NZVJ preview

Novel treatments and a new recruit

Sarah Olson, Assistant Editor of the NZVJ, offers a sneak preview of the enlightening articles in this month’s issue.

IN CONTRAST TO the bovine-dominated theme in the last issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (NZVJ), the November issue contains a pick-n-mix of articles on a variety of species and topics.

Two scientific articles discuss the application of novel methods of physiological support. In the first, Hisashi Sakata and colleagues investigated the use of bubble wrap for preventing heat loss in cats under anaesthesia. In their study, the limbs and thoraxes of cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy were wrapped in a combination of bubble wrap and absorbent pads. The heat loss in the bubble-wrapped animals was reduced, resulting in improved recovery times from general anaesthesia. The authors report that the wrap was simple to apply and suggest this is an inexpensive and practical method for reducing perioperative hypothermia in cats undergoing surgery.

In the second, Alejandro Soraci and colleagues adapted a plastic hood

to accommodate piglets’ heads and snouts, enabling the rapid delivery of oxygen with a system that is practical for use on farm. The use of this device at birth improved the outcomes of piglets KAT CROSSE

born with asphyxia and very low birth weights, and proved a costeffective, safe and easy method to help mitigate hypoxia.

This issue also contains two retrospective, short articles featuring dogs: one that reports the results of a study of soft tissue sarcomas that compared their removal using either CO2 laser or surgical excision; and another in which the C-reactive protein:albumin ratio was assessed as a prognostic marker for acute pancreatitis. You can also read articles on: administering a progesteronebased synchrony programme to phantom cows on seasonal-calving dairy farms in New Zealand; the use of specific trace element blood collection tubes for measuring concentrations of zinc in serum in sheep and cattle; and the effects of feeding fodder beet during the dry period on the metabolic profiles of spring-calving dairy cows.

We would like to welcome the newest member of the NZVJ Editorial Board, Kat Crosse. Kat is a Senior Lecturer in small animal surgery at Massey University. Hailing from the UK, she started her veterinary career in rural Sussex in a mixed practice dealing with everything from cats and dogs to turkeys and monkeys. After a skiing accident and two cruciate surgeries, Kat began to take on more and more small animal work, specifically surgery, and this led her to move to New Zealand for an internship in surgery at Massey University.

Following her internship and then a residency, Kat became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016. She has continued to work as a senior lecturer at Massey University, teaching undergraduates and running a residency programme in addition to undertaking her clinical role.

“I enjoy nearly all aspects of surgery – although I could give up routine orthopaedics without any regret – and I’m especially interested in trying to find the root causes of clinical problems and tailoring specific surgical treatments,” Kat says. Her desire to modify treatment strategies to get the best outcomes for patients has led her to investigate the variations and progression of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, the aetiology of chylothorax, the use of custom surgical implants and a rethink of our approach to open-chest CPR.

When not thinking about or performing surgery, Kat likes to get out and enjoy the New Zealand landscape with her dog Fennel. They can often be seen in the hills, on a mountain bike trail or exploring new beaches. She’s also recently taken up

drawing and painting.

Members of the NZVA can access any articles published in the NZVJ by logging in to SciQuest (www.sciquest.org.nz). More information about the NZVJ can be found at www.vetjournal.org.nz. You can contact the editors at nzvj@vets.org.nz.