Veterinary medicine

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Veterinary medicine is "the medical science concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in animals."[1] Its scope includes companion animals (i.e. pets), exotic and wild animals, animals used in agriculture, and animals used as experimental subjects; each involves different dynamics between humans and animals. Since diseases may either first be observed in animals, or humans may be infected by zoonotic diseases, advances in veterinary medicine can be directly associated with advances in human medicine.

Its fully qualified practitioners are called veterinarians. Ancillary veterinary professions are developing; veterinary technicians may carry out functions analogous to nursing.

Undergraduate veterinary education is usually equal in length to undergraduate medical education. In the United States, veterinary colleges may be more selective in admissions than medical schools.

Scientific journals

Major scientific journals in veterinary medicine, ranked by impact factor are:

  1. Vaccine
  2. Fish Shellfish Immun
  3. Vet Res
  4. Atla-Altern Lab Anim
  5. Vet Microbiol
  6. Ilar J
  7. Med Mycol
  8. Equine Vet J
  9. Theriogenology
  10. Vet Parasitol
  11. J Med Entomol
  12. Vet Immunol Immunop
  13. J Vet Intern Med
  14. Appl Anim Behav Sci
  15. Vet J
  16. Med Vet Entomol
  17. JAVMA - J Am Vet Med A
  18. Avian Pathol
  19. Vet Surg
  20. J Vet Behav

Online textbooks

  1. The Merck Veterinary Manual

Common conditions

Atopic dermatitis and cutaneous adverse food reactions

This topic has been addressed by the The International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis[2] and American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) Task Force.[3][4]

Atopic dermatitis may caused by numerous antigens including mites in house dust and in food.[5][6] Antigens from arthropods such as fleas may contribute.[7]

Treatment

Treatment includes allergen avoidance, anti-inflammatory agents, allergen-specific immunotherapy and antimicrobial drugs.[8] [9] Effective treatments have been described in a systematic review by the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis.[10]

Regarding medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy with cyclosporine[11], misoprostol and pentoxifylline may be effective whereas crolimus, leukotriene inhibitors, serotonin-reuptake antagonists and capsaicin have uncertain benefit.[9] Glucocorticoids may be effective.[12]

Antihistamines[13], immunotherapy[14], and essential fatty acids.[15] have uncertain benefit.

Some diets may be effective.[16]

Notes

  1. Anonymous (2024), Veterinary medicine (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  2. Olivry T, Deboer DJ, Prélaud P, Bensignor E, International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis (2007). "Food for thought: pondering the relationship between canine atopic dermatitis and cutaneous adverse food reactions.". Vet Dermatol 18 (6): 390-1. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3164.2007.00625.x. PMID 17991155. Research Blogging.
  3. Olivry T, DeBoer DJ, Griffin CE, Halliwell RE, Hill PB, Hillier A et al. (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis: forewords and lexicon.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 143-6. DOI:10.1016/S0165-2427(01)00343-9. PMID 11553374. Research Blogging.
  4. DeBoer DJ, Hillier A (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XV): fundamental concepts in clinical diagnosis.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 271-6. PMID 11553389.
  5. Hill PB, DeBoer DJ (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (IV): environmental allergens.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 169-86. PMID 11553378.
  6. Nuttall TJ, Hill PB, Bensignor E, Willemse T, members of the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis (2006). "House dust and forage mite allergens and their role in human and canine atopic dermatitis.". Vet Dermatol 17 (4): 223-35. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00532.x. PMID 16827665. Research Blogging.
  7. Sousa CA, Halliwell RE (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XI): the relationship between arthropod hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis in the dog.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 233-7. PMID 11553385.
  8. Olivry T, Sousa CA (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XIX): general principles of therapy.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 311-6. PMID 11553393.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Marsella R, Olivry T (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XXII): nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 331-45. PMID 11553396.
  10. Olivry T, Mueller RS, International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis (2003). "Evidence-based veterinary dermatology: a systematic review of the pharmacotherapy of canine atopic dermatitis.". Vet Dermatol 14 (3): 121-46. PMID 12791047.
  11. Steffan J, Favrot C, Mueller R (2006). "A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs.". Vet Dermatol 17 (1): 3-16. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3164.2005.00491.x. PMID 16412115. Research Blogging.
  12. Olivry T, Sousa CA (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XX): glucocorticoid pharmacotherapy.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 317-22. PMID 11553394.
  13. DeBoer DJ, Griffin CE (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XXI): antihistamine pharmacotherapy.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 323-9. PMID 11553395.
  14. Griffin CE, Hillier A (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XXIV): allergen-specific immunotherapy.". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 363-83. PMID 11553398.
  15. Olivry T, Marsella R, Hillier A (2001). "The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XXIII): are essential fatty acids effective?". Vet Immunol Immunopathol 81 (3-4): 347-62. PMID 11553397.
  16. Glos K, Linek M, Loewenstein C, Mayer U, Mueller RS (2008). "The efficacy of commercially available veterinary diets recommended for dogs with atopic dermatitis.". Vet Dermatol 19 (5): 280-7. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3164.2008.00688.x. PMID 18699815. Research Blogging.