Happy Monday dvm360 readers! We are so excited to be almost a month away from our next conference, Fetch Nashville. Did you know that we are offering multiple complimentary hands-on labs at Fetch Nashville? Our labs include:

Bandaging Lab: Modified Robert Jones and the Art of the Tie-Over

Each lab is free, but the space is limited so make sure you 

 today to secure your spot at the show and in these amazing free hands-on labs, plus our lectures with key industry leaders, networking opportunities with fellow attendees, and some other fun surprises along the way.

While you register for Fetch Nashville, check in on dvm360.com throughout the week to see these news stories:

The Companion Animal Parasite Council shared its 2025 Pet Parasite Forecast. The forecast is created based on 10 million diagnostic tests reported each year, and this year’s forecast high expanding risks of Lyme, Heartworm, Anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis.

FDA officials announced today that they have approved a label expansion for sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel chewable tablets (Simparica Trio; Zoetis) to include prevention for flea tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) infections in canine patients.

On this week’s episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Karl Maritato, DVM, DACVS-SA, and a former dvm360 Veterinary Hero, joins host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA to chat about how to approach the cranial cruciate ligament canine patient.

OS Therapies announced positive data in the prevention or delay of amputation during the treatment of primary osteosarcoma for OST-HER2 combined palliative radiation in canines with unresected appendicular osteosarcoma.

Jillian Haines, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), from Washington State University, is currently working, and has become internationally recognized, for her efforts to better understand, manage, and treat a rare and often fatal condition in dogs and cats known as megaesophagus.

Articles

Here is a sneak peek at this week’s headlines 

Sneak peek: FDA approves new label indication for Simparica Trio, and other news 

Separation anxiety is a common condition managed by small animal veterinarians that is typically treated with a combination of behavior modification and pharmaceuticals. Several medications are available for treating this condition, and veterinarians should create a customized plan based on each patient’s individual needs. In a continuing education session at the 2025 Fetch dvm260 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVM, CABC (IAABC), of the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, shared his tips for identifying which patients need treatment and how to choose the appropriate medications.

Before prescribing medication, the diagnosis of separation anxiety should be confirmed. Some pets can have problematic behaviors that occur while the owners are away that are not caused by anxiety. In making the diagnosis, Pachel stated “video is not optional. It is absolutely required.” Reviewing videos of the patient at home confirms the diagnosis based on the observed behaviors and provides objective data that can be used for tracking response to treatment, including latency between owner departure and problematic behavior, the frequency of the behavior, and the pitch of vocalization.

When deciding what medication is best, it is important to consider where and when problematic behaviors occur. From a patient’s perspective, life can be broken into 4 parts:

Patients may exhibit problematic behaviors at a single point or multiple times during this cycle.

Asking specific history questions will help to identify “the support your patient actually needs,” said Pachel. Important information to collect from owners include the following:

Are there other fear, anxiety, or arousal/reactivity issues that we also need to treat?

How feasible is it to medicate the patient?

Is there advanced notice of the owner’s departure for the pet?

Is the owner’s departure schedule predictable and routine?

How exuberant is the pet when the owner returns?

How long does the enthusiastic greeting last before the pet returns to baseline?

How has the pet responded to behavior modification in the past?

Pachel noted that “you won’t always have time to get all these details,” but it is helpful to have this information to pick the best possible medication from the job that is needed. Pachel suggested using a printed questionnaire to collect as much information as possible.

Ultimately, the first choice that needs to be made is whether a maintenance, situational, or adjunctive medication is needed. In some cases, medications may need to be combined from different categories to achieve the desired treatment goal.

Maintenance medications are typically needed when departures are frequent, unavoidable, or unpredictable. Additional reasons to select maintenance medication include having a concurrent diagnosis that may benefit from medication use or when consistent medication administration is easiest for the owner. These medications have a long time to onset, which can be anywhere from 1 to 6 weeks depending on the medication. It is essential to set appropriate expectations on efficacy for the owner.

Situational medications are best for predictable, infrequent, avoidable departures that have a window of lead-up time to allow for onset of action. These medications have a much faster onset of action, usually 15 minutes to 2 hours. However, they do not work as well for daily use due to their short half-life.

“We don’t always have to reach for pharmaceuticals,” Pachel said. There are numerous supplements that can be considered as well, particularly in mild cases. Gabapentin is also used as an adjunctive treatment, but Pachel does not recommend using it as a sole agent.

Multiple classes of medications are available for separation anxiety treatment, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Two FDA-approved drugs are available for separation anxiety in dogs. “If you have an FDA-approved strategy, you usually start there,” Pachel said, “but there are a lot of good reasons that these may not be the best medication” for an individual pet.

SSRIs have extensive anecdotal experience behind their use and are effective for fear and anxiety as well as impulsivity and arousal. When it comes to separation anxiety, many veterinarians think of fluoxetine first. Pachel noted that “fluoxetine is not a bad choice, but it is not always the best choice.” There is an FDA-approved fluoxetine product called Reconcile (PRN Pharmacal), but it can be expensive as a brand name, which should be discussed with the owners. However, Pachel has seen some patients have a better response to the brand name. He recommended starting the brand name for 1 to 3 months if it is in the owner’s budget to see if the drug works before attempting to transition to the generic drug.

Fluoxetine may have a negative impact on appetite, which may be beneficial in cases of food arousal and resource guarding. However, this could also affect the ability of food to help with training. Additional SSRIs include paroxetine, which is less likely to cause anorexia, and sertraline, which tends to have the least number of adverse effects, though may be less successful at treating concurrent conditions with fear and arousal.

The second FDA-approved medication for canine separation anxiety is clomipramine, a TCA that also works well for patients with concurrent impulsivity or anxiety conditions. This medication has more anticholinergic adverse effects and may cause transient sedation.

The final option for maintenance medications is venlafaxine, which is a SNRI. The neurotransmitters most affected by the drug vary by the dosage. At low doses, this drug behaves only as an SSRI. Effects on norepinephrine are not seen until higher doses. Pachel does not recommend this currently as a first-line treatment and noted that there are more adverse effects present during onboarding.

There are several options for situational medications. However, regardless of which drug is chosen, Pachel recommends administering a trial dose of these medications when the owner is home to monitor for side effects. Then the medication can be trialed in a situation where the patient experiences their fear, anxiety, and/or stress to fine tune dose and frequency. Owners should observe when the medication’s onset of action occurs and how long it appears to help their pet to determine medication frequency.

Medications that may be considered as situational medications include trazodone, clonidine, benzodiazepines, dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel (Sileo; Zoetis), and acepromazine. Although Sileo is an FDA-approved canine product, its use in the treatment of separation anxiety is off-label. There is no short-term, situational medication that is FDA-approved for separation anxiety at this time.

When choosing which medication to prescribe, important considerations include adverse effects, potential for interaction with concurrent medications, and onset of action. For instance, Pachel noted that benzodiazepines have the fastest onset of action and are best for a true panic reaction, but they typically have more side effects, including polyphagia and paradoxical excitation.

The combination of behavior modification and pharmaceuticals can greatly improve the quality of life for patients with separation anxiety and their owners. It is important to confirm the diagnosis and learn as much information as possible about the individual patient’s behaviors to select the best medication(s).

Maintenance medications need to be given daily and have a longer onset of action, but they are great for clients with unpredictable, irregular, and potentially chaotic departures or patients who need support for multiple behavioral conditions. Situational medications have a quick onset of duration but short action and are best for short, infrequent, and predictable departures. In some patients, both types of medication are needed.

Ultimately, selecting the best medication for an individual patient requires clear communication with the owner to get a realistic picture of what drug is best and what the client should expect when it comes to treatment.

, is a 2013 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, a practicing veterinarian and freelance speaker and author in western Pennsylvania. She is passionate about mentorship, spectrum of care, and addressing common sources of stress for veterinary teams and recent graduates. Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Boatright is actively involved in organized veterinary medicine.

Pachel C. Prescribing for separation anxiety: how do you decide? Presented at Fetch dvm360 Conference: Charlotte, NC. March 15, 2025.

Treating separation anxiety requires behavioral modification and medication, but which drug should you choose?

Medical management considerations for separation anxiety

Koalas have a highly specialized diet composed mainly of eucalyptus leaves. Although eucalyptus is normally toxic to most animals, koalas have a specialized organ called the caecum that allows them to break down the fibrous leaves. Although koalas don’t have much competition for their food source, many factors put this population at risk of extinction.

The eastern and southern forests of Australia are home to koalas. This habitat is being destroyed by human deforestation as well as an increase in wildfires. Koalas are being forced from their habitats, seeking smaller patches of trees farther away from humans and as dogs, another major threat to their survival.

Being confined to smaller, more isolated forest areas has increased inbreeding within the species. This has resulted in an erosion of genetic diversity, reducing their ability to adapt to environmental threats. All of these factors are decreasing the koala’s ability to survive and thrive.

Through the efforts by the Austrian Federal and New South Wales Governments, researchers have gained more insight into the koala population’s genetics. Studies have shown that Victoria, Australia (Southern Australia) had the highest level of inbreeding. Additionally, many koalas in these regions are suffering from various diseases.

A leading infectious disease in koalas is 

. It has become one of the key factors in the population decline, particularly in South-East Queensland and New South Wales.

 Chlamydial disease can cause inflammation, tissue fibrosis, urinary tract disease, and reproductive complications. In a population that is already dwindling, a disease that can lead to reduced fertility or infertility can become devastating.

Pain relief for koalas: a study on acetaminophen use

Currently, investigators are studying the use of doxycycline 5 mg/kg every 7 days subcutaneously and chloramphenicol 60 mg/kg once daily subcutaneously for a duration of 28 days as treatment for chlamydial disease in koalas.Currently, investigators are studying the use of doxycycline 5 mg/kg every 7 days subcutaneously and chloramphenicol 60 mg/kg once daily subcutaneously for a duration of 28 days as treatment for chlamydial disease in koalas.

 However, studies conducted in 2023 following the 

 have shown that koalas are developing genetic resistance to both antibiotics. This study showed that fire-effect koalas had the highest frequency of antibiotic resident genes at 16.8%.

Considerable efforts by the University of Sunshine Coast Animal Ethic Committee are focused on developing new vaccines for koalas. Researchers are not only a vaccine for chlamydia prevention, but also a exploring a combination vaccine for chlamydia and Koala Retrovirus (KoRV)-an infection linked to increasing rates of chlamydiosis and cancer.

 Although these studies show promising results, progression of studies may lead towards a more effective vaccine.

Koalas face a growing number of threats-from habitat loss and inbreeding to infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance.

 With multiple organizations contributing ongoing research and conservational effort, there is hope for the survival of this species. Continued support and awareness are key to preserving the lineage of the koala for generations to come.

Samantha Gorski is a PharmD candidate studying veterinary pharmacy at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Interesting Facts About Koalas. Friends of the Koala. January 15, 2025. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://friendsofthekoala.org/about-koalas/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhr6_BhD4ARIsAH1YdjAxDODH1D5o3xzXyB8mTHtMRsFmLPm9zlhb8Xu3UJpNsTflxCPctIwaAtQREALw_wcB ‌

McLennan EA, Kovacs TGL, Silver LW, et al. Genomics identifies koala populations at risk across eastern Australia. 

Chen CJ, Casteriano A, Green AC, Govendir M. A retrospective study on antibacterial treatments for koalas infected with Chlamydia pecorum. 

. 2023;13(1):12670. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-39832-w

National Koala Disease Risk Analysis Report Version 1.2. May 2023. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/ResourceCentre/BiosecurityMgmt/KDRA%20Report%20v1.2_FINAL.pdf ‌

McDougall FK, Boardman WSJ, Speight N, et al. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes to treatments for chlamydial disease in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): A comparison of occurrence before and during catastrophic wildfires. McDougall FK, Boardman WSJ, Speight N, et al. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes to treatments for chlamydial disease in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): A comparison of occurrence before and during catastrophic wildfires. 

. 2023;17:100652. doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100652

Quigley BL, Timms P, Nyari S, McKay P, Hanger J, Phillips S. Reduction of Chlamydia pecorum and Koala Retrovirus subtype B expression in wild koalas vaccinated with novel peptide and peptide/recombinant protein formulations. 

. 2023;14:100329. doi:10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100329

Chlamydia pecorum has become a key factor in the decline of this marsupial population in Australia.

The Koala crisis: habitat destruction and diseases threaten their future 

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, explains exercise plays in extending career longevity and healthspan

Why exercise matters in the veterinary profession

, Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, host of the podcast 

, discussed various aspects of wellness in the veterinary profession. In this video, Shaw talks about the benefits of exercise, and how it can expand the career longevity, or “

Below is a partial transcript, lightly edited for clarity:

So what I would say about exercise and its impact on the career span, or what I call the ‘vetspan’ for people in the vet team, is really, the physiological benefits are so vast, from mental clarity to improving sleep—and we already know there are benefits to having great sleep; well, exercise will help you improve sleep.

It improves metabolism. It improves resting metabolic rate, bone density, muscles. And I think that the sad truth is that as we age, and especially once you're past 30 years old, we lose muscle strength, and we lose muscle size, and 30 years old is actually very young—[speaking as] somebody whose ‘30 years old,’ as was decades ago at this point—but to imagine that without intervention, without doing something intentionally, once we kind of pass through our early 30s and mid-30s, there's kind of a downward slope...of muscles.

And at the same time—correct me if I'm wrong—but dogs aren't getting any lighter. The physical demands of being in a vet clinic [aren’t] getting any easier. So, there's this conflict where, you know, people tend to be getting weaker, yet the demands of work are at least staying the same, if not getting even more challenging over time.

So, physical exercise, having the physical capacity to, you know, both the strength and the endurance, to not only get through Monday, but also Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and day as a day. Plus, of course, there's a million things to do outside of the office that take that demand. So by exercising consistently, and this doesn't have to be, you know, gold-gym-body-builder-type-exercise, but even 15 minutes a day of really thoughtful exercises that would really specifically support those that are in the vet clinic have a huge benefit to decreasing the risk of injury...making work literally feel easier, and all of the other you know, metabolic benefits from exercise.

Videos

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, explains the role exercise plays in extending career longevity and healthspan

A patient’s dietary needs and how nutrition correlates to overall health and wellbeing frequently generate topics of interest during veterinary conferences. In a series of interviews, industry leaders and conference presenters Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC; Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM; and Karen Shenoy, DVM, spoke with 

editors. In these videos, they provide expert insights about different aspects of companion animal nutrition, including mitigating feline stress with dietary supplements, managing chronic kidney disease, and understanding the gut microbiome, respectively.

The following video titles include a link to view the individual interview:

Alleviating feline stress with nutrition and supplements

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, discusses the role of nutrition and supplements in reducing stress in felines, in this 

interview. These and additional insights were presented in a lecture, “

Top Tips for Stress-Associated Conditions in Cats,

” at the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference (Fetch Coastal) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the lecture and interview, Pachel highlights the importance of reducing stress in cats through targeted dietary strategies and palatable supplements that these felines will actually take.

What options are there for controlling nausea and stimulating the appetite of a feline patient with chronic kidney disease? Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM, professor and associate dean at Midwestern University, talked about different methods for controlling these symptoms in cats, breaking these methods down into management strategies, and different medications that can be used, in a 

 interview discussing his lecture “Improving the Lives of Feline Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease,” presented at the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City. The lecture is currently available through dvm360’s 

Microbiome science is being explored by researchers and addressed by Hill’s Pet Nutrition in some new and enhanced prescription diet and science diet products. Karen Shenoy, DVM, then-chief veterinary officer for Hill’s US and current vice president and chief veterinarian for Hill’s EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), discussed the importance of a healthy microbiome and the work being done to study more about how it affects pets and how that knowledge can be applied to their diets, in a 

interview at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), presented by the North American Veterinary Community, in Orlando, Florida.

In a series of interviews, industry leaders and conference presenters provide expert insights about different aspects of companion animal nutrition.

3 must-see expert interviews on nutrition

Fecal score and age have an association with subclinical 

infection in dogs, a recent study by Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and School of Public Health, found. The study, which was conducted on kennel dogs, offers insight into which dogs at kennel facilities should be screened for the parasite.

The research, led by Loni Taylor, PhD, DVM, MPH, an epidemiologist professor with the School of Public Health, and 5 colleagues with VMBS, looked at both 

More specifically, the study, published in 

, aimed to find demographic factors, including breed, sex, and age; and fecal scores from the Purina Fecal Scoring Chart, that were linked to positive screening test cases of 

in kennel-housed laboratory dogs in Texas.

, a zoonotic intestinal parasite affecting humans and animals, is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and is one of the most prevalent causes of waterborne diseases.

According to the authors of the study, it was recently estimated that 

is present in 37% to 50% of kennel-housed dogs. 

, meanwhile, is reported to be found in 7% to 21% of these canines.

“In adult, healthy humans, and animals, these diseases usually cause diarrhea and occasionally other minor ailments, but for infants, puppies and the immunocompromised, infection could be deadly,” said Taylor in a Texas A&M report.

 “We wanted to identify the factors associated with kennel-housed dogs in Texas that test positive for both diseases.”

The research team collected fecal samples from a census sample of 153 clinically normal dogs living in Texas kennels between March and October 2021, and noted participants’ sex, age, breed, and location. Samples were taken from golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, beagles, and a variety of large hounds and hound mixes, according to Texas A&M.

A single researcher identified the fecal score of the samples through a visual assessment using the Purina Institute metric. The Purina Fecal Scoring Chart that was used contains a visual guide and descriptions of 7 types of stools, varying from very hard and dry (score 1), to watery and flat (score 7).

Three diagnostic tests, consisting of a human point-of-care coproantigen test, a direct immunofluorescent assay, and an in-house polymerase chain reaction, were used and evaluated simultaneously to determine positive results for 

Study results found no clear link between sex or breed and 

infection. However, dogs were significantly more likely to test positive for 

Additionally, kennel-housed dogs aged 18 months or younger had 3.4 times the odds (

compared to older dogs. No association was found between age and 

 prevalence. According to Taylor, a larger sample size in future studies could help find a link between the two.

Participants with hard stool were less likely to test positive for 

. However, there was no statistically significant relationship identified for fecal score and 

“With these findings, we demonstrated the value of considering age and fecal score when choosing which dogs to screen for subclinical 

“Given the increased odds of Giardia infection, screening should be as robust as the recommended combination of testing methods,” Taylor said.

Taylor LA, Saleh MN, Kneese EC, Vemulapalli TH, Budke CM, Verocai GG. Investigation of factors associated with subclinical infections of Giardia duodenalis and cryptosporidium canis in kennel-housed dogs (canis lupus familiaris). 

. 2024;74(2):92-98. doi:10.30802/aalas-cm-24-000007

Kellett A. New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans. 

. March 21, 2025. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://vitalrecord.tamu.edu/multidisciplinary-study-gives-new-insight-into-factors-associated-with-a-common-disease-among-dogs-and-humans/

Giardia infection (giardiasis). Mayo Clinic. Accessed April 11, 2025. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/giardia-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20372786

Purina Pro Plan Faecal Scoring Chart. Purina. Accessed April 11, 2025. 

https://vetcentre.purina.co.uk/sites/default/files/2021-11/Faecal%20scoring%20chart_general%20use.pdf

The study, which looked at kennel-housed dogs, highlighted key factors to consider when determining which canines should be screened for infection