OCTOBER 2016

Initial findings
  • Signalment: 12-year-old female spayed Yorkshire terrier (4.1 kgs)
  • Presenting complaint: Progressively worsening periods of inspiratory dyspnea with mild coughing
  • Pertinent history: 3-year history of collapsing trachea and mild chronic valvular disease; Failed medical management with Theophylline ER, Butorphanol, Diphenhydramine, Enrofloxacin, and/or Acepromazine
  • Medications: Prescription diet w/d (Hill's Pet Nutrition), Hydrocodone (2.5mg orally very 6 hours), Prednisone (2.5mg orally every 12 hours)
  • Physical examination findings: Bright, alert, and responsive; body condition score 6/9; Grade 2/6 holosystolic heart murmur, intermittent inspiratory dyspnea with mild cyanosis, inducible cough upon tracheal palpation, profound increased inspiratory respiratory effort (suggesting upper airway involvement) with moderately increased expiratory effort as well (suggesting intrathoracic tracheal and/or bronchial involvement)

Reading and Interpreting a Histopathology Report
Often the pathology report is a source of frustration for both the submitting clinician and the pathologist. It is important to better understand the roles and responsibilities of both surgeon and pathologist in order to promote a better dialogue between the two.

Most tumor-related biopsies yield a diagnosis, however, in cases in which tumors are poorly differentiated, the use of special stains or immunohistochemistry can aid in determining tumor type.
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(Immuno)phenotyping: What, why, and how? A case report and discussion
WHAT and WHY: Immunophenotyping employs antibodies to label antigens (proteins) on or within cells that may characterize or identify a cell or tissue type. In clinical veterinary medicine, we commonly phenotype lymphoid tumor cells to determine if they are of T cell or B cell origin, for two reasons. For decades, we have been phenotyping canine lymphomas to more accurately assess prognosis. In a recent report, three subtypes have been identified with very different prognoses: low-grade T cell lymphoma, high-grade T cell lymphoma, and B cell lymphoma. 
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NIH leads effort to translate cancer immunology discoveries in dogs to people
Immuno-oncology--the effort to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer--is among the hottest areas of cancer research, and it has already yielded a handful of blockbuster drugs. But some patients don't respond well to treatment, and scientists still don't quite understand why. To help improve the understanding of the immune system, as well as the therapies being developed to engage it in the fight against cancer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding a major study in pet dogs that have naturally occurring tumors.

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Pets on Pot: The Newest Customer Base for Medical Marijuana
When Lisa Mastramico needed relief for her ailing tabby, Little Kitty, she turned to an unlikely source: marijuana.

At 12 years old, the cat had arthritis. For a long while she spent her days hiding in a closet, where Ms. Mastramico had built her a bed of plush blankets. After trying various supplements that proved ineffectual, she went to a meeting for  Women Grow, an industry group for cannabis entrepreneurs.


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UPCOMING CE EVENTS
The First Goodbye: Supporting Children through Pet Loss for the Veterinary Professional
            Date: Tuesday November 1, 2016
            Location: Hope VS, 40 Three Tun Road, Malvern, PA
            Credits: 1.0 hour RACE approved for Practice Management/Professional Development
            RSVP: https://thefirstgoodbye.eventbrite.com

2016 Neurology Symposium
            Date: Sunday November 13, 2016
            Location: Chubb Hotel and Conference Center, Lafayette Hill, PA
            Credits: 5 hours RACE CE
            RSVP:
http://neurologysymposium.eventbrite.com

2017 CE in the CITY- Focus on: Dermatology
            Date: Sunday April 2, 2017
            Location: WHYY Studios, Independence Mall, Philadelphia, PA
            Credits: 5 hours RACE CE
            RSVP: https://ceinthecity2017.eventbrite.com