This issue covers a range of topics that are sure to be of interest to small animal veterinarians. Parasitology features heavily – from an update of the trends of parasitic infections of cats and dogs in the UK, to a case report about a novel treatment of skin flukes in an Australian hobbyist's koi carp pond.
Parasitic infection remains a problem for many cat and dog owners across the UK (Wright, 2022). Ian Wright's 2023 roundup (p110) discusses the changes that have been seen over the last year, with a focus on climate change and the movement of pets across borders. Hany Elsheikha's roundtable (p116) gives an overview of common internal and external parasites to look out for, as well as their routes of transmission and methods to treat a parasite burden and control the spread of parasites to help prevent resistance.
Another area in veterinary medicine that is facing resistance is antibiotics (World Health Organization, 2020). Previous practices around drug prescription have been more recently found to be potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance – Lucas Pantaleon discusses these, and other factors that veterinarians should be aware of when prescribing antibiotics, in his review on the use of antibiotics in veterinary practice (p146).
A less common – but more dangerous – problem in dogs is salbutamol poisoning. Salbutamol is the active drug in asthma inhalers, and poisoning with this drug can be life threatening. Nicola Bates provides an extensive review (p132) into the symptoms of salbutamol toxicosis, and what veterinarians should do to manage these symptoms.
Finally, there are two canine case reports. Max Foreman outlines the case of a 2-year-old rescue dog with seizures that were suspected to be a result of dietary hyperthyroidism (p122). There is a known link between hyperthyroidism and seizures in dogs, however vets may not consider hyperthyroidism as a direct cause of seizures. Jess McCarthy discusses another rare presentation in her case report of a comminuted scapula fracture in a young dog (p126). Pinning and plating scapula fractures can be complex due to the shape of the bone and the muscular forces acting upon it. To circumvent these challenges, two plates were successfully used to stabilise the fracture, and a controlled movement and physiotherapy regimen helped ensure the injury had the best chance to heal.
Most common medical problems in companion animals have well established treatment protocols which have a huge backing of evidence in their favour. Veterinary medicine is an ever-changing field, with new evidence coming to light which contradicts previous schools of thought, such as in antibiotic resistance. Veterinarians will also likely be required to think outside the box when faced with uncommon injuries, or cases where traditional medicines have been unsuccessful. The methods which are used in individual case studies may well become the standard used by other vets who come across such situations in their own practices, so it is vitally important to discuss the successes and failures of treatments used in unusual cases.