Treatment of feline upper respiratory tract disease

Litster AL, Wu CC and Constable PD. Comparison of the efficacy of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefovecin, and doxycycline in the treatment of upper respiratory tract disease in cats housed in an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012; 241: 218-26.
 
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is one of the most common causes of disease in cats and also among the most common causes of euthanasia in animal shelters. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefovecin, and doxycycline in shelter-housed cats with clinical signs of URTD. Cats were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups of 16 cats each. Conjunctival and nasal swab specimens were obtained for culture and susceptibility testing. Different parameters - oculonasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, dyspnea, demeanor, and food intake - were scored twice daily for 14 days. 

The most common bacterial isolates found were Mycoplasma spp. (n=22) and Bordetella bronchiseptica (n=9). The cats treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline had significantly increased body weight by the end of the study. The cats receiving doxycycline had significantly lower oculonasal discharge scores than the ones treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or cefovecin. Those treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline had significantly lower sneezing scores than the cats receiving cefovecin. All of the Bordetella isolates in this study were resistant to cefovecin in vitro. Oral administration of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline appeared to be more effective than a single subcutaneous injection of cefovecin in treating shelter cats with signs of URTD. [VT]

See also: Tanaka A, Wagner DC, Kass PH and Hurley KF. Associations among weight loss, stress, and upper respiratory tract infection in shelter cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012; 240: 570-6.

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Litster AL, Wu CC and Constable PD. Comparison of the efficacy of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefovecin, and doxycycline in the treatment of upper respiratory tract disease in cats housed in an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012; 241: 218-26.
 
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is one of the most common causes of disease in cats and also among the most common causes of euthanasia in animal shelters. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefovecin, and doxycycline in shelter-housed cats with clinical signs of URTD. Cats were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups of 16 cats each. Conjunctival and nasal swab specimens were obtained for culture and susceptibility testing. Different parameters - oculonasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, dyspnea, demeanor, and food intake - were scored twice daily for 14 days. 

The most common bacterial isolates found were Mycoplasma spp. (n=22) and Bordetella bronchiseptica (n=9). The cats treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline had significantly increased body weight by the end of the study. The cats receiving doxycycline had significantly lower oculonasal discharge scores than the ones treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or cefovecin. Those treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline had significantly lower sneezing scores than the cats receiving cefovecin. All of the Bordetella isolates in this study were resistant to cefovecin in vitro. Oral administration of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or doxycycline appeared to be more effective than a single subcutaneous injection of cefovecin in treating shelter cats with signs of URTD. [VT]

See also: Tanaka A, Wagner DC, Kass PH and Hurley KF. Associations among weight loss, stress, and upper respiratory tract infection in shelter cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012; 240: 570-6.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Read the Cat Health News Weekly
Join us on Google+

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Rural hospital coalition urges Congress to spare Medicare programs that shore up rural health care

A coalition of rural hospitals are lobbying Congress to keep two Medicare programs that the National Rural Health Association says are vital to keep hundreds of smaller hospitals going. The Medicare Dependent Hospital designation and the Low-Volume Hospital Adjuster, which date to the 1980s, help keep low-volume rural hospitals' doors open with the Medicare payment adjustments they provide, according to the NRHA.

Both programs could end Oct. 1 without Congressional action. "Rural facilities do not have the financial background to weather all of these cuts," said Lance Keilers, NRHA president and administrator of Ballinger Memorial Hospital in San Angelo, Tex., told Brendon Nafziger of DOTmed News, an online magazine serving the medical and medical equipment industry.

More than 200 hospitals have the Medicare Dependent designation. To qualify, a hospital must have fewer than 100 beds and Medicare patients must make up 60 percent of its inpatient days or discharges. Low-volume hospitals must be at least 15 miles from another hospital and provide care for fewer than 1,600 Medicare beneficiaries a year. (Read more)

A coalition of rural hospitals are lobbying Congress to keep two Medicare programs that the National Rural Health Association says are vital to keep hundreds of smaller hospitals going. The Medicare Dependent Hospital designation and the Low-Volume Hospital Adjuster, which date to the 1980s, help keep low-volume rural hospitals' doors open with the Medicare payment adjustments they provide, according to the NRHA.

Both programs could end Oct. 1 without Congressional action. "Rural facilities do not have the financial background to weather all of these cuts," said Lance Keilers, NRHA president and administrator of Ballinger Memorial Hospital in San Angelo, Tex., told Brendon Nafziger of DOTmed News, an online magazine serving the medical and medical equipment industry.

More than 200 hospitals have the Medicare Dependent designation. To qualify, a hospital must have fewer than 100 beds and Medicare patients must make up 60 percent of its inpatient days or discharges. Low-volume hospitals must be at least 15 miles from another hospital and provide care for fewer than 1,600 Medicare beneficiaries a year. (Read more)

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Next phase of health reform: New and renewed insurance policies will have to cover birth control, other preventive care for women

Even though the decision was widely expected, as part of health care reform, the news is still what Julie Rovner of National Public Radio termed "a pretty big deal." Earlier this week, she reports, the Department of Health and Human Services adopted in full the women's health recommendations issued two weeks ago by the independent Institute of Medicine. "Since birth control is the most common drug prescribed to women ages 18-44, insurance plans should cover it," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a press briefing. "Not doing it would be like not covering flu shots, or any of the other basic preventive services that millions of other Americans count on every day."

The upshot: Starting a year from now, most new health insurance policies, and eventually almost every policy, will have to offer a comprehensive list of women's preventive health services with no co-pay or deductible, including all forms of prescription contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These services include: Screening for gestational diabetes; counseling about sexually-transmitted infections; support for breast-feeding, including supplies and counseling; and domestic violence screening and counseling.

Rovner reports that "The new rules do take into account the complaints from some conservative and religious groups, by allowing religious organizations that provide health insurance to refrain from offering contraceptive coverage 'if that is inconsistent with their tenets.' HHS says that part of its proposal is modeled on the most common exemption used by the 28 states that already require contraceptive coverage to be offered in health insurance policies. The department, however, is specifically asking the public to comment on that portion of the rules, 'as we work to strike the balance between providing access to proven prevention and respecting religious beliefs.' Already the reactions are pouring in. Some people object to the religious exemption." (Read more)

Even though the decision was widely expected, as part of health care reform, the news is still what Julie Rovner of National Public Radio termed "a pretty big deal." Earlier this week, she reports, the Department of Health and Human Services adopted in full the women's health recommendations issued two weeks ago by the independent Institute of Medicine. "Since birth control is the most common drug prescribed to women ages 18-44, insurance plans should cover it," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a press briefing. "Not doing it would be like not covering flu shots, or any of the other basic preventive services that millions of other Americans count on every day."

The upshot: Starting a year from now, most new health insurance policies, and eventually almost every policy, will have to offer a comprehensive list of women's preventive health services with no co-pay or deductible, including all forms of prescription contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These services include: Screening for gestational diabetes; counseling about sexually-transmitted infections; support for breast-feeding, including supplies and counseling; and domestic violence screening and counseling.

Rovner reports that "The new rules do take into account the complaints from some conservative and religious groups, by allowing religious organizations that provide health insurance to refrain from offering contraceptive coverage 'if that is inconsistent with their tenets.' HHS says that part of its proposal is modeled on the most common exemption used by the 28 states that already require contraceptive coverage to be offered in health insurance policies. The department, however, is specifically asking the public to comment on that portion of the rules, 'as we work to strike the balance between providing access to proven prevention and respecting religious beliefs.' Already the reactions are pouring in. Some people object to the religious exemption." (Read more)

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Smoke Free Kentucky Coalition's multi-city tour launches push for statewide smoking ban in 2013 legislature

Backers of an effort to ban smoking in all public places in Kentucky took their message on the road this week in hopes of getting legislation passed in the 2013 General Assembly. The Smoke Free Kentucky Coalition swept through the state's largest cities to gather support for a final punch to be delivered at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County on Saturday. Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that one of the week's first stops was at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of the statewide smoking ban. "We know that a majority of Kentuckians support a smoke-free Kentucky," said Amy Barkley, chairwoman of the coalition. (KRT graphic)

Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, has sponsored a statewide smoking ban for several years. During the 2012 legislative session, the House Health and Welfare Committee passed the measure, but the full House did not vote on it. Westrom told the Herald-Leader that said she did not aggressively pursue the matter during the 2012 session because all 100 members of the House are up for re-election in November. "But we've had several members who have said that they will be co-sponsors" next year, she said.

Musgrave notes that even Westrom is unsure how the the Republican-led Senate will vote. Senate President David Williams has said he supports the idea of a statewide smoking ban, while opponents of the proposal have said it represents an overreach of government power. "There are personal property rights that are being trampled," Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said when he voted against a statewide smoking ban in March.

Backers of an effort to ban smoking in all public places in Kentucky took their message on the road this week in hopes of getting legislation passed in the 2013 General Assembly. The Smoke Free Kentucky Coalition swept through the state's largest cities to gather support for a final punch to be delivered at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County on Saturday. Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that one of the week's first stops was at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of the statewide smoking ban. "We know that a majority of Kentuckians support a smoke-free Kentucky," said Amy Barkley, chairwoman of the coalition. (KRT graphic)

Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, has sponsored a statewide smoking ban for several years. During the 2012 legislative session, the House Health and Welfare Committee passed the measure, but the full House did not vote on it. Westrom told the Herald-Leader that said she did not aggressively pursue the matter during the 2012 session because all 100 members of the House are up for re-election in November. "But we've had several members who have said that they will be co-sponsors" next year, she said.

Musgrave notes that even Westrom is unsure how the the Republican-led Senate will vote. Senate President David Williams has said he supports the idea of a statewide smoking ban, while opponents of the proposal have said it represents an overreach of government power. "There are personal property rights that are being trampled," Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said when he voted against a statewide smoking ban in March.

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You can do this, too: Lexington church's fresh food program reaches out to lower income neighbors with deep discount

Rick Courtney loads tomatoes into a crate bound
for Fresh Stop (Herald-Leader photo by Charles Bertram)

Fresh produce comes to the church-goers of Fresh Presbyterian Church of Lexington every Sunday through Fresh Stop, a community-supported agriculture program. But it's not your typical CSA program; this one comes with a charitable twist. Sure, members sign up to receive fresh produce weekly during the summer growing season but, writes Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader, here 25 percent of the members pay a nominal amount because they live in a "food desert," where fresh food is hard to come by, and have lower incomes. To cover the difference, explains Meehan, the other 75 percent of members pay slightly more than a CSA normally would cost. "That's the key," said Libby Iverson, a church member and Fresh Stop member. "We need to share. That's very important."

The farm-to-table non-profit supplies tomatoes and cabbage, sweet peppers and onions that fill a table last Sunday were literally gleaming with freshness. All were picked from farmer Rick Courtney's Harrison County field just the day before, Meehan notes. It was all the brainchild of student Julia Hofmeister, who, armed with a major in sustainable agriculture at the University of Kentucky and having been part of the local Community Farm Alliance, set out in 2009 to find a farmer. Courtney was a tobacco farmer in Cynthiana, now a section of his farm on the South Fork of the Licking River is filled with vegetables.

Many of the low-income families served by the program are referred by Habitat for Humanity and Kentucky Refugee Ministries. Wheeler said one of the biggest concerns in expanding the program is that families often don't know what to do with all the produce they receive. Hofmeister thinks the program can be made to work elsewhere. "It is so transferrable," she said. (Read more)

Rick Courtney loads tomatoes into a crate bound
for Fresh Stop (Herald-Leader photo by Charles Bertram)

Fresh produce comes to the church-goers of Fresh Presbyterian Church of Lexington every Sunday through Fresh Stop, a community-supported agriculture program. But it's not your typical CSA program; this one comes with a charitable twist. Sure, members sign up to receive fresh produce weekly during the summer growing season but, writes Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader, here 25 percent of the members pay a nominal amount because they live in a "food desert," where fresh food is hard to come by, and have lower incomes. To cover the difference, explains Meehan, the other 75 percent of members pay slightly more than a CSA normally would cost. "That's the key," said Libby Iverson, a church member and Fresh Stop member. "We need to share. That's very important."

The farm-to-table non-profit supplies tomatoes and cabbage, sweet peppers and onions that fill a table last Sunday were literally gleaming with freshness. All were picked from farmer Rick Courtney's Harrison County field just the day before, Meehan notes. It was all the brainchild of student Julia Hofmeister, who, armed with a major in sustainable agriculture at the University of Kentucky and having been part of the local Community Farm Alliance, set out in 2009 to find a farmer. Courtney was a tobacco farmer in Cynthiana, now a section of his farm on the South Fork of the Licking River is filled with vegetables.

Many of the low-income families served by the program are referred by Habitat for Humanity and Kentucky Refugee Ministries. Wheeler said one of the biggest concerns in expanding the program is that families often don't know what to do with all the produce they receive. Hofmeister thinks the program can be made to work elsewhere. "It is so transferrable," she said. (Read more)

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Research suggests dental therapists could provide care to Medicaid-eligible kids at terrific savings

The recent revitalization of the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition was a reminder that our state ranks 49th in dental health, behind only West Virginia. So was the news then Tuesday from the University of Connecticut, where research suggests that adding a new kind of health provider -- dental therapists -- to clinics known as federally qualified health centers could significantly expand the availability of care for millions of American children. (Pew Center photo)

The white paper from the Pew Children's Dental Campaign of the Pew Center on the States notes that, "In particular, by including dental therapists as providers in school-based programs operated by FQHCs, the researchers estimated states could provide access to care for 6.7 million Medicaid-eligible children, nationwide." The analysis also suggests that this significant increase in access could be realized for a cost of approximately $1.8 billion or just one half of 1 percent of combined state and federal 2009 Medicaid spending. To read the full Pew report, go here.

Nationwide, 830,000 emergency room visits in 2009 were due to preventable dental problems, according to the center, many of those in rural areas. Most of the children lacking care don't have insurance, live in areas without enough dentists or can't find doctors who accept Medicaid. Problems accessing dentists could grow in 2014, when 5 million more children are expected to get dental insurance under the federal healthcare reform law.

Despite the undisputed need, not everyone is behind the concept. The American Dental Association argues that dental therapists lack the training and education needed to perform irreversible surgical procedures and to identify patients' other medical problems, writes Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times. Therapists would be properly educated and would help close vast gaps in care that can lead to costly emergency room visits for dental problems, said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Children's Dental Campaign. In 2005, Alaska became the first state to try out the new dental care model, when therapists began treating native populations. Minnesota authorized the new tier of practitioner in 2009, and the first graduates of dental therapy programs began practicing last year. 

The recent revitalization of the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition was a reminder that our state ranks 49th in dental health, behind only West Virginia. So was the news then Tuesday from the University of Connecticut, where research suggests that adding a new kind of health provider -- dental therapists -- to clinics known as federally qualified health centers could significantly expand the availability of care for millions of American children. (Pew Center photo)

The white paper from the Pew Children's Dental Campaign of the Pew Center on the States notes that, "In particular, by including dental therapists as providers in school-based programs operated by FQHCs, the researchers estimated states could provide access to care for 6.7 million Medicaid-eligible children, nationwide." The analysis also suggests that this significant increase in access could be realized for a cost of approximately $1.8 billion or just one half of 1 percent of combined state and federal 2009 Medicaid spending. To read the full Pew report, go here.

Nationwide, 830,000 emergency room visits in 2009 were due to preventable dental problems, according to the center, many of those in rural areas. Most of the children lacking care don't have insurance, live in areas without enough dentists or can't find doctors who accept Medicaid. Problems accessing dentists could grow in 2014, when 5 million more children are expected to get dental insurance under the federal healthcare reform law.

Despite the undisputed need, not everyone is behind the concept. The American Dental Association argues that dental therapists lack the training and education needed to perform irreversible surgical procedures and to identify patients' other medical problems, writes Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times. Therapists would be properly educated and would help close vast gaps in care that can lead to costly emergency room visits for dental problems, said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Children's Dental Campaign. In 2005, Alaska became the first state to try out the new dental care model, when therapists began treating native populations. Minnesota authorized the new tier of practitioner in 2009, and the first graduates of dental therapy programs began practicing last year. 

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National Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7, focuses attention on need for supportive families, friends and employers

World Breastfeeding Week is Aug. 1-7, so the state Department for Public Health is pointing out the importance of providing support for breastfeeding families. “We encourage mothers to breastfeed to ensure that infants are getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive,” said Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Audrey Haynes. “Even the most committed mothers can struggle to successfully breastfeed when they don’t have the kind of support system they need at home, at the workplace and in the community. If we want to send the message that breastfeeding is important and improve our breastfeeding rates, we need to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.”

The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and continue to be breastfed, along with other food sources, for at least a year. The cabinet and the department want fathers, other family members, friends, employers and others to know that, and the importance of support for breatfeeding mothers, especially in the workplace. “Continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is a tremendous challenge,” said Fran Hawkins, director of the state's Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Public health officials stress that continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is often necessary to meet the recommendations for optimal infant nutrition.

The state says four steps help make workplaces more conducive to breastfeeding: support from managers and coworkers; flexible time to express milk (10 to 15 minutes three times per day); education for employees about how to combine breastfeeding and work; and a designated space to breastfeed or express milk in privacy. Kentucky law protects women who wish to breastfeed their babies in public. This law permits a mother to breastfeed her baby or express breast milk in any public or private location. This law also requires that breastfeeding not be considered an act of public indecency or indecent exposure. For more information, contact Marlene Goodlett at (502) 564-3827 ext. 3612 or marlene.goodlett@ky.gov. Information on breastfeeding can be found here.

World Breastfeeding Week is Aug. 1-7, so the state Department for Public Health is pointing out the importance of providing support for breastfeeding families. “We encourage mothers to breastfeed to ensure that infants are getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive,” said Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Audrey Haynes. “Even the most committed mothers can struggle to successfully breastfeed when they don’t have the kind of support system they need at home, at the workplace and in the community. If we want to send the message that breastfeeding is important and improve our breastfeeding rates, we need to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.”

The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and continue to be breastfed, along with other food sources, for at least a year. The cabinet and the department want fathers, other family members, friends, employers and others to know that, and the importance of support for breatfeeding mothers, especially in the workplace. “Continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is a tremendous challenge,” said Fran Hawkins, director of the state's Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Public health officials stress that continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is often necessary to meet the recommendations for optimal infant nutrition.

The state says four steps help make workplaces more conducive to breastfeeding: support from managers and coworkers; flexible time to express milk (10 to 15 minutes three times per day); education for employees about how to combine breastfeeding and work; and a designated space to breastfeed or express milk in privacy. Kentucky law protects women who wish to breastfeed their babies in public. This law permits a mother to breastfeed her baby or express breast milk in any public or private location. This law also requires that breastfeeding not be considered an act of public indecency or indecent exposure. For more information, contact Marlene Goodlett at (502) 564-3827 ext. 3612 or marlene.goodlett@ky.gov. Information on breastfeeding can be found here.

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