Features

Stereotactic radiotherapy is a powerful cancer treatment technique, but care must be taken in patient selection, treatment planning, and radiation delivery to avoid late side effects.

This continuing education article describes how conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy are used for definitive or palliative treatment in veterinary oncology and the importance of patient selection for these treatment options.

Most cases of pemphigus foliaceus are presumed to be idiopathic. Immunosuppressive drugs are the most common treatment, and while recurrence is common, prognosis is fair to good.

Pemphigus foliaceus is the most common autoimmune skin disease in dogs and cats. The prognosis for dogs with PF is fair and for cats is good; however, recurrence is common. 

An understanding of the potential complications following TPLO surgery can help guide therapy and enable improved client counseling.

TPLO is one of the most commonly recommended and most successful surgical procedures for CCLR. Mild routine complications may be handled by the general practitioner; however, with regard to more severe complications, it is important to know when a patient should be referred back to the orthopedic surgeon or to a rehabilitation specialist. 

Dachshunds, cavalier King Charles spaniels, chihuahuas, miniature and toy poodles, whippets, and most terriers are predisposed to DVD.

DVD is the most common heart disease in dogs. Prognosis is unpredictable as most early stages never progress, although advanced stages yield poor outcomes.

Dermatophytoses have a variety of clinical presentations, and a step-by-step logical approach is crucial for proper diagnosis.

Dermatophytosis is a zoonotic but curable disease. Establishing whether a patient is completely cured should be supported by a combination of resolution of clinical signs and negative culture. 

Osteoarthritis treatment aims to delay disease progression, decrease inflammation, and ultimately improve the patient’s quality of life.

OA is common in dogs. Management involves multiple modalities and must be tailored to each patient and its owner.

Exploratory laparotomy is used to diagnose or further investigate problems inside the abdomen that could not be achieved via preoperative diagnostics.

Thorough exploratory laparotomy is a key component of abdominal surgery.

Ear cytology is a quick way to confirm infection and the degree of inflammation for patients with suspected otitis externa.

Half the battle of treating otitis externa is figuring out the underlying cause and type. Once that is achieved, client education and compliance are key to managing it.

Guidelines for vaccine administration exist in order to better track association of sarcoma development with specific vaccines.

Aggressive surgery and other treatments, recommended to be done by a skilled veterinary surgeon and oncologist, is the best hope for prolonging the life of a cat diagnosed with FISS.