We all want to treat our patients to the best of our knowledge and ability, using the most current and accurate information available. But the reality of veterinary medicine can make that challenging. Veterinary knowledge is always growing and changing. And—unless the ink is barely dry on your diploma—we’ve all seen new drugs, new treatment regimes, new diagnostics, and even new diseases arise since graduation. Within the last 5 years alone, there have been significant advances in veterinary knowledge. Let’s have a look at a few of the advances changing the way we practice veterinary medicine, from new insights into diseases to new drugs like fuzapladib and frunevetmab.
5 Recent Advances in Veterinary Medicine
1. New insights into disease pathogenesis
When many of us graduated from veterinary school, the toxic component in grapes, raisins, and sultanas was still unknown and had been perplexing veterinarians for years.1 But in 2021, that mystery was finally solved.
The toxin was found to be tartaric acid, the amount of which varies depending on the variety and maturity of the fruit.2 This discovery also answered the question of why cooked grapes and raisins are less likely to cause acute kidney injury: because heat causes tartaric acid to decompose.
2. New hope for previously untreatable diseases
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease we all dread diagnosing. It’s not easy telling a pet owner that their kitten has a fatal disease with no hope for successful treatment.
But within the last 5 years, novel antiviral therapies have been developed that are effective and curative for FIP, including the nucleoside analog GS-441524 and the protease inhibitor GC376.3,4
While gaining affordable access to these drugs is still a challenge, several international manufacturers have been producing GS-441524, and easier access is on the horizon.5
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3. New drugs to treat familiar diseases
It’s always exciting when new drugs are added to our treatment arsenal. Here are just a few of the new veterinary drugs we’ve welcomed in the last 5 years.
Frunevetmab
This felinized monoclonal antibody that binds to nerve growth factor has improved quality of life for many of our feline patients with osteoarthritis.
Ropinirole
Having an effortless, FDA-approved way to induce emesis in dogs using an ophthalmic drop has been invaluable.
Tigilanol tiglate
Acquiring a non-surgical method for treating cutaneous and some subcutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs has been a game-changer.
Bexagliflozin
This once-a-day pill to treat otherwise-well diabetic cats has given veterinarians and pet owners a more convenient option for treating diabetes.
Fuzapladib
Despite pancreatitis being one of the most common disorders we treat, treatment options beyond supportive care have been limited. Until now! Fuzapladib (Panoquell-CA1) has been conditionally FDA-approved to directly treat acute pancreatitis in dogs.
4. New ways to monitor familiar diseases
We’re all well aware of the challenges of performing blood glucose curves on anxious patients in a clinical environment. But within the last few years, the continuous interstitial glucose monitoring systems utilized in human medicine have become available in veterinary medicine, as well.
These small, portable devices are easily applied and allow us to collect continuous blood glucose readings from our patients with minimal stress to them or their owners.6
5. New ways to communicate with clients
The popularity of veterinary telemedicine has surged in the past few years, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, when we were challenged with providing veterinary care while keeping our distance from pet owners.7
Telemedicine is now well-established and is likely here to stay. Discussing conditions and treatments remotely with clients can be very convenient and a big help for anxious patients.
But it means less contact with veterinary staff and less opportunity for clients to ask questions. Clear, concise pet owner education materials that supplement telemedicine appointments and ensure all your client’s questions are answered can be very helpful.
Utilizing Clinical Decision Support Tools to Stay Current
The rapid pace of change in veterinary medicine means the resources we had on our desks or computer screens 5 years ago no longer contain all the information we need to treat our patients.
And as much as we try, staying current and remembering all the details can be difficult.
In human medicine, clinical decision support (CDS) tools are key in helping physicians navigate the rapid expansion of medical knowledge.
CDS tools compile essential, peer-reviewed medical information on a digital platform accessible from any internet-connected device. Because the information is continually updated, physicians can trust they always have the latest information when they’re treating their patients.
There’s a CDS tool available for veterinarians, too. Plumb’s Pro™ is a veterinary CDS tool available as a website and mobile app that can be used from any internet-connected device. It contains continually updated diagnostic and treatment information that is written, peer-reviewed, and verified by boarded veterinary specialists and practicing veterinarians.
It also contains all the drug information from Plumb’s Veterinary Drugs® as well as pet owner handouts that cover medications, clinical conditions, preventive care, and procedures. You can easily print or email these handouts directly from the app after an in-person or telemedicine appointment.
Whether you graduated 5 years or 5 minutes ago, a continually updated clinical decision support tool is key to keeping up with the rapid pace of change in veterinary medicine.
Want to see how clinical decision support from Plumb’s Pro™ can help you work up a case? Watch a demo.