DECEMBER 2016
New Options to Dupe Demodex

Isoxazolines are a potent new class of ectoparasiticides that exhibit their anitparasitic activity through specific blockade of insect GABA- and glutamate-gated chloride channels .   Fluralaner (Bravecto®, Merck Animal Heath), afoxolaner (NexGard®, Merial), and sarolaner (Simparica®, Zoetis) are oral isoxazolines approved for the prevention of fleas and ticks in dogs. Mounting clinical experience and several recent studies have illustrated the efficacy of isoxazoline parasiticides for canine demodicosis. Given their ease of use, safety, relative low cost and the potential side effects of other available treatments, many veterinarians and veterinary dermatologists are now reaching for these newer products when treating generalized demodicosis in dogs. Regardless of the selected treatment, miticidal therapy should be continued until at least two consecutive negative skin scrapings are obtained at monthly intervals. Below are brief summaries of the recently published studies.


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Advances in Assessment of Tumor Margins
Assessment of surgical margins is a challenging task for the histology technician, pathologist, and submitting veterinarian. It is often difficult to communicate results of margin evaluations to a submitting veterinarian in a written report, or even by phone. This task is further complicated by the various techniques applied in different laboratories to assess margins. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with advances we have made in margin evaluation, which include providing annotated images to our clients. 

Ethics in Veterinary Medicine
The ethics of veterinary practice, particularly oncology, is an interesting topic for numerous reasons and one that should be discussed more frequently and fervently. These ethical dilemmas are perhaps more frequent and challenging for surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists because of the nature of what we do on a daily basis but the relative lack of evidence to support what we do. 

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Missing familiar footsteps this holiday season
Facing the holiday season for the first time following the loss of your beloved companion animal can be extremely challenging. The holidays represent a time for joy and reflection, but when you have lost your pet, you might feel unable to celebrate, because your lap or the space next to you is empty.  Participating in traditional family activities is an ongoing reminder of what is missing from your life.
 
The following recommendations serve as a guide to help you through the holidays, while taking into consideration that grief is a unique and individual experience:

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Tool details, compares cost of veterinary education
For the first time, veterinary college applicants, students, and others can see in one place not only four-year costs at each of the 30 U.S. veterinary institutions but also how much tuition has increased in the past five years and the amount of scholarship aid that students typically receive. In addition, figures can be compared side by side in a reader-friendly format.

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