Essentials

Creating an appropriate weight loss or management plan involves more than scaling back on a patient’s existing diet.

Pet Food Institute’s Nutrition Subcommittee provides guidance for selecting a proper diet for weight loss among the different types of diet options available for dogs and cats.

Keeping cats from hunting and ingesting paratenic hosts such as lizards and frogs can limit the transmission of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.

Prevention is all about limiting contact with the intermediate or paratenic hosts. You may want to consider annual screenings specifically for A abstrusus for cats with a history of feline lungworm infection, or in areas where these infections are more commonly seen. 

FeLV vaccines prevent viral shedding and progressive infection and decrease the opportunity for at-risk cats to become infected or seriously ill.

FeLV remains a serious disease, and veterinarians should continue to follow existing guidelines for vaccination and prevention to lower its prevalence.

The MLV vaccine for canine adenovirus protects against CAV-2 as well as CAV-1.

CAV-2 is endemic in healthy dog populations worldwide and is a significant viral cause of CIRD, particularly when combined with viral or bacterial co-infections. Vaccination with an MLV vaccine is critical for reduction of clinical signs and to prevent canine infectious hepatitis. 

Cuterebra botflies are typically parasites of rodents and rabbits, but they may find their way into pet cats and, less frequently, dogs.

Although Cuterebra infestations are usually more traumatic for the client than the animal, severe manifestations are possible. Client education and year-round broad-spectrum parasiticides are recommended.

Indoor felines require a multitude of approaches to ensure they're receiving adequate nutrition and wellbeing requirements.

Preventing cats from becoming overweight or obese can be more rewarding and successful than weight-loss programs. 

Dogs that may come in contact with wildlife or outdoor water sources are among the group that should receive a leptospirosis vaccine.

This overview on the leptospirosis vaccine goes over the basics, as well as serovars, serogroups, and sequence types.

Enteral feeding can be beneficial to a wide array of sick patients. This guide makes it easy for the general practitioner to provide this service.

Although this step-by-step guide can help clinicians make enteral nutrition plans, it is just a starting point. Enteral nutrition plans can be tailored to each individual patient.

Routine diagnostic tests can miss Otodectes cynotis infestations, but safe treatment is readily available for both dogs and cats.

Careful diagnostic evaluation and routine use of acaricides help mitigate infestation with this common parasite.