Young adult small-breed neutered dogs that received multiple vaccines per office visit were at greatest risk of a VAAE within 72 hours after vaccination. These factors should be considered in risk assessment and risk communication with clients regarding vaccination.

The findings of this observational study, similar to epidemiologic studies in humans, suggested that periodontal disease was associated with cardiovascular-related conditions, such as endocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Chronic inflammation is probably an important mechanism connecting bacterial flora in the oral cavity of dogs with systemic disease. Canine health may be improved if veterinarians and pet owners place a higher priority on routine dental care.

Although overall VAAE rates were low, young adult neutered cats that received multiple vaccines per office visit were at the greatest risk of a VAAE within 30 days after vaccination. Veterinarians should incorporate these findings into risk communications and limit the number of vaccinations administered concurrently to cats.

A National Companion Animal Surveillance Program (NCASP) was established at Purdue University to monitor clinical syndromes and diseases using the electronic medical records of >80,000 companion animals visiting >500 Banfield hospitals weekly in 44 states. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCASP was initially developed for syndromic surveillance of Category A agents of bioterrorism. Surveillance was expanded through inclusion of electronic reports from Antech Diagnostics, a nationwide network of integrated veterinary diagnostic laboratories serving >18,000 private veterinary practices. NCASP characterizes and displays temporal and spatial patterns of diseases in dogs, cats, and other companion animals. It detects unusual clusters of potential emerging/zoonotic infections and monitors flea and tick activity. Data is processed and analyzed using SAS and ESRI software products. The NCASP can be used by veterinarians to enhance their practice of evidence-based medicine by providing information needed to individualize vaccine protocols for animals in specific geographic areas.

Hematopoietic bone marrow in the dog is enclosed by a nearly complete and rather complex layer of endosteum, consisting of a diverse group of cells collectively called bone lining cells (BLC). Cell types comprising BLC include osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and other cell types, among which are elongated, flat cells with a spindle-shaped nucleus, and small cytoplasmic vesicles. The composition and thickness of the layer of BLC varies along the perimeter of the marrow. The layer may be simple or stratified. Occasionally a zone of tightly packed regularly arranged collagenous fibers lies between the bone lining cells and bone. Hematopoiesis, particularly neutrophilic, often occurs in the bone marrow next to the BLC. Cytoplasmic processes of BLC occasionally extend into the hematopoietic spaces and stromal cells in the hematopoietic compartment may extend processes to the layer of BLC. Occasionally cells of the BLC are similar in appearance to stromal cells within the marrow. Our observations together with the experimental findings of others (that fibroblastic stromal cells contribute to the hematopoietic inductive microenvironment, that hematopoietic stem cells are concentrated subosteally, that cells responsible for regeneration of the marrow stroma are derived from the endosteal layer, and that high concentrations of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors are produced there) indicate that the hematopoietic capacities of bone marrow may be regulated by BLC.