Volume 41: Issue 2

This paper provides a working framework for enhancing the well-being of senior pet dogs and cats. Approaches to screening the medical status of senior pets are described in detail, with particular emphasis on establishing baseline data in healthy animals, the testing of clinically ill animals, and assessing senior pets prior to anesthesia and surgery. The management of pain and distress and the application of hospice and palliative care are addressed. Advice on ways to approach euthanasia and dealing with end-of-life issues is also provided.

The introduction of calcineurin inhibitors represents a major addition to the armamentarium of drugs available to veterinary clinicians for the management of allergic skin diseases. Both cyclosporine and tacrolimus have been proven to be well tolerated and effective for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs. Although broad spectrum in their mechanism of action, they lack the major adverse effects of glucocorticoids and provide an appealing alternative to traditional therapies. The purposes of this article are to review clinically relevant information regarding these agents and to provide tips for maximizing the benefit obtained from these therapies.

Serum diltiazem concentrations were evaluated following either 30 mg or 60 mg of an extended-release diltiazem administered orally once daily to 13 cats. Sequential blood samples were obtained over 24 hours. Both dosages usually resulted in elevated serum concentrations of >200 ng/mL at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. The 30-mg dosage was sometimes associated with low serum concentrations of <50 ng/mL at 18 and 24 hours. The 60-mg dosage (9.3 to 14.8 mg/kg) was associated with lethargy, gastrointestinal disturbances, and weight loss in nine (36%) of 25 client-owned cats. Gastrointestinal disturbances were recognized within 1 week, and weight loss was detected after 2 to 6 months of treatment.

Corrections to the article entitled “Proximal Radial and Distal Humeral Osteosarcoma in 12 Dogs” that appeared in November/December 2004 issue (

In the table on page 463, the column labeled Survival Time (d) was mislabeled and represented follow-up time, i.e., time until euthanasia, death, or last contact. The median survival time listed in the abstract and on page 464 was the estimated median time until death or euthanasia attributable to osteosarcoma and/or metastasis among the 10 dogs receiving amputation. In Figure 3, the vertical axis should have been labeled Proportion

Severe Neurological Signs and Hypernatremia Secondary to Polyethylene Glycol Paintball Ingestion in a Dog

Bruce GravesDVM,

Jessica KielbDVM, DACVECC, and

Nolan ChalifouxDVM, MSTR, DACVECC

AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Calcineurin Inhibitors: A Novel Approach to Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Evaluation of Extended-Release Diltiazem Once Daily for Cats With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Review

Feline Cutaneous Hemangiosarcoma: A Retrospective Study of 18 Cases (1998–2003)

Relationship Between Age and Tibial Plateau Angle in Dogs With Cranial Cruciate Rupture

Arthroscopic Biceps Tenodesis: Technique and Results in Six Dogs

Systemic Mycobacterium avium Infection in a Dog Diagnosed by Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Buffy Coat

Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation and Pulmonary Artery Banding in a Kitten

Surgical Correction of a Partial Atrioventricular Septal Defect With a Ventricular Septal Defect in a Dog

Erratum

Table of Contents

Severe Neurological Signs and Hypernatremia Secondary to Polyethylene Glycol Paintball Ingestion in a Dog

The Effect of Time of Antimicrobial Administration on the Outcome of Septic Dogs

Hyperechoic Retroperitoneal Fat in a Cat with Systemic Coagulopathy

Myocarditis in a Dog Positive for Brucella canis

A Retrospective Study on Boar-Induced Trauma in 42 Dogs

Soft-Tissue Sarcomas in Dogs: A Review

Vascular Encephalopathy Associated With Bacterial Endocarditis in Four Dogs

The Use of Carbon Dioxide Laser for the Ablation of Meibomian Gland Adenomas in Dogs

Outcomes of Dogs Presented for Cataract Evaluation: A Retrospective Study

Nutritional Myths