Many pets suffer from allergies. They bite and scratch keeping themselves and their family up at night. The constant itching leads to hotspots (moist dermatitis) , ear infections (Otitis externa and media) , skin infections (pyoderma), and overgrowth of yeast (Malassezia) which contributes to the itching. In the past we had few options that were adequate and long lasting for the pet. We never addressed the source on a cell level. The options were limited to eliminate the allergens which was impossible if it was a hunting or farm dog ,give allergy injections that were only partially effective and took time for the full effect and were cost ineffective for some families, or use drugs to stop the itch. Meanwhile the pet suffered. Antibiotics needed to be used and worked for infections but recent resistant strains of bacteria have taken this option away or made it less desirable. Steroids were the single most effective medication to decrease the itch. Although effective as an anti-inflammatory, the drug has the short term side effect of increased drinking, urination, and hunger. In the body the drug has long term effects on the liver and adrenal gland function leading to increases in infections, hyperactivity, lethargy, enlargement of the liver and destruction of the adrenal gland (reversible). Steroids can not be used long term without more problems developing in the long run. These poor animals are in need of relief. In the past, the only drugs that showed any real help were various forms of steroids. .
Recently however Zoetis has made two drugs available to really help patients without these side effects. The two drugs are known as Apoquel and Cytopoint (previously called CADI).
Apoquel is technically a JAK enzyme inhibitor. There are messenger molecules in our body that basically tell the nerve endings to send signals to our brain and tell us to scratch. Apoquel interferes with the transmission of that itch signal to the brain. The video below is very technical, but may be of interest if you want the details on how Apoquel works.
Cytopoint or CADI is an injection. It is a naturally made substance, that dogs produce to turn off an itch! Unfortunately, dogs do not produce enough of this substance and therefore an itch frequently gets out of control and will get worse and worse. An injection of Cytopoint captures and eliminates the messenger molecules that would trigger the itch in dogs. The injection can be repeated as needed, every 4-6 weeks, and has no side effects! If the patient has an overwhelming problem already, the first injection may not be as effective as additional doses, so your veterinarian may supplement this injection with either a few days of Apoquel or a short acting steroid. Once again, for people who like specifics, please click on the link
Apoquel and Cytopoint - New Allergy Medications
Product Info
About Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator and the effective treatment of Cats and Dogs
[LTCI for Cats]
LTCI & Cats
FeLV and/or FIV can be treated with LTCI
Veterinarians and cat owners have anxiously awaited development of a viable treatment for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) for decades. These widespread, incurable viruses—like HIV/AIDS in humans—suppress the immune system and increase the risk of other infections resulting from pathogens (like fungi, which cause ringworm) and bacteria (such as those causing stomatitis and upper respiratory disease). They are the most common causes of mortality and morbidity in cats.
Now the time has come. A message of hope repudiates the sad, commonly heard refrain of “There is nothing to be done for a cat with FeLV or FIV.”
LTCI (Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator) is the first USDA-approved treatment aid for cats infected with FeLV and FIV, and the associated symptoms of lymphopenia, opportunistic infection, anemia, granulocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia.
Recommended FeLV / FIV Treatment Schedule
Upon diagnosis of Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) infection:
Administer an initial three dose regimen (loading dose) by injection at days 0, 7, and 14.
Subsequent injections may be given as necessary monthly or bi-monthly based upon blood results and symptoms.
A veterinarian should decide the best treatment schedule based upon a cat’s symptoms, condition and history. Just as every patient presents individually, each one will respond differently to LTCI—some patients may require more frequent treatments.
The retroviral guidelines published by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) suggest that veterinarians be aggressive in the diagnosis and treatment early in the course of disease.
Administration
1 ml dosage (1μg/ml) by subcutaneous injection.
Contraindications
There are no known contraindications for use of Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator. It is advised that concurrent use of corticosteroids diminishes the full effectiveness of the product.
Patient Monitoring
The most important monitoring method is clinical improvement. Quality of life is a critical aspect of clinical improvement. Each patient should be monitored for clinical signs associated with their infection(s) and a scoring system may be established to identify patient progress.
When LTCI is used as an aid in treating FeLV or FIV, checking blood cell counts, especially lymphocyte and red cell counts, is recommended. CBCs (complete blood counts) may be evaluated every 4 weeks for patients with lymphopenia and/or anemia.
[LTCI for Dogs]
LTCI & Dogs
Canine OA can be treated with LTCI
The long prevailing understanding of osteoarthritis (OA) has been that of an age-related degenerative disease caused by “wear and tear”, in contrast to the immune mediated cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, over more than a decade, numerous studies have demonstrated that lymphocyte subset abnormalities in OA are identical to those observed in RA1, suggesting a similar immunological etiology for both joint related diseases. It has also been demonstrated that synovial fluid from OA and RA patients contain the same abnormal CD-4 lymphocyte subsets with memory/activated markers, e.g. CD45RO2. Furthermore, it has been reported that dogs with synovial stifle and cranial cruciate ligament rupture have an increase in CD-4 lymphocytes in the joint, which correlates with radiographic evidence of OA3.
Most recently it was observed that LTCI is a true immunomodulator by virtue of its mechanism of action, i.e. increasing the number and function of precursors (CD4+CD45RA+CD62L+) of a regulatory T-Cell population. Thus, it can increase immune responses to foreign antigens and dampen immune-mediated responses to self-antigens. Based upon that observation, and the demonstration that OA is caused by chronic immune activation against joint tissue, a double-blind placebo controlled study in 24 dogs with OA was conducted. The average improvement in limb function in 11 of 12 LTCI treated dogs was 40%+ based upon the “gold standard”, objective force plate analysis. In contrast, the placebo group had an average -17% decrease in function. Based upon the results, USDA's Center for Veterinary Biologics granted conditional approval of LTCI's use as an aid to treat osteoarthritis in dogs one year or older. LTCI, now provides a safe, well-tolerated alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) which can be problematic, especially in older dogs, when mobility is severely compromised.
1 Leheita O, Abed Elrazek NY, Younes S, et al. Lymphocytes subsets in osteoarthritis versus rheumatoid arthritis. [Journal Article] Egypt J Immunol 2005; 12(2):113-24
2 Hisakata Yamada, Yasuharu Nakashima, Ken Okazaki, et. al., Preferential Accumulation of Activated Th1 Cells Not Only in Rheumatoid Arthritis but Also in Osteoarthritis Joints. J Rheumatol August 2011 38(8):1569-1575;
3 Peter Muir BVSc, MVetClinStud, PhD, Diplomate ACVS, Jennifer L. Kelly DVM. Sarah Jane Marvel DVM, et.al., Lymphocyte Populations in Joint Tissues from Dogs with Inflammatory Stifle Arthritis and Associated Degenerative Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture. Veterinary Surgery, Volume 40, Issue 6, pages 753–761, August 2011
Recommended Canine OA Treatment Schedule
Upon diagnosis of Canine OA:
Administer an initial 3 doses in weeks 1 and 2 and 2 doses in weeks 3 and 4.
Subsequent injections may be given as necessary monthly or bi-monthly based upon blood results and symptoms.
A veterinarian should decide the best treatment schedule based upon a dog's symptoms, condition and history. Just as every patient presents individually, each one will respond differently to LTCI—some patients may require more frequent treatments.
Administration
1 ml dosage (1μg/ml) by subcutaneous injection.
Contraindications
There are no known contraindications for use of Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator. It is advised that concurrent use of corticosteroids diminishes the full effectiveness of the product.
Patient Monitoring
The most important monitoring method is clinical improvement. Quality of life is a critical aspect of clinical improvement. Each patient should be monitored for clinical signs associated with their mobility.
When LTCI is used as an aid in treating OA, observe clinical mobility and if there is lymphocytosis, counts should return to normal within 4 weeks.
How Does LTCI Work?
LTCI is a naturally-occurring, immune-modulating protein that helps restore an animal's ability to fight infection. In the treatment of FeLV and FIV, it increases impaired CD4 lymphocytes (infection-fighting, specialized white blood cells) and allows new, normal CD4s to produce the cytokines involved in increasing CD8 populations (the “killer” cells that go to infection sites, find and destroy infected cells, and cancer cells). For dogs with OA, it reduces lymphocytosis and dampens the immune-mediated disease process within the joint(s) and progressive joint degeneration.
The result is normalization of blood parameters and resolution of symptoms. LTCI may not be a cure for FeLV, FIV or Canine OA, but when effective, it aids in the treatment of these debilitating diseases by restoring normal immune function in your pets.
Safety First
Clients depend on safe products for their pets' well-being. Veterinarians demand safe products for treating ill patients. LTCI has completed formal safety testing. The homology of LTCI among mammalian species, as well as the absence of any observed adverse events in several animal species, demonstrates that LTCI is well tolerated.
PLEASE NOTE: LTCI is restricted to use by or under the supervision of a veterinarian.
******This is another treatment offered at Marila Veterinary Clinic *************
Regenerative Medicine - Platlet Rich Plasma Therapy
Marila Veterinary Clinic
Regenerative Medicine - Stem Cell Therapy
Marila Veterinary Clinic performs this technique in our facility.
Stem Cell therapy is one of the new ways to regenerate the joints, ligaments, and tendons that have been damaged due to trauma, genetics, or age.
The technique uses the pet's own adult stem cells. The technique to isolate the cells is simple. The fat under the linea alba or mid-line is harvested and placed in a vial. The sterile vial is then sent to Vet-Stem Labs via overnight delivery. The stem cells that are then isolated at Vet-Stem Labs and cultured. The stem cells are grown, separated, and placed in vial and returned approximately 2 days later. The stem cell rich isolate is then ready to be used. The pet returns to Marila Veterinary Clinic were the stem cells are injected into the area of concern. The sample can also be used intravenously. Since the cells are the pet's own stem cells, there is no worry of rejection by the body.
The use of this technique has resulted in many pets having a return to function when they were not comfortable before.
Usually this technique yields many more stem cells than are needed for a treatment. These cells are stored at Vet-Stem Labs for an additional year and after that indefinitely for a moderate storage fee.
Vet-Stem has found that an ideal time to harvest the cells is when the pet is spayed or neutered. Since the pet is already under anesthesia and is young, the procedure does not add significant time to surgery or anesthesia, Additionally the patient is healthy without systemic or metabolic conditions that are found in the older patient. The pet's stem cells are then stored until the time they need them usually later in life. Usually the pet is older and so having this resource avoids anesthesia for an older pet. Most stem cell injections can be done with only sedation, local anesthetic , or in some cases nothing depending on where the injection site is located.
This is an exciting new treatment that we at Marila Veterinary Clinic offer to those interested. The link to Vet-Stem can be found on our Links page for more information
Dr. Mary Hess is certified by Vet-Stem to preform this procedure
This technique is an another way for pets to benefit from what their body has to offer for healing. This technique uses blood drawn from the patient. The blood is then filtered through a device and the cells - platelets - are caught in the filter. The platelets are collected and re injected into the pet. Mild sedation may be used especially if the cells are injected into the joint. These cells are rich in growth factors that help repair the damaged tissue. The technique is used most often for osteoarthritis and wound healing. It is especially valuable for those patients that are higher risk for anesthesia and surgery due to age or underlying conditions that preclude any invasive procedure. The therapy is being used in Humans and Equines with very positive results. We are happy to offer this therapy for Dogs at Marila Veterinary Clinic. To read more about this please go to the Link page and look under VetStem.
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