The digital version of Plumb’s™ means we no longer have to wait for the next edition of the Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook® to be released—or wade through online forums—when we need the latest drug information.
But drug information isn’t the only feature continually updated in Plumb’s™. We’re continuously adding the latest diagnostic and treatment details to Plumb’s Pro™ and making improvements that make it easier to find the information you’re looking for and share it with clients.
Let’s look at a roundup of the most exciting updates and additions we’ve made to Plumb’s™ over the last year.
1. A Faster, More Efficient Way to Double-Check Your Differential List
Getting to a diagnosis starts with considering all the possible differentials, but flipping through textbooks or searching online forums between appointments takes time you don’t have to spare.
In 2024, we released DDx, the new differential diagnosis feature in Plumb’s Pro™, to help you identify and prioritize differentials in less time. When you enter a clinical sign, you get a comprehensive, peer-reviewed list of differentials organized from most to least likely.
2. Clinical Handouts That Help Pet Owners Remember Key Details
When you diagnose a patient with a complex condition—like hyperadrenocorticism or atopic dermatitis—the pet owner has a lot of new information to absorb and remember.
We created clinical handouts to help you provide effective, efficient pet owner education about clinical conditions, procedures, and preventive care.
In 2024, we added a new Key Information section to our clinical handouts that quickly and clearly explains the most important information about a disease or condition.
This can help pet owners avoid getting lost in the details and ensure they understand the most crucial points about their pet’s condition or treatment.
3. Updated Details About a Deadly Feline Disease
Until recently, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was considered almost 100% fatal. Thankfully, novel antiviral therapies like GS-441524 and remdesivir are giving cats with FIP a new lease on life.
In 2024, our experts updated the Dx & Tx monograph on FIP with all the information you need to know about this condition, like the best ways to diagnose it and what remission rates you can expect with treatment.
We’ve added new drug monographs for GS-441524 and remdesivir, which provide all the details about these life-saving treatments. They also include companion drug handouts you can share with cat owners that answer their common questions about these drugs.
4. New Step-by-Step Support Managing Feline Seizures
The algorithms in Plumb’s Pro™ can help you efficiently choose the next steps for your patient, whether you’re starting with clinical signs or a specific diagnosis.
Algorithms are particularly useful in emergency situations when the surge of adrenaline makes it difficult to calmly and systematically treat your patient.
So we were excited to add a new algorithm this year that provides step-by-step support through the diagnosis, initial treatment, and ongoing management of feline seizures. It helps answer questions like how to tell if a cat with seizures has idiopathic epilepsy and how to decide if it’s time to adjust the dose of phenobarbital or add other medications.
5. Effortlessly Discover New and Updated Content
As you can see, we’re continually updating the content in Plumb’s™.
We wanted to make it clearer to you what we’ve added and updated, so this year, we split the New and Updated sections on the landing pages for drug monographs, Dx & Tx monographs, drug handouts, clinical handouts, and algorithms into two collapsible sections so it’s easier to differentiate what’s new from what’s updated.
We also added indicator numbers that appear when there’s new or updated content you haven’t seen yet. These new and updated items stay in their respective lists for 60 days, so you have plenty of time to review what’s changed.
Want to stay up to date with the improvements we’re making to Plumb’s™ throughout the year? Check out our monthly release notes.
Each month, we share these notes to keep you informed about what’s happened behind the scenes at Plumb’s™. You’ll find information on new and updated content, feature enhancements, functionality improvements, bug fixes, and more.