Evaluation of Ki-67, goblet cell and MUC2 mucin RNA expression in dogs with lymphoplasmacytic and granulomatous colitis.

Intestinal mucus barrier disruption may occur with chronic inflammatory enteropathies. The lack of studies evaluating mucus health in dogs with chronic colitis arises from inherent challenges with assessment of the intestinal mucus layer. It is therefore unknown if reduced goblet cell (GBC) numbers and/or mucin 2 (MUC2) expression, which are responsible for mucus production and secretion, correlate with inflammation severity in dogs with granulomatous colitis (GC) or lymphocytic-plasmacytic colitis (LPC).

Using natural language processing and patient journey clustering for temporal phenotyping of antimicrobial therapies for cat bite abscesses.

Background: Temporal phenotyping of patient journeys, which capture the common sequence patterns of interventions in the treatment of a specific condition, is useful to support understanding of antimicrobial usage in veterinary patients. Identifying and describing these phenotypes can inform antimicrobial stewardship programs designed to fight antimicrobial resistance, a major health crisis affecting both humans and animals, in which veterinarians have an important role to play.

Objective: This research proposes a framework for extracting temporal phenotypes of patient journeys from clinical practice data through the application of natural language processing (NLP) and unsupervised machine learning (ML) techniques, using cat bite abscesses as a model condition.

Sensitivity of canine hematological cancers to BH3 mimetics.

Background: Inhibition of antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) proteins by small molecule Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) mimetics causes rapid induction of apoptosis of human hematological cancers in vitro and in vivo.

Objectives: Assess in vitro sensitivity of non-neoplastic lymphocytes and primary hematological cancer cells from dogs to venetoclax (VEN) or the dual BCL2/ B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (BCLxL) inhibitor, navitoclax (NAV), and evaluate the association between BCL2 protein expression and VEN sensitivity.

Animals: Nine client-owned dogs without cancer and 18 client-owned dogs with hematological cancer.

Lean body weight-adjusted intravenous iodinated contrast dose for abdominal CT in dogs reduces interpatient enhancement variability while providing diagnostic quality organ enhancement.

Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is increasingly used to screen for abdominal pathology in dogs, and the contrast dose used is commonly calculated as a linear function of total body weight (TBW). Body fat is not metabolically active and contributes little to dispersing or diluting contrast medium (CM) in the blood. This prospective, analytic, cross-section design pilot study aimed to establish the feasibility of intravenous CM dosed according to lean body weight (LBW) for abdominal CECT in dogs compared to TBW.

A retrospective multi-center study of treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors in 34 dogs with disseminated aspergillosis in Australia.

Background: Disseminated aspergillosis (DA) in dogs has a guarded prognosis and there is a lack of a gold standard treatment protocol.

Objective: To retrospectively assess survival times and factors influencing survival times.

Animals: Dogs diagnosed with DA from January 2007 to June 2017.

Employability as a Guiding Outcome in Veterinary Education: Findings of the VetSet2Go Project.

This paper presents a mini-review of employability as a guiding outcome in veterinary education-its conceptualisation, utility, core elements and dimensions, and pedagogical approaches-through a summary of the findings of a major international project with the same aims (the VetSet2Go project). Guided by a conception of the successful veterinary professional as one capable of navigating and sustainably balancing the (sometimes competing) needs and expectations of multiple stakeholders, the project integrated multiple sources of evidence to derive an employability framework representing the dimensions and capabilities most important to veterinary professional success. This framework provides a useful complement to those based in narrower views of competency and professionalism.

Resilience of veterinarians at different career stages: The role of self-efficacy, coping strategies and personal resources for resilience in veterinary practice.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of demographic and psychological factors on resilience in new graduate-, mid- and late-career veterinarians working in Australia.

Method: An online cross-sectional survey of 800 veterinarians collected demographic and descriptive data in two stages from late 2015 to 2017, such as gender, average hours worked per week, type and region of practice and intention to leave veterinary medicine. Psychological factors were measured utilising the Brief Resilience Scale, the Veterinary Resilience Scale-Personal Resources, the Brief COPE and General Self-Efficacy measures.

Hierarchical modelling of immunoglobulin coated bacteria in dogs with chronic enteropathy shows reduction in coating with disease remission but marked inter-individual and treatment-response variability.

Chronic enteropathies are a common problem in dogs, but many aspects of the pathogenesis remain unknown, making the therapeutic approach challenging in some cases. Environmental factors are intimately related to the development and perpetuation of gastrointestinal disease and the gut microbiome has been identified as a contributing factor. Previous studies have identified dysbiosis and reduced bacterial diversity in the gastrointestinal microbiota of dogs with chronic enteropathies.

Identifying the capabilities most important for veterinary employability using a modified Delphi process.

Background: In the veterinary profession, employability has been defined as 'a set of personal and professional capabilities that enable a veterinarian to gain employment, contribute meaningfully to the profession, and develop a career pathway that achieves satisfaction and success'. This study was part of a multinational collaborative research project aiming to define the capabilities most important for employability in the veterinary context (www.VetSet2Go.

Swiss Primary Teachers' Professional Well-Being During School Closure Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During sudden school closures in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers had to move to distance teaching. This unprecedented situation could be expected to influence teacher well-being and schools as organizations. This article reports a qualitative study that aims at understanding how changes in teachers' professional lives that were related to school closure affected Swiss primary teachers' professional well-being.

Longitudinal Survey of Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Dogs Administered a Commercial Probiotic.

The aim of this longitudinal microbiome study was to investigate the effects of a commercially available veterinary synbiotic product (Blackmore's® Paw DigestiCare 60™) on the fecal microbiome of healthy dogs using 16S rRNA gene microbial profiling. Fifteen healthy, privately-owned dogs participated in a 2-week trial administration of the product. Fecal samples were collected at different time points, including baseline (prior to treatment), during administration and after discontinuation of product.

A comparative analysis of two unrelated outbreaks in Latvia and Australia of acquired idiopathic megaesophagus in dogs fed two brands of commercial dry dog foods: 398 cases (2014-2018).

Case Description: In Latvia in 2014, acquired idiopathic megaesophagus (AIME) was observed in increased numbers of dogs that consumed varieties of 1 brand of dog food. Within 2 years, 253 dogs were affected. In Australia in November 2017, 6 working dogs that consumed 1 diet of another brand of dog food developed AIME.

Effect of sequentially fed high protein, hydrolyzed protein, and high fiber diets on the fecal microbiota of healthy dogs: a cross-over study.

Background: Dietary content and environmental factors can shape the gut microbiota, and consequently, the way the gut microbiota metabolizes fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, affecting overall health of the host. We evaluated the impact of 3 diets (all meat [raw], high-insoluble fiber dry extruded diet and hydrolyzed protein dry extruded diet) on the gut microbiota of healthy dogs in a cross-over sequential study.

Results: We showed that diet can have an effect on the gut microbiome in dogs, which was influenced by the order of feeding.

International multi-stakeholder consensus for the capabilities most important to employability in the veterinary profession.

Background: Employability has been defined within the veterinary context as a set of personal and professional capabilities that enable a veterinarian to gain employment, contribute meaningfully to the profession, and develop a career pathway that achieves satisfaction and success. This study explicitly addressed the construct of veterinary employability by exploring the perceptions of multiple stakeholders (recent graduates, employee veterinarians, veterinarian and non-veterinarian employers, para-veterinary staff, academics and policy makers).

Methods: A four-part online survey was distributed internationally via various agencies.

ACVIM consensus statement on pancreatitis in cats.

Background: Pancreatitis in cats, although commonly diagnosed, still presents many diagnostic and management challenges.

Objective: To summarize the current literature as it relates to etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of pancreatitis in cats and to arrive at clinically relevant suggestions for veterinary clinicians that are based on evidence, and where such evidence is lacking, based on consensus of experts in the field.

Animals: None.

Development and validation of a contextualised measure of resilience in veterinary practice: the Veterinary Resilience Scale-Personal Resources (VRS-PR).

Background: This article reports on the development and validation of a contextualised measure of personal resources for resilience in veterinary practice.

Methods: Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to evaluate data from two surveys of veterinary practitioners.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis of the first survey (=300) revealed six items comprising the Veterinary Resilience Scale-Personal Resources (VRS-PR).

Epidemiological study of dogs with diabetes mellitus attending primary care veterinary clinics in Australia.

Background: The objectives of this study were to establish the prevalence, risk factors and comorbidities/sequelae for diabetes mellitus (DM) in Australian dogs presented to first-opinion veterinary practices.

Methods: Electronic patient records of dogs (n=134,329) attending 152 veterinary clinics during 2017 were sourced through VetCompass Australia. They included 418 dogs with DM; a prevalence of 0.

Chronic Enteropathy In Canines: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies.

In this article, the studies about the prevalence of chronic enteropathy are reviewed as well as the information regarding short- and long-term prognosis for dogs treated with the three most common therapies; these include dietary modification, antibiotics, and immunosuppressants. Although the data available are limited, most studies support a good to excellent long-term response in dogs that have a successful food trial, whereas the response is poor with antibiotics or on-going treatment is required to retain remission. There is a risk of antimicrobial resistance developing with inappropriate use of antimicrobials such as in these situations.

An Exploration of the Career Motivations Stated by Early-Career Veterinarians in Australia.

Despite the critical influence of motivation on education and work outcomes, little is known about the motivations driving people to become and remain veterinarians. This qualitative study explored the career motivations stated by Australian veterinary graduates ( = 43) using a free-response Ten Statements Test (TST) at graduation, with follow-up interviews 6-8 months later ( = 10). TST responses were coded using an alternate inductive-deductive approach that tested their fit against existing theories of motivation.

Challenging identity: development of a measure of veterinary career motivations.

Background: While little is known about the motivations underpinning veterinary work, previous literature has suggested that the main influences on veterinary career choice are early/formative exposure to animals or veterinary role models. The aim of this study was to develop and provisionally validate a veterinary career motivations questionnaire to assess the strength of various types of career motivations in graduating and experienced veterinarians.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of experienced veterinarians (n=305) and a smaller cohort of newly graduated veterinarians (n=53) were surveyed online using a long-form questionnaire.

Success in career transitions in veterinary practice: perspectives of employers and their employees.

This study qualitatively explored success factors across career transitions in veterinary practice. Semistructured interviews were conducted independently with pairs of veterinary employers and their recent graduate employees, focusing on success in gaining initial employment, their transition to practising veterinarian and longevity in the veterinary profession. The divergence and convergence of interviewees' perspectives, the changing emphasis of capabilities over different career phases, and the meaning of success were explored.