The Master of Science Seminar and Examination of Catherine Jula, DVM

Biography

Catherine Jula completed her Bachelor of Science degree at West Virginia University in 2015 and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University in 2019. After finishing an internship at Equine Specialty Hospital in Northeast Ohio, she came to Virginia Tech for residency training in Large Animal Internal Medicine and to concurrently pursue a Master’s in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences. After graduation, Catherine will be traveling to Greece for vacation and most likely returning to the United States for work. 

Funded by

• Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Internal Funding
• VMCVM Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Lay Language Abstract 

Pimobendan is a drug use to treat two types of heart disease, Myxomatous Mitral Value Disease and Dilated Cardiomyopathy, in dogs. These diseases often lead to a syndrome, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), that has high mortality. CHF in horses also has high mortality, and treatments for horses in CHF are limited and based on information from other species. In this study, we administered the FDA approved formulation of pimobendan, Vetmedin^Ò, to six healthy mature horses at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg, which is twice the dose typically administered to dogs. Additionally, we gave two of the horses compounded (uniquely formulated) pimobendan capsules and suspension to evaluate their equivalence to Vetmedin^Ò tablets. We serially collected blood samples to measure plasma concentrations of pimobendan after administration of each drug. Our results showed that all three formulations of pimobendan lead to similar blood concentrations in each of the two horses individually. No formulation of pimobendan resulted in plasma levels of pimobendan known to be effective in other species. Overall, the average plasma concentration of pimobendan in these horses after receiving Vetmedin^Ò was very low, it was approximately 1/10th the amount reported in canine pharmacokinetic studies of pimobendan. In conclusion, we determined that at a 0.5 mg/kg dose, pimobendan is poorly absorbed in horses and seems unlikely to have medical effects.

Publications

Jula C, Buechner-Maxwell V, Southard T, LeCuyer T. Listeria monocytogenes Encephalitis in a Donkey Foal. Equine Veterinary Education. 2024; 36(3): 84 

Presentations

Oral Abstracts:

• Jula C, Davis J, Mckenzie H. Single Dose Pharmacokinetics of Pimobendan and O- deoxymethylpimobendan (ODMP) in Healthy Adult Horses, 2023 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program. J Vet Intern Med. 2024; 38: 597 
• Jula C, Davis J, Mckenzie H. Single Dose Pharmacokinetics of Pimobendan and O-Desmethyl-Pimobendan (ODMP) in Healthy Adult Horses, Virginia Tech BMVS Annual Research Symposium. Blacksburg, VA, March 2024

Poster Abstract:

• Jula C, Jones J, Holaskova I, Childs K. Whole body musculoskeletal lesions in military dogs with versus without lower back pain. In Abstracts of the ACVR Annual Scientific Meeting Poster Session, St. Louis, MO. Oct. 22-24, 2014. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound. 2014; 55(6): 696   
  

Examination Graduate Committee

Major Advisor/Chair:

Harold McKenzie III, DVM, MS, MSc (VetEd), FHEA, DACVIM
Professor
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Graduate Advising Committee Members:

Jennifer Davis, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology

Katie Wilson, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Clinical Associate Professor 
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Krista Estell, DVM, DACVIM 
Clinical Associate Professor
Marion duPont Equine Medical Centers