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Morris Animal Foundation Awards Prestigious Grant
to Doctors at Florida Veterinary Specialists
TAMPA, Fla. – The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has awarded a grant to Florida Veterinary Specialists & Cancer Treatment Center (FVS) to conduct a pilot study to explore the feasibility of developing a pre-operative test to determine whether an animal with intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) will benefit from expensive and difficult spinal surgery. Additional funding for the year-long study is being provided by Frankie’s Friends Charitable Pet Foundation and the Dachshund Club of America Health and Welfare Trust Fund.
Michael Kimura, DVM, MS, is the study’s principal investigator; Lee Burstiner, DVM, DABVP, serves as co-investigator. The FVS grant ranked in the top quartile of 71 grants awarded by MAF for companion animal studies.
IVDD is the most common neurologic problem in domestic small animals. Dog breeds such as Dachshunds, and some cats, are often paralyzed by disk herniations. IVDD is often treated by invasive surgical decompression. Many animals with IVDD are euthanized prior to surgery due to financial constraints or other considerations.
There is currently no objective test to predict the outcome of IVDD surgery. Some animals may remain paralyzed after surgery, or might have to be euthanized following a prolonged post-surgical period.
During preparation for surgery, a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is obtained for further analysis and to ensure the proper injection site for contrast material along the spinal cord. Researchers at FVS are investigating whether a quick, inexpensive test will yield a CSF lactate (CSF-L) threshold value or range beyond which an animal would not benefit from surgery.
“This pilot study addresses an important question,” said Dr. Burstiner. “Having such a test would save a considerable amount of pain and suffering on the part of those animals if it is determined that such a patient will not do well as a result of surgery. This pilot study may be expanded in the future in order to obtain a suitable threshold.”
About Morris Animal Foundation
Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) (www.morrisanimalfoundation.org) is the world’s largest nonprofit foundation dedicated to funding research studies to protect, treat and cure animals, including companion animals, as well as wildlife. Nearly 50 of the world’s most respected research institutions, colleges of veterinary medicine and zoos are currently conducting approximately 120 MAF-sponsored studies and 30 veterinary student projects. MAF has funded nearly 1,400 studies since its founding in 1948.
About Florida Veterinary Specialists & Cancer Treatment Center
Opened in 1996, Florida Veterinary Specialists & Cancer Treatment Center was founded with the concept of providing a superior level of patient and client care through close cooperation with the family practitioner. In addition to referral appointments, the hospital is open 24 hours a day for case transfers by the family practitioner and after-hours emergencies. Florida Veterinary Specialists serves ad an extension of the general practice. Their specialized services include Acupuncture, Avian & Exotic, Behavioral Medicine, Cardiology, Critical Care, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology/Radiation, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Rehabilitation, and Surgery. Florida Veterinary Specialists is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is located at 3000 Busch Lake Blvd. in Tampa. For further information, please visit www.fvs.com.
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