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McDonnell Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery Consulting
www.drjaymcdonnell.com

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About Dr. McDonnell
·Dr. Jay McDonnell is a board certified veterinary neurologist with more than 10 years of clinical experience.
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Welcome to May!  I hope everyone is getting ready for the graduation season. It's always busy during this time of year between finishing up school, getting ready for the graduates and preparing for the summer. 

Please note: I will be available for consults Tuesday through Friday June 1-4.

My work in Philly at the University of Pennsylvania has been busy between the 4th years finishing and the new 3rd years-soon-to-be 4th years coming into clinics.  The neurosurgery clinic there has been quite busy with several brain tumors, Wobbler's, ventriculoperitoneal shunts and trauma neurosurgery cases. I operated on a 17 year old FS DSH with a recurrent meningioma.  She had been operated on the first time four years ago. She is one tough kitty! She left the hospital less than 48 hours after the operation and is doing great.

Here's to another 4 years of symptom-free survival for "Sunflowers", the cat!

Jay 
 

potassiumFollow-up on seizures and anticonvulsants

Several vets have asked me about using some of the newer anticonvulsants as a first drug in idiopathic epilepsy following the article on seizures and anticonvulants. I have to say that I haven't been impressed with the new anticonvulsants (Keppra, Zonisamide, Neurotin, etc) as a first line anticonvulsants. I use them as 2nd or 3rd add-on anti-convulsants. The reason they don't work as well is more theoretical but these drugs are designed for specific human seizure disorder and their pharmacokinetics in dogs are much different than in humans. Most all of these drugs have an extremely short half-life in dogs and cats - in the range of 90 min to 4 1/2 hours compared to 29-40 hours for PB and longer for KBr. Remember pharmacology (I can hear everyone groan....)? For a drug to maintain steady-state serum concentrations, it should be given at least three times every half-life. It would be impossible to maintain steady-state for some of these medications. 


The reason they work when we add them to PB or Br? Perhaps it is a synergistic effect at the level of the neuronal cell surface? Or a metabolism/disposition/ excretion shifts with PB and Br? These arebethcat some of the theories. I have seen a lot of dogs that have been put on these anti-convulsants as primary therapy that continue to have terrible seizures and the owners feel like they are doing everything possible for their pets. I usually add in either PB or KBr and we see real improvement in the seizure management with reductions in both severity and frequency of the seizures.

ripleyDr. McDonnell's Volunteer Experience

We all volunteer for many reasons and choose so many ways to give back.  Check out Jay's experience and his not so expected reason why... truly an inspiration.


aacvma Local meetings and CE opportunities

The local veterinary medical associations are winding down their continuing education programs at this time of year. If you are interested in some great CE hours with excellent (and free!) food, check out the offerings from Idexx below.

It has been great honor to be the president of the Anne Arundel County VMA. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and interact with a lot of you. I hope to see everyone next fall at the next AACVMA meetings.  I would like to welcome the new President of the AACVMA- Dr. Patty Plenis, the secretary/treasurer-Elizabeth Daher, the President elect-Dr. Janet Peterson and the new MVMA representative-Jennifer Hyman.

  • District of Columbia Academy of Veterinary Medicine - June 3, 2010  Elks Lodge, Fairfax, VA.  6 hours of CE credit 
    "VETERINARY DISASTER MEDICINE"
    Wayne Wingfield, MS, DVM, Colorado State University
    Contact WWW.DCAVM.ORG or admin@dcavm.orgfor more information and additional CE meetings.

  • Maryland Veterinary Medical Association  -
    June 26-29, 2010 MVMA Summer Conference
    Clarion Resort Fontainbleu Hotel- Ocean City, Maryland
    Contact WWW.MDVMA.ORG for more information and additional CE meetings.

  • Idexx Laboratories - May 25, 2010 @6:30 pm, Yellowfin Steak & Fish House, Edgewater, MD
    Dr. Teresa DeFrancescco will be presenting "Demystifying Cardiac Biomarkers: What a Clinician Needs to Know." More information.
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. "~Robert Brault