection of subclinical disease or altered
health status, and in predicting disease development. One of the APPs is
C-reactive protein (CRP) — a very rapid and sensitive marker of various acute
inflammatory diseases in dogs.
Prairie Diagnostic Services, Saskatchewan’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory
with a division housed at WCVM, has validated a CRP assay for dogs. In this
study, researchers will investigate CRP level changes in dogs diagnosed with
acute abdomen — a condition that is characterized by sudden onset of
6 • Vet Topics • Summer 2008
abdominal pain and frequently fever, vomiting diarrhea, lethargy, inappetence
and nausea.
Currently, there are no published studies evaluating CRP as a prognostic
indicator in dogs with acute abdomen. Serum CRP determination could provide
a rapid and inexpensive means of evaluating and predicting outcome for these
dogs.
Specifically, the research team will correlate CRP levels with clinical
outcome, white blood cell changes, the length of hospital stay, fluids
administered and overall prognosis. Based on the study’s results, researchers
can evaluate the prognostic value of CRP levels in dogs suffering from acute
abdomen.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus (MRSA)
in dogs
Drs. Joseph Rubin and Manuel Chirino-Trejo, WCVM; Alice
Wong and Steve Sanche, Royal University Hospital
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) is an emerging
pathogen in animals worldwide; very little is known about the strain types
or prevalence of MRSA in dogs. With the recent isolation of MRSA from
canine patients at WCVM, there’s a need for more information on interspecies
transmissibility, virulence and antimicrobial resistance. The role of human
carriers in the dissemination of MRSA into canine populations is unclear and
more studies are required to better understand this pathogen’s ecology and
epidemiology.
This study will be the first to determine the prevalence of MRSA in dogs
owned by people who have tested positive for the bacterium. It will include
dogs owned by 100 patients who have tested positive for MRSA in the Saskatoon
Health Region. Additionally, researchers will assess the prevalence of MRSA in
the general canine population by sampling dogs with no known risk factors for
colonization. A total of 500 dogs presenting to the veterinary teaching hospital
for routine health checks will be included. The researchers will collect nasal,
pharyngeal and rectal samples (swabs) for bacteriological culture from these
patients.
The antimicrobial susceptibility to an extensive panel of drugs important
in both human and veterinary medicine will be tested. Isolates will be further
characterized with pulsed field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence
typing to establish strain relatedness. The presence of Panton Valentine
leukocidin, an important virulence factor, will also be determined.
Characterization of these strains will provide invaluable epidemiologic
information regarding MRSA in dogs in Saskatoon and will be very useful
as a therapeutic guide to clinicians.
Identification of sentinel lymph nodes in dogs
with oral cancer
Drs. Monique Mayer, Valerie MacDonald, James
Anthony and Candace Grier, WCVM
Oral cancer is the fourth most common cancer in dogs. While
some oral cancers carry a grave prognosis, others respond favourably to
treatment and a cure is possible. What veterinary oncologists need to know
is whether cancer cells are present or absent in lymph nodes that drain an
oral tumour. This information is critical since metastasis to lymph nodes
will affect the prognosis given to a dog’s family as well as the optimal
treatment plan.
In this study, the research team will investigate the efficacy of
computed tomography (CT) lymphography to identify the sentinel lymph
node — the first lymph node to drain an oral cancer. CT lymphography
is a simple technique that specialists can perform during preoperative
tumour imaging to identify and localize the sentinel lymph node or nodes.
By identifying a sentinel lymph node before surgery, specialists can
assess the status of the lymphatic bed draining a tumour with minimal
surgical dissection. Biopsy of the sentinel lymph node rather than multiple
nodes within the drainage bed would minimize patient morbidity by
decreasing the degree of surgical dissection required. The CT images will
also help to facilitate surgical biopsy of the lymph node.
The research team will assess the technique in normal dogs and dogs
with oral cancer, then use the information to guide lymph node biopsy in
dogs with oral tumours treated at WCVM’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
A serologic study of exposure to tick- and
mosquito-borne pathogens in dogs from
Saskatchewan
Drs. Sue Taylor, Matthew Gaunt, Elisabeth Snead and
Anthony Carr, WCVM
In this study, researchers will determine the prevalence of exposure
to a number of tick- and mosquito-borne pathogens in dogs living in
Saskatchewan. The list of pathogens includes Borrelia burgdorferi,
Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilium, West Nile virus,
Bartonella vinsonii spp. berkhoffi and Dirofilaria immitis. Altogether,
the team will evaluate serum samples from 500 Saskatchewan dogs that
are presented to veterinarians between June 15, 2008, and October 15,
2008, and haven’t travelled outside of Saskatchewan within the previous
12 months.
While 400 of the samples will be taken from healthy dogs, the
remaining samples will be taken from dogs with confirmed polyarthritis,
meningitis, thrombocytopenia, endocarditis or fever of unknown origin.
This population of dogs with inflammatory disease will come from the
WCVM and from other veterinary clinics across Saskatchewan. Besides the
blood samples, researchers will also collect more detailed information
about each dog.
Once all of the information has been collected and blood sample
analysis is completed, the research team will evaluate age, sex, breed,
housing (indoor versus outdoor), flea or tick exposure, clinical status (sick
versus healthy) and clinicopathologic findings as risk factors for exposure
to vector-borne pathogens. V
2 0 0 8 - 0 9
CAHF Fellows
This spring, the Companion Animal Health Fund allocated
more than $30,000 to its Research Fellowship program —
a longtime initiative that annually supports one or more
graduate students whose research focuses on some aspect
of companion animal health at WCVM.
For the next 12 months, two senior graduate students in
WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences will
share the honour of being named 2008-09 CAHF Research
Fellows. The two graduate students will split the fellowship
program’s funding, and other sources will provide the
rest of the money for their annual stipends. Here are brief
biographies of the Fund’s new CAHF Fellows:
• Dr. Bianca Bauer began her combined Master of
Science (MSc) and clinical veterinary ophthalmology
residency program in July 2006. This is the first time that
WCVM has offered this four-year program that includes two
years of research work along with clinical experience in
veterinary ophthalmology.
Bauer’s research project, which received support from
CAHF, focuses on the mutation that induces retinal dysplasia
in miniature schnauzer dogs. As part of her work, Bauer
has worked on the development of a molecular marker
for identifying carrier animals in this breed, and she has
investigated these markers in other breeds of dogs with
inherited retinal dysplasia.
Bauer presented a portion of her research at the
American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ annual
conference in 2007 and received an award for the best
research presentation in the resident forum. Bauer’s
graduate supervisor is Dr. Lynne Sandmeyer, one of WCVM’s
two veterinary ophthalmologists.
• Dr. Barbara Ambros is in the second year of her threeyear Master of Veterinary Science (MVetSc) program and a
residency in veterinary anesthesiology. During her program,
Ambros’ research has focused on two anesthetics: propafol
and a new drug called Alfaxan®. Her project has looked at
the cardiopulmonary effects on dogs when the anesthesia
drugs are given in continuous infusions.
Findings from her research will eventually be published
in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. Last fall,
the graduate student shared first prize for her resident’s
abstract presentation at the European College of Veterinary
Anaesthesia (ECVA) meeting in Leipzig, Germany.
Ambros’ graduate supervisor is WCVM veterinary
anesthesiologist Dr. Tanya Duke.
Visit www.cahf.usask.ca and click
on “Education” to learn more about
the CAHF fellowship program and to
read about previous CAHF Fellows.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 7
Surgeons Learn
New Tricks
about Dog
Rehabilitation
Complete crate rest for your dog
after back or orthopedic surgery?
That’s become advice from the
past for small animal surgeons at
the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine who recognize the benefits
of putting dogs on the treadmill to
recovery.
8 • Vet Topics • Summer 2008
Dr. Cindy Shmon recalls the days when she and other small animal
surgeons believed the best way for dogs to recover from orthopedic and
back surgeries was to totally restrict their movements — the equivalent of
“complete bed rest” for human patients.
“There are cases from 15 years ago where we used to put the dogs in
the crate after surgery, then they only came out for short bathroom breaks.
And that would go on for a couple of months after surgery,” recalls Shmon,
a specialist in small animal surgery at the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine (WCVM).
“When we look back at that approach, all I can say is, ‘What were we
thinking?’ We just wouldn’t do that anymore.”
The attitude adjustment stems from the profession’s increasing awareness
of rehabilitation and its positive effect on a dog’s recovery after surgery. And
that’s no longer based on anecdotal evidence: in the past decade, a growing
number of scientists have published their evaluations of canine rehabilitation
in peer-reviewed journals — giving the practice more credibility among
veterinarians.
Dog owners have also played a major role in encouraging the use of
canine rehabilitation. Since many people have experienced the benefits of
physiotherapy after their own surgeries, they want access to similar services
for their animals. That becomes even more crucial for working dogs or pets
involved in agility, fly ball or other canine sports.
“People want more from their dog’s surgery — they have higher
expectations today,” acknowledges Shmon. “Owners are willing to spend the
money, time and effort to make sure their dogs’ surgeries have a better chance
of being successful, and if that means rehabilitation, they want to try it.”
Healing waters part of recovery
But Shmon does more than talk to her clients about the benefits of canine
rehabilitation for their pets: she’s one of two WCVM veterinarians who use the
controlled exercises and specific treatment techniques on dogs, many of which
are her own surgery cases. For most dogs, their therapy also includes time in
the veterinary college’s new canine aquatic treadmill that began operating in
August 2007.
“Part of our overall goal is to save the dogs from developing problems
related to their surgeries. The rest of our objective is to get our patients
back into the condition they were in before surgery,” explains Shmon. “The
rehabilitation work definitely brings you closer to your surgery patients —
and they actually don’t hate you when they come back and see you.”
Last year, Shmon used part of her sabbatical leave from WCVM to take
training in canine rehabilitation at the University of Tennessee. Her graduate
student, Dr. Matt Johnson, joined her in taking the intensive certificate
program and both became certified canine rehabilitation practitioners
(CCRPs) in December 2007 (see page 10). They’re now two of 10 CCRPaccredited veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians who offer
rehabilitative services in Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and Ontario.
For Johnson, canine rehabilitation training fit in well with his background
in sports medicine. Before his veterinary training, he worked with high
school athletes and attended to the competitors’ injuries. “During my surgery
training, I often wondered why we didn’t apply any of those techniques that
worked so well with humans on our own patients,” he says.
Now, Johnson has witnessed how similar treatments and exercises can
make a significant difference for his canine patients: “In dogs that have spinal
cord issues and undergo back surgery — that’s where we see a great amount of
change in a very short period of time,” says Johnson. “Actually, they don’t even
have to have surgery before we see a lot of changes in their movement.”
Post-surgery shape-up
Now that WCVM can provide regular rehabilitative services to its canine
patients, the veterinary college’s small animal surgeons offer it as an option
to pet owners during their surgery consults. Dogs that undergo back surgery
can usually begin therapy about three to four days after the procedure, while
orthopedic cases start the rehabilitation process about a week to 10 days after
surgery.
Continued on page 10
Previous page, top: Bailey walks on the treadmill as part of
her rehabilitation after surgery to repair a ruptured cruciate
ligament. The dog had the same surgery on the other back limb
a few years earlier. Inset: Drs. Matt Johnson and Cindy Shmon
sit with their patient. Above, left: Johnson and Shmon work with
Bailey during her therapy. After three months of rehabilitation,
Bailey is doing well. Above, right: Shmon takes Bailey through a
set of weave poles. They’re used to strengthen specific muscles,
to give her brief periods of increased weight bearing on her leg,
and to improve her balance.
Photos: Michael Raine
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 9
TEAM REHAB: When Drs. Cindy Shmon and Matt Johnson
decided to take the plunge and learn about canine rehabilitation, their search for a training source brought them to the
University of Tennessee.
The university offers the Certificate Program in Canine
Physical Rehabilitation to veterinarians and veterinary
technicians as well as to general practitioners and physical
therapists from around the world. The program’s faculty
members also reflect the area’s diversity: some instructors are
board-certified veterinary surgeons while others are accredited
physical therapists with a background in human medicine.
“We chose it because the course’s instructors are the people
who have actually conducted most of the research that
evaluates the effectiveness of rehabilitation,” explains Shmon.
The fast-track course begins with two weeks in a classroom
where students cover five modules — including labs to
demonstrate the exercises and techniques. The next step is a
40-hour practicum where veterinary-related students work with
physical therapists while people in the human medicine field
work with veterinarians or in canine rehabilitation centres.
At the same time, Johnson and Shmon had to complete five
case reports each. Besides written records, the veterinarians
videotaped therapy sessions and took digital photos of their
patients at different stages of their treatment.
These patients were also the first to dip their paws in WCVM’s
new canine aquatic treadmill that began operating in August
2007. Sophie Katarynych of Winnipeg, Man., a longtime donor
to the Companion Animal Health Fund, helped to make the
treadmill a reality when she made a significant contribution
toward its purchase last year.
“It’s very, very nice,” says Shmon with a smile. “One of its best
features is that it’s inset in the floor so our sugery patients don’t
have to worry about walking up or down ramps.”
In December 2007, both Shmon and Johnson completed
a two-day exam and earned their accreditation as Certified
Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners (CCRPs). Since January 2008,
they have become adept at finding time for their rehabilitation
patients between surgical consults and surgeries during the
week.
“I think this training makes you look at the post-operative
phase more critically. We’re now more interested in our patients’
function after surgery instead of focusing on the success of the
procedure,” says Shmon. “I also think pain is much more of a
concern these days: it’s a longer-term consideration than it used
to be.”
Johnson adds that being involved in his patients’ aftercare
has enriched his small animal surgical residency: “We get to see
the dogs post-operatively much longer than we used to, so it
allows us to see the progression of recovery.”
Shmon doesn’t expect canine rehabilitation training and
research to become part of the jam-packed small animal
surgical residency: “It’s already intense on its own. But I do think
that residents will all get some exposure to rehabilitation since
it’s now offered as a regular service. They’ll get a chance to see
some of their own patients go through therapy, and if anyone
wants to do more in the area, the opportunity will be there.”
There’s also the potential of developing an elective course
or rotation in canine rehabilitation for undergraduate veterinary
students. But these plans are in the future: for now, Shmon and
Johnson are focused on caring for the steady stream of dogs
that are eager to splash and stretch their way to better health.
For more information about WCVM’s canine rehabilitation
service, contact the Small Animal Clinic at 306-966-7126 or
contact Dr. Cindy Shmon (cindy.shmon@usask.ca).
10 • Vet Topics • Summer 2008
“The rehabilitation work
definitely brings you closer
to your surgery patients —
and they actually don’t hate
you when they come back
and see you.”
Dog Rehabilitation cont’d
“Before we begin, we conduct a rehabilitation evaluation where
we specifically examine the dog for certain parameters such as how
much muscle he’s missing, his range of motion, body condition,
weight and neurologic deficits,” explains Shmon. “We measure
these parameters as objectively as we can, and then we use that
information as a baseline so we can gauge whether the dog is staying
the same, deteriorating or getting better.”
While it depends on the owners’ schedules and the travel
distance to Saskatoon, Shmon and Johnson usually treat dogs once
or twice a week for 10 weeks. Each treatment lasts between 30 and 45
minutes. “During a dog’s first session, we may only put him on the
treadmill for five minutes and then we do other things. We try to keep
the joints from getting stiff with heat and stretching exercises, and we
try to keep their range of motion normal. Our patients are prone to
swelling so we use ice packs on them to finish up the session,” says
Shmon.
The WCVM specialists also work with each patient’s owner to
develop a home exercise plan that will help with the dog’s recovery
without jeopardizing surgical healing.
“So far, any owners who bring their dogs for rehabilitation are
very committed,” points out Johnson. “They’re dealing with a pet
that’s restless and gaining weight because of the restricted activity, so
it’s fairly easy to talk to them about coming in for a session on the
treadmill where their dog can burn off some calories, get rid of some
excess energy and then rest easier. These are all of the things that we
know will be helpful for the dog’s long-term recovery.”
The WCVM specialists usually take X-rays about six weeks
after a dog’s surgery, and if healing is progressing well, owners can
gradually increase their exercise routines at home and reduce their
visits to the teaching hospital.
As the canine rehabilitation service grows, the long-term
objective is to offer therapy options for overweight dogs, geriatric
canine patients and working dogs that need additional conditioning.
For now, Shmon and Johnson are juggling their schedules to
focus their efforts on helping dogs with back or orthopedic issues.
But even without promoting the veterinary college’s rehabilitation
service, their caseload has already grown to about 10 cases per week
since the beginning of 2008.
As the owner of a Labrador that needed orthopedic surgery last
year, Shmon can personally attest to the value of having access to an
aquatic treadmill and being able to treat her dog during its recovery.
Could Shmon have managed if she had been forced to follow her
old advice and keep her pet on complete crate rest for two months?
“There was no way that I could have kept him quiet for eight
weeks — he’s an absolutely crazy, working Lab that needs to move,
and I don’t think we could have done it,” says Shmon, shaking her
head. “Whereas here, I could exercise him and burn off that excess
energy. I could actually live with my dog, and it healed without
falling apart.” V
W
1
2
innie is wise to what’s about to
happen as he obediently lies down
on a foam pad in the Western College
of Veterinary Medicine’s pet radiation
therapy centre (photo 2).
The nine-year-old standard poodle
is there to receive a dose — his second
in four weeks — of a new therapeutic
vaccine for canine melanoma. Dr.
Valerie MacDonald, a veterinary medical
oncologist (centre, photo 1) at the
veterinary college, is getting some help
from clinical associate Dr. Candace Grier
(left, photo 1) before administering
Winnie’s dose.
Nine months earlier, Winnie was
diagnosed with oral melanoma (stage
1) after a cancerous mass was removed
from the roof of his mouth. When Regina
veterinarian Dr. Rosemary Ward (right,
photo 1) found the mass in her dog’s
mouth, she immediately understood
the seriousness of the situation. Canine melanoma is an
aggressive and deadly form of cancer that often appears in
dogs’ mouths, nail beds or foot pads.
After learning about the therapeutic canine melanoma
vaccine, Ward contacted MacDonald to find out more details.
A board-certified specialist in veterinary medical oncology,
MacDonald is qualified to have access to the new vaccine.
Developed through a partnership between Merial,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the Animal
Medical Center of New York, the vaccine’s use is limited to
veterinary medical oncologists and is designed to work in
conjunction with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
Since clinical studies have shown that the vaccine is
effective in increasing the life span of dogs diagnosed with
canine melanoma, Ward decided to try the therapy on Winnie.
Her dog will receive a total of four doses of the vaccine over
eight weeks, followed by a booster every six months.
For MacDonald, she welcomes the chance to provide one
of her patients with cutting-edge cancer therapy. This is the
first time that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved
a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of cancer in either
animals or humans. The canine melanoma vaccine received
conditional approval from the USDA in 2007.
After Grier loads the vaccine into a carbon dioxidepowered delivery device, MacDonald injects the vaccine into
the muscle of Winnie’s right hind leg (photo 4).
In seconds, the painless treatment is done without
anesthesia or sedation. As soon as he can, Winnie jumps to his
feet, gives himself a good shake and wags his tail. Time to go
home (photo 5). V
MELANOMA THERAPY
11:30 a.m., October 5, 2007
3
For more information about WCVM’s
veterinary medical oncology service,
contact Dr. Valerie MacDonald: • 306-966-6168 or 306-966-7126
• valerie.macdonald@usask.ca
Photos: Michael Raine
4
5
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 11
Home, Hazardous Home
When 16th-century alchemist Paracelus came up with
the maxim, “the dose makes the poison,” the father of
modern toxicology definitely knew what he was talking
about — especially when it comes to animals and their
eating habits.
In many homes, our pets often follow the dubious
mottos of “more is better” and “because it’s there” as they
find new and potentially dangerous foods and products
to put in their mouths. While some products are well known
for their potential risk to pets as well as to humans, others
that are safe for humans can be deadly for dogs, cats,
birds and other animals.
It’s the latter group of products that are the most
treacherous since they can be found in almost every
household and their possible threat to animals’ health
can go unrecognized by pet owners. That’s why it’s
so important for pet owners to be able to identify
potentially hazardous foods, plants and other products.
It’s also crucial for owners to recognize the symptoms of
poisoning, and to know what to do if your pet does get
into something harmful.
To give you some guidance, three WCVM specialists —
Drs. Mark Wickstrom, Jennifer Ogeer and Dennilyn Parker
— spoke to writer Roberta Pattison about what makes
some common foods and products harmful to your pets,
the common clinical signs to watch for, and the
therapies that veterinarians use to
counteract the toxic effects of
these products.
What’s in your home
that’s hazardous to
your pet’s health?
By Roberta Pattison
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
The sweet taste of antifreeze makes it attractive to most animals, and a spill
on the garage floor from a car’s leaking radiator may go unnoticed until it’s too
late. The minimum lethal dose of ethylene glycol is one to two millilitres per
kilogram in cats (6.0-7.0 ml/kg in dogs). In other words, about two teaspoons
of antifreeze can cause death in an average-sized cat, and even the less toxic,
diluted antifreeze is still very dangerous.
In antifreeze poisoning cases, treatment must be instituted quickly if it’s to
be effective. A sweet odour to a pet’s breath with nausea and vomiting are often
the first symptoms, and the animal might act drunk or unco-ordinated. Within
a few hours, your pet may be depressed, drooling, trembling and unable to
stand. The longer treatment is delayed, the less hopeful is the prognosis.
The toxic substance is not the antifreeze itself but a metabolite which
combines with calcium in the bloodstream, forming crystals that damage the
tubules in the kidneys — leading to acute kidney failure. The goal of treatment
is to prevent the metabolism of the antifreeze and formation of these crystals in
the tubules of the kidneys. This is accomplished by administering fomepizole
(4-methylpyrazole) or intravenous ethanol for several days.
Chocolate
Chocolate is no more than a guilty (and fattening) indulgence for most
of us, but it’s poisonous to dogs that metabolize it differently to humans after
ingestion. An ounce of milk chocolate per pound of dog is potentially lethal,
while dark chocolate is twice as powerful. The most deadly type is unsweetened
baker’s chocolate that is 10 times more potent than the chocolate used in a
regular candy bar.
The primary toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine, a cardiovascular
and central nervous system stimulant. In the initial four to six hours after
ingestion, the first signs of acute toxicity in a pet are vomiting, diarrhea,
restlessness, excessive drinking and urinating. Over the next few hours,
clinical signs escalate to include increased hyper-excitability, muscle
tremors and seizures, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and
an abnormal heart rhythm. Death occurs within 18 hours to several days,
resulting from cardiac and respiratory failure. Lower doses of chocolate
sometimes induce gastrointestinal upset or pancreatitis consistent with a
dog eating a very high fat meal.
Pets manifesting clinical signs from chocolate toxicity require
hospitalization, treatment for seizures and monitoring cardiac and
respiratory function for at least a couple of days because the half-life
of theobromine in the body is approximately 15 to 20 hours. A first
step in treatment is to minimize absorption by inducing vomiting,
but veterinarians may also give repeated doses of activated charcoal.
Theobromine is metabolized in the liver and excreted in the bile, but it can
be taken back up into the body if activated charcoal isn’t administered to
prevent reabsorption in the gut.
Grapes and raisins Grapes and raisins seem more unlikely than chocolate to be poisonous
to pets, but it has now been documented that some dogs are highly
susceptible to the toxic agent they contain. This toxic agent and the exact
mechanism of action have yet to be identified, but an ochratoxin found in
grapes has been suggested as one possibility.
The toxic dose varies considerably. On average, a half-pound of grapes
is dangerous for a medium-sized dog (i.e. 10 to 30 grams per kilogram), but
death can occur with ingestion of a much smaller quantity. Acute kidney
failure is the most serious effect and can be fatal depending on the quantity
of grapes or raisins ingested as well as the delay in initiating treatment.
Immediate treatment can improve the chances of survival, so it’s
important to recognize the clinical signs of poisoning. These signs include
vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression and abdominal pain.
Damage to the tubules in the kidneys may occur within 24 hours to several
days, leading to signs of acute kidney failure with decreased or no urine
output.
The first step in treatment is to induce vomiting, often followed by
gastric lavage and the administration of an absorbent such as activated
charcoal. In addition, veterinarians will provide two to three days of fluid
therapy to protect the dog’s kidneys and to enhance toxin excretion.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a popular artificial sweetener found in sugarless gums as
well as baked goods, beverages, toothpaste and cereals. While it’s harmless
to humans, the artificial sweetener produces a massive release of insulin
in dogs. Insulin release leads to a dramatic lowering of the animal’s blood
Continued on page 14
POISONED PETS
Expert Tips on What You Can Do
• Identify the source of your pet’s poisoning. If it is
pills, plants or even garbage, take samples with you to
show to your veterinarian.
• Induce vomiting only if the ingested substance
is not caustic and your pet is still alert. Give one to two
millilitres per kilogram (ml/kg) of 3.0 per cent solution
hydrogen peroxide by mouth. Repeat once if necessary,
but do not give more than a total of 10 ml.
• Do not induce vomiting if the substance ingested is
caustic, or if your pet is showing neurological signs such
as depression or seizures. Additionally, do not induce
vomiting if your pet has epilepsy or has had recent
surgery (especially abdominal surgery).
• If your pet has eaten any substance containing the
artificial sweetener xylitol, rub honey or corn syrup on
the gums immediately.
• After ingestion of a toxic substance or during
transportation, position your pet on its abdomen (not
on its side) with its head elevated on a pillow. If your pet
starts to vomit, lower its head. If your pet is seizuring, do
not put your hand in its mouth.
• If your pet becomes too warm from muscle tremors
or seizures, do not cool the animal down too quickly by
immersion in cold water or direct application of ice: this
can lead to shock. It’s best to use cool towels or frozen
veggie bags on your pet’s groin or axillary region.
• Transport your pet to your veterinarian or local
veterinary clinic as soon as possible, and ask someone
to travel with you in the vehicle. Veterinarians have
better products on hand to induce vomiting as well as
activated charcoal to absorb toxins, various antidotes
and other supportive treatment for your pet.
• Give your veterinarian as much information as
possible and report everything that you have done
so far. When you’re estimating the amount of toxic
substance ingested, assume the worst-case scenario.
• If your pet has had topical contact with a toxic
product, bathe the animal thoroughly and dry well. Use
mild liquid detergent. Various commercial products
are also available, but make sure to read the label first:
some products are safe for dogs but not for cats.
• Keep an antihistamine (such as Benadryl®) on
hand. It’s safe for dogs and cats at a dose of two
milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), and it’s useful for
insect stings or any other type of allergic reaction that’s
manifested as facial swelling or hives.
• Prevention is always the best cure. Know what
products are harmful and keep all potentially poisonous
substances and plants out of your pets’ reach.
For more information on common toxic plants and
other products that are dangerous to your pets, visit the
American SPCA web site (www.aspca.org) and click on
“Animal Poison Control” in the menu bar. The National
Animal Poison Control Center Hotline (1-888-426-4435)
also offers emergency advice: you may be charged a
$60 consultation fee (this can be paid by credit card).
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 13
Home Hazardous Home cont’d
sugar levels within a half-hour to an hour after ingesting xylitol. Clinical signs
include vomiting, weakness, depression, inco-ordination and even seizures.
Ingestion of quantities of xylitol greater than 0.1 grams per kilogram can
induce hypoglycemic symptoms. Doses of 0.5 gm/kg and higher may cause
serious liver damage and subsequently lead to liver failure.
No data is available for cats or other small pets. Given the average dog’s
sweet tooth, it’s not surprising that they are prime candidates for xylitol
poisoning, and dogs have died after eating as few as half a dozen cookies or
several sticks of gum. Treatment involves administration of intravenous glucose
or dextrose and monitoring blood glucose regularly for 12 to 24 hours. Because
severe clinical signs often develop rapidly, veterinarians don’t advise owners to
induce vomiting after any symptoms of xylitol toxicity appear.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications
Common medications, especially painkillers such as acetylsalicylic
acid (ASA or Aspirin®), acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen can cause
serious problems for our pets. However, cases of toxic overdose of these drugs
aren’t usually due to accidental ingestion: problems often occur when owners
administer these drugs inadvertently to treat ailments such as arthritis in their
pets.
Dogs metabolize all three of these common painkillers much more slowly
than humans, and toxic doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen for dogs are
very close to therapeutic doses for humans. Cats are even more susceptible than
dogs to the toxic effects of all three drugs.
The clinical signs can range from difficulty breathing in cats given
acetaminophen, to lethargy, vomiting and depression caused by gastric ulcers
or kidney failure in dogs overdosed with ibuprofen. Treatment at home involves
inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion of the drugs. However, if
a longer period of time has elapsed or the amount ingested is potentially
significant, the pet must be seen by a veterinarian to have proper, specific
therapy instituted immediately.
Houseplants and garden plants
Plant toxicities are challenging to treat as it’s often unknown what plant
has been ingested. Veterinarians often begin symptomatic treatment without
knowing the exact toxic agent involved. Concentrations of the toxic agents
found in plants are widely variable, and may depend on the growing season,
the parts of the plant ingested (including whether the leaves are young or old),
the plant variety and its habitat.
An increasing number of homeowners are decorating their houses and
gardens with a variety of exotic plants from around the world. While these
plants may be beautiful, some of them are extremely toxic to pets and little
information on clinical effects and treatment may be available.
Many plants such as poinsettias are simply digestive tract irritants. If they
are ingested by pets, they can cause abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea
and no further serious side effects. Other plants can be more dangerous. For
example, lilies are extremely toxic to cats. Even when small amounts of the
leaves and flowers are ingested, life-threatening acute renal
failure may occur. Another potential danger is the
avocado plant that can be highly toxic to
birds, rabbits and to pocket pets.
Onions and garlic
Onions, garlic and chives
can be dangerous
to your pets
— especially
cats. Toxic
amounts
are estimated
at about five
grams of
dehydrated
onions per
kilogram, and
even an ounce
of cooked onion
can be potentially
poisonous to your cat.
Dogs are five to six times
less sensitive to the toxic
effects of onions, garlic and
chives.
The toxic agents in onions and garlic
are organosulfoxide compounds. These toxins
are believed to cause oxidative damage to the red blood cells and denature
haemoglobin so oxygen is carried less efficiently in the body. Red blood cells
become fragile and break down, resulting in anemia. A complicating factor
in the diagnosis is that there’s a long lag time (several days) before pets
demonstrate the clinical signs of toxicity. These signs include inappetence,
abdominal pain, depression, red urine, elevated heart rate and rapid breathing.
Treatment includes administration of oxygen and blood transfusions.
Toxic products for pet birds
These days, pet birds are often allowed to fly free in the home instead of
spending all of their time in cages. That practice, coupled with birds’ curious
natures and their propensity to pick at things with their beaks, puts them at an
increased risk of poisoning. For example, a hanging plant that’s toxic for pets
can be out of your dog’s reach — but serves as a handy perch for your bird.
That being said, birds are most often poisoned when they eat old
birdseed that may contain toxic moulds. They can also be victims of lead
toxicity: paint containing lead, the lead used in stained glass, and curtain and
ceiling fan weights are the most common sources of lead poisonings. Another
potential danger for birds originates from Teflon® coated cooking ware. When
these pots and pans are overheated, the Teflon® coating emits a poisonous gas
that affects birds’ lungs — usually fatally. Birds provide a particular challenge
for veterinarians because they seldom look sick until they are very sick. At that
point, it’s often too late. V
About our WCVM Experts
Associate professor Dr. Mark Wickstrom, BSc, MSc, DVM, PhD, is a
veterinary and wildlife toxicologist in the college’s Department of Veterinary
Biomedical Sciences. He has two decades of experience in identifying and
investigating the effects of natural toxins, pesticides, metals and oil field
emissions on animals’ health.
Associate professor Dr. Jennifer Ogeer, BS (Hons), DVM, MSc, is a
specialist in emergency and critical care for companion animals while
assistant professor Dr. Dennilyn Parker, DVM, MVetSc (Diplomate,
ABVP — Avian), specializes in avian, exotic and wildlife medicine. Both
clinicians, who are part of WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical
Sciences, have a wide range of experience in diagnosing and treating cases
of animals that are suffering from the effects of toxic poisoning.
Roberta Pattison is a freelance writer who is a regular contributor to
the national publication, Dogs in Canada. Recently retired from grain
farming, she still lives on her farm near Delisle, Saskatchewan.
NORTHERN PET HEALTH CARE:
Veterinary services aren’t available in
many of the Northwest Territories’ remote
communities, and that lack of veterinary
care may be one contributing factor to the
issues revolving around dogs living in the
North. In many parts of Canada, it’s widely
perceived that dogs in remote northern
communities cause health and safetyrelated problems. Dog bites and attacks,
unhealthy dogs and risks of diseases such
as rabies are some of the widely-cited
issues.
But do these views actually match the
actual experiences of people who live in
remote northern communities?
Dr. Caroline Millins, a graduate
student in WCVM’s Department of
Veterinary Pathology, was recruited to carry
out a preliminary assessment of this issue
in the Sahtu region, NWT, between May
2007 and April 2008. Her project’s goals:
to assess the current level of veterinary
services available in the Northwest Territories, to assess dog health and
welfare, and to investigate the effects of dogs on human and wildlife health
in the northern region.
Dr. Susan Kutz of the University of Calgary and Alasdair Veitch of the
Government of Northwest Territories were among the people who recruited
Millins for the project. Since 2003, Veitch and Kutz have brought together
a range of wildlife health resource people to visit communities in the
Sahtu Settlement area and to co-ordinate ongoing community-based
wildlife health monitoring in the region during annual two-week tours.
After conducting a literature review and interviews with public health,
wildlife health officials and veterinarians, Millins travelled north in
January to be part of the Sahtu Monitoring Project’s 2008 community tour.
In each community, the resource team held a series of one-day canine
veterinary clinics and asked schoolchildren and pet owners to fill out a
questionnaire about dogs. During school visits, team members also made
presentations on dog health and relationships among dogs, as well as on
human health and wildlife health.
Millins is completing a report on the assessment’s findings, but
based on preliminary analysis, dogs don’t appear to be causing a major
problem for human or wildlife health. But issues such as restrictions
on the availability of human data on dog bites and zoonotic diseases
add uncertainty to this conclusion. Another issue is the lack of canid
(members of the Canidae family that includes wolves and foxes) wildlife
surveillance data in northern regions. Strategies to increase the proportion
of dogs vaccinated against preventable diseases such as rabies, distemper
and canine parvovirus 2 would reduce the risk to human health posed by
dogs.
Several organizations sponsored this year’s canine-focused aspects
of the Sahtu Settlement area community tour. Besides support from the
Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre and the Government of
the Northwest Territories, Vets Without Borders Canada (VWBC) awarded
a $10,000 grant to carry out the initial assessment and to purchase
veterinary supplies for use in the Northwest Territories.
VWBC also covered Millins’ air travel expenses for the northern trip as
well as to two related conferences. In addition, Pfizer Animal Health and
Bayer generously contributed products for the northern one-day veterinary
clinics. V
Dr. Ian Smith
As the longtime
director general
of the National
Research Council’s
CAHF Advisory Board Member
Institute for
Biodiagnostics in
Winnipeg, Man.,
Dr. Ian Smith has led many research projects that have helped to advance
Canada’s diagnostic technologies and capabilities in human health. In
particular, Smith has conducted critical research in the early diagnosis of cancer
using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy.
What many Canadians may not realize is that Smith has applied that same
spirit of discovery to pet health. A former breeder of English springer spaniels,
Smith combined his interest in dogs and his expertise in MRI to develop a less
expensive MRI unit for veterinarians.
In 1998, his concept led to the creation of a joint venture company whose
partners included the University of Saskatchewan, NRC and private investors.
The company developed an MRI prototype that was installed in WCVM’s new
MRI and radiation therapy centre in 2002. Today, the MRI unit at WCVM
continues to play an important role in the College’s clinical, research and
teaching programs.
Besides his contribution to WCVM’s medical imaging resources, Smith
has been a member of the Companion Animal Health Fund’s advisory board
for more than two years. His academic background, combined with his wellinformed interest in medical research and companion animal health, has made
him an invaluable resource for the Fund.
Smith holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Manitoba
and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He also holds honorary doctorates
from the University of Stockholm, the University of Winnipeg and the University
of Brandon, along with an honorary diploma from Red River Community
College.
To view the complete list of CAHF advisory board members, visit
www.cahf.usask.ca and click on “Organization.”
Above: Dr. Ian Smith hugs Tessa (left), a two-thirds cocker spaniel
and one-third poodle, and Sophie, a purebred cocker spaniel.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Ian Smith.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine • 15
BITS & BITES
POTENTIAL POOCH THERAPY? All-trans
retinoic acid (ATRA) is a biologically active
product in vitamin A metabolism that modulates
inflammation. Now, Dr. Baljit Singh of WCVM’s
Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and two of his
graduate students are investigating ATRA as a
potential treatment for acute inflammation in dogs.
During the three-year study, the research team
will conduct a series of experiments using cell and
molecular biology methods as well as quantitative
real-time reverse transcriptase PCR — all technologies now available in WCVM’s new research wing.
This project, which will receive $130,500 over
the next three years, is one of three multi-year
animal health research investigations that WCVM
is supporting through a unique source. In 2006,
the College received more than $768,000 — its
share of a large class action settlement worth $132
million. The class action, which stemmed from the
alleged price-fixing of vitamins, was initiated on
behalf of direct purchasers, indirect purchasers and
consumers of vitamins and vitamin products several
years ago. In December 2006, the courts of Ontario,
B.C. and Québec decided to distribute the settlement
money among charitable organizations, universities,
research centres and various consumer associations
and agencies.
PATIENT ADVOCATE: Dr. Sarah Stewart
of Kamloops, B.C., was the 2008 recipient of the
Buddy and Dr. Snead Award in Small Animal Care.
The award was announced during WCVM’s 2008
Graduation Banquet on May 28.
Stewart received the $7,000 award in recognition
of her compassionate care for companion animal
patients during the fourth-year small animal
medicine rotation. The Heather Ryan and L. David
Dubé Foundation created the annual scholarship in
2007.
CRITICAL ROLE AT WCVM: Dr. Jennifer
Ogeer is a specialist in emergency medicine and
critical care who joined WCVM’s Department of
Small Animal Clinical Sciences in the fall of 2007.
A 1995 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College,
Ogeer completed a residency in emergency medicine
and critical care at OVC in 2004 and received her
Master of Science degree in 2005. The specialist is
a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care.
Ogeer’s clinical experience and training made
her the ideal contributor for Vet Topics’ story on
common foods and household products that are toxic
to pets. See inside (pages 12-14) for more details.
CAHF AT HUB CITY SHOW: CAHF sends a big
thank you to CAHF advisory board member John
Ross and other members of the Hub City Kennel
and Obedience Club for inviting the Fund to be an
exhibitor at the club’s annual show on May 2-4
in Saskatoon, Sask. The Fund also thanks Drs.
Elisabeth Snead and Belle Nibblett, along
with veterinary student Evan Crawford and WCVM
development officer Patti Tweed, for meeting
with the show’s visitors and participants at the CAHF
booth.
Check out Vet Topics online at www.cahf.usask.ca
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40112792
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Research Office, WCVM
University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive
Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4
E-mail: wcvm.research@usask.ca
NEW HOSPITAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Jacques
Messier took up the reins of director at WCVM’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital on April 21. Messier,
who earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at
the Université de Montréal’s Faculté de médecine
vétérinaire and an MBA from the University of
Western Ontario, brings a range of management
training and experiences to his new role.
Early in his career, Messier practised
veterinary medicine in North Battleford, Sask.,
for six years before joining Agriculture and AgriFood Canada where he held several management
positions including the Bureau of Veterinary
Drugs and the Bureau of Human Prescription
Drugs. In the private sector, Messier has been part
of the senior management team for several large
pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies
— including president, COO and CEO of an
international pharmaceutical manufacturer and
distributor.
Dr. Klaas Post, head of WCVM’s
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences,
has been WCVM’s acting hospital director since
the former director, Dr. Stan Rubin, rejoined
the veterinary college’s faculty during the summer
of 2007.
Vet Topics is published by the Western College
of Veterinary Medicine’s Companion Animal
Health Fund. Visit www.cahf.usask.ca for more
information.
Editor: Dr. John Pharr
Managing editor: Myrna MacDonald
For article reprint information, contact
sm.ridley@sasktel.net
Comments? Contact: Dr. John Pharr, Editor, Vet Topics
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
T: 306-966-7060 • F: 306-966-7174
john.pharr@usask.ca
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