2024 AAHA Community Care Guidelines for Small Animal Practice.

Community care is a creative way of thinking about health care that mobilizes resources within a community and consists of four core principles: recognition of the urgency of access-to-care for the veterinary profession, collaboration within community networks, family-centered health care, and redefining the gold standard of care. The AAHA Community Care Guidelines for Small Animal Practice offer strategies to help busy veterinary practitioners increase access to care within their practice and community by optimizing collaborative networks. While these guidelines do not claim to provide exhaustive solutions to access-to-care issues, they propose a starting point from which private practices can explore and implement workable solutions for their community and their practice.

Longitudinal patterns of companion animals in families with children during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

Pet acquisition purportedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic with individuals acquiring pets during periods of social isolation. Families with children experienced unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing childcare, remote schooling, and other needs and therefore patterns of pet acquisition and loss may differ from the broader population. The goal of this study was to understand patterns of pet ownership within families with adolescents during the pandemic to help identify areas for improved support and programmatic recommendations.

Resource setting impacts neonatal but not maternal survival in bitches treated for dystocia: 243 cases (2015-2020).

Objective: To compare maternal and fetal outcomes of dystocia managed surgically and nonsurgically at referral hospitals (RHs) versus community medicine clinics (CMCs), determine the rate of C-section, and evaluate the incidence of hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia in bitches presented with dystocia.

Animals: Bitches presented with dystocia at 2 RHs and 2 CMCs.

Methods: Information on signalment, presence of hypoglycemia and/or hypocalcemia, diagnostic imaging performed, nonsurgical and surgical interventions performed, maternal and fetal outcomes, and total cost of care was obtained from the electronic medical records of bitches presenting for dystocia between October 2015 and October 2020.

A liposomal bupivacaine infiltrative block reduces rescue analgesia administration compared to a bupivacaine splash block after canine ovariohysterectomy in a teaching laboratory.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether an infiltrative block with liposomal bupivacaine was associated with less rescue analgesia administration and lower pain scores than a bupivacaine splash block after ovariohysterectomy in dogs.

Animals: Eligible dogs included those that were spayed as part of a veterinary teaching laboratory. Dogs were up to 7 years old and otherwise healthy.

Perspectives on implementing veterinary clinical studies committees.

To address the limitations of traditional IACUC review of clinical research studies involving client-owned animals, the AVMA issued a policy describing the use of a veterinary clinical studies committee (VCSC), analogous to an institutional review board, as a way to ensure the adequate review and oversight of such studies. While IACUC composition, review, approval processes, and responsibilities are well established, uniform guidance for VCSCs is not readily available and not included in the guidance for IACUCs. In this manuscript we describe suggested best practices for scientific and ethical review of veterinary clinical research studies, regardless of the specific research setting.

Shelter Medicine Sustainability from an Academic Perspective: Challenges and Issues.

A meeting of veterinary school faculty and partners, many associated with shelter medicine and/or community medicine programming, was convened at the 2019 Shelter Medicine Veterinary Educators Conference in Pullman, WA, to discuss challenges with shelter medicine program sustainability and defining the future. The discussion was facilitated by an outside consultant and is summarized in this manuscript. The goal of the meeting was to identify challenges and issues concerning the needs and goals for shelter medicine curricula to have long-term success in academic training.

Barriers to Accessing Video-Based Telehealth Appointments at a Community Veterinary Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: To assess veterinary needs of clients with low socioeconomic status during the COVID-19 pandemic, to explore the impact of the pandemic on marginalized communities, and to understand perceptions regarding barriers and incentives of telehealth appointments as a method to increase care access.

Sample: 205 active Community Veterinary Medicine Clinic clients at Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic in Worcester, MA.

Procedures: This cross-sectional study used a survey-based method to assess veterinary needs of clients with low socioeconomic status during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pre-operative Hemostatic Status in Dogs Undergoing Splenectomy for Splenic Masses.

Portal system thrombosis is a rare but potentially fatal complication of splenectomy in dogs. The mechanism behind development of post-operative portal system thrombosis is unclear but may include alterations of portal blood flow following surgery, acquired hypercoagulability and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the study was to evaluate hemostatic biomarkers in hemodynamically stable (heart rate <130 beats/min, blood lactate < 2.

Financial fragility and demographic factors predict pet owners' perceptions of access to veterinary care in the United States.

Objective: Access to veterinary care is critical for pet, human, and community health. However, inequities in how easily pet owners can access veterinary care may exacerbate health disparities in vulnerable populations. This research analyzed pet owners' perceptions of access to veterinary care in order to understand how demographic characteristics and financial fragility predict perceived access to veterinary services.

Surgery in a veterinary outpatient community medicine setting has a good outcome for dogs with pyometra.

Objective: To compare the outcome of canine pyometra surgeries performed at referral hospitals with those performed at community clinics (outpatient settings), and to evaluate factors that impact outcome.

Animals: 133 client-owned dogs with pyometra treated with ovariohysterectomy (OHE) at 2 community clinics or 2 referral hospitals between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2019.

Procedures: A retrospective electronic medical record search was used to identify eligible cases.

Demographic and contextual factors as moderators of the relationship between pet ownership and health.

Objective: Companion animals are an important feature of the family system, and human-animal interaction is increasingly being recognized as an important social determinant of health. However, there is a need for more nuanced assessment of not only who owns pets, but how pet ownership is related to various health outcomes, and which sociodemographic and contextual factors moderate these associations.

Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected from an online, probability-based panel to generate a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States ( = 1267).

Assessing the Impact of a Pilot Nutrition Curriculum on Students' Confidence and Ability to Perform Nutritional Assessments on Overweight Dogs and Cats for Use in a Veterinary Outreach Program.

Obesity is a growing concern for dogs and cats. Although veterinary input is critical to prevent and manage obesity, conversations addressing overweight pets are challenging and require training to perform effectively. This study assessed the impact of a nutrition curriculum developed for use in a veterinary outreach program on student confidence and ability to perform nutritional assessments, particularly on overweight pets.

Evaluation of prescribing practices for gabapentin as an analgesic among veterinary professionals.

Objective: To describe the prescribing practices for gabapentin as an analgesic within the veterinary community.

Study Design: Anonymous online voluntary survey.

Population: A total of 718 veterinarians within the United States and Canada, including general practitioners and diplomates of the American Colleges of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Emergency and Critical Care, Surgery and Internal Medicine.

Assessing Service-Learning in Community-Based Veterinary Medicine as a Pedagogical Approach to Promoting Student Confidence in Addressing Access to Veterinary Care.

Community-based veterinary medicine is a growing field, and veterinary students need to be able to work with clients facing complex barriers to receiving veterinary care for their pet. Many veterinary clients experience challenges accessing veterinary care due to financial limitations, transportation access, language comprehension, the ability to comply to the care plan (e.g.

Novel strategy to decrease the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO) of an anesthetic circuit using a commercially available fish tank air pump: An study.

The aim of this study was to determine whether use of a commercially available fish tank air pump (FTAP) could predictably lower the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO) within an anesthetic circuit below the level of risk for O toxicity (FiO < 0.6). Three different anesthesia machines and an anesthesia ventilator were each outfitted with an FTAP.

Community Programming for Companion Dog Retention: A Survey of Animal Welfare Organizations.

Animal sheltering organizations in the United States offer programs to support dog ownership, yet little is known about what has been implemented across the U.S. In order to systematically examine factors sheltering organizations believe contribute to canine relinquishment and identify what programs they employ to address relinquishment in their communities, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of U.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Famciclovir in Shelter Cats with Naturally Occurring Upper Respiratory Tract Disease.

Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is a clinically relevant infectious disease in shelter cats, with individual and population-level welfare implications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of famciclovir in reducing clinical signs of URTD in shelter cats during a therapeutic period of up to 21 days. Cats at two Northeastern United States animal shelters with URTD clinical signs were enrolled in a pragmatic, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Survey of Massachusetts Animal Shelter Record-Keeping Practices in 2015.

The animal sheltering industry lacks standardized methods of data collection and analysis. The resulting lack of available data limits our understanding of the homeless animal population. The objective of this study was to better understand record-keeping practices and attitudes toward shelter statistics among Massachusetts shelter and rescue organizations and to identify barriers to data collection and analysis.

Assessment of canine health and preventative care outcomes of a community medicine program.

The objective of this study was to assess if use of a community based veterinary medical program (the Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic) was related to indicators of canine health and well-being in a low-income community through the provision of low-cost preventative care. Participants were 177 low-income dog owners; 63 were repeat wellness/preventative care clients of the Tufts at Tech clinic, 46 were new or urgent care clients of the Tufts at Tech clinic, and 68 were a comparison sample of owners who had not used the clinic but did attend an outreach clinic in a community setting. Participants were asked to complete a survey that assessed owner demographic information, indicators of canine health and quality of life, pet attachment, and barriers that limit access to veterinary care.

Effect of Visitor Perspective on Adoption Decisions at One Animal Shelter.

This study investigated the visitor experience at one urban animal shelter. While several previous studies have examined the reasons particular nonhuman animals are chosen by adopters, few have investigated the possible reasons one would visit a shelter and leave without adopting. Over a two-month period, 158 visitors were surveyed after they were finished touring the shelter.

Characterization and comparison of injuries caused by spontaneous versus organized dogfighting.

OBJECTIVE To characterize and compare injuries found in dogs involved in spontaneously occurring dogfights with those of dogs used in illegal organized dogfighting. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. ANIMALS 36 medium-sized dogs evaluated following spontaneous fights with a dog of the same sex and similar weight (medium dog-medium dog [MDMD] fights), 160 small dogs examined following spontaneous fights with a larger dog (big dog-little dog [BDLD] fights), and 62 dogs evaluated after being seized in connection with dogfighting law enforcement raids.

A Novel Model for Teaching Primary Care in a Community Practice Setting: Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic.

Providing veterinary students with opportunities to develop clinical skills in a realistic, hands-on environment remains a challenge for veterinary education. We have developed a novel approach to teaching clinical medicine to fourth-year veterinary students and technical high school students via development of a primary care clinic embedded within a technical high school. The primary care clinic targets an underserved area of the community, which includes many of the participating high school students.