QUARTERLY BEAT
OCTOBER 2026
JULY 30, 2026
Surviving the Hospitalized Feline Erica Brandt, CVT, VTS (ECC) • Effective feline patient care combines medical knowledge with careful observation, clinical experience, and awareness of the patient’s physical and emotional well-being. • Minimizing stress is essential because stress can suppress normal behaviors, alter physiologic responses, complicate diagnostics and treatment, and prolong hospitalization. • Hospitalized cats benefit from quiet handling, thoughtful diagnostic planning, and comfortable, cat-friendly accommodations. • Veterinary technicians play a vital role in monitoring diagnostic trends, supporting nutrition, recognizing subtle signs of pain-associated behaviors, and advocating for timely adjustments to the patient care plan. • Clear, compassionate client communication helps owners understand treatment plan, reduces anxiety, supports care at home, and builds trust in the veterinary team.
AUGUST 2, 2026
Keep a Watchful Eye on the Allergic Dog: Part 2 - A Case Series Dr. Shelby Reinstein, DACVO • Allergic disease in dogs can affect more than just the skin. Ocular complications may include allergic conjunctivitis, blepharitis, qualitative tear film disease, secondary entropion, corneal ulceration, and neurogenic keratoconjunctivitis sicca. • Allergic conjunctivitis often requires a multimodal approach: remove allergens with eye flushing and facial cleansing, control inflammation with systemic therapy (e.g., oral NSAIDs or oral glucocorticoids), and reduce allergen exposure with gel lubricants. • Allergic blepharitis can worsen pre-existing entropion and increase the risk of corneal ulceration. When an ulcer is not healing, evaluate and address the eyelid abnormality as well as the cornea. • Treatment of entropion should be tailored to the patient. Temporary tacking may be appropriate for young patients, spastic entropion, or infected periocular skin, while permanent repair is best considered once allergic skin disease is controlled. Eyelid filler may be an option for select geriatric or higher-risk patients. • In an atopic dog with unilateral, acute, severe dry eye, look beyond the eye. Ipsilateral dry nostril, otitis media or interna, and facial nerve dysfunction should raise concern for neurogenic KCS. • Long-term success often depends on controlling the underlying allergic disease. Treating only the ocular complication may provide temporary improvement, but recurrence is likely if the primary allergy or otitis remains uncontrolled.
AUGUST 11, 2026
Keep the Pace: The Bradyarrhythmia Breakdown Dr. Gordon Peddle , DACVIM (Cardiology) • Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) often manifests as diffuse conduction system disease as opposed to isolated sinoatrial node dysfunction. • Differentiating high-grade second-degree AV block from third-degree AV block can be challenging; the regularity, or irregularity, of the ventricular complexes is one of the most reliable ways to differentiate between the two. High-grade second-degree AV block generally results in an irregular rhythm composed of both conducted beats and ventricular escapes, whereas third-degree AV block results exclusively in a regular escape rhythm. • Not all dogs with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) require pacemaker implantation. If they respond positively to atropine, they can often be managed with oral anticholinergics and/or sympathomimetics, which can delay or obviate the need for pacemaker implantation • The most common bradyarrhythmias in cats involve high-grade atrioventricular block (second or third). As cats' escape rates are generally close to their normal resting physiologic heart rate (120 bpm), they often do not require pacemaker implantation.
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VETGIRL BEAT EMAGAZINE 23
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