Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, senior veterinary toxicologist and director, veterinary medicine, Pet Poison Helpline, discusses the danger of lilies to cats. 

The danger of lilies to pets

Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, senior veterinary toxicologist and director, veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, spoke about 

common household toxins, including pharmaceuticals

 in Orlando, Florida. In this segment, Schmid discusses the danger of lilies to cats.

], in particular, are a religious symbol of the Easter holiday and are traditionally popular in the spring. Pet owners should immediately call a veterinarian if a cat has, or may have, eaten an Easter lily leaf.

The following is a transcript of the video:

: So, the main lilies that we're concerned about concerned about are the renal toxic or the kidney toxic lilies. And those are the ones that are in the 

 [or daylily] as well. And so those are ones that we can see kidney failure developing in cats, and we often see them in fresh cut bouquets in the household. They also might be outside in landscaping, as well. 

All parts of the lily are considered to be toxic, including the pollen from that particular plant. And so, what we want to do is to make sure that those animals don't have any access. Ideally, No Lilies for Kitties is a [Pet Poison Helpline] campaign that we have. At noliliesforkitties.com, you can find different alternatives to plants, and different, safer plants for your pets in the home.

. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Horticulture-Extension. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/easter-lily-lilium-longiflorum/

Videos

Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, senior veterinary toxicologist and director, veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, discusses how a popular spring flower can be toxic to cats.

The danger of household lilies

Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, explains what makes zoo medicine challenging and how different species pose unique obstacles

The rewarding challenges of a zoo chief veterinarian

Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, director of Animal Health at the North Carolina Zoo, told 

 in an interview, about the most challenging species to work with and some of his favorites. He also explained how, as a director at the North Carolina Zoo, he can work in multiple areas of the profession.

 Some of the ones that are a little bit the most complicated are actually some of the the either the largest or the smallest. So when I got a 2g dart frog—so this is something that's about the size of your little pinky finger—and you're trying to do a workup on that, that's extremely difficult because a lot of the diagnostic tools that we would have don't work. I can barely get a blood sample from a 2g dart frog without exsanguinating it. So those little, subtle differences make those animals very complicated. The same thing goes true if we start bringing the size of the animal up. So, if I start working with an elephant diagnostically, I can't do a lot. I mean, they're well-trained, we can get, obviously, get a blood sample from an elephant, and you can usually do that with the animal wake. But radiographs really don't work. You can potentially get some radiographs of the distal periphery, so limbs, toes, things like that. But if you wanted to get a full chest radiograph, it doesn't work. You can't. There's no radiograph machine that can go that far, or shoot through that much tissue.

Obviously, I practice medicine, I'm a veterinarian, but on the flip side of that, some of the other things that we do really depends on the size of the zoo that you're working in, where you may wear different hats. And some of those may be still within the medicine aspect; we act as a nutritionist. But some of the things that stepped outside of the field that most people don't do is I helped with exhibit design. Obviously, I'm a big teacher. I work in West Africa, probably about 2 to 3 months out of the year working with elephants in West Africa. So those are the big aspects of the reason that this job to me is I mean, I can't complain. I love my job. It's one of the greatest jobs in the world.

Management of allergy-associated skin conditions can include topical therapy as an adjunctive treatment in a multimodal care plan. Utilizing topical therapies may decrease medication dependency, while also increasing their efficacy, according to Julia Miller, DVM, DACVD, associate professor of dermatology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York, and dermatologist at Animal Dermatology Group in Louisville, Kentucky.

In her lecture on topical therapies for veterinary dermatology at the 

2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Charlotte

, North Carolina, Miller provided an overview of the variety of options for treating skin conditions in pets with allergies. However, one of the key things to consider when choosing a topical product is the client’s ability to afford the treatment and their willingness to adhere to the prescribed care plan.

Miller suggested having an open and honest conversation with the client to ascertain the best topical therapy for their pet and their adherence ability before providing a recommendation or prescription.

 “Whenever you’re choosing a product, there’s never one perfect product. You always want to think about the animal’s needs and the client's needs,” she said.

Miller’s lecture, sponsored by Zarasyl­, presented a variety of topical formulations such as shampoos, rinses, spot-ons, mousses, sprays, wipes, creams, ointments, gels and powders. She noted that the surface area being treated, the amount of hair in that area, and the pet’s type of lesion should all be considered when deciding which topical product to use.

Product ingredients should also be considered for effectiveness in treating the pet’s condition as well as potential adverse effects. These ingredients may include glucocorticoids for inflammation and lipids for epidermal barrier support in allergy cases, as well as antimicrobials for bacterial or fungal skin infections.

To treat and prevent inflammation, for example, Miller noted that topical therapies may be applied daily. However, she cautioned that higher steroid potency can be a problem and encouraged attendees to seek out products that contain active ingredients at safer levels such as a sprays with 1% hydrocortisone.

Attendees were reminded that a product that works well for one pet may not be suitable for another animal, even if both are being treated for the same condition. One example shared by Miller was about a dog whose skin  became dried out when a certain topical therapy was applied. However, most other patients she has treated with the same product have showed success without experiencing excessive dry skin.

In concluding her talk, Miller emphasized choosing products for each patient that the owner will actively use.

 “Try to get the most value for your buck if you can. So, for example, a lot of shampoos have antimicrobial AND epidermal barrier. A lot of mousses and sprays are the same way,” Miller said.“Try to make things as easy as you possibly can.”

While consulting with clients, veterinary professionals should educate pet owners about the administration routine that best works for them and their animal. “Physically show them [how a treatment is administered],” she said. Miller also encouraged attendees to treat the pet more often if lesions develop, but also provide prevention treatment to limit the need for rechecks.

For more coverage from Fetch Charlotte, visit our dedicated conference news page at

Miller J. Spray, slather, dab or dip? Topical management tips to improve your skin successes. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; Charlotte, North Carolina; March 15-17, 2024.

Miller J. Guidelines for topical therapy in allergic dogs and cats. dvm360 Flex. Accessed March 15, 2024. 

https://ce.dvm360.com/learn/course/fetch-charlotte-2024-proceedings/proceeding/fetch-charlotte-2024-conference?page=28

Articles

When choosing a product for treating skin conditions caused by allergies, there are a variety of available options and some key considerations

Using topical therapies to manage dermatologic cases

The benefits of social media for veterinary practices

In an interview with Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, founder of The Social DVM, she explained how to best use marketing and social media to your advantage and to improve client relations. Improving your skills in this area of veterinary business can help with client education and workflow efficiency.

 Client education posts are often very frustrating for most people that are working in a veterinary practice and using social media. One of the biggest reasons for that is they don't get as much engagement, especially compared to a cute puppy picture or funny cat meme. And that's really frustrating when you put the time and effort into doing that. But a few things that I would caution you to remember is that No. 1, they're still getting some engagement. And they may not be liking or commenting or sharing it, but they might be going to that article and reading it. That is education, and that is helping their pet and that owner. So that's still good.

AI can definitely help us in marketing and many other areas of our profession to be more efficient. It's going to free us up for time spent on more important things. So from a marketing standpoint, I love using AI to help write social media captions, to come up with objective, calm responses to those online reviews when we're having trouble with them, or to help us brainstorm ideas for new marketing content.

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, shared her tips for more engaging social media posts and marketing best practices

Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, on stage for his keynote session for the Fetch dvm360 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“The people with a growth mindset say, ‘You know what, I can learn from my mistakes. There may not be a limit to my abilities. I have opportunities to improve and change. In fact, I'm seeking to improve and better myself,’” Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, veterinary medical lead for Basepaws and chief medical officer for VerticalVet, said to attendees at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 During his keynote address, sponsored by Wedgewood Pharmacy, Ward encouraged everyone to embrace a growth mindset, rather than staying stagnant in a fixed mindset. He explained that with a fixed mindset, you become resistant to change and try to avoid any challenges or obstacles. This can be quite limiting. Instead, push yourself to achieving a growth mindset in which you are open to change and welcome challenges, because you know that they will only make you stronger, he said.

With a growth mindset, individuals can start believing in their own capabilities, even if it seems difficult. Ward explained that a person with a growth mindset would say, “We can, we just have to figure out how to do it.”

Ward recommended applying these 4 goals to elevate your personal life and veterinary practice:

“What are you good at, use them [and] lean into it. If you're very good at medicine, then make sure that you try to fill your day with as many complex medical cases as possible. If you love surgery, find a way to be in the theater all day long operating. Whatever it is, find your strengths,” Ward stated. “You can literally say ‘I love working with cats,’[and] feline practice is an incredible opportunity still in this day and age. The world is your oyster, it's an amazing time to be a veterinarian.”

Ward believes that everyone has these 9 advantages already inside them:

All of these advantages can be used to improve yourself and your career. Ward explained that only raw talent and luck cannot be control, however the other 7 is within your influence and can be enhanced based on your effort.

“If you do not take risk in your life, you will be fixed. There is a limit, it will be finite. Your success, happiness, contentment, joy, even health will be limited. Because you're not pushing yourself, you're not trying,” Ward reminded attendees.

“If you adopt a growth mindset, you see the world as opportunities to change and to grow. Every opportunity, you say, ‘this is going to make me better,’” Ward added.

To close, Ward hit home on his main point of leaning into your advantages to help yourself improve in both your personal life and your career. Of the 9 advantages he listed, Ward suggested focusing on the ones you do best. Are you calm under pressure? You that to help you with stressful situations and complex cases at work. Are you good at recruiting and coaching? Lead the team on hiring new employees. Are you open to risk taking? Be the one to suggest new processes or systems within your practice. Any of these advantages can help you better yourself and your own success.

Ward E. Elevate your practice and your life: The power of the 9 origins of advantage: Presented at: Fetch dvm360 conference; Charlotte, North Carolina; March 15-17, 2024.

Day 2 keynote speaker, Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, lectures on the power of challenges and how to use change to your advantage

How to flourish with a growth mindset

Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, explains how zoo animals have a lot of anatomical similarities to small and large animals

How zoo medicine is a lot like small- and large-animal practice

 in an interview, about the similar principles veterinary professionals can apply to zoological medicine. Equine medicine can be a very similar medicine for a rhinoceros and feline medicine can be similar for a lion or tiger.

 The word zoological medicine scares a lot of veterinarians because they say, 'Well, I don't know anything about any of those animals.' And I would turn that on its head and say, 'Yes, you do. You know a lot more than what you think you do.' There are some intricacies and nuances that you may not know, but myself and a small- and large-animal [practice], and we have the same foundational veterinary knowledge, those are the same tools that I'm utilizing.

That's the great thing about veterinary medicines, we all have a very, very broad understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology, [and] how to use those disciplines to diagnose and treat health issues in the animals that we treat.