In celebration of all the veterinary students who graduated in 2023, Matthew McGlasson, DVM, CVPM, gave 5 tips to students, and veterinary professionals, on how to make feline patients visits less stressful for the cat, owner, and veterinary team.

Podcasts

We have compiled a countdown of our top Vet Blast Podcast Episodes in 2023, here is number 2

Top Vet Blast Podcast episodes of 2023: #2

Photo courtesy of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

2. Firefighter pet owner revives his dog with CPR

Whitney, a Yorkshire terrier/ poodle mix aged 3 years, was found floating unresponsive in a swimming pool. As an emergency medical technician/firefighter, owner Andy Brocchini has significant experience performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on humans and had researched how to perform CPR in pets.

Articles

We have compiled a countdown of our top 15 content in 2023, here is number 2

Top dvm360 articles of 2023: #2

Veterinarians want to have the time and ability to give the fastest and clearest diagnosis to a patient. With staff shortages already making time a not-so-given commodity, veterinarians are searching for efficient ways to help themselves, their team, and pet owners. Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, of dvm360 Live, spoke with Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, about how digital cytology is becoming a prominent method within dermatology and how it can better assist veterinarians everywhere.

 Can you explain why cytology is essential in the management of allergic cases?

 I like to explain cytology by asking: If a dog comes into the office and you’re told they are not feeling well, where do you start your diagnostics? Probably lab work, right? Cytology is our lab work in dermatology. It is the minimum database for how to approach what might be wrong with a patient. Some of the intimidation of cytology comes from the worry of not getting every single answer, but that is OK. Cytology is a guiding light for rechecks and new exams. My technicians are concerned if I didn’t use cytology for an exam because it is something we are doing all the time.

What does digital cytology look like in the workforce?

 Veterinarians are busy and usually short on staff and time. It is a difficult time in our field. There are also different levels of comfort with cytology in the workplace. I like to read my slides and evaluate them, but not every practice is set up this way. Having easy-to-use tools for cytology and clinical pathologists on hand can help veterinarians be more efficient with staining slides, managing their time, and providing clarity on any uncertainty about a pet’s condition.

 Walk us through the current process for sample prep and analysis and how TruView can help veterinarians with their diagnostics.

 One of the easiest-to-see features of this device is how small and sleek it is. We love to have more space in the office. Next, it is so easy for my technician to put a slide in, have the machine stain it, and they can walk away while it does the work. Normally, I would collect samples in the room, my technician would take them out of the room, stain them, put them on the slide, and take a look. These are manual steps removed from the veterinary team. If you’re viewing a hematology slide, for example, it does the smear for you.

 How does the TruView microscope enable pathologists to review images within minutes, and what impact does this have on expediting the diagnostic process for patients?

 Not only do we want to make things more time efficient for our staff but also for the client. We want the best medicine. Having to take a blood smear, ship it out, and wait for those results can bring
a lot of stress to a client who is waiting to see whether something is cancerous or abnormal. This also delays knowing whether we need to do a biopsy. With this device, you can examine a sample yourself or send it to a clinical pathologist who can read the slides and get back to you within a matter of minutes. An official report arrives within 2 hours. A veterinarian can receive diagnostics much earlier and with a support team behind them. Even as a board-certified dermatologist myself, I need help. Help and efficiency make the best care for a patient.

Another thing to consider is samples can get lost when they move through different hands and carriers. Taking away those external factors gives you better control within the clinic, provides faster results, and helps ensure a sample is not getting messed up.

Understanding how digital tools can provide quicker diagnostic results and a better level of care for patients

Digital cytology in the veterinary office

The results of a newly published study reinforce that a multicancer early detection test for dogs (OncoK9, PetDx) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology can detect genomic alterations indicative of residual disease and cancer recurrence in cell-free DNA of dogs previously treated by surgery for a variety of cancer types. The study published in the 

) evaluated OncoK9 test results from blood samples collected prospectively between 2019 and 2022 as well as corresponding clinical management and outcome data.

Fifty-two dogs that had received a definitive cancer diagnosis across 12 different cancer types and had previously been enrolled in 

the CANcer Detection in Dogs (CANDiD) clinical validation study

 were included in this new analysis, which received funding from PetDx. Individual subjects underwent OncoK9testing and clinical evaluations for a period of up to 1 year.

"The goal of residual disease detection and recurrence monitoring is to allow for a more individualized approach to cancer care," said Brian Flesner, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), director of clinical oncology, PetDx, in an organizational release.

 "The current approach to postdiagnosis follow-up for most aggressive cancers involves serial imaging studies. Detection of molecular disease by the OncoK9 test gives veterinarians a tool that may allow for earlier intervention before signs of the disease are evident, with the hope of changing a patient's clinical management and improving prognosis. Our multiyear longitudinal study documents, for the first time, the application of this NGS technology for cancer monitoring in veterinary medicine."

The new investigation found that following excisional surgery, patients with an OncoK9 test result detecting a cancer signal at the postoperative visit were approximately twice as likely to have clinical recurrence within 6 months compared to patients with no cancer signal detected with the test. By comparison of these test results, there was no significant difference in cancer recurrence within 6 months based on traditional histologic margin assessment. Furthermore, among patients treated for cancer that experienced clinical recurrence during the study period, 82% had an OncoK9 test result that detected a cancer signal prior to or concomitant with clinical recurrence, and in more than half of these patients, "molecular recurrence" was detected prior to clinical recurrence, with a median lead time of over 5 months.

"Over the past few years, PetDx has established a leadership position in blood-based veterinary cancer diagnostics through extensive and well-executed research and development initiatives," said Alejandro Bernal, DVM, MS, MBA, president and CEO of PetDx, in the release.

 "This latest study represents an important addition to our scientific portfolio and indicates that OncoK9 can be used by veterinarians as a noninvasive adjunct tool to manage cancer patients in the post-diagnosis setting."

The study’s authors include Flesner; Angela L. McCleary-Wheeler, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology); Patrick C. Fiaux, PhD; Carlos A. Ruiz-Perez, PhD; Lisa M. McLennan; John A. Tynan, PhD; Susan C. Hicks, MAS; Jill M. Rafalko, MS; Daniel S. Grosu, MD, MBA; Jason Chibuk, MS; Allison L. O’Kell, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM); Todd A. Cohen, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM); Ilya Chorny, PhD; Dana W.Y. TSui, PhD: Kristina M. Kruglyak, PhD; and Andi Flory; DVM, DACVIM (Oncology). All of the authors are current or former employees of PetDx and adhered to 

OncoK9 Liquid Biopsy test can be used for cancer monitoring in dogs across a variety of cancer types, AJVR publication shows. News release. PetDx. December 28, 2023. Accessed December 28, 2023. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oncok9-liquid-biopsy-test-can-be-used-for-cancer-monitoring-in-dogs-across-a-variety-of-cancer-types-ajvr-publication-shows-302023277.html

McCleary-Wheeler AL, Fiaux PC, Flesner BK, et al. Next-generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy may be used for detection of residual disease and cancer recurrence monitoring in dogs. 

. December 28, 2023. Accessed December 29, 2023. 

https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/ajvr/aop/ajvr.23.07.0163/ajvr.23.07.0163.xml

The investigation clinically validated the OncoK9 test from PetDx, reinforcing previous study results.

New study shows blood test detects residual disease and cancer recurrence

One of our first Vet Blast Podcast guests of 2023 was Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP, FAVD. On this episode, Bellows and Dr Christman discuss what new and exciting things were in the veterinary dentistry pipeline for 2023.

We have compiled a countdown of our top Vet Blast Podcast Episodes in 2023, here is number 3

Top Vet Blast Podcast episodes of 2023: #3

3. It’s time for veterinary professionals to take back veterinary medicine

, Hale discusses how the movie The Matrix may provide a blueprint for reclaiming the veterinary profession from corporations.

We have compiled a countdown of our top 15 content in 2023, here is number 3