Veterinary Vertex

• Intradiscal Chondroitinase Injection as a Pragmatic Treatment for Down Dogs

  Send us a textWe sit down with Drs. Paul Freeman and Nick Jeffery to discuss a treatment for down dogs that’s changing outcomes and conversations: percutaneous intradiscal chondroitinase injections that act like chemical fenestration, reduce extruded disc material, and help non-ambulatory dogs recover without opening the spine.We walk through the origin of the idea, the ethical hurdles, and the growing dataset behind safety and effectiveness. You’ll hear why deep pain–positive dogs with acute disc injuries often do as well with enzyme injections as with decompressive surgery, and how careful case selection can minimize risk. We get practical about inclusion criteria—currently focused on dogs under 15 kg, with French Bulldogs now included under close monitoring—and the technical realities of needle placement, imaging guidance, and when to add MRI. We also dig into the strategy of treating three to five disc levels to lower recurrence, and why this multi-level approach could outperform single-site surgery over the long term.The conversation doesn’t dodge the hard calls. We compare large compressive lesions versus primarily contusive injuries, discuss when early surgery still makes sense, and share early experiences expanding to cervical cases with ultrasound and fluoroscopic checks. Looking ahead, we explore research priorities: defining time windows for chronic presentations, tracking recurrence across breeds, and building the evidence to place chondroitinase correctly in the treatment pathway. We even touch on how AI could one day use imaging data to predict which dogs need urgent decompression and which can safely recover with enzyme-first care.If you’re an ER vet, GP, or neurologist looking to offer owners real choices, this is a grounded, data-informed guide to a less invasive option that can preserve mobility and reduce euthanasia driven by cost. Listen, share with your team, and help more “down dogs” stand again. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: where would you place chondroitinase in your spinal care protocol?JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.12.0790INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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• Taper vs. Cutting Needles for TPLO Closures: What Does the Evidence Say?

  Send us a textEver notice how the smallest habits in surgery are the hardest to justify with data? We dig into one of those everyday choices—taper vs. reverse cutting needles for intradermal closure after TPLO—and unpack what the evidence actually says about early incisional healing, complication rates, and the subtle differences that might matter at the 18–24 hour mark. With surgeon-researcher Josh Becker, we trace the path from hunches and mentor preferences to a pragmatic study design that could live in private practice and still push the conversation forward.We talk candidly about why “non-inferiority” can be a messy label without a clear gold standard, how blinding and standardized photos helped keep bias in check, and why the simplest takeaway is also the most practical: both needle types can perform well in healthy TPLO patients. Josh shares when he reaches for taper vs. cutting based on tissue characteristics and body region, and we explore the mindset shift from “what I’ve always used” to “what this patient and this tissue need today.” The conversation also opens a bigger door: if veterinary medicine had a validated, objective incision scoring system, we could compare techniques, icing and heat protocols, bandaging, and mobilization with far more confidence.Looking ahead, we map out next steps—replicating signals, expanding to other anatomical sites, and experimenting with image-based analytics or AI to quantify erythema and bruising consistently. Along the way, we keep it human: debriefs after cases, the humility of soft tissue surgery, and advice for students who want to build a thoughtful, evidence-aware surgical career. If you’ve ever argued for a needle out of habit, this episode invites you to choose with intention and ask for proof.If this conversation helped refine your setup or sparked a change in your closure routine, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review—your feedback helps more vets find data they can use tomorrow.INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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• What Every Vet Should Know About Vital Pulp Therapy—and Why Precision Matters

  Send us a textA fractured canine tooth tests more than a dog’s bite—it tests our choices as clinicians. We sat down with researchers Ethan Elazegui and Dr. Elias Wolfs to reexamine vital pulp therapy with new data, honest surprises, and practical guidance you can use on your next dentistry day. The conversation starts with what holds true: an ~80% success rate keeps vital pulp therapy squarely in the toolkit as a tooth-sparing option when pulp exposure is recent and the tissue is viable. Then we challenge a common belief: younger dogs didn’t show a significant edge in outcomes, pushing us to prioritize indications and technique over age alone.We break down what most affects success, and one factor stands out—pulp dressing extrusion. Precision during placement isn’t a nicety; it’s the difference between healing and failure. We also talk timing, including a small-sample quirk that reminds us to interpret data with care. From there, we explore material science: MTA’s respected performance versus biodentine’s faster set, strong biocompatibility, and reduced discoloration risk. Human literature suggests comparable success and better cementum repair for biodentine, a promising path for veterinary endodontics as adoption grows.Beyond procedures and products, we highlight the power of mentorship and student peer review to raise research quality—and why that matters for everyday clinical decisions. We even look ahead to AI-driven radiograph interpretation, where large, annotated datasets could help flag subtle endodontic and periodontal changes and support more consistent decision-making in general practice.You’ll leave with clear steps for case selection, referral thresholds, and owner communication about follow-ups—because even good cases need rechecks to catch the 1-in-5 that fail months or years later. If you care about predictable outcomes, better materials, and sharper imaging insights, this conversation is for you. Enjoy the episode, share it with a colleague who does dentistry, and if it helped your practice, subscribe and leave a quick review to help others find the show.JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.04.0224INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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• Blocked Cats, Clear Choices

  Send us a textHyperkalemia in a blocked cat can feel like a five-alarm fire—until you remember what actually fixes the problem. We sit down with Drs. Stephanie Maciorowski and Elizabeth Rozanski to unpack fresh evidence showing that the simplest path is also the strongest: start IV fluids, give calcium gluconate to stabilize the myocardium, and prioritize rapid unobstruction. The headline finding is liberating for busy ERs and general practices alike—insulin with dextrose, terbutaline, or sodium bicarbonate did not outperform the foundational approach in lowering potassium or improving outcomes.We walk through what this means at the cage-side level. Potassium often falls quickly once urine is flowing, so the early hours matter most. If a catheter won’t pass, decompressive cystocentesis can reduce pressure and buy time. We compare sedation choices, discuss monitoring strategies, and highlight which lab and ECG changes deserve your attention. The conversation also tackles a bigger theme: replacing ritual with proof. Many of us learned to stack drugs out of habit or anxiety; this study suggests we can streamline, reduce risk, and still deliver excellent survival—especially when teams move decisively to address the cause rather than chasing every downstream sign.Along the way, we cover client education essentials—how to spot a block early, why immediate care matters, and what prevention looks like after discharge. For clinicians, we sketch out future research that could refine timing, trend analysis, and case stratification, including earlier potassium checkpoints and ionized calcium tracking. If you care about better outcomes, safer protocols, and fewer medication complications, this conversation offers practical, evidence-based steps you can use today.If this episode helps you rethink your protocol, share it with a colleague, subscribe for more data-driven conversations, and leave a quick review so others can find the show.JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.04.0258INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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• How Laparoscopic Ultrasound Detects Hidden Liver Lesions in Dogs

  Send us a textEver wondered what we might be missing with traditional imaging techniques? Dr. Francesca Solari's groundbreaking research reveals a game-changing approach to diagnosing liver disease in dogs.Laparoscopic ultrasonography is transforming how veterinarians evaluate canine liver disease, detecting lesions that traditional methods miss. Dr. Solari takes us through a fascinating AJVR study showing how this minimally invasive technique identifies more liver nodules than conventional transabdominal ultrasound. Perhaps most surprising? All lesions biopsied during her research turned out to be benign – a crucial reminder that finding nodules doesn't automatically indicate metastatic disease."Nothing is actually idiopathic," Dr. Solari notes provocatively. "It just means that we've missed the diagnosis." This philosophy drives the research into advanced diagnostic techniques that provide veterinarians with more complete information before determining treatment plans. Dr. Solari envisions a future where laparoscopic ultrasound becomes standard practice before curative-intent surgery, guiding decisions about surgical approaches, microwave ablation, or alternative therapies.This episode highlights the beautiful translational relationship between human and veterinary medicine, with innovations flowing in both directions. Dr. Solari's work exemplifies how raising the standard of care in veterinary medicine ultimately benefits our beloved animal companions through more precise, personalized treatment plans. Whether you're a veterinary professional or simply passionate about advances in animal healthcare, this conversation offers valuable insights into the future of veterinary diagnostics.Listen, subscribe, and share your thoughts on this episode! Your ratings and reviews help us continue bringing you cutting-edge veterinary research that changes practice.AJVR article: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.01.0031INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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