vetnotes

[vetnotes]

At the stage now where all the group chats are kicking off n the only thing anyone is comforted by is the fact none of us started revising properly until a week ago rip xxx

[vetnotes]

Studying the evolution of plants🍃

[vetnotes]

[vetnotes]

you can do this. stop sabotaging yourself and your dreams. there will be risks, there will be stress, but go on and actually pursue what you want to do. you will not regret having tried, all things considered. self-doubt can destroy so much of your life. don’t let it, please. 

[vetnotes]

excretion system notes<3

my studygram

[vetnotes]

Axolotls!

(I pretty much draw reptiles (I know, it’s an amphibian) and SW…

[vetnotes]

Some more geography notes✨

[vetnotes]

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome and Stenotic Nares

Okay, so we can all agree that dogs having a muzzle that’s too short is bad for their welfare and we shouldn’t be doing it, but how short is too short?

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome is a collection of conditions associated with the shortening of the muzzle (flat faces) that make it difficult for the dog to breathe. Elongates soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules and hypoplastic tracheas need an Xray or anaesthetic to diagnose, so how can you tell whether a puppy you’re considering purchasing might be affected? And consequently make judgements about that breeder and whether you want to give them your hard earned money.

You look at the nostrils. If the dog has stenotic nares, it almost certainly has the other conditions too.

Stenotic nares are a narrowing of the nostrils. They’re apparent by a few weeks of age and easy to spot once you’re looking for them. Compare these couple of dog noses…

You can see there is a spectrum to how pinched closed or ‘stenotic’ they are. The more closed they are, the worse that dog will breathe. And now you’ve seen it, I encourage you to go and look at all the bulldogs, pugs and pekingese you see and judge their noses. Even just crawl through the tags for those breeds on tumblr. Go look, see how many are affected and how severe they are.

Breeders of brachycephalic dogs should be selecting for longer muzzles and more open nostrils to minimize Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome so be consumer aware.

(Note, some dogs will have little scars where they’ve had corrective surgery on their nostrils to open them up more. This is great for the dog, but the trait will still be passed on to any of their offspring.)

Thanks to @guiltypleasurethreader @holdthewrittenline and @dinosnaurs for allowing me to use their nose photos.

[vetnotes]

Hey can you do a breed evaluation on Pugs? I didn't see them on your list of breeds you have done/wouldn't do and is like to know wha a vet thinks of the breed.

I can! I think the reason I haven’t is that after the Breathe Like A Pug post decrying their flat faces, folks might have thought that was all there was to say about them. But there’s much more to talk about in Pugs.

Please note the disclaimer.These posts are about thebreed from a veterinary viewpoint as seen in clinicalpractice, i.e. the problems we are faced with. It’s not the be-alland end-all of the breed and is not to make a judgement about whetherthe breed is right for you. If you are asking for an opinion aboutthese animals in a veterinary setting, that is what you will get.It’s not going to be all sunshine and cupcakes, and is not intendedas a personal insult against your favorite breed. This is generaladvice for what is common, often with a scientific consensus butsometimes based on personal experiences, and is not a guarantee ofwhat your animal is going to encounter in their life.

There’s a lot to unpack in the Pug, so let’s start at the front and start with structural things, because the breed really is a structural mess.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, or BAS for short, is the name we give to a collection of deformities associated with the shortening of the muzzle, with more severe forms being associated with more severe morphology. It is possible to have a shorter than average muzzle without BAS, but the shorter it is, the more likely it is.

BAS may include stenotic nares (nostrils being pinched shut), enlongated soft palate (too much flesh at the back of the throat) and everted laryngeal saccules (pockets of tissue at the larynx which pop inside out due to strong pressures of the narrow airway). All of these compound to reduce the diameter of the airway before air even reaches the lungs.

Some sources will also list hypoplastic trachea (a windpipe that is too small) and Collapsing trachea (Windpipe narrows or collapses with strong inspiration or expiration) as part of the syndrome, and gastric reflux and hiatal hernias (stomach herniating into thorax) is also associated with it due to increased pressure in the thorax as these dogs just try to breathe.

The squished up face has other complications to. Excessive facial skin folds can lead to skin fold dermatitis and pyoderma (nasty, sore infection of the skin folds) which are difficult to clear because the skin in those folds never gets a chance to air out. You can also get entropion (the eyelids rolling in to rub fur on the eyeball) which requires surgical correction. The problems with the eyeballs don’t end there though, the bug-eyes expression that many pugs end up with can result in exposure keratopathy, where the over exposed eyeballs are prone to drying out and developing corneal damage. This is only exaggerated if they also develop Keratoconjunctivitis Sica  (KCS) or Dry Eye (inadequate tear film production). They are also prone to proptosis (the eyeball popping out of its socket).

The tightly curled tail is associated with hemivertebrae (abnormal bones of the spinal column) and while the dog will manage if they’re exclusively in the tail, they often end up with some elsewhere in the spine, causing painful deformities or intervertebral disc rupture. They may also be associated with spina bifida.

The limbs are not any better. I certainly harp on about othopedic concerns in breeds like German Shepherds, but Pugs are right up there in the list of structural nightmares. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals states that 41% of these dogs have abnormal elbows or elbow dysplasia and 70% have abnormal hips or hip dysplasia. That’s atrocious, but it gets less attention than the large dog breeds because it’s relatively easier for someone to carry around their pug that can’t move well than their German Shepherd.

They are a little weird immunologically too as they are somewhat prone to demodex mange, skin allergies and atopy (allergic to everything under the sun) and a few different types of meningitis (brain inflammation) which are catastrophic and one is usually only seen in the pug.

Their high incidence of joint problems and relative difficulty breathing often makes these dogs lazy and causes them difficulty exercising, so they are prone to obesity. This is only made worse by owners expecting the dogs to be roly poly and shaped like a potato, but their obesity makes basically all of their problems worse - orthopedic, BAS especially collapsing trachea, and dermatitis in particular.

And especially in Australia, pugs commonly make up a large percentage of my heat stroke patients. They can get heat stroke just walking down the street in summer. Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome really does a number on these dogs.

And I know someone is going to bring up retromops as a version of ‘healthy pugs’, but this trend hasn’t yet reached my local population and I’m skeptical you’re going to solve all of these problems bu just breeding for a longer muzzle and better shape. You should be able to get significant improvement in the BAS and structural issues, but I would worry about loss of genetic diversity without crossing to other breeds.

[vetnotes]

// study mode //

[vetnotes]

made with canva

Links: burnout measure weekly study schedule printable

Sources: Student Burnout Dealing with Study Burnout

[vetnotes]

As some of you know I am a full-time veterinary technology student, and I was getting super frustrated at the lack of basic radiographic positioning aids that I made them myself. These all correspond to images I need for one of my classes this semester.  not the standard dog/fanart but thought I’d share!! ** please do not take without asking! :)

[vetnotes]

She won’t forget that in a hurry: Elephant rubs her eye in disbelief after cataract op to restore her sight

It was a truly mammoth undertaking, but Duchess the blind elephant will finally be able to see again after receiving what was quite possibly the world’s largest ever cataract operation. The first ever elephant cataract operation in the UK: Duchess was treated for her for a cataract, in the hopes of regaining sight in one eye

Follow for more Vet-Trek: The Fauna Frontier

[vetnotes]

Equine Intern: “None of the mares here for breeding have ovulated yet today!”

Male Surgeon: “It’s okay, I didn’t ovulate today either.”

[vetnotes]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the actual prevalence of Lyme disease infections is 10 times higher than the number of reported cases.

“Tick-borne diseases are going up year after year, as the diseases expand to new areas around the country,” Lyle Peterson of the CDC told reporters in a recent conference call announcing the updated infection estimates. Lyme disease accounts for about 80 percent of the tick-borne illnesses in the U.S.

In the spring, tick nymphs — young versions that transmit most of the Lyme infections — are abundant. They’re tiny, no bigger than a pinhead or poppy seed, and tend to hang out in or near wooded areas, in brush or tall grass.

The ticks need a blood meal to stay alive. They tend to feed on small mammals, such as mice, or birds. But if you happen to brush against a stick, blade or stem they’re clinging to, they can easily hitch a ride on you. And you won’t feel a thing.

So, if you’re hiking in or near a wooded area, it’s wise to be on the lookout for nymphs on your skin or clothing when you get home. “They’re small, but they’re not invisible,” Thorne says.

She recommends light-colored clothing (to increase likelihood you’ll notice the darker fleck of an insect) and long sleeves. Insect repellent may help, but Thorne says the most effective strategy is a thorough tick check of your body after you’ve been in tick infested areas.

Lyme Disease Is On The Rise Again. Here’s How To Prevent It

Photo: Kenneth H Thomas/Science Source/Getty Images

[vetnotes]

2018 Digital Bullet Journal Planner

I decided to make a digital planner that combines traditional methods of planning with bullet journaling! This planner gives you the opportunity to use pre-made templates or completely design your own :-) This paper is sized A4 which means it could be printed if you didn’t want to use it digitally! It also includes 4 packs of digital stickers: icons, weekdays, months and 1-31/years. Pages are hyperlinked for easy navigation! It can be used on any PDF application/editor such as GoodNotes, Notability, etc.

Download link here! :-)

If you did consider buying this or any other item in my Etsy shop, please use ‘student10′ at the checkout for 10% off! Also, if you wanted a custom page, notebook, or planner, feel free to message and we can discuss it! Happy planning! xxx

[vetnotes]

Hi Doctor, Could you please offer suggestions on how best to raise a German Shepherd so as to avoid many of the disorders associated with them?

The German Shepherd is a doozy of a breed that you can read more about on this post and the Canine Inherited Disorders Database, and unfortunately a lot of these disorders come down to luck of the draw.

For the majority of these conditions, if the dog is going to get them it’s going to get them, Genetics and structure play a significant role in their development, and once you’ve already got the dog that’s already beyond your control. However, early detection and being proactive about them can both reduce and prevent symptoms for some of them.

Disorders you can identify early:

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (Weigh regularly and be aware of stool quality)

Perianal furunculosis (lift that tail and look from time to time)

Anxiety disorders (know symptoms and preempt separation anxiety, socialise well)

Pannus (check the eyes regularly, especially in summer months)

Pemphigus (inspect skin around face regularly)

Disorders you can attempt to prevent or reduce:

Hip Dysplasia (screen with PennHIP at 16 weeks, JPS if indicated)

Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (prophylactic gastropexy)

Most of the rest of the lists are genetic so there aren’t really steps to prevent them in an individual dog that has them.

When selecting a German Shepherd, you ideally want one with a known family history consisting of individuals that have been subject to extensive health testing. You also want to know what other dog’s in that family have died from. Scrutinizing the family tree can give you an idea of how much inbreeding (though they will call it line breeding) has occurred, and you want as absolutely little as possible.

I would also recommend a breeder who has a scientific approach to health screening and genetics, that doesn’t boast of ‘line breeding’, doesn’t bash vets as ‘knowing nothing’ and is critical of the health faults in their breed, specifically roached backs and hocks that touch the ground when standing.

It’s difficult to admit that a thing you love has faults and flaws, but doing so is the only way to start fixing them.