Vet Gazette

L to R: Shawna Westmark (class of 2016), Tabitha Wolf (15) Erin Bennett (15), Kim Bruce (15), Sarah Hall (15), Lauren Hobstetter (15), Jared Sharp (15)

Seven members of the OSU Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (SCAAEP ) represented the  College of Vet Med this past weekend at the 2014 Texas A&M SCAAEP Wet Lab. Students from 18 schools attended the wet lab where each student picked 4 labs out the 23 that were offered that day. Each lab was taught  by Texas A&M College of Vet Med faculty and included: emergency and critical care, farrier skills, radiology, ultrasonography, ophthalmology, emergency response, basic and advanced lameness to name a few.

After each student participated in their wet labs, 12 major equine hospitals were on the Aggie campus for a job fair geared to students interested in equine externship and internship programs. Following the job fair, the clinicians and students joined in a Q & A session covering: what clinics are looking for; how to represent yourself on externships; how to prepare for a year clinical internship; and the benefits of internships.

Pet Poison Helpline has published a “Top Ten” list of household items that generated the most poison consultations for dogs and cats in 2013.

While not all items on the list are highly toxic, they are all found in most homes and can make pets sick. The items below are presented in order of frequency of emergency calls to Pet Poison Helpline.

Dogs: Top 10 Toxins of 2013

1. Chocolate: Dark equals dangerous! Bakers and dark chocolate are the most toxic, and milk chocolate if ingested in large amounts.

2. Xylitol: This sweetener found in sugarless chewing gum and candy, medications and nasal sprays causes a rapid drop in blood sugar and liver failure only in dogs (not cats).

3. NSAIDs: Ibuprofen, naproxen, etc., found in products like Advil, Motrin, and Aleve. Dogs don’t metabolize these drugs well; ingestions result in stomach ulcers and kidney failure.

4. Over the counter cough, cold and allergy medications: Those that contain acetaminophen or decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, are particularly toxic.

5. Rodenticides (mouse poison): These may cause internal bleeding (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, etc.) or brain swelling (bromethalin), even in small amounts.

6. Grapes and raisins: These harmless human foods cause kidney damage in dogs.

7. Insect bait stations: These rarely cause poisoning in dogs – the bigger risk is bowel obstruction when dogs swallow the plastic casing.

8. Prescription ADD/ADHD medications: These amphetamines such as Adderall, Concerta, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse can cause tremors, seizures, cardiac problems and death in pets.

9. Glucosamine joint supplements: Overdose of tasty products such as Cosequin and Move Free typically only cause diarrhea; however, in rare cases, liver failure can develop.

10. Silica gel packets and oxygen absorbers: Silica gel packs, found in new shoes, purses or backpacks, can be very dangerous if torn open and breathed into the respirator tract. Iron-containing oxygen absorbers found in food packages like beef jerky or pet treats, can cause iron poisoning when ingested.

Cats: Top 10 Toxins of 2013

1. Lilies: Plants in the Lilium species, such as Easter, Tiger, and Asiatic lilies, cause kidney failure in cats. All cat owners must be aware of these highly toxic plants!

2. Household cleaners: Most general purpose cleaners (e.g., Windex, Formula 409) are fairly safe, but concentrated products like toilet bowl or drain cleaners can cause chemical burns.

3. Flea and tick spot-on products for dogs: Those that are pyrethroid based (e.g., Zodiac, K9 Advantix, Sergeant’s, etc.) cause tremors and seizures and can be deadly to cats.

4. Antidepressants: Cymbalta and Effexor topped our antidepressant list in 2013. Cats seem strangely drawn to these medications. Beware – ingestion can cause severe neurologic and cardiac effects.

5. NSAIDs: Cats are even more sensitive than dogs to drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Even veterinary specific NSAIDs like Rimadyl and Meloxicam should be used with caution.

6. Prescription ADD/ADHD medications: These amphetamines such as Adderall, Concerta, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse can cause tremors, seizures, cardiac problems and death.

7. Over the counter cough, cold and allergy medications: Those that contain acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) are particularly toxic, as they damage red blood cells and cause liver failure.

8. Plants containing insoluble calcium oxalate crystals: Common houseplants like the peace lily, philodendron, and pothos can cause oral/upper GI irritation, foaming at the mouth, and inflammation when ingested, but severe symptoms are uncommon.

9. Household insecticides: Thankfully, most household sprays and powders are fairly safe, but it’s best to keep curious kitties away until the products have dried or settled.

10. Glow sticks and glow jewelry: These irresistible “toys” contain a chemical called dibutyl phthalate. When it contacts the mouth, pain and excessive foaming occurs, but the signs quickly resolve when the cat eats food or drinks water.

“Every January, we examine our records to see what toxins contributed to the most emergency calls from pet owners and veterinarians the previous 12 months,” said Ahna Brutlag, associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “We hope that by sharing these lists, more pet owners will become educated about how to avoid problems and protect their pets in 2014.”

POSTER: Top 10 Most Common Dog Poisons

Four new students have joined CVM for their veterinary medical school fourth-year rotations.

Allison Bonang is from Ross University. Her home town is Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is interested in exotics and wildlife, small animal and mixed practice. She enjoys badminton and hiking.

Jenni Moore is from St. George’s University. Her hometowns are Huntington Beach, California and Paramus, New Jersey. She is interested in feline medicine and internal medicine. She enjoys singing.

Amanda Olinger is from Ross University. Her home town is Westminster, California. She is interested in small animal surgery, diagnostics, cardio, dentistry  . . . “many interests – still deciding,” she says.

Monica Tam is from Ross University. Her home town is San Francisco, California. She has “an interest in everything and exploring all options in vet med.”

The Morris Animal Foundation recently awarded CVM Dr. Erica McKenzie $87,271 to study the cause of Exertional Rhabdomyolysis in Arabian Horses.

McKenzie has a background in equine sport medicine and her Ph.D. involved the study of exercise-induced muscle damage in Thoroughbred horses. along with with third-year student Dr. Melissa Fiedler, McKenzie has also been studying Arabian endurance horses. “We identified that they have a significant incidence of muscle damage during racing,” she says. “On closer evaluation of some of these horses last year, including examination of their muscle tissue from biopsies we obtained, we identified what might be a novel disease in this breed.”

During her sabbatical leave this year, Dr. McKenzie will be collecting additional muscle samples and performing exercise tests on affected and healthy Arabian horses in the Pacific Northwest region. She will then take the samples to the University of Minnesota to work with her co-investigator, Dr Stephanie Valberg, performing further specialized analyses to definitively characterize the condition, and to determine exercise-associated alterations in metabolic responses and gene expression in affected horses.