By Tara Evans PUBLISHED: 04:34 EST, 12 June 2012 | UPDATED: 04:57 EST, 13 June 2012 Pet owners are being warned about insurance clauses which could invalidate their cover and allow insurers to wriggle out of potentially huge bills. In April, Sara-Leigh OShaughnessy's nine-year-old springer spaniel Poppy had 16 fits in one day and ended up in intensive care at her local veterinary hospital. The first thing Sara-Leigh did was ring her insurer Argos, who told her that Poppy was covered and that they could continue with the treatment. But now the insurer has wriggled out of paying, claiming epilepsy was a pre-existing condition, despite it never having been diagnosed with. No payout: Argos say that Poppy's condition was linked to previous fits Sara-Leigh's case highlights how pet owners should disclose any problems their animal has had, even if they have not been officially diagnosed, as otherwise insurers can find wriggle room to not pay bills. After Sara-Leigh rushed Poppy to the vet's in April, she needed to go to another animal hospital for further treatment, including an MRI scan. It was only this scan that eventually resulted in Poppy being diagnosed with epilepsy. However, a couple of days later … Continue reading →

As we rush toward the comfort of air conditioning during hot weather, we should not forget our pets and their sensitivity to heat -- not only for their comfort, but for their health. Heat stroke is a very serious and often fatal disease that occurs when an animal's cooling mechanisms cannot keep up and their body temperature elevates beyond 105-106 degrees. Cells and proteins in the body are sensitive to excess heat. When they are damaged, they can lead to conditions that include kidney failure, brain damage, heart arrhythmias, liver failure, muscle damage, systemic inflammation and excessive blood clotting. Since animals do not sweat (except to a minor degree through their foot pads), they do not tolerate high environmental temperatures as well as humans do. Dogs depend upon panting to exchange warm air for cool air. When the air temperature is close to body temperature, cooling by panting is not an efficient process. Cats differ from dogs in that cats that are open mouth breathing or panting are showing signs of serious stress and need immediate veterinary care. With a cat, panting is never a sign of the animal just trying to cool down. Common situations that can set the … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2012) The simple act of picking up a pencil requires the coordination of dozens of muscles: The eyes and head must turn toward the object as the hand reaches forward and the fingers grasp it. To make this job more manageable, the brain's motor cortex has implemented a system of shortcuts. Instead of controlling each muscle independently, the cortex is believed to activate muscles in groups, known as "muscle synergies." These synergies can be combined in different ways to achieve a wide range of movements. A new study from MIT, Harvard Medical School and the San Camillo Hospital in Venice finds that after a stroke, these muscle synergies are activated in altered ways. Furthermore, those disruptions follow specific patterns depending on the severity of the stroke and the amount of time that has passed since the stroke. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to improved rehabilitation for stroke patients, as well as a better understanding of how the motor cortex coordinates movements, says Emilio Bizzi, an Institute Professor at MIT and senior author of the paper. "The cortex is responsible for motor learning and for controlling movement, … Continue reading →

PHILADELPHIA Two Penn Medicine hospitals have received Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission for efforts to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. All three Penn Medicine hospitals are now certified to optimally treat stroke patients: Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center each received Primary Stroke Center certifications this summer and join the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), which has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center since 2004. Penn Medicine is the first Philadelphia health system to get certification for stroke care at all member hospitals. Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center received Primary Stroke Center certification following a Joint Commission review where both facilities were found to be in compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commissions Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as primary stroke center requirements, such implementing evidence based protocols and collecting the Joint Commission core measure data to use in performance improvement activities. This is a major step forward for Pennsylvania Hospital and the community we serve, said Howard I. Hurtig, MD, chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital, co-director of the Penn Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Center and professor of Neurology in the Perelman School … Continue reading →