The products being withdrawn are Permax, the trade name for pergolide marketed by Valeant Pharmaceuticals, and two generic versions of pergolide manufactured by Par and Teva. Share your thoughts with the VIN community.

Pet Food Recall:
News and Updates

Recent Recalls:

• 4/16 - Natural Balance Pet Foods recalls Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food
• Royal Canin Canada has recalled Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula canned food after being informed by Menu Foods that one lot of the product contained contaminated wheat gluten.
• Nutro Recall Expanded

Recall News:

• The VIN Community Update
  (We will continue to update as more information is available.)
• Preliminary results from the VIN Community Survey.
• UC Davis is offering specific testing for melamine in foods. (Tissue testing may be added in the future.)
  

Please respond to the VIN Community Survey whether you HAVE or HAVE NOT seen one or more cases of renal failure associated with consumption of the implicated pet foods.

There are several ongoing message boards discussions for VIN Members:

• Melamine Discussion
• Food Recall Discussion
• What is a Recall Case??
• Crystals in urine of "affected cat"?

Also available is a VIN summary about monitoring renal function in exposed pets.

Featured Book:
Small Animal Medical Differential Diagnosis - A Book of Lists, Thompson, 2007

New in VeterinaryPartner:

• Ruptured Anterior (Cranial) Cruciate Ligament (update)
• Updates to Food Recall
• Elbow Dysplasia
• Advice to Dog Owners Whose Pets Take NSAIDs

Texas Farm Radio:

• Preventing Contagious Equine Disease #1 7/25/06
• Preventing Contagious Equine Disease #2 7/26/06
• Preventing Contagious Equine Disease #3 7/27/06

Retrospective comparison of surgical ligation and transarterial catheter occlusion for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in two hundred and four dogs (1993-2003)
Both surgical ligation (SL) and transarterial coil occlusion (TCO) are acceptable PDA treatments with comparable mortality; however, SL was associated with a higher risk of major complications and TCO was associated with a lower initial success rate.

Surgical management of left-divisional intrahepatic portosystemic shunts: outcome after partial ligation of, or ameroid ring constrictor placement on, the left hepatic vein in twenty-eight dogs (1995-2005)
In partial ligation (PL) dogs, long-term clinical outcome was excellent (92%) or good (8%) whereas, in ameroid ring constrictor (ARC) dogs, it was excellent (20%), good (50%), or poor (30%). This outcome difference between treatment groups was significant.

Histologic comparison of canine skin biopsies collected using monopolar electrosurgery, CO2 laser, radiowave radiosurgery, skin biopsy punch, and scalpel
Radio wave radiosurgery (RWRS) caused less lateral thermal damage to canine skin biopsies than monopolar electrosurgery and CO2 laser, and less lateral thermal injury to peripheral skin than monopolar electrosurgery. Excision of canine skin biopsies with heat-generating devices may not allow reliable histologic interpretation, particularly when assessing margins of small biopsy specimens.

Pinhole castration: a novel minimally invasive technique for in situ spermatic cord ligation
After local anesthesia, in situ spermatic cord ligation was achieved by restraining the cord laterally within the scrotal sac and passing suture through a hypodermic needle inserted caudal to cranial at the neck of the scrotum and adjacent the medial margin of the restrained spermatic cord. The needle was removed leaving the suture in place and the spermatic cord repositioned medially, then the needle was reinserted through the original holes and the suture passed back through the needle, which was withdrawn. Spermatic cord ligation resulted in testis atrophy, and histologically, complete ischemic necrosis.

Mast Cell Tumor Above The Eye: Tumor-Free Surgical Margins Are More Important Than Maintaining Cosmetic Appearance
When faced with potentially malignant tumors in tight areas, much can be achieved with an incisional biopsy, in this case to confirm the diagnosis and to get a grade. If this is a high grade tumor, then you will be well justified to take wide margins (including the eyelid if needed).

Is Baytril Contraindicated In Dogs And Cats With Neurologic Signs?
Fluoroquinolones do have the capacity to be neurotoxic in cats, dogs, and people. Therefore, there is a remote chance that Baytril can worsen neurological disease. Hence, it may be wise to switch to another antibiotic, since your patient shows evidence of a slower-than-normal recovery.

Do Nerve Blocks For Declaws Really Help That Much?
When we first started local blocks for declaws, we made it an optional item for the client. I was convinced the blocked cats were a lot more comfortable. The kicker was when my associate came in one day after surgeries were done. She went through treatment pointing at cats going "block, no block, no block, block" and got every one correct! After that we officially raised the declaw fee and made blocks mandatory.

Pulpitis In Multiple Teeth: Should Every Discolored Tooth Be Extracted?
There is no doubt in any of our minds that there is necrotic tissue inside the pulp. The significance? That's the debate.

How to Use VIN: Part 3
Wednesday, April 18, 9:30 pm ET
Learn to be an efficient VINner! Email Nate@vin.com for more information about this three-part course.

AAFP Rounds
Sunday, April 22, 8 pm ET
Join Tom Nelson, DVM for Feline Heartworm Disease.
To attend, go to the AAFP Rounds area and click Classroom.

Sunday Rounds
Sunday, April 22, 10 pm ET
Join David Bruyett, DVM, DACVIM for Monitoring the Diabetic Dog And Cat: Is My Therapy Working?
This session is sponsored by Abbott Animal Health..
This Week's Rounds Schedule -- use the Rounds link to join the discussion.

Recent Rounds

• Intuitively Diagnose and Treat Allergies
• Medicine From The Inside Out: Part 4
• Osteoarthritis And Oxidative Stress: Part 3
• Mentorship for New Grads and "Old" Owners
• Liver Damage And Oxidative Stress: Part 2
• Update On Urolithiasis
• Introduction To Oxidative Stress: Part 1
• Coping With The Death Of A Pet (AAFP)
• 2007 US Tax Update

Member Benefit:
Plan to hire a new grad!
The best graduating seniors are regular VIN users. Post your position in Vetquest Classifieds. Please use the Positions Offered -- New Graduates category as this is where we encourage the 2007 Graduates to search for open positions and post their resumes.

What's Your Diagnosis?
* Dental Brain Teaser 59
* Case Archives

Associate - Updated and New:
* Eyelid agenesis does occur in the cat!
* Explore the rest of the Associate!

Website Of The Week:
FDA Recalls and more ...

Book Review of the Week:
Nutrition for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses
You may purchase this book in the VIN store.

Get More From VIN!
* How Do I...Email Another VINner?
* Read The "How to Use VIN" Tutorial
* How Can I ... Learn Associate?
* How Can I ... Become a Super-Duper VIN User?
* How Can I ... Post an Image on the Message Boards?

eVetsites Tip of the Week:
Getting Started Without a Domain Name

Upcoming Conferences
Looking to attend -- or contribute a paper to -- a veterinary conference? Check out the On The Road With VIN folder, or the Press Releases folder, to see what conferences are coming up and to visit their web sites! Links to information about upcoming conferences include: ABVP, VOOJAARSDAGEN , CVC East and ACVIM.

From the Boards:
* Bumblefoot Treatment
* What Are These Bony Abnormalities?
* When To Treat Dilated Cardiomyopathy
* Advanced Technology In Exam Rooms

Pain Management of the Canine and Feline
This course will cover pain terminology, pain physiology, common pain syndromes, and help technicians to recognize signs of pain.

The course reviews pharmacology and techniques such as local and regional blocks.

Upon completion the student will be able to apply pain management strategies for specific conditions and procedures. By applying the concepts and techniques in this course the student will be better able to help implement a team approach to a Pain Management Program in clinical practice.

This course is open to all veterinary staff working in the patient care and anesthesia sections of the hospital. Email VSPNCE@vspn.org for information about the price breaks for hospitals that enroll 5 or more employees.

Please be sure to follow the "TO REGISTER" information BEFORE you register.

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand pain terminology
• Understand basic pain physiology
• Understand basic pharmacology and application of drugs
• Understand basic local and regional block application
• Apply pain management strategies to specific procedures and conditions using the pain management triad
• Have a new understanding for the complexity of chronic pain syndromes
• With the veterinary team, implement a pain management program in clinical practice

Instructor:
Deneen Cordell, AAS, CVT

Dates:
May 30 - July 6, 2007

Real-time sessions: Tuesday evenings; June 5, 12, 19, and 26; 9:00-10:30pm ET

CE Hours: 6

Tuition:
$111 ($100.00 early bird special if registered by May 16, 2007).

There is no required text for this course.
The instructor recommends the following texts for those interested:

• Pain Management for the Small Animal Practitioner, 2nd Ed.
  Tranquilli, W., Grimm, & Lamont, L. (2004)
  Teton NewMedia
• Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Management Secrets
  Greene, S. A. (2002)
  Elsevier Health

To find out more about this course:
Visit the Pain Management of the Canine and Feline page.

To register, go to the course information page and choose the Enroll Now link.