There has been growing concern in the veterinary medical community about what appears to be an increasing incidence of heart disease (specifically, dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs consuming certain types of diets. Since the problem was originally reported, the FDA has issued three updates on the issue and research is occurring across the country. Rebecca Stepien DVM'87, a board-certified veterinary cardiologist with UW Veterinary Care, outlines where things stand, as well as resources and recommendations for dog owners.
The first detection of Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in Wisconsin in 2019 was recently announced. Although it is quite rare, EEE can cause fatal infections and a broad range of serious neurological symptoms in horses and people. In horses, EEE is fatal in more than 90 percent of cases. The disease is transmitted mostly by mosquitoes and can be prevented by vaccination (the diseased horse had not been vaccinated). While the horse is a dead-end host for EEE, seeing disease in non-vaccinated horses is a reminder to minimize standing water, which is the breeding ground for mosquitoes. If horses in an area are being infected, people are also at risk. The risk can be decreased with mosquito avoidance such as clothing and repellents.
UW Veterinary Care is recruiting cats with naturally occurring cancer for a study investigating if meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory medication, can be used safely in combination with Palladia, a targeted chemotherapy agent. Any cat that presents to the UW Veterinary Care Oncology Service who is diagnosed with any tumor type, as long as the cancer does not involve the kidneys, may qualify for this study. Patients will receive standard doses of Palladia, as well as low doses of meloxicam. At each visit, owners will be asked to answer a questionnaire and the patient will be assessed by a veterinarian to determine the impact of this drug combination on quality of life. Once enrolled, recheck visits and medication costs are covered by the study.
Regular dental care and routine evaluations of your horse are essential to the animal's overall health. That's because horses are grazers and their teeth have evolved for this purpose. However, horses' diets and eating patterns have been modified through domestication and confinement, which may induce abnormal wearing of the teeth.
At the UW Veterinary Care
Morrie Waud Large Animal Hospital, our dental care veterinarians recommend having an oral exam performed every six months for horses that are beyond five years of age. Elderly horses may require more frequent care
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