To learn more about Skip's Pharmacy, check out their folder in the Vet Industry Message Boards. The Vet Industry folders are a great place to go to ask questions of these companies and get additional information from them.

What Does the Pathologist Mean by That?
We would like your input about the words clinical pathologists use to express the certainty of a cytologic diagnosis. For example, what does "suspicious for" neoplasia mean to you? A 25% chance of cancer? What course of action will you take with this patient? Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.

The results of this survey will be published. This is your chance to improve veterinary medicine by helping pathologists improve the way they report results.

As an added incentive to participate, we will randomly select two VINners responding to this survey to win a $150 gift certificate to the VIN Bookstore.

Don't get scammed!
Someone's been taking advantage of the kind hearts of veterinarians. If you receive a phone call or email asking you to help a vet student in financial trouble, be careful! Click here to get the details on the latest scam.

Have you read the WVC 2004 Proceedings?
If you have, you know the articles (VIN's Library, or VIN's Search) are a great source of information. (Psst! Want to attend WVC 2005? Save money by using the Early Bird Signup -- now available at westernveterinary.org.)

New On VeterinaryPartner.com:
We're always adding new resources to VeterinaryPartner.com for your clients. Some new articles are:

• Under Control
• Changes in Behavior with Physical Causes
• Feline Reproduction: Giving Birth to Kittens

Usefulness of myelography with multiple views in diagnosis of circumferential location of disc material in dogs with thoracolumber intervertebral disc herniation
The myelographic localization agreed with the surgical localization in 97% of dogs with regard to the exact location of herniated disc material.

Feline Corneal Sequestrum: Laboratory Analysis of Ocular Samples from 12 Cats
The results of the laboratory analysis from this study provided evidence that iron was not a major constituent of sequestra and that surface lipid and protein did not have a major role.

Evaluation of consistency of jumping technique in horses between the ages of 6 months and 4 years
Although there are substantial anatomic and behavioral changes during the growing period, certain characteristics of jumping technique observed in naive 4-year-olds are already detectable when those horses are foals.

Comparative cardiovascular, analgesic, and sedative effects of medetomidine, medetomidine-hydromorphone, and medetomidine-butorphanol in dogs
Medetomidine-hydromorphone or medetomidine-butorphanol is associated with improved analgesia and sedation but has cardiopulmonary effects comparable to those for medetomidine alone.

Urinary Incontinence in FeLV Cat
There's a known association between FeLV virus and urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in cats. It's thought to be some sort of neuropathy. You can try PPA, not DES.

Dental Brain Teaser: Fractured Canine, Discolorization After Vital Pulpotomy
Here are the films of the fractured tooth. What do you see and what would be your next step?

Clients Worried about Streptococcus Canis in Their Catteries
My feeling is that cat breeders worry about this too much, and many of them are unnecessarily trying to treat for a problem that has not been diagnosed in their cattery. They also like to blame many types of infertility on Strep canis, without justification in my opinion. I stick to treating catteries where neonatal deaths have been confirmed due to Strep. The idea about using clindamycin comes from a breeder with some kind of dubious microbiology credentials ...

Should Every Possible UTI be Cultured Before Anitbiotics are Used?
I started in-house cultures about a year ago. I do so many more cultures than I ever did before. Part is knowing that it is not costing the client an arm and a leg for culture and sensitivity. I no longer treat the sterile cystitis with ABs, and do not need to wait 2-4 days for the lab to call it a negative.

Sunday Rounds
Sunday, October 31, 10 pm ET -
Join Paul Bloom, DVM, DACVD, DABVP, for Coming Clean On Shampoo Therapy -- The Real Dirt: Part 1.
This Week's Rounds Schedule -- use the link in the Rounds Schedule to join the discussion.

Recent Rounds

Abstract Of The Week:
Efficacy of dexamethasone in horses with recurrent airway obstruction

What's Your Diagnosis?
* Dental Brain-Teaser 23
* Case Archives

Website Of The Week:
Vaccination Protocols For Catteries and More ...

Book Review:
Small Animal Dental Equipment, Materials, And Techniques: A Primer
Order this book from the VIN Store.

eVetsites Tip of the Week:
Change of Address Form Page

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: VCS, NCVMA, NAVC, WVC.

From the Boards:
* When to Start Atopica?
* Bioavailability of Drugs From Compounders
* Johne's and Crohn's Disease
* Pricing Exotics Care

Problems in Small Animal Internal Medicine:
A Problem-Oriented Diagnostic Approach
We've all had them -- those nebulous cases where we find only hypoalbuminemia, or anemia, or jaundice, or fever.

• Do we work each case up differently, or do we follow a standardized step-by-step process?
• If we do use a standard methodology, are we using the right one?
• Do we understand why we're doing what we're doing?

VIN CE can help! Problems in Small Animal Internal Medicine: A Problem-Oriented Diagnostic Approach will teach you a structured diagnostic approach to these kinds of cases -- and how to work intelligently through the differentials.

Instructors:
Dr. Andrew Mackin BSc BVMS MVS DVSc FACVSc DSAM MRCVS
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Associate Professor and Service Chief, Small Animal Internal Medicine
Dr. Hugh G. Ward Endowed Chair of Small Animal Veterinary Medicine
President, Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine

Course Description:
The diagnostic approach to four different common medical 'problems' will be discussed. Different aspects of the practical clinical utilization of the problem-oriented approach to develop differential diagnoses will be briefly discussed at the start of each weekly two hour discussion session, and then, each week, another common problem (Hypoalbuminemia, Anemia, Jaundice and Fever) will be covered. Challenging cases that illustrate how to use the problem-oriented approach to handle patients with complex medical disorders will be posted weekly on the Message Boards.

Dates: November 21 - December 19, 2004

Interactive Sessions: Sundays; 9:30 - 11:30 PM ET

CE Hours: 8 CE Credits

Tuition:
Member/$115, Non-Member/$177 by November 8;
Member/$128, Non-Member/$197 after November 8.

To learn more about this course, and to enroll visit the Problems in Small Animal Internal Medicine: A Problem-Oriented Diagnostic Approach course page.