Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Newsletters

Newsletter for June 2003

In this issue:

* ADVANTIX
* SARS IN PETS
* NEUTERING WITHOUT SURGERY

ADVANTIX UPDATE


ADVANTIX is proving to be a very safe and effective product for FLEA, TICK, AND MOSQUITO prevention in dogs. Many people have concerns about Heartworm disease and West Nile *, both of which are transmitted by mosquitos. ADVANTIX is the first product we have had which will provide protection against all 3 of these nasty little parasites. ADVANTIX is a spot on treatment applied in the same manner as ADVANTAGE and FRONTLINE.

Sherri will be happy to provide you with more information on this great new product.

CAN MY PET GET SARS?

NO, they can't, from what we know so far. Animals are unlikely to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome, and are even less likely to spread it.

Dr Subramaniam Thiruchelvam said: 'Even though dogs and cats cough, sneeze and catch pneumonia, most of these illnesses don't share the same viruses as those that infect humans. Dr Jean-Paul Ly admitted that certain strains of influenza can pass from humans to dogs, but insisted that worries of cross-species infection are unfounded, most of the time.

'Zoonotic diseases - which are spread from animals to humans - are not common. Diseases which are spread from humans to animals are even more rare,' he said. But what about earlier speculation that the virus causing Sars might have originated from animals? For Dr Ly, at least, such speculation is to be taken with a pinch of salt. 'This is conjecture,' he pointed out. 'Right now, we are at a very early stage - too early to make any definitive comments about Sars at all.' The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) agrees.  Said SPCA's executive officer Deirdre Moss: 'We are not too concerned.  Right now, only humans are getting Sars. So there's no cause for alarm.

That doesn't mean we are not taking the usual precautions advised by the media.' But while vets and the SPCA are handling the Sars situation with confidence, some animal lovers out there are starting to worry. At least one of them has sent an e-mail to the SPCA, hoping to find out what the Sars outbreak means for animals. Said Ms Moss: 'We received an e-mail asking whether dogs can catch Sars.'  Ms Moss has since replied, informing the person that the Sars virus is unlikely to be spread to animals. And indeed, both Dr Thiruchelvam and Dr Ly confirmed that they have not come across any cases of Sars among the animals they have been treating. Said Dr Thiruchelvam: 'I have been on the lookout for Sars in the animals, especially those that have flu or
pneumonia. But so far, there have been no cases of Sars-like infection.' Same for Dr Ly. 'There were none even remotely resembling Sars,' he said. Said Mr Goh Shih Yong, corporate communications manager of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA): 'Every day, scientists at the World Health Organization are learning, discovering and finding out more about the virus causing Sars.

FIRST NEUTERING DRUG FOR
PUPPIES GAINS FDA APPROVAL


Neutersol® (Zinc Gluconate Neutralized by Arginine) is First Approved Non-Surgical, Injectable Sterilant for Safe, Effective Neutering of Male Puppies Ages 3 to 10 Months

(Columbia, Missouri, May 19, 2003)--- Puppy owners will now be offered a choice for neutering their male puppies. The Federal Food and Drug Administration has approved Neutersol® (Zinc Gluconate Neutralized by Arginine) as the world's first injectable neutering drug for puppies 3 to 10 months of age.

Procedure is Brief

With the puppy lying on its back and properly restrained (chemical restraint may be used, if necessary, to prevent the dog from moving during the injection), the veterinarian gently injects Neutersol into each of the testicles using a very fine needle. The exact dose is pre-calibrated by measuring the width of the puppy's testicles using a custom dosing caliper.  Neutersol is 99.6% effective in achieving sterilization.


Benefits Prompt Immediate Understanding of Choice

Owners are relieved of their worries of subjecting the puppy to surgery and the time it takes, thus providing an attractive choice. "When presented with the time-savings, speed and ease of the Neutersol procedure, owners immediately understand the advantages of choosing Neutersol as the neutering approach," notes Jim Howard, DVM, owner of Howard Veterinary Hospital in Jefferson City, MO, one of the five test sites for the neutering product. "They now have a choice between surgery or an injection that takes only a few minutes."


Study Findings

Neutersol (Zinc Gluconate Neutralized by Arginine) for pharmaceutical sterilization of 3 to 10 month old male dogs was developed by the late Dr. Mostafa S. Fahim, Director of the Center of Reproductive Science and Technology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia. The research and development of Neutersol and other technology was conducted by Dr. Fahim and his staff and was sponsored by Technology Transfer, Inc. (a Missouri corporation) since 1990. The long process of obtaining FDA
approval of Neutersol began in 1991, and Technology Transfer, Inc. licensed Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc. to market Neutersol after receiving FDA approval.

Pilot, dose determination, and target animal safety studies were completed prior to the field study that was conducted at five test sites throughout the U.S. The test sites enrolled 270 puppies, ages 3 to 10 months, according to pre-determined protocols involving testicle widths and good general testicular health. Post-injection, the participating puppies were monitored for general attitude, appetite, ability to walk, scrotal pain on testes manipulation, rectal temperature, and general scrotum description.  Complete physical exams were conducted at three days, two months, and six months post-injection. Of the 224 dogs that completed the study, 223 (99.6%) were permanently sterile. Mild, temporary swelling of the testicles is an expected reaction to the injection noticed within 24-48 hours after injection. Other possible side effects include vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, diarrhea, scrotal pain and scrotal inflammation.

Min Wang, MD, Senior Research Associate, Center of Reproductive Science and Technology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, conducted the study and presented the field trial findings in "Neutersol: Intratesticular Injection Induces Sterility In Dogs" at the April, 2002, International Symposium of Non-Surgical Methods for Pet Population Control. See http://www.neutersol.com/fieldstudy for study protocols and a detailed report of findings.


NOTE:

As described here, Neutersol is brand new and has not yet been distributed to our hospital. We will continue to monitor this product for safety and efficiency before a decision is made to recommend it for our patients.