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Talking to clients about resuscitating patients in cardiac arrest

USER-ALT Anna Horowitz and others, Virginia – Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, USA

Clients whose animals are taken into critical care units are often asked if they want their pets to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation( CPR) in the event of a cardiac arrest. However, surveys indicate that many pet owners do not understand the implications of performing these procedures in companion animals or the reasons why do-not-resuscitate( DNR) orders are sometimes requested. The authors describe a survey completed by 547 veterinary staff in different roles on their experiences in handling such cases. Many respondents noted that they had never received training on how to conduct conversations on this issue with clients. Those with greater experience of working in emergency clinics tended to have more confidence in talking to clients about CPR and DNR orders. The authors suggest that formal training in this area would benefit less experienced members of staff.

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / vec. 70064

Use of maggot debridement therapy to treat problematic wounds in cats and dogs

USER-ALT Alicia Fonseca-Muñoz and others, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Mexico

Maggot debridement therapy using medical-grade( pathogen-free) blowfly larvae has been demonstrated to be a useful method for removing necrotic tissue from around a wound. The compounds excreted by the maggots control the growth of bacteria while having minimal effects on healthy tissue. The authors describe the results of using this approach in six cats and four dogs whose wounds had failed to respond to conventional therapy. In eight patients, 100 % debridement was achieved within 2 – 4 days, and one achieved 80 % debridement after only 24 hours of treatment. In one cat, which failed to respond to treatment, the wound was debrided and closed surgically. The findings confirm that maggot debridement therapy is a safe and effective method for treating problematic wounds in small animal patients.

Topics in Companion Animal Medicine https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. tcam. 2025.100964

Exposure of dogs to e-cigarettes or vape liquid

USER-ALT Nicola Bates and others, Veterinary Poisons Information Service, London, UK

E-cigarettes( vapes) have become a popular method for consuming nicotine. The devices deliver vapour containing nicotine at varying concentrations in an organic liquid matrix. Both the devices and the refill bottles are often accessible to pets and are likely to be chewed. The authors describe the findings in 321 cases between 2011 and 2024 in which dogs were exposed to these products. Among this group, 170 dogs remained asymptomatic. The most common presenting signs were emesis, hypersalivation and tachycardia. The oral / buccal route was the most common source of exposure( 98.8 % of cases) but one dog had liquid applied to its ear, two had ocular exposure and two had both buccal and optical exposure. Among the 151 dogs that developed clinical signs, 149 recovered, one collapsed and died, and one was euthanised due to financial constraints.

Journal of Small Animal Practice https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / jsap. 70014

10 Veterinary Nursing Journal