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ISRAEL JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Editorial
O
nly in recent years has pain in animals gained importance in the field of veterinary medicine. The negative effects of pain in both small and large animals has been recognized and studied. This issue features three articles on pain in animals: The first by Dr. Mark E. Epstein is a comprehensive review of the drugs used in veterinary medicine, and their actions. This article is an excellent overview of the subject of analgesia. Dr. Epstein is the president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM), an interdisciplinary organization which promotes and advances pain management in animals. IVAPM offers a route to achieve the designation of Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP). For more information about this organization visit their internet site www.ivapm.org. The second article by Dr. Bomzon, covers pain in bovines. It is well recognized that the assessment and treatment of pain in farm animals is lacking and requires a special effort both from an ethical and production perspective. Dr. Bomzon’s article highlights some viewpoints of this somewhat neglected field of study; hopefully this article will be of interest to those working with farm animals. The third article by Drs. Ishay Kushnir and Ana Epstein is entitled “What is your analgesic protocol?” as an exercise in the use of analgesic drugs under different circumstances. I strongly recommend that these three articles be read and studied. Two “firsts”appear in this issue: Prof. Aroch’s group has published a unique survey of blood groups in cats in Israel. This is a first study covering this subject revealing interesting and exceptional results. The data will aid veterinarians providing blood transfusions to cats in Israel. The second study by Dr. Pozzi presents the first
isolation of Actinobacillus Pleuropneumoniae among pigs in Israel. Porcine medicine is a relatively neglected field of study in Israel and this article will add information to our knowledge in this field. Prof. Alan Shlosberg has written a thorough review covering the toxicology of birds. The article is a continuation in the series of viewpoints and updates regarding toxicology. Other articles covered in this issue include an article from Turkey studying the prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Donkeys; an article from China surveying the incidence of Leukosis among chickens and an article on the tetremere nematode among ducks in Kashmir. Drs. Golani and Ohad present an interesting ECG case under the title of “What is your diagnosis?” This is a good exercise in cardiology for the clinicians among us. Our internet site is almost ready and I hope it will become online in the near future. The journal has chosen a new publisher. This is another step to improve the quality of the journal. Again in this issue, Israeli veterinarians have played an important role both in the number and quality of articles presented. Again I appeal to veterinarians in Israel to contribute to the journal in the form of original articles, reviews and case reports. Your contribution is valuable and important. To veterinarians all over the world, we welcome your contribution and we are interested to learn about developments in the field of veterinary medicine in all parts of our globe.
Trevor Waner
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www.isrvma.org
Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine  Vol. 66 (2)  June 2011