Happy Monday dvm360 readers! As we inch closer and closer to the end of September, and the summer season, we are also inching closer and closer to Fetch Coastal. Our next Fetch conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is officially a month away and it will be our last Fetch conference in Atlantic City. Join the dvm360 team and amazing faculty to learn from the best of the best but also to say farewell to Atlantic City after over 30 years. Veterinary professionals can learn more and secure their spot 

As we prepare for Fetch Coastal, here is what you can find this week on dvm360.com:

Colorado Proposition 129, now certified for the November ballot, proposes creating a new veterinary midlevel practitioner role called a veterinary professional associate. If approved, Colorado would be the first state to establish this position.

During an interview with dvm360 at the Veterinary Innovation Summit presented by the North American Veterinary Community and Veterinary Innovation Council, Indu Subaiya, MD, MBA, MFA, discusses some technologies that could be on the horizon for veterinary professionals, and what makes them promising.

Locke Karriker, DVM, MS, DACVPM, explained how veterinary professionals can view pharmacology considering current regulations to their swine patients in this upcoming recap of his lecture, This Little Piggie Did Not Go to Market: How to View Pharmacology in light of Current Regulations from this year’s Fetch Kansas City.

Trupanion, the CDC, Mars Science & Diagnostics, Boehringer Ingelheim, and other leading pet, public health, and animal health authorities recently joined forced to create a collaborative Advisory Board to launch a Pet & Public Health Early Warning & Detection System.

On this week’s episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, is joined by Joya Griffin DVM, DACVD, to discuss feline dermatitis treatment options for your patients.

Articles

Here is a sneak peek of this week’s headlines

Sneak peek: Veterinary professional associates proposal to be on Colorado ballot, and other veterinary news

Perhaps I was taking a shower or on a random walk when an idea came to me—albeit crazy, as some suggest—Peticaid. Tens of millions of households in the United States struggle to make ends meet

and cannot afford the cost of even the most basic preventive care for their pets. Peticaid is a proposed federal- and state-supported subsidy that would be a supplement to Medicaid and would allow any household currently on Medicaid to add up to 2 pets to their coverage. These pets would qualify for veterinary care for up to $400 per year per pet, an amount higher than the average annual cost of veterinary care for dogs and cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The initiative is driven by the increasing recognition that pets are part of the family

 and the increasing body of evidence confirming the savings in human health care costs of pet ownership,, which, according to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, is $22.7 billion per year.

The time has come to provide safety net funding for veterinary care to pets of households that are experiencing significant financial hardship, like with Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and are unable to afford veterinary care for their pets.

First, current Medicaid households would be surveyed and asked whether they have pets and they would like to enroll in Peticaid. Two pets per household would qualify for the annual allowance and it will reset every year.

A network of Peticaid veterinary hospitals would be set up and Peticaid recipients would decide which hospital they wish to go to. Hospitals would charge their customary and usual fees. Peticaid recipients would pay a 20% copay at the time of service, the hospital would bill Peticaid for the balance, and payment would be made promptly.

An additional option is to create a voucher system where pet owners receiving Peticaid would present their voucher at the time of service and pay the 20% copay, and any remaining balance would be tracked. It has also been suggested that the allowance could go toward shelter adoption fees, given that ongoing veterinary support would be in place.

When fully utilized, it is estimated that close to 26 million pets would receive Peticaid at a cost of approximately $8 billion per year—a big number, to be sure, but only about 1% of the US annual Medicaid budget.

Most likely, like Medicaid, this would be a state-administered program, with the federal government paying approximately 69% of the cost and the state 31%.

Many options exist to cover the cost, including a very small increase in payroll taxes, reserve Medicaid funds, state sales tax on pet food and supplies, other federal fund sources, and various state funding options.

Peticaid would need to be introduced and passed state by state, as a new federal funding bill would need to be introduced into the House of Representatives and most likely would take many years to pass due to the 2-year terms, turnover, and political climate changes.

A legislative study bill being considered in Colorado would allow for the necessary research to be done to determine the number of pets involved, projected cost of the program, federal collaboration, and how the program will be paid for and administered. 

Peticaid is truly a win-win-win-win initiative. Low-income pet owners such as the working poor, single parents, struggling veterans, those with disabilities, and families in need would be able to obtain preventive care and sterilization services for their pets. Shelters may benefit from increased adoptions and decreased surrenders. Pets would not suffer from preventable diseases and, very significantly, revenue to participating veterinary hospitals for medical care would increase by 20% to 25%.

, liked to discuss “big rocks” as high-priority, ambitious projects that will require some heavy lifting. As he said, “It’s one thing to recognize what is important but another to actually accomplish it.”

 It will take the efforts of many to make Peticaid a reality.Please email Peticaidcolorado@gmail.com to stay updated about the progress of Peticaid and how you can help.

The Colorado legislature is considering the creation of the Access to Veterinary Care Advisory Group to evaluate Peticaid as a state-funded program.

Shrider E, Creamer J. Poverty in the United States: 2022. United States Census Bureau. September 12, 2023. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html

U.S. pet ownership statistics. American Veterinary Medical Association. May 2022. Accessed August 6, 2024. 

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics

Brown A. About half of U.S. pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member. Pew Research Center. July 7, 2023. Accessed August 6, 2024. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as-a-human-member/

Pet ownership saves $22.7 billion in annual health care costs. News release. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. May 23, 2024. Accessed August 6, 2024. 

Williams E. Medicaid enrollment & spending growth: FY 2022 & 2023. KFF. October 25, 2022. Accessed August 6, 2024. 

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-spending-growth-fy-2022-2023/

Choice 3: schedule the big rocks, don’t sort gravel. FranklinCovey. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-5-choices/choice-3/

A bold, new initiative that would increase access to care in a way never before seen in veterinary medicine

Peticaid: An idea whose time has come

All Creatures Great and Small. (Photos courtesy of Jeff Worman, Windy City Drone, and All Creatures Great and Small)

All Creatures Great and Small in Downers Grove, Illinois, is a veterinary practice immersed in rich history. This privately owned and operated merit winner of the 2024 Hospital Design360 competition—in the 3500 to 8000 sq ft facility category—employs a house-like design to both the exterior and interior of its hospital, all while keeping the hospital’s path tethered to its walls.

Aiming to build a clinic inside a home, Andrew Eisenberg, DVM, co-owner of the practice, explained in an interview with 

that the goal of the design was to make clients feel like they were coming into a family practice, or visiting a friend. The team wanted to steer away from the conventional, often “sterile” feel of veterinary hospitals.

“We try to have…more like a friendly, welcoming aspect, like visiting a friend's house where you happen to be going to the [veterinary],” Eisenberg told 

. “We want to be [clients’] friend and partner in their animal's health and care.”

Meant to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood, All Creatures Great and Small employs several landscaping and hardscaping features that make the clinic look like a house. Some of these include a grass front yard, common yard plants, a chimney, and a front porch with chairs that serves as an outdoor waiting room. Eisenberg told 

 that the team took extra steps to incorporate the front yard curb appeal to their practice, while still maintaining handicap accessibility.

To achieve the hospital’s internal home-like feel, Eisenberg and his father, Ken Eisenberg, a retired veterinarian and co-owner of All Creatures Great and Small, modeled their waiting area after a living room, creating a wood-inspired aesthetic. The team used tiling to mimic a hardwood floor, as this more modern material is easier to clean, more durable, and more scratch resistant than regular hardwood flooring. The owners also installed wood beams overhead to replicate the look and function that some individuals might have in the great room of their home, and picture windows that frame the outdoors—similar to the windows used in the front rooms of houses. Moreover, a fireplace with see-through glass on the inside and outside, was installed. The goal of the glass was to provide both the front porch outside and the inside lobby with a fireplace, adding to the “homey” feel of the clinic.

“We have that on in the wintertime,” said Eisenberg of the fireplace. “It creates a warm atmosphere, and it comes with the chimney, so it gives the hospital…the house appearance. Without the signage, a lot of people would think it's like a new, fancy house, which is what we were going for.”

Speaking on one particular aspect of the reception area, Eisenberg told 

, “The thing…we spent probably the most time on getting right was the front desk.” Eisenberg explained that the clinic’s front desk is made of butcher block material to imitate an old-school, wooden kitchen surface.

“So you have your living room, kitchen…fireplace area, and then that the desk kind of seals it as like…this nice work surface,” expressed Eisenberg.

Still, this hospital was not the duo’s first ‘clinic inside a home.’ Prior to opening this location, the father-son pair operated their clinic— founded by Ken Eisenberg in 2001— from a converted home in downtown Downers Grove, with some clients even having been raised there when it was still a single-family residence. When designing their new location, right around the corner of their former one, the duo aimed to keep some of the original hospital’s elements.

“It's kind of like building a new house and moving. You know, if you tear down your old house, you don't build a new house that's not nice. You try to [make] it nice, but you try to keep those elements that make it feel like a home. And that's what we did. We tried to take all those elements there and put them in our waiting room all the way to the finishing touches,” said Andrew Eisenberg.

Eisenberg also explained that it was important to have their new location close to the former practice. “We were fortunate that we found a property for sale around the corner…that allowed us to develop the site and stay within the community, because the clinic [was founded] there. We live in the neighborhood. We're close by. I see [clients] on walks… It creates a certain neighborly connection with them when they're coming in [to the clinic],” explained Eisenberg. “And it's that aspect of things that kind of makes you feel like, stop and say ‘hi’, [that] my dad established over 20 years ago in the community, and we wanted to maintain that.”

One final feature—and Eisenberg’s favorite— is the clinic’s artwork. The lobby features a painting that is a collage of All Creatures Great and Small’s former building, the current location, the clinic’s logo, and current and former resident animals.

In the interview, Eisenberg spoke of this mural and the animals on it. “Some of the old animals that lived at…our clinic, cats who had passed away, my current dogs, my cat, our bird that lives at the hospital—all the animals that have been related to All Creatures Great and Small, our bearded dragon—all of them are…tied into that one piece. It's almost like a historical tapestry of our animals and our buildings sitting front and center, right above in the waiting room.”

“It’s almost like inside…knowledge, because to everyone else they may just look like animals, but to anyone who's been there historically, [they will be] like, ‘Hey, isn't that the cat that used to live here, or isn't it’, you know?” Eisenberg concluded.

This 2024 Hospital Design360 competition merit winner designed their practice to feel and look like a home

All Creatures Great and Small: A clinic inside a home

Learning about veterinary dermatology is essential for veterinarians. Proficiency in this topic allows for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of a wide range of dermatological conditions, which can improve patient outcomes.

Dermatological issues are the 2nd most common reason canines visit the clinic, with more than 10% of all diseases in pets being skin disorders.

Moreover, the veterinary dermatology drug market is expected to significantly 

, highlighting the importance of this topic.

Watch the videos below to gain more insight on veterinary dermatology:

Treatment of Itchy Dogs: General Practitioners

Insights, Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, talks about balancing treating dermatological issues and behavioral concerns simultaneously, as addressing one can impact the management of the other.

Allergy management insights from Dr Jason Pieper

: Jason Pieper, DVM, MS, DACVD, assistant professor of dermatology at Iowa State University, offers tips on differentiating different allergy diseases and diagnosing food allergies and atopic dermatitis. He also shares key takeaways from his lecture at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

: In this video interview, Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, discusses different scenarios in which topical therapy can be used, as well as this treatment’s use in restoring the barrier function of the skin.

Bautista-Alejandre A. Veterinary dermatology drug market is projected to continue growing. 

. August 15, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/veterinary-dermatology-drug-market-is-projected-to-continue-growing

Watch these videos to learn more about atopic dermatitis, topical therapy, and the link between dermatological issues and behavioral concerns in animals

3 must-sees on dermatology

 (A) Two goats with abnormal, markedly enlarged mammary glands hospitalized for a total mastectomy. (B) The same goats with improved attitudes, mobility, and esthetics in their postoperative period.

Mammary disease commonly afflicts small ruminants and cattle. In some cases, the mammary glands can be extensively enlarged and painful (

). Such considerable disease results from mastitis, cancer, or precocious mammary gland development. Mastitis, including chronic bacterial infection with abscessation or rapidly progressive gangrenous disease, can be unilateral or bilateral. Although medical management is the first line of treatment for mastitis, the removal of glands with deeply seated infection or of those contributing massive toxin output can be indicated. Similarly, cancer can be isolated to a single quarter or half of the udder or distributed throughout the udder. Adenocarcinoma, adenoma, sarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma are reported to affect ruminant mammaries.

Chronic mastitis and cancer can cause marked mammary enlargement, as well as secondary infection with draining tracts and systemic debilitation including weight loss and anemia.

Precocious mammary development with associated lactation is rarely reported in cattle but is commonly observed in goats as a generalized condition of the mammary glands.

 The underlying cause of nulliparous with developing spontaneous lactation is not well understood; however, it is likely associated with a genetic predisposition to voluminous milk production and possibly dysregulation of prolactin secretion from the pituitary gland, especially during springtime.

 Other causes of precocious mammary development include a persistent corpus luteum (CL), ovarian neoplasia, and zearalenone toxicosis.

 Milking the udder contributes to further milk production and mastitis. Instead, milking should be avoided or ceased in the autumn to dry the udder, and the ovaries should be evaluated for abnormalities.

 Treatment with prostaglandin can cause luteolysis and regression of a persistent CL, thereby preventing further udder enlargement. Regardless of the cause of mammary enlargement, the udder should be monitored for signs of trauma and secondary infection.

Relief from these painful conditions can be provided by mastectomy (

). The pattern of surgical skin incision varies based on clinician preference, the need for a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy, and the presence of ulcerated skin or draining tracts. The goal of a cloverleaf or elliptical incision (

) is to adequately preserve skin for a tension-free closure and facilitate management of dead space.

 Complication rates between these 2 incisional approaches do not vary.

The surgical procedure requires extensive subcutaneous dissection to isolate the mammary gland. Dissection is difficult when the gland is adhered to the skin and when the weight of the udder impairs manipulation of the tissue. These factors could increase the potential for inadvertent contamination of the surgical site with fluid from the mammary gland. Thorough lavage is helpful to decontaminate the surgical site prior to closure. When cancer or infection are the impetus for surgery, peripheral lymph nodes should also be excised, and histopathology performed on lymph node and mammary tissue.

 (a) An elliptical skin incision to facilitate a total mastectomy in a cow. (b) The left pudendal vein ligated and isolated for transection. (c) Surgical closure in a 

pattern with a ventrally positioned Penrose drain.

Ligation of several large vessels is imperative to prevent fatal hemorrhage. These include the external pudendal arteries and veins (

), the ventral perineal arteries, and the subcutaneous abdominal veins.

Careful hemostasis throughout the procedure likely decreases postoperative swelling by preventing hematoma or seroma formation. Monopolar cautery and a bipolar vessel sealing device are valuable to speed the surgical approach. In cows, the surgical procedure can be hastened by having 2 teams of surgeons working simultaneously.

 Penrose drain placement at closure is a common means of managing dead space from the excised mammary gland (

) and the drain(s) will commonly remain in place for 2 to 3 days to prevent seroma formation.

shape, although sometimes a linear closure is functional (

). Skin tension during closure is common and can be decreased by placing walking sutures in the subcutaneous tissue and using tension-relieving suture patterns in the skin and a stent bandage over the incision. The postoperative period can be marked by acute pain that can be preemptively managed by epidural and transdermal fentanyl administration preoperatively to limit the need for rescue analgesia.

 Postoperative care includes several weeks of stall confinement and restricted exercise, along with perioperative antibiotics.

-shaped skin closure and dependently positioned Penrose drain. (b) A linear skin closure in a goat following a total mastectomy.

Total mastectomy in cattle requires an extended period under general anesthesia in dorsal recumbency during which time the patient can encounter significant anesthetic morbidity, especially when simultaneous blood loss occurs. Anemia of chronic disease is often identified in this population preoperatively, creating a low threshold for blood loss. Transfusion under general anesthesia can be beneficial for blood replacement to maintain the patient’s oxygenation and blood pressure.

A cow affected by chronic mastitis of the right front quarter, characterized by gland enlargement, drainage, and tissue prolapse through a wound.

Another significant consideration in cattle is the necessity of total mastectomy over single-quarter or unilateral mastectomy depending on the focal or distributed nature of disease (

 Lateral recumbency and a shorter surgical time are advantages of unilateral or single-quarter mastectomy over total mastectomy, likely lessening the risk of anesthetic-related morbidity for the patient. An additional alternative for systemically ill animals is a standing mastatrophy procedure with a paralumbar fossa surgical approach.

The goal of the procedure is intra-abdominal ligation of the external pudendal arteries and veins, thereby minimizing endotoxin release from the glands affected by gangrenous mastitis. Although the surgery has little systemic morbidity, it precipitates gland atrophy and tissue sloughing that can result in the need for extensive wound care. A similar procedure by a transcutaneous inguinal approach can be performed; however, it does not eliminate the need for anesthesia.

Behavior changes, including aggression and male sexual behavior, have been reportedly associated with hormonal imbalance caused by total mastectomy.

 In some cases, ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy have been performed simultaneously with the goal of offsetting the behavioral impact of mastectomy. Regardless of postoperative behavior changes, owners report a high level of satisfaction with the outcome of mastectomy.

Overall survival outcomes for mastectomy in ruminants are good and can prolong the life of an animal, particularly when the animal is healthy and has severe mammary gland disease.

 The patient’s condition postoperatively is generally marked by improvements to ambulation and systemic health, including superior attitude and appetite.

Krus CB, Mullins C, Oman R. Goats diagnosed with neoplasia display variability in clinical presentations, treatments, and outcomes. 

. 2023;261(5):661-667. doi:10.2460/javma.22.11.0530

Cable CS, Peery K, Fubini SL. Radical mastectomy in 20 ruminants. 

. 2004;33(3):263-266. doi:10.1111/j.1532-950x.2004.04038.x

Ambrose DJ, Emmanuel DGV. Precocious mammary development in an 8-month-old Holstein heifer. 

Hermida JA, Baird AN, Hawkins JF, Moore GE. Mastectomy in 25 small ruminants (2002-2019). 

. 2021;50(1):104-110. doi:10.1111/vsu.13509

Baird AN. Small ruminant surgery. In: Hendrickson DA, Baird AN, eds. 

Turner and Mcllwraith’s Techniques in Large Animal Surgery. 

Daradka M, Ismail ZB. Evaluation of the clinical and analgesic effects of subarachnoid ketamine-lidocaine administration in goats undergoing mastectomy. 

Ortega-Pacheco A, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Jimenez-Coello M, Tzab R, Gutierrez- Blanco E. Total mastectomy in a cow with gangrenous mastitis. 

. 2017;4(2):e000333. doi:10.1136/vetreccr-2016-000333

Phiri AM, Muleya W, Mwape KE. Management of chronic gangrenous mastitis in a 3-year-old cow using partial (quarter) mastectomy. 

2010;42(6):1057-1061. doi:10.1007/s11250-010-9541-2

Allen AJ, Barrington GM, Parish SM. Physiologic mastectomy via flank laparotomy. 

2008;24(3):511-516. doi:10.1016/j. cvfa.2008.06.006

Brewer RL. Mammary vessel ligation for gangrenous mastitis. 

Mastectomy can provide relief in certain cases for patients with painful conditions

Surgical management of advanced mammary disease in ruminants

Gary Whittaker, PhD, James Law professor of Virology in Microbiology and Immunology, and of Public and Ecosystem Health, with the NextSeq 1000

Photos: John Enright/CVM Animal Health Centers

A new study from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine found genetic evidence of feline coronavirus (FCoV) transmission between captive wild and domestic cats.

 Researchers looked back at a potential case of FCoV transmission between a domestic cat and a wild felid more than 15 years ago, using 

hybridization to analyze frozen tissue samples from both animals. They detected FCoV RNA in different tissues of both felids, proving that FCoV (variant 1) could be transmitted between domestic and wild felids, which extends the known host range of FCoV-1. These findings highlight the importance of identifying the cause of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a common, and often lethal, development of FCoV.

There are 2 distinct genotypes of FCoV, classified as types 1 and 2. The genotypes differ in their viral spike (S) protein, which means that the viral molecular mechanisms related to immune evasion, viral tropism, pathogenicity, and host range will not be the same across the genotypes.

 The findings of this study apply specifically to FCoV-1, proving it is transmittable between domestic and wild felids.

Ximena Olarte Castillo, PhD, postdoctoral associate at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, prepares a sample for NextSeq 1000 sequencer

Photo: John Enright/CVM Animal Health Centers

“By using a semi-targeted approach—known as hybridization capture—together with next-generation sequencing, we were able to detect and sequence the whole genome of FCoV-1 in both the domestic cat and the Pallas’ cat tissues,” Ximena Olarte Castillo, PhD, postdoctoral associate, first author of the study, said in a 

 “The main differences between FCoV-1 and FCoV-2 are in highly variable regions. So we need to move from targeting specific genes to whole-genome sequencing, and this technique seems very promising.”

FCoV is a common infection in domestic cats worldwide, and although it typically causes mild or subclinical signs, it’s not uncommon for cats infected with either FCoV-1 or FCoV-2 to develop FIP, which is more severe. There have been reports of FCoV in wild felids, including endangered species, which has been the cause of substantial declines in their populations.

FIP generally presents as either effusive or non-effusive, more commonly referred to as wet and dry forms, respectively. In the wet form, which is more common, the cat develops excess fluid in the chest or abdomen that interferes with their breathing and general organ function. Cats with the dry form do not develop excess fluid, though they can suffer fever and weight loss in addition to inflammation in various organs, including the liver, kidneys, eyes, and brain. Characteristics of both forms are usually present in all cases, and both forms are eventually fatal.

In November 2008, 2 Pallas’ cat kittens (

) and a female short-haired domestic cat (

) shared the same room at a US research facility and all succumbed to FIP. The lung, pleural tissue, and intestine from one of the Pallas’ kittens and the mesenteric lymph nodes of the domestic cat were collected and frozen until they could be analyzed further, pending technological advancements. 

Those technological advancements arrived in the form of the NextSeq 1000 sequencer, a next-generation sequencer that determines the order of nucleotides in DNA and RNA. The Cornell Feline Health Center (FHC) recently provided rapid response funding for the technology. Using this, researchers from Cornell analyzed the defrosted tissue to detect FCoV RNA in different tissues of both subjects.

Detection and characterization of FCoV in wild felids has mostly centered on conserved genes, as opposed to the highly variable S gene.

 This means that the genotype causing FIP in most wild felids remains unknown, though researchers emphasized the importance of identifying this genotype in order to develop effective control measures.

“This study is highly impactful in that it not only provides the first evidence of transmission of FCoV-1 between a domestic cat and a wild [feline], but also because it does so utilizing cutting-edge technology that can be applied to improve surveillance efforts for FCoV and other pathogens in both domestic and wild feline species worldwide,” Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD, director, Cornell FHC, said in the 

Until recently there were no FIP treatments available in the United States. In June 2024, 

 to veterinary offices and individual patients by Stokes Pharmacy.

 For more information, Christopher G. Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM), CVJ, joined 

, to discuss the news from Stokes Pharmacy, along with other FIP treatment advancements.

Hall O. Study proves transfer of feline coronavirus between domestic and wild cats. 

. September 10, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/09/study-proves-transfer-feline-coronavirus-between-domestic-and-wild-cats

Olarte-Castillo XA, Goodman LB, Whittaker GR. Molecular detection using hybridization capture and next-generation sequencing reveals cross-species transmission of feline coronavirus type-1 between a domestic cat and a captive wild felid. 

. Published online August 19, 2024. doi:10.1128/spectrum.00061-24

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Veterinary Specialty Center. Accessed September 12, 2024. 

https://www.vetspecialty.com/feline-infectious-peritonitis-fip/

Levy J., Hutsell S. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Merck Manual Veterinary Manual. August 2018. Accessed September 12, 2024. 

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-cats/feline-infectious-peritonitis-fip

McCafferty C. Compounded oral FIP treatment is now available. dvm360. June 14, 2024. Accessed September 12, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/compounded-oral-fip-treatment-is-now-available

McCafferty C. Updates in treating FIP. dvm360. August 28, 2024. Accessed September 12, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/updates-in-treating-fip

Researchers made the discovery in tissue from 2 cats that had died in 2008, and say it provides new understanding of the disease