Texas A&M Veterinary Clinical Trial Gives Tabby Cat With Chronic Kidney Disease A Second Chance At Life

A brown tabby cat sticking his tongue out
Kobe with his favorite toy
Photo by Jason Nitsch ’14, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

Unlike the tender variety of Japanese beef that he’s named for, Kobe has always been one tough tabby. The now 14-year-old male has overcome numerous obstacles in life, including a rough start as a kitten and a weight loss journey from 28 pounds down to 12.

“I was 8 years old when my mom found Kobe beside a highway in Fort Worth,” said Gabrielle Sakel. “He was such a little beefcake when he was small, so we named him Kobe. He even acts tough, like a dog sometimes, since he was raised with them. He likes to shake his toys.”

Over the years, Kobe has celebrated many wins with Sakel, including her high school graduation, college graduation and her entrance into a medical science master’s degree program.

“I really want him to see me become a doctor,” Sakel said. “He may be 14, but he’s so active. We’ve even been working this last year to get his weight down, and I’m proud to say that it’s gone really well.”

Unfortunately, Kobe has had more obstacles to overcome; last summer, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, which causes a cat’s kidneys to slowly lose function. Most cats with the disease only survive a few years after showing symptoms, which made the diagnosis extremely distressing for Sakel.

“He’s my life,” she said. “He’s been through everything with me.”

Thankfully, Kobe’s participation in a new clinical trial at the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH) has given him all of his old energy back and more.

High Stakes

Having been a veterinary technician, Sakel knows how important annual check-ups are for pets, especially as they get older.

“Kidney disease is very common in older cats, so Kobe’s veterinarians had been keeping an eye on his blood levels,” Sakel said. “During one visit, they noticed that he had stage two kidney disease. At the time, it just so happened that I was working at Texas A&M’s Gastrointestinal Laboratory. My boss, Dr. Amanda Blake, was the one who told me about the new trial.”

The clinical trial, designed for cats with stage two to stage four kidney disease, uses Porus One, a powdery material, to draw toxins from the intestinal tract so they don’t enter the bloodstream. While similar products have been used successfully in humans with kidney disease, there hasn’t been much research on their effect in cats.

“Cats with chronic kidney disease have trouble eliminating certain kinds of toxins, which start to build up in their blood, because their kidneys are not working properly,” said Dr. Audrey Cook, a professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences who is co-leading the trial with Dr. Genna Atiee, a clinical assistant professor.

A veterinarian examining a brown tabby cat
Dr. Genna Atiee and Kobe
Photo by Jason Nitsch ’14, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

“Some of these toxins are created in the intestinal tract. When they are absorbed into the bloodstream, they make the patient feel unwell and also worsen the disease,” Cook said. “Porus One is an oral adsorbent that we can give to kidney disease patients that we anticipate will help break that cycle.”

Porus One is a unique material that’s classified as a medical device and not a medication. Each tiny particle is an intricately tunneled sphere, giving each daily dose a huge surface area — about the size of a tennis court — that pulls in toxins.

“The Porus One is not absorbed by the cat’s digestive system at all,” Cook said. “It just passes through and grabs onto the toxins that we don’t want to get into the bloodstream. Then, the cats poop it all out.”

Meeting Challenges Head-On

Normally, kidney disease is a slow illness that worsens a patient’s quality of life.

“It’s the No. 1 fatal disease for geriatric cats,” Cook said. “Because it’s something every veterinarian sees, we really wanted to find a way to slow down the disease progression and help feline patients feel better.”

Thankfully, Kobe’s disease hadn’t progressed far by the time his veterinarians caught it, and with the help of the new trial, Sakel says he’s back to jumping on countertops and running around with his usual energy.

“It was the best decision I ever made,” she said. “I’m so glad we were able to start treatment early so Kobe never had to suffer much from his illness. I would encourage everyone to get their cats tested, even if they’re not showing any symptoms.”

Now that Kobe has completed the trial, he will continue taking Porus One to continue managing his disease. While his success bodes well for the clinical trial, Cook and Atiee still need more cats to participate.

“We’re still looking for applicants,” Cook said. “Cats must have chronic kidney disease and be at least 7 years old to participate. They also need to like wet food and be able to make a total of five visits to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital in College Station.” For more information about applying to the clinical trial, cat owners can contact Lisa Even, manager of the Office of Veterinary Clinical Investigation, or visit the trial’s Study Pages website.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Understanding The Complexity Of Seizures

A sleeping bulldog

Seizures, which are caused by a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells, can be scary and often lead to uncertainty for pet owners, as seizures affect a pet’s movements, behavior, senses, or state of awareness. 

To assist pet owners in better understanding these conditions in companion animals, Dr. Christine Rutter, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, offers insight on the symptoms, potential triggers, and care plan essentials in the event that a pet experiences a seizure.

The Range Of Symptoms

Because the underlying cause of seizures is not always known, Rutter says it can be difficult to predict what a seizure will look like. 

“Some seizures look like what we all imagine, a pet laying on its side, drooling and shaking, but there are many different types of seizures,” Rutter explained. “Seizures can look like fly biting, facial twitching, staring into space and not responding to their name, and several more subtle manifestations.”

Being aware of common signs, however, can be essential for owners to accurately detect a seizure and determine whether prompt veterinary attention is required.

“It is likely for pets that have a seizure to have excessive drooling or urinate and defecate on themselves or in the area where they are seizing,” Rutter said. “A change in mentation, or mental functioning, is also really common in pets that have a seizure; this can occur before, during, and after the seizure event, lasting minutes to hours. Pets may be clingy, compulsive, fearful, aggressive, unresponsive to voice interactions, or seem lost during a change in mentation.”

Potential Triggers

Determining the cause of seizures in pets often involves a collaborative effort between veterinarians and owners. Some causes, such as metabolic conditions and brain changes, may require testing to confirm the diagnosis.

“There are many reasons pets have seizures, and those that don’t have an underlying cause for their seizures are often diagnosed with epilepsy,” Rutter said. “In this case, it’s important to have a veterinarian do blood testing to rule out underlying metabolic diseases, such as low blood sugar, kidney failure, and electrolyte disturbances, among many others. 

“Some pets also should be evaluated by a neurologist and undergo advanced imaging (MRI) for a complete workup,” she said. “Your veterinarian can help decide if your pet needs to see a neurologist, but examples of cases that may need advanced workup can include pets with frequent seizures, especially violent seizures, or pets that have persistent behavior or neurologic changes.”

On the other hand, there are other triggers that can be monitored more closely by owners.

“Pets are more likely to have a seizure at night or when sleeping, and some dogs can seize when stressed or overly excited,” Rutter explained. “Toxins can also induce seizures for many reasons. Common toxins that can cause seizures include antidepressant medication, muscle relaxants, some pesticides, stimulants, workout supplements, study aids, chocolate, decongestants, recreational medications, and sugar-free products containing xylitol or birch sugar.”

Establishing Care

Given the various symptoms and triggers, having a care plan can help owners navigate the unpredictable nature of seizures to guarantee their pets are cared for throughout the episode. 

First, Rutter encourages owners to avoid restraining or moving their pet during a seizure. 

“Owners should never attempt to touch the face or mouth of a seizing animal; it is best to observe a seizing pet from a short distance and avoid touching the animal until they are acting like their normal selves,” Rutter explained. “Children should never be allowed to handle a pet that has recently seized. Some animals can be fearful or aggressive before or after a seizure, meaning that pets who normally would never bite can be a bite risk.”

Instead, owners should check that the space around a seizing animal is free from objects or hazards that can cause accidental injuries, such as toys or ledges. 

“The goal is to ensure both owners and pets aren’t harmed, so the best thing for owners to do is make sure the animal is in a safe, calm environment that prevents them from falling or becoming overstimulated,” Rutter said.

Certain seizures may require immediate veterinary intervention and medication, so Rutter advises owners to also track details about the seizure, particularly the duration, frequency, and aftereffects, to determine if veterinary care is needed sooner rather than later.

“If a pet has a seizure that lasts more than three to four minutes, has more than two seizures in a 24-hour period, or if their behavior does not return to normal within one to two hours of the seizure, the owners should carefully wrap the animal in a blanket and transport them to the nearest veterinarian or emergency veterinary facility for care,” Rutter said.

If a seizure in a pet doesn’t require immediate attention, owners can then consider making a non-emergency appointment with their veterinarian to help identify underlying causes and  address symptoms. 

By staying informed about seizures, owners can create a safe environment for their pets, minimize potential triggers, and ensure that, in the event of a seizure, their furry companions receive timely and appropriate care.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Texas A&M Researchers Studying Reproductive Abnormalities That Cause Sterility In Horses

Three researchers in lab coats
(left to right) Dr. Terje Raudsepp, Dr. Rytis Juras, and Dr. Brian Davis
Photo by Alyssa Moore ’27, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have received a $640,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study abnormalities in sex development that affect the reproductive capabilities of some horses.

The new project will examine a diverse group of about 100 sterile horses, including those whose chromosomes don’t match their sex based on the presence of their reproductive organs.

Studying these unexplained abnormalities will give equine scientists and veterinarians vital information for giving care and treatment advice to horse owners.

“This project will allow us to properly diagnose these abnormalities in the future,” said Dr. Terje Raudsepp, a professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and director of the Molecular Cytogenetics Lab.

“We’ll be able to give owners a definitive answer regarding whether a certain horse is capable of reproduction so they don’t spend valuable time and resources on reproductive therapies. It will also improve the animal’s quality of care,” she said.

A Threefold Question

The horses in the study can be separated into three distinct groups, each with a different reproductive abnormality that renders them sterile.

The first group are mares with underdeveloped reproductive organs, which is often a sign of X monosomy, a condition in which a female animal is born with only one X chromosome instead of two.

“It’s the most common sex chromosome abnormality in horses and one of the main causes of mare sterility,” Raudsepp explained. “If we know that an animal has X monosomy, we can tell the owners so that they don’t continue to look for a fertility treatment. That mare may be a good companion, or a good riding horse, but she won’t ever reproduce.”

But previous chromosomal analysis has revealed that the mares did not have X monosomy — they had a normal karyotype (the number and appearance of an organism’s chromosomes) of XX. Raudsepp and her team hope to discover why these mares have underdeveloped reproductive tracts despite having normal-looking chromosomes.

The second group of horses in the study have a normal male karyotype — with an X and Y chromosome — as well as the sex determination region (SRY) or “maleness” gene, but their organs did not develop as expected.

“If their sex chromosomes are XY and they have the SRY gene, then they should be male,” Raudsepp said. “But these horses have underdeveloped ovaries instead of male sex organs. They appear to be female.”

A third group of horses in the study are intersex — they are not easily identifiable as either male or female by their physical features and reproductive organs.

“However, when we look at all their chromosomes together, we see normal female XX karyotype. So this third group should be female, but they’re not,” said Raudsepp.

Identifying Abnormalities

A researcher watches another researcher look into a microscope
Davis and Raudsepp

Raudsepp and her colleagues collected the genetic samples for this project over the course of more than 20 years in the Texas A&M Molecular Cytogenetics Lab, which provides testing to inform owners of chromosomal abnormalities in their animals.

The tests are especially useful when an animal has a health condition like sterility and the underlying cause is unknown.

Over the years, the samples collected from mares with different disorders of sex development and reproduction showed that some mares had sex chromosome abnormalities, while others did not; the researchers realized there was no clear scientific explanation.

“We also work with many other kinds of animals; the comparisons with other species helped us notice the patterns in horses that led to this project,” she said.

To understand what mutations are causing these abnormalities, Raudsepp and her colleagues will use genome sequencing to see the genomic features of each gene in an organism’s DNA.

“Twenty years ago, the technology was too expensive to do at this scale. But we also didn’t have enough samples yet. Now we have better technology, more animal health data to compare with our findings, and more collaborators to work with,” Raudsepp said.

In addition to the members of the Molecular Cytogenetics Lab, Raudsepp is working with VMBS faculty members Dr. Brian Davis, an associate professor in the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology and Small Animal Clinical Sciences, and Dr. Rytis Juras, director of Animal Genetics Laboratory. The team will also collaborate with Dr. Alan Conley, at the University of California, Davis, who is conducting hormonal profiling of the horses.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Texas A&M Veterinarians Create New Strategies For Treating Ear Issues In Kangaroos

A kangaroo wearing a black collar with bells
Diego at the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center.
Photo by Jason Nitsch ’14, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

Diego the red kangaroo has an important job at the Texas A&M Winnie Carter Wildlife Center. In addition to teaching veterinary students about kangaroo care and medicine, he serves as a “seeing eye” kangaroo for his blind “roo mate,” Murdock.

When Diego’s caretakers at the wildlife center noticed that he seemed to be experiencing discomfort in his right ear, they knew it was important to get him back to tip-top — or, more aptly, hip hop — shape so he could continue his normal life with his friend.

But because of the minimal information published about ear issues in kangaroos, Diego’s veterinary team at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH) had to start from scratch in figuring out what equipment and strategies to use.

Look Before You Leap

Diego’s ear problem became apparent not long after his arrival at the wildlife center in 2022.

“You could always tell which one was Diego because his right ear was bothering him a lot; he’d hold it to the side and scratch at it and sometimes shake his head a little bit,” said Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, director of the wildlife center and a clinical associate professor.

During Diego’s first visit to the SATH, his veterinarians in the Dermatology Service, which deals with a wide range of skin, ear and allergic conditions, could tell that something was wrong with his ear canal, but because the canal was so small, none of their equipment could fit inside.

Veterinarian looking into a kangaroo's ear canal
Dr. Christina Gentry examines Diego’s ear.
Photo by Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon

“Kangaroos have an ear canal that is relatively firm, or cartilaginous, so there’s not a lot of give to it. It also has what we call a ‘double bump,’ which is almost like two stair steps, so it’s not a straight shot to the bottom of the canal,” said Dr. Christina Gentry, a clinical assistant professor and veterinary dermatologist.

After giving the kangaroo some time to grow, Gentry was finally able to address the problem.

“We found a keratin buildup called a ceruminolith, which is almost like a rock of wax,” Gentry said. “It sometimes occurs because a tiny object, like a grain of sand or a piece of stick, gets into the ear. The body builds up more and more wax around it and then the ear canal becomes inflamed and narrows, not letting the growing wax ball exit.”

While the condition is commonly seen in cats and sometimes in dogs, there is little documentation about it occurring in kangaroos. Likewise, there is hardly any published literature about the species’ ear canal anatomy, making Diego’s health journey a challenging expedition.

Even with the challenge posed by Diego’s anatomy, Gentry and her team were determined to find a way to remove the blockage.

“Our concern was that if he ended up deaf or had chronic pain in his ears, he would not be able to behave normally and, therefore, could not help his friend,” Gentry said.

Jumping For Joy

After using a video otoscope, a small camera that magnifies images, to see the ceruminolith inside Diego’s ear, Gentry wanted to make sure there was not any other issue at play, so she ordered a CT scan to check on the kangaroo’s middle ear, or the area right behind the eardrum.

“The CT showed that his middle ears were normal and that all the disease was confined to the external ear canal,” she said. “While he was still asleep, we used the video otoscope’s guidance to remove the majority of the wax blob with sterile saline flush and tiny forceps.”

Because the canal was so inflamed, the veterinarians still couldn’t see the eardrum even once the blockage was removed, so they sent Diego home with some medications and set a recheck appointment for four weeks later, once the swelling had time to go down.

Diego the kangaroo jumping
Diego
Photo by Alyssa Moore ’27, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

While they hoped they had solved the issue by removing the ceruminolith, there was a possibility that the blockage had caused permanent damage that could even require surgical removal of the entire ear canal.

But, to the joy of Diego’s care team, the follow-up visit found that the kangaroo was healing well.

“The canal looked much better and was not infected, and we were able to see down to the level of the eardrum,” Gentry said. “We are now moving to maintenance therapy with ear drops twice a week for the next few months.”

Healing Abounds

Since his procedure, Diego has been shaking his head less and holding his ear up more, indicating to his caregivers that he is feeling better.

Because Diego’s case was so unique, his veterinary team is hoping to share its findings and encourage future research on kangaroo ear canals.

“We now know that as kangaroos get older, traditional video otoscopy becomes more useful,” Gentry said. “At some point, once they hit maybe 2 years of age, you can use traditional instrumentation that you would use in a dog and cat, but below that age, you may need to acquire a small flexible endoscopic tool.”

Sharing Diego’s CT scans will also inform other veterinarians of how to best treat ear conditions in kangaroos.

“Just because a kangaroo is an exotic species doesn’t mean they can’t still be affected by some of the diseases that we see in pets,” Gentry said. “It’s helpful to have a better idea of the ear canal anatomy of kangaroos, knowing that it doesn’t look exactly like a dog’s or a cat’s.”

A Hoppy Family

Diego and Murdock arrived at Texas A&M as babies, weighing only about 12 pounds and still drinking kangaroo milk replacement, imported from Australia, from a bottle. 

Because kangaroos are social animals and because Murdock has cataracts and detached retinas in both eyes that have rendered him blind, Diego’s main “job” at the wildlife center is to be Murdock’s companion. 

Two kangaroos hopping around
Diego (front) and Murdock (back)
Photo by Jason Nitsch ’14, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

“We did not want to put Murdock around our two adult kangaroos because of his blindness, so we sought a ‘seeing eye roo,’” said Blue-McLendon. “Diego wears a collar with little bells on it so Murdock can hear him and figure out where his companion is.”

In addition to serving as a sanctuary for dozens of exotic animals, the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center serves as a teaching facility for undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students who are interested in wildlife conservation and medicine.

It’s tradition at the wildlife center to name the animals after school administrators, donors and volunteers. Diego was named after a wildlife and fisheries sciences former student who had volunteered at the center for several years and was given the honor of picking up the kangaroo and bringing him to campus.

Now that Diego’s ear is healed, he and Murdock spend their days hopping around their outdoor paddock at the wildlife center alongside their new joey friend, Suva (named after Dr. Larry Suva, head of the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology).

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Exploring Common Types Of Feline Mange

Close up of tabby cat licking its paw

Mange is a skin disease that can compromise a pet’s well-being, leading to discomfort and potential health complications. Though it is a more common condition for dogs, cats can also be at risk, which is why owners should familiarize themselves with common varieties of feline mange.

Dr. Christina Gentry, a clinical assistant professor in dermatology at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explores two contagious types of feline mange, notoedric and demodectic, and how important early detection and prevention are in maintaining the skin health of cats.

What Is Feline Mange?

Feline mange is caused by mites, or microscopic parasites, that create burrows in the skin or live on the skin’s surface. The mites trigger inflammatory responses that eventually cause a variety of skin problems, including itching, hair loss, and discomfort. 

Contagious feline mange is commonly caused by two different mites – Notoedres cati and Demodex gatoi. N. cati causes notoedric mange – also known as feline scabies – to spread easily among cats because of the mite’s preference for infecting cats.

“Notoedres mites typically only burrow into the skin of cats, so felines tend to get notoedric mange from other cats; this type of mange results in high levels of itching that leads to crusty skin and hair loss on the ears, head, and face,” Gentry said. “These mites rarely affect humans but can with prolonged, direct contact, causing extreme itching and possibly a rash. Owners should speak directly to their physician if they have concerns about a skin rash that could be mange.”

Feline demodectic mange is caused by an overgrowth of D. gatoi — a feline-specific Demodex mite that is only contagious between cats — on the skin; cats that develop demodectic mange experience high levels of itching that may encourage them to excessively groom themselves.

“Cats affected by D. gatoi typically have self-induced alopecia, or hair loss, on the torso and proximal limbs (shoulder and hip regions), caused by excessive licking,” Gentry said. “The licking may be severe enough to cause self-induced erosions, or open sores on the skin, and the skin may or may not be inflamed.”

Regardless of the specific mite, owners can work with a veterinarian to treat the condition and prevent pets from inadvertently harming themselves. If left untreated, the resulting self-trauma, marked by hair loss and open sores, can lead to a range of complications and decline in a cat’s overall health.

“N. cati and D. gatoi can predispose cats to additional skin infections and can lead to weight loss, lethargy, and decreased appetite,” Gentry explained. “In outdoor cats, skin damage from mites and self-trauma can increase the risk of developing ringworm, a common zoonotic disease in young cats.”

Veterinary Care And Treatment

With prompt veterinary attention, owners can reduce the risks associated with untreated mange and prevent the condition from worsening. Gentry encourages owners to seek a veterinarian’s guidance for thorough examinations and appropriate diagnostic tests to identify the cause of a pet’s condition. 

“Mites are microscopic – you cannot see them with the naked eye – so if owners have concerns about mange, they should go to their veterinarian,” Gentry said. “By collecting a scraping of the infected skin and looking under a microscope, veterinarians can check for mites or use additional tests to determine if the pet has a bacterial skin infection, ringworm, or different inflammatory disease such as an allergy.”

Beyond diagnosing mange, veterinarians are crucial to the treatment of mange, as specialized medications are necessary to target the specific mite responsible for the skin condition. Depending on the type of mange and severity of the condition, a veterinarian may prescribe topical ointments, oral medications, or injections. 

“Nearly all the medications for notoedric and demodectic mange are prescription and for the few that are not, guidance on dosing and frequency should still come from a veterinarian to avoid adverse events,” Gentry explained. “There are fewer options for treating demodectic mange because Demodex mites have been historically more difficult to eradicate, yet certain prescription spot ons – topical medications that are applied to the back of the neck – have good success treating both types of mange, are easy to use, and have low adverse effects.”

Medications prescribed by a veterinarian can also be useful for preventing mange.

“D. gatoi is contagious to other cats who are not on specific types of ectoparasite prevention (for fleas, ticks, mange, etc.), so the use of routine prescription ectoparasite control is one way owners can protect their cats,” Gentry said. “The same spot-on products used to treat mange mites are also good preventatives. Keeping cats indoors also will reduce their exposure to ectoparasites.”

By understanding various mange types and seeking timely and thorough management from veterinarians, owners prevent the spread of feline mange while ensuring the health and comfort of their feline companions.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Good Karma: Aggie Veterinarians Save Horse From Life-Threatening Melanoma

A grey horse in front of a black background
Karma

Teresa Porter has been taking care of horses for decades, but none have touched her heart like Karma.

Karma, known at competitions as So Riveting, is a 20-year-old quarter horse stallion with a  striking gray coat. But with that color comes a problem — gray horses are genetically predisposed to developing melanoma, especially on body areas with fewer hair follicles like the lips, anus and genitals.

Dealing with melanoma is a lifelong battle, but because this form of cancer does not tend to spread to other organs in these horses, removing the tumors when they are small can help ensure a long, healthy life.

Karma’s melanoma, however, developed quickly in a way that threatened his survival.

Heart Horse

When Porter became Karma’s owner about 12 years ago, the stallion was well known as a show horse, having even gone as far as the American Quarter Horse Congress, the world’s largest single-breed horse show.

After a minor injury, Karma retired from show work and began a career as a sire, or a stallion used in breeding.

“Karma now has grandchildren out there winning big in the quarter horse industry,” Porter said.

But his pedigree and trophies aren’t what make Karma Porter’s “heart horse,” a term used among horse owners to describe a soulmate-like bond with a horse.

“Out of all the horses I’ve ever owned, he’s the one that I’ve bonded with the most. He’s the most special to me,” she said. “He’s not like most stallions; he absolutely loves being around people and he’s very friendly and easygoing.”

This special bond made it even more devastating when Karma was diagnosed with a melanoma tumor that had spread into the rectum and developed into a tennis ball-sized mass, blocking his ability to defecate.

Woman and grey horse
Karma with his owner, Teresa Porter

Treating the cancer would not be easy, but Porter didn’t hesitate to drive her beloved heart horse almost six hours from her home in Calhoun, Louisiana, to Texas A&M after hearing about the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Large Animal Teaching Hospital’s (LATH) equine specialists and advanced treatment options. 

“He is the horse that has given the most to me emotionally,” Porter said. “All the world titles in the world would never mean as much to me as this horse, so I was prepared to do whatever I could to save him.”

Finding Care

When Karma arrived at the LATH in July, Porter knew she would be leaving him in the most qualified hands.

“It was hard having him all the way at Texas A&M and not being able to see him all the time, but I trusted A&M from the moment I dropped him off,” Porter said. “I knew that he was very well taken care of, and that gave me peace of mind.”

As soon as Karma arrived, Dr. Dustin Major, a clinical assistant professor of large animal surgery, began preparing for the procedure to remove the mass, which would have eventually proven fatal if not removed.

“Karma had one of the two worst cases of melanoma I’ve seen in my career,” Major said.

“We began cutting the lesion out of the skin beside his anus and then continued removing the main mass as it stretched to his rectum,” he said. “Afterward, he was here for a little over two months to receive chemotherapy injections and additional treatments for his remaining melanomas.”

Porter said reuniting with Karma to take him home was emotional.

“Knowing that he could come home and hopefully live as long as possible meant a lot to me.”

Improving Treatment Options

While Karma’s case of melanoma was one of the worst Major has seen, he sees less intense cases often.

“Some gray horses will get one small lesion and that’ll be all they have, but others get what we call ‘melanomatosis,’ where they have lots of melanomas that start as little lesions and then get bigger and bigger,” he said.

Grey horse. Black and white
Karma at his home in Calhoun, Louisiana

Because melanoma in gray horses is so common, several VMBS researchers, including assistant professor Dr. Brian Davis and doctoral student McKaela Hodge, are working to develop genetic tests and new treatment options.

“Back in 2008, Dr. Leif Andersson, a joint professor at Texas A&M and Uppsala University in Sweden, determined that a duplicated sequence within a gene, called Syntaxin 17, or STX17, was unanimously involved with graying in horses,” Hodge said.

This sequence was found to play a key role in regulating the development of melanocytes, the cells that create pigmentation for skin and are also where melanoma develops.

Further research has found that some gray horses possess a triplication of these sequence rather than a duplication, with one study finding tumors that possessed up to eight copies of STX17.

Because additional copies of STX17 come with a much higher rate of melanoma incidence and severity, the VMBS researchers are working to use genetic testing to help clients understand how many copies of STX17 their horse has and, therefore, how aggressive the cancer will be, according to Hodge.

“Further down the line, we hope to provide some treatment options that are less toxic for the individual than chemotherapy and, potentially, more effective,” Hodge said.

Until the research culminates in practical tests and tools, one of the most important things owners of gray horses can do is keep a close eye out for new lesions and have them removed, or at least closely monitored, by a veterinarian when they are still small.

“Owners should keep an eye on the common areas where the lesions pop up and have a lesion evaluated as soon as they notice it rather than waiting,” Major said. “A lot of horse owners know that gray horses get melanomas but not that they can continue to progress. Just because they’re not metastatic doesn’t mean they can’t become a problem.

“When they’re small, they’re very easy to take out surgically; it is a very easy, safe procedure that is basically curative for that lesion,” he said. “The earlier you can have it addressed, the better the outcome, and you spend a lot less money in the long run.”

Like Karma, gray horses with melanoma can find a happy ending with help from dedicated owners and veterinarians.

“Not enough people know about melanoma in horses, and I just wish more people knew that there are possibilities to treat it,” Porter said. “It’s worth it to keep your horse going and with you for as long as possible.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Small Animal Internist Joins Texas A&M’s VERO Campus in Canyon, Texas

Dr. Christina Chan in the VBEC courtyard
Dr. Christina Chan
Photo by Jason Nitsch ‘14, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

Dr. Christina Chan, a board-certified small animal internist, is the newest faculty member to join the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program on the West Texas A&M University campus.

Chan will serve as a small animal clinical educator and will contribute to VERO’s mixed animal approach to graduating veterinarians equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to serve all animals in rural communities.

Chasing Childhood Dreams

Growing up, Chan had her sights on a medical career because her family was medically oriented, with both of her parents working in human health care. However, her childhood dog inspired her to pursue a career in the veterinary field instead.

“I love animals, which I’m sure all veterinarians do,” Chan said. “I had a beagle who was the love of my life. He lived to be 16, so I had him for a good part of my life. Taking care of him and living through all the different diseases he developed sparked an interest in veterinary medicine.”

After graduating from veterinary school at the University of Tennessee in 2011, Chan completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the University of Illinois, followed by a small animal internal medicine residency at Michigan State University. In 2015, Chan joined a private practice outside Orlando, Florida.

“After being in academia for my training, I wanted to try the private practice sector,” she said. “Since I had done my residency in Michigan and spent three years in the cold and the snow, I also decided that I wanted somewhere warmer, which is how I ended up in Florida.”

While working at the clinic, Chan found teaching and mentoring the interns and residents particularly enjoyable but did not have as much time for it as she would have liked.

“I reached a point in my career where I was just trying to find a better quality of life,” she said. “I would get to work at 7:30 a.m. and sometimes I wouldn’t leave until 7 or 9 p.m. I just didn’t get as much time as I would have liked to devote to teaching.”

After searching for her next career opportunity that would allow her to focus on teaching, Chan found the perfect fit at VERO. She appreciates the balance that the position at VERO has brought to her life, including her newfound free time to spend with friends and family, like her husband and their dog, Mochi.

Chan with her large brown dog
Dr. Christina Chan and Mochi

Individualized Instruction

By joining VERO, Chan found a unique opportunity to continue making an impact on the veterinary field while also finding more time to connect with students and fellow faculty members. Her classes feature a low student-to-instructor ratio and a tag-team teaching style that lets Chan focus on her specialization of small animal internal medicine.

“The courses are taught in a different way than most college courses are,” she said. “I mainly focus on dogs and cats, so I could teach a class on kidney disease in small animals on Monday, and then one of the other instructors would teach kidney disease in cows or another large species on Tuesday. We all work together to teach the various lectures within each course.”

Chan also enjoys using life-like models to craft interactive labs. These non-living models include realistic animal manikins and computer-based simulations, which the students use to practice their clinical skills.

“We can practice drawing blood, doing surgeries, examining the eye, and even doing anesthesia,” she said. “Those are things I never had when I was in vet school, and it’s so cool that our students have these models so they can develop these skills before entering the clinical setting.”

Chan hopes to inspire students to love the veterinary profession and the many facets that it has to offer.

“The curriculum we build here at Texas A&M tries to integrate everything in a practical sense. When you finish the four years of school, it’s not just a bunch of knowledge you’ve never used before or have only known in an academic setting,” she said. “I hope to give them a really solid foundation that they will build upon throughout the rest of their careers.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

A Guide To Bathing Pets After Natural Disasters

Yellow dog looking out over floodwaters

Natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and tornadoes are occurring more often. In these situations, substances from our daily lives — including household cleaners, pesticides, oil, and debris — can contaminate nearby surroundings, remain in standing water, or spread through smoke and floodwaters, leaving both humans and their pets vulnerable to an increased risk of exposure. 

Because proper cleaning procedures in the aftermath of disasters can mitigate these risks, Dr. Deb Zoran, interim director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team and a professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, offers tips on how owners can best clean their pets in order to prevent potential illness. 

“Owners should clean their pets as quickly as possible after exposure to potentially hazardous materials because some contaminates, like oil and certain chemicals, can be absorbed through the skin, causing pets to become sick,” Zoran explained. “Even if they are contaminated with chemicals that aren’t absorbed by the skin, pets can still lick themselves and ingest the contaminants or expose their pet parents to the hazardous materials.”

Beginning The Process

The first thing owners should consider when decontaminating their pets is the pet’s state of mind in the aftermath of a disaster, when heightened fear or stress may lead to potential aggression or unpredictable behavior. With this in mind, Zoran suggests owners wash their pets in a quiet environment with at least one additional person, as this provides a calm and controlled setting, while minimizing stress for the animal.

Once all the bathing supplies have been gathered and taken to a quiet location with a tub or basin, owners should put on protective gear to ensure a thorough and safe cleaning process for both themselves and their pets. Zoran recommends that owners wear the following items while washing their pets because contaminants will fly when animals shake from being wet:

  • Eye protection, such as glasses, goggles, or sunshades (if outside)
  • Facemask that covers the nose and mouth to prevent wastewater exposure
  • Gloves and an apron or full-body covering, such as a rain suit, to protect clothing and skin from wastewater

After owners have the appropriate protective gear on, they should remove any apparel the pet may be wearing, such as a harness or collar, as it will be contaminated. Any bedding that may be in a carrier with a pet should also be removed and either washed or thrown away, depending on how dirty they appear to be.

Preparing For A Full Bath

There are two decontamination processes, wet and dry, and while all pets will undergo a wet decontamination, Zoran pointed out that some pets will require dry decontamination beforehand.

“Wet decontamination is simply bathing animals, but if there are large, dry particles on the pet, such as insulation, you should start with dry decontamination, meaning you use a damp microfiber towel to wipe off the particles before proceeding to wash the animal, as a towel will do a better job of removing dry particulates than water,” Zoran said. “No matter the method, you don’t want to use a brush, comb, or anything that can push contaminants closer to the skin.”

The wet decontamination process continues by preparing the pet for a full bath, paying special attention to facial features first, including eyes, nose, and ears.

“First, rinse their eyes out by flushing them with a sterile eyewash or contact lens solution,” Zoran said. “Flushing their eyes tends to also flush their nose, but you can wipe the front of the nose if there are clearly contaminants present. You shouldn’t try to squirt anything in their nose because that is generally not well received by pets. 

“Once you rinse their eyes and nose, you should put some protection in their eyes, such as sterile eye lube that can easily be bought at the store, that way if soap happens to get in their eyes, it isn’t going to cause a problem,” Zoran continued. “In general, you don’t want to spend time cleaning dog or cat ears during the process because spraying water while attempting to clean their ears could push contaminated materials further down the ear canal. If there is a significant amount of debris present, it will likely require assistance from someone trained to properly clean ears.”

Once facial features are clean, owners should add an extra layer of physical protection to prevent unintentional harm caused by a pet’s fear and anxiety. 

“We recommend applying a cloth or basket muzzle as an important step in preventing a bite injury because no matter how well-behaved dogs are, frightened dogs may react adversely to situations they normally would not mind (e.g., a bath),” Zoran explained. 

“On the other hand, cats should not be muzzled, as it will create greater stress and possibly make it difficult for them to breathe,” she said. “Owners may require veterinary assistance for medications to calm cats who don’t like water or baths, but either way, gently placing a towel over a cat’s face can keep them calm when you begin to wet them.”

Bathing Time

The most important step of cleaning pets is bathing them – a process that Zoran says is made more difficult by the type of hair a pet has, the length and thickness of their hair, and the degree of contamination, since certain materials trapped in the coat can be extremely difficult to remove.

First, make sure the pet’s coat is completely wet before applying soap; Zoran recommends using dish soap or baby shampoo, as they are safe, easy to obtain, and very effective. Then, pets should be rinsed off thoroughly with clean water.

“It’s really important to wash and lather pets with your fingers in a front-to-back and top-to-bottom direction because if you don’t do it that way, you will recontaminate the clean areas,” Zoran said. “Once you are done cleaning, take pets out of the tub, drain the water, and rinse their feet off again, since they were most likely standing in dirty water. Otherwise, they will track contaminants elsewhere.”

Zoran strongly encourages owners to end the cleaning process by drying their pets with clean towels, especially if air temperatures are lower than 65 degrees. Pets can become hypothermic when they are bathed in temperatures cooler than that, meaning their body temperature will drop too low. 

Learning how to effectively wash pets is a crucial skill of overall disaster preparedness. By understanding and implementing proper decontamination procedures, pet owners can successfully navigate the aftermath of disasters, ensuring our pets are safe and healthy.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Texas A&M VERO Student Tackles Bovine Respiratory Disease In Beef Cattle

Hudson McAllister in front of a research poster
McAllister

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most economically important disease of beef cattle in the United States, costing the industry around $1 billion each year in production loss and treatment costs. Affecting both calves and adult cattle, BRD can be difficult to detect and treat before it impacts other cattle in a herd.

Faculty, staff, and students at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program are tackling BRD head-on using cutting-edge technology and new research that studies the complete life cycle of cattle.

“Nearly 20% of all cattle will need treatment for BRD at some point in their life,” said Hudson McAllister, a second-year Ph.D. student at VERO. “BRD is an umbrella term for several related diseases of the respiratory system and can affect several biological systems of cattle.”

McAllister is part of a team that received a multi-year United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant in partnership with Mississippi State University to study the complete life cycles of beef cattle to better understand the effects of BRD.

“Because of how the industry works, with cattle moving locations frequently, it can be hard to get data for complete life cycles,” McAllister said. “With these new data, we can look at everything from vaccination status to how cattle are transported to see how these aspects of the industry might influence BRD throughout the course of their lives.”

Prior to joining the VERO program for her doctorate, McAllister got her bachelor’s degree in animal science at the University of Tennessee at Martin, followed by a master’s degree in the same field from West Texas A&M University (WT). There, while working with WT faculty member Dr. John Richeson, she was introduced to VERO’s Drs. Paul Morley and Matthew Scott, who encouraged her to join the VMBS program.

“McAllister’s background in animal science has really prepared her to understand why her research projects really matter,” Scott said. “Working with Richeson at WT has helped give her that ready-to-learn attitude that’s so valuable to have in the VERO program.”

The combination of classroom lectures and hands-on-experience offered at VERO will help students like McAllister become key players in the future of veterinary medicine.

“I’m hoping to do pharmaceutical regulatory work after I graduate,” McAllister said. “Vaccines are my primary area of interest. That’s why I work on BRD — I want to encourage more herd owners to use them, and I want to help providers make them more effective.”

Animal medicine regulatory programs are essential for keeping veterinary clinics stocked with safe and effective medications, like vaccines that can help prevent BRD.

“We’ve done a great deal of work with different kinds of vaccines to see how they play into the prevention of BRD,” McAllister said. “However, we still need to better understand the pathogenesis — the way the whole disease complex develops — so we can make more effective vaccines.”

It’s thanks to the supportive community at VERO that students like McAllister can find such tremendous success.

“VERO is my happy medium,” she said. “I knew I wanted to be a part of the veterinary community, but I didn’t want to practice medicine. That’s why I chose this program, so I could get exposure to both worlds.”

VERO is a unique program because it provides graduate students from both the VMBS and WT with ample research opportunities right in the heart of the Texas cattle industry. Students can also build close relationships with faculty mentors to improve their chances of landing the perfect job after graduation.

“We’re a very tight-knit community of students and faculty working together,” McAllister said. “If I have questions or I’m having problems with something in the lab, there’s always someone to help.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

My Experience As A Texas A&M Veterinary Student In Canyon

By Cade Holden, Texas A&M Class of 2025 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student

Cade Holden in a teaching lab
Cade Holden

I have dreamed of becoming a veterinarian ever since I was 12 years old, when I first got involved in 4-H and FFA in my hometown of Granada, Colorado.

As an undergraduate at West Texas A&M University, I met Dr. Dan Posey — director of student recruitment in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences — who told me about Texas A&M’s new 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, which allows up to 18 Aggie veterinary students to spend the first two years of the four-year program learning at the Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach facility on the WT campus.

I had already fallen in love with the Texas Panhandle, and Canyon, specifically, so the idea of sticking around and contributing to an up-and-coming program was very appealing.

When I was accepted to be part of the inaugural 2+2 veterinary class in the fall of 2021, I was so excited.

While the location and class size are different, 2+2 students receive the same world-class Aggie veterinary education as our classmates in College Station. Being in the heart of Texas’ food animal industry, however, provides new and unique learning opportunities.

For example, we visited Cnossen Dairy with Dr. Hatem Kittanna to learn about cattle preventive medicine in a real-life dairy environment and the biosecurity measures taken to keep our milk supply safe.

Now that I’m entering my third year of veterinary school, I have found it exciting to look back and see how much my class and I have contributed to the development of the program over the past two years.

Our professors have been excellent at getting to know each of us individually and figuring out the best ways to support our success in the classroom as well as our career goals. No matter what we needed — or when we needed it — they were always willing to go out of their way to help.

Holden with Dr. Hugh Duddy
Cade Holden and Dr. Hugh Duddy

Drs. Lisa Lunn, Hugh Duddy, and Kelli Beavers, especially, made a big impact on my goals and education. As specialists in different areas, all view a case from a different perspective. Someday, I hope to be a combination of (large animal clinician) Dr. Lunn’s cool and calm, (surgery professor) Dr. Duddy’s critical analysis, and (equine reproduction expert) Dr. Beaver’s proper technique.

Watching that many experienced veterinarians under one roof has truly been an amazing way to begin my own veterinary journey. I will carry their advice and expertise with me for my entire career.

One of the most special aspects of the 2+2 program is getting to experience the veterinary curriculum as part of a small, close-knit group of students. From endless inside jokes to study sessions with the entire class at Chili’s, I have come to know these classmates like family members.

We even worked together to organize our own version of Texas A&M’s “Fur Ball,” the end-of -year dance for veterinary students. VERO’s second “Dust Ball” this past spring was the perfect way to wrap up our two years in Canyon and celebrate hitting the halfway point in our veterinary education.

This month, those of us who began classes at VERO will reunite with the other 162 students in the DVM Class of 2025 for our third year in College Station. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but I’m also very excited to explore a much larger campus and reconnect with the classmates I’ve been keeping up with over text for the past two years.

Since I plan to pursue a career in equine surgery, I’m also looking forward to learning more surgical techniques and skills over the next two years.

I hope to open my own practice one day, and if being a part of the VERO program has taught me anything, it’s that working and living in a rural Texas community is where I belong.

I may have grown up in southeast Colorado, but Texas has become my home away from home.

While the majority of my time in Canyon has come to an end, I’m looking forward to returning to VERO during my fourth year for clinical rotations in equine and cattle medicine. It will be great to reunite with my professors and revisit the VERO facility and show them how much more I’ve learned since the last time I saw them, as well as visit some of my favorite spots in Canyon.

No matter where in Texas the future takes me, my time as a Texas A&M 2+2 program student will always give Canyon, and the entire Panhandle Plains region, a special place in my heart.