Training in dealing with distress, anxiety and depression may improve the psychological well-being of veterinarians, and may be a method of limiting the numbers of people leaving the profession, 1 a Health Risks of Australian Veterinarians study suggests. In a questionnaire sent to veterinary graduates qualifying between 1960 and 2000, 2125 completed psychological scales, an overall response of 37%. One-third of veterinarians reported more anxiety than the midpoint of the scale, and 3% reported extreme anxiety. Less than 1% reported extreme depression, but there was a trend for increasing distress, anxiety and depression in more recent graduates. There was no clear relation between type of practice and mental health. The authors note the proviso of the low response rate and possibility of selection bias in their study, as they have no data on the psychological health of non-respondents, but results were similar to those in other professional or managerial jobs reported in the UK. Psychological health was worse for recent graduates and those who work long hours.
Intravenous Alfaxan-CD® in young catsA study of intravenous Alfaxan-CD® for anaesthesia suggests that both premedication and dilution significantly reduce the induction dose in healthy cats, and that premedication results in significantly faster recovery.2 Alfaxan-CD® is a new formulation of alfaxalone that can be safely given to cats and dogs at five times the reported effective dose. This study included 35 young, healthy Domestic Short-hair cats. Three anaesthetic protocols were used, similar to those seen in companion animal clinics in Australia. Results showed no significant difference in induction times or duration of anaesthesia between the three protocols. The label dose of Alfaxan-CD® is between 2 and 5 mg/kg, but results suggest that intubation is possible at much lower doses in young healthy cats if premedication and a 5 mg/mL concentration is used. The commonest complication was hypertension. A wide dose range was required to achieve intubation, suggesting that the drug should be administered slowly to give the minimum effective dose.
Open patch grafting and cardiopulmonary bypassSmall dogs with pulmonary stenosis that cannot have balloon valvuloplasty could be candidates for open patch grafting and cardiopulmonary bypass, results of a retrospective analysis suggest.