Residents honored during recent ACVIM meeting
Two internal medicine residents at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Alyssa Sullivan and Dr. Alisa Berg, were honored for their oral presentations during the recent meeting of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, or ACVIM, held in Minneapolis June 6-8.
Sullivan, a third-year large animal medicine resident, was honored in the livestock category for her presentation on “Clinical Findings and Outcome of Goats Diagnosed with Discospondylitis and Vertebral Osteomyelitis on Computer Tomography.” Mentored by Dr. Daniela Luethy and Dr. Elodie Huguet, her paper was inspired by the case of a goat named Daisy Mae, who came to UF recumbent and unable to walk. She was subsequently diagnosed with vertebral osteomyelitis and discospondylitis.
After treatment with antibiotics and supportive care, Daisy Mae regained full mobility. Although limited by its small scale and retrospective nature, this research suggests that treatment should be considered more frequently in goats with severe spinal infections, even when diagnostic imaging indicates grave lesions. This knowledge may encourage veterinarians to attempt treatment in cases that might otherwise result in euthanasia, potentially saving more goats and improving animal welfare in livestock medicine.
Berg, who completed her residency in small animal medicine in July, was honored in the small animal category for her presentation, “Kidney Injury Biomarkers Are More Correlated with Proteinuria Than Serum Creatinine in Telmisartan Treatment Study.” Mentored by Dr. Andrew Specht, her study examined the effects of telmisartan, a common treatment for proteinuria in dogs with kidney disease. While telmisartan can cause mild elevations in blood biomarkers of kidney function, new urinary biomarkers may more accurately reflect active kidney damage.
The study found no evidence of kidney injury from telmisartan use. Instead, it revealed a correlation between proteinuria and kidney injury biomarkers, supporting existing physiological theories. The findings suggest that telmisartan may be safer for treating canine kidney disease than previously thought, potentially changing how veterinarians interpret blood test results in treated patients. This could lead to more confident use of telmisartan in managing proteinuria, ultimately improving outcomes for dogs with kidney disease.
