Pfizer Cancer Therapeutic
Palladia™ Available First At KBVC

Please call (914) 241-7700
to set up an appointment
with the oncology service.

The Oncology Department at KBVC is extremely excited to be one
of the first veterinary cancer centers to offer Palladia (Toceranib
Phosphate), the first FDA approved medication for the treatment of
cancer in veterinary medicine, made by Pfizer Animal Health.

• Dr. Philip J. Bergman, Chief Medical Officer of BrightHeart, was a
  primary site investigator for the Palladia FDA trial alongside KBVC
  Oncologist Dr. Maria Camps, affording them extensive experience
  with this new medication. They are 2 of approximately 15 veterinary
  professionals in the nation with this unique experience
• Palladia is a targeted therapy similar to a number of state of the art
  human anti-cancer drugs.
• Palladia is indicated for the treatment of dogs with recurrent (local
  or distant) grade II or III Mast Cell Tumor but is likely to be used
  off-label for a large number of other tumors.
• The Palladia trial (London et al, Clin Cancer Res 2009) found
  that ~ 60% of dogs with MCT had their tumors either cease to
  grow, partially respond or completely disappear.
• Palladia is an oral every other day medication available by
  prescription only.
• Palladia will be provided to KBVC clients for only a small
  dispensing fee as the drug is being provided to KBVC at no cost
  from Pfizer Animal Health.
• This no cost for Palladia program from Pfizer is likely to end in
  Dec ’09 or Jan ’10. Pfizer has not given any guidance on what the
  ongoing price will eventually become.

Oral Canine Melanoma
Vaccine At Work: One Story

(Adapted from Betty Liddick
in the AKC Gazette, April 2008)

Vicky Pollien saw a change in her Deutsch Drahthaar,
a breed native to Germany and a precursor to the
German Wirehaired Pointer. Bodo vom Riesenhof had come
to Pollien’s Poughkeepsie, New York, home at the age of
10 after a career as a certified hunting dog. He had always
been true to his breed, calm and friendly. But he became
agitated last year in the fall. He pawed his face and
spit out kibble. Pollien looked inside his mouth and saw
a brown spot on his gums. A biopsy revealed the reason:
Bodo had melanoma. The aggressively spreading cancer strikes
an estimated 50,000 dogs annually in the United States.
Veterinarians measure the survival time in months. About
8,100 people die each year from the disease, the National
Cancer Institute says. No agency tracks canine melanoma deaths.
Bodo underwent surgery to remove the growth and a small part
of his jaw, which gave Pollien pause. "I really worried about
how it would affect his quality of life, but the doctor said
he would live only five months without the surgery and possibly
three years with it. Adding that to his 12 years today would equal
the life span of a Pointer."

Bodo was referred to a BrightHeart Veterinary Centers
hospital conducting a clinical trial of the canine-melanoma
vaccine. The novel treatment has been available since
June 2007 only from veterinary oncologists at referral clinics
and 26 of the 27 veterinary schools in the U.S. with teaching hospitals.

BrightHeart's Chief Medical Officer, Philip J. Bergman, DVM, MS,
was one of the oncologists instrumental in the vaccine's
development. "It's amazing to have access to the top person,"
Pollien says. "We're very, very pleased with (the vaccine), " says
Bergman at BrightHeart's Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center in New York.

click for pdf

The Use of Continuous Glucose
Monitoring Systems
in Veterinary Medicine

Presented By
Alexis M. Cistola, DVM, DACVIM

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrinopathy in dogs and cats,
affecting as many as 1 in 100 to 1 in 500 animals. Monitoring
of the diabetic patient can be a challenge, as traditional methods
are labor intensive, disrupt the patient’s normal activity and
eating routine, may induce stress-related hyperglycemia, and may
not provide an adequate duration of glycemic measurements.
Furthermore, both diabetic dogs and cats have been shown to
have significant variations in their day-to-day glycemic control.
Continuous glucose monitoring systems are utilized in human medicine
to provide information about glycemic control in Type I diabetics.

click for pdf

Canine Oral Melanoma Vaccine

Presented By
Philip J. Bergman DVM, ACVIM-Onc,
MS, PhD, Chief Medical Officer,
BrightHeart Veterinary Centers

The most common oral malignancy in the dog is melanoma. Oral melanoma
is most commonly seen in Scottish terriers, golden retrievers, poodles
and dachshunds. This discussion will assume the diagnosis of melanoma
has already been made, and will focus on the biologic behavior
parameters, the staging and the treatment of canine oral melanoma.

click for pdf

The Treatment of Cataracts
at KBVC

Presented By
Dr. Cory Mosunic, MS, DVM, DACVO

A cataract is any opacity of the lens within the eye. It can be a small
cataract (incipient) and not interfere with vision or it can be larger
and interfere with vision. There are also aging changes that can occur
in the lens of older dogs which are not cataracts but often can be
mistaken as cataracts. This condition is called nuclear sclerosis and
usually does not interfere with vision.

more

Grape and Raisin Toxicity in Dogs

Presented By
Dr. Christopher Angielo, DVM

In 1999 the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center noted several cases of
kidney failure in dogs after eating of grapes and raisins. Symptoms occurred
within hours of ingestion and included: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, refusal to
eat, and abdominal pain. The partially digested fruit was often present in the
vomitus and/or stool. After seeking veterinary attention routine blood panels
would reveal evidence of kidney failure.

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Bubble Gum is Toxic to Dogs

Presented By
Dr. Leilani Alvarez, DVM

Certain kinds of bubble gum that contain a product called "xylitol" can cause
serious problems when ingested by your dog. Xylitol is a 5-carbon sugar
alcohol that looks and tastes like sugar. Many products on the market, including
sugar-free candy, gums, breath fresheners, toothpastes, sunblock, and other
nutritional supplements contain xylitol.

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