CASES/ ABSTRACTS

Submitted by Samantha Hicks, Texas A&M University

Research Survey: Chronic Coughing in Cats

Check out this survey from the University of Saskatchewan's College of Veterinary Medicine concerning Chronic Coughing in Cats. This research study is being conducted by Dr. Mathieu Paulin, CVM, IPSAV, Dr. Kevin Cosford (VMC) and Dr. Sarah Caney (Edinburgh).  Thank you to Dr. Paulin for sharing his study with us!

'We want to understand owner’s experience living with a cat with a chronic cough, with past and current treatment regimes. We have created an online questionnaire. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey is open to any cat owner over the age of 18 years living with a cat diagnosed with a coughing condition lasting or requiring treatment for more than 2 months. Participants are able to withdraw from the questionnaire at any time up until pressing submit at the end (withdrawing is anonymous). All data will be anonymous. The data collected will be used exclusively by the research group at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

This survey has been approved by the University of Saskatchewan Behavioural Research Ethics Board (Beh-REB #2140).'

Vet Candy Highlights 'Mindful Hypnotherapy' as a Means to Relieve Stress in Recent Baylor University Study

Mindfulness combined with hypnotherapy aids highly stressed people, study finds.

A new treatment for stress which combines mindfulness with hypnotherapy has shown positive results in a Baylor University pilot study.

The intervention is called "mindful hypnotherapy."

"Mindfulness is a type of meditation that involves focusing attention on present moment awareness. It can help people cope with stress, but can require months of practice and training," said researcher Gary Elkins, Ph.D., director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University. "Hypnosis also involves focusing attention, but it includes mental imagery, relaxation and suggestions for symptom reduction." 

Click to read more ...

Effects of injectable analgesics on selected gastrointestinal physiological parameters in rabbits

Debosree Pathak, a student at Oklahoma State Unversity, submitted her abstract about analgesics in rabbits! She is working on the full manuscript now, but check out a sneak-peak of what she found!

~Don't forget to submit your abstracts or cool case studies for a chance to win $100 for Issue 3~

Pathak D, Di Girolamo N, Maranville R, Womble W, Sypniewski L, Hanzlicek A, Brandão J

From the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, 2065 W. Farm Rd., Stillwater OK 74074, USA.

Abstract

In rabbit medicine, it has long been postulated that analgesics, particularly opioids, decrease gastrointestinal motility. However, comparative studies investigating the gastrointestinal side-effects of different analgesics are lacking. This study sought to evaluate the effects of injectable analgesics (buprenorphine, hydromorphone, methadone, and meloxicam) on selected gastrointestinal physiological parameters in New Zealand white rabbits when compared to an injectable placebo (saline) and baseline data. In this randomized, blinded, complete cross-over controlled trial, ten healthy New Zealand white rabbits randomly received subcutaneous buprenorphine (0.1 mg/kg), hydromorphone (0.2 mg/kg), methadone (0.2 mg/kg), meloxicam (1 mg/kg), or a placebo (saline [equal volume to buprenorphine]) over a period of 10 weeks. Every 24 hours from day -1 to day 3, the rabbits were physically examined. The food and water intake, and fecal and urine output were recorded each day. Baseline data was obtained on day -1, and treatment was given on day 0. Day 1 to 3 were used to observe the treatment effects. A minimum 72-hour washout period between treatments was allowed. Generalized linear mixed models were employed and statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Buprenorphine decreased food consumption up to 72h and hydromorphone up to 24h. Fecal production (weight and/or pellet number) was decreased with buprenorphine up to 72h, and with methadone and hydromorphone up to 48h. Buprenorphine and hydromorphone decreased water intake up to 72h. Urine production was decreased with buprenorphine up to 48h and methadone up to 24h. Knowing the comparative effects among different analgesics will improve the medical management of rabbits.

Trend Analysis with Multiple Management Variables on Gastrointestinal Health in Zoo-managed Moose (Alces alces)

Abstract submitted by Alexandria Armeni from the University of Minnesota

Alexandria A. Armeni1*, Rachel Thompson DVM, Dipl ECZM (ZHM)1,2, Diana Weinhardt3, Trista Fischer3, Snigdhansu B. Chatterjee PhD4

1The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Saint Paul, MN 55108 USA; 2 Species360, Bloomington, MN 55425 USA; 3Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, MN 55124 USA;4The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA

Abstract

Moose are recognized to be difficult to maintain under human care in zoos, mainly due to their particular digestive physiology and resulting feeding demands1. A syndrome classified as “complex wasting syndrome” has been described in literature as a gradual process in which damage to the intestinal tract accumulates until the body can no longer compensate for that damage. Common manifestations of this syndrome are poor fecal consistencies and chronic weight loss2. This study aimed to investigate the “complex wasting syndrome” by retrospectively evaluating trends in fecal scores as they compare to grain, browse and supplements fed, as well as temperature and housing parameters. To maintain consistency, data was entered into a template created in the Species360 Zoological Information Management System Care and Welfare module.  Following common themes in literature, we hypothesized that grain, browse, and temperature would have a significant impact on fecal consistency scores, which are an indicator of gastrointestinal health in captive moose. Preliminary trends from the data suggest that the most significant factors were alfalfa, woodchips and seasonal behavior trends. Grain and temperature appear to have no significant effect on fecal score. Due to nutritional challenges observed in moose under human care, projects like this are of key importance for moose welfare. The successful display of healthy moose depends on improving their husbandry in zoos. This project has the potential to target areas critical for improving moose management.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Minnesota Zoo, Species 360 and The University of Minnesota for their assistance in the collection and organization of the data for this project.

LITERATURE CITED 

1. Shochat, E., Robbins, C. T., Parish, S. M., Young, P. B., Stephenson, T. R., & Tamayo, A. (1997). Nutritional investigations and management of captive moose. Zoo Biology, 16(6), 479–494. 

2. Clauss, M., Kienzle, E., & Wiesner, H. (2002). Importance of the wasting syndrome complex in captive moose (Alces alces). Zoo Biology, 21(5), 499–506.