Jody Lulich | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Veterinarian, author and academic |
Academic background | |
Education | Bachelor of Arts in Biology Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Medicine |
Alma mater | Northwestern University Tuskegee University University of Minnesota |
Thesis | Canine calcium oxalate urolithiasis: Etiology, pathophysiology, and therapy (1992) |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Minnesota Minnesota Urolith Center |
Jody Lulich is an American veterinarian,author and academic. He serves as an Osborne/Hills Endowed Chair in Nephrology and Urology, [1] Director of Minnesota Urolith Center [2] and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota (UMN). [3]
Lulich's primary research interests lie in veterinary nephrology and urology,focusing on enhancing the diagnosis,treatment and prevention of urinary tract disorders in companion animals. [4] His publications include over five hundred articles in scientific journals and several textbooks. He served as a Contributing Editor for four medical books and published a memoir titled In the Company of Grace:A Veterinarian's Memoir of Trauma and Healing,which delved into his veterinary career path. His contributions have earned him awards,including the Norden-Pfizer-Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award,the Mark L. Morris Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award, [5] and the Lifetime Achievement Award. [6] At UMN,he was inducted into the Academy for Excellence in Clinical Practice [7] and received the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education. [8]
Lulich is a Diplomat at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine [9] and briefly served as a President of the R.O.C.K. (Research on Calculi Kinetics) Society from 2023 to 2024,being the first veterinarian to hold this office. [10]
Lulich earned his Bachelor of Arts in biology from Northwestern University in 1979. He then completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University in 1984. [11] Following this,he completed an internship in Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery at UMN in 1984 and continued there obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Medicine in 1990. [12]
Lulich served as an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at UMN from 1990 to 1996, [13] after which he became an associate professor serving until 2002. Since 2008,he has been the Osborne/Hills Endowed Chair in Nephrology and Urology,the Director of the Minnesota Urolith Center while also holding the position of Professor of Internal Medicine at UMN. [14]
Lulich authored his memoir In the Company of Grace to detail his life from a traumatic childhood to a career in veterinary medicine,exploring how his experiences with family trauma and racial identity shaped his approach to healing both animals and himself. Terri Schlichenmeyer,in her review for The Washington Informer ,praised the book for being melancholic and challenging,noting that it offers a sense of triumph and meaningful reflection. [15] His book was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards in the category of creative nonfiction. [16]
Lulich's research has addressed urolithiasis,including the epidemiology,etiopathogenesis,dissolution,and prevention of calcium oxalate and other urolith types. His research interests also extend to urolith analysis and disease biomarkers using techniques such as NMR spectroscopy,proteomics,metabolomics,and genetics as well as exploring urinary tract oncology,clinical and translational research,spontaneous animal models for disease,and urinary tract infections. [17]
Lulich's clinical work in internal medicine has focused on urological issues and advancing non-surgical treatments for urinary stones in pets. In 1993,he developed voiding urohydropropulsion,a non-invasive technique using fluid to quickly remove uroliths from the urinary bladder. [18] He then investigated dietary factors influencing the formation of calcium oxalate (CaOx) and magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) uroliths in cats,finding that diets high in sodium increase the risk of CaOx uroliths while urine acidifying diets low in magnesium and phosphorus reduce the risk and enhance the dissolution of MAP uroliths. [19] In the same year,he analyzed proportional morbidity rates (PMR) and risk factors for lower urinary tract diseases (LUTD) in cats using a large dataset. [20]
Lulich has been advocating for minimally invasive techniques in the urology clinic to substantially reduce pain and shorten recovery times. [12] [21] Under a grant from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation,he and colleagues assessed a veterinary-specific ultrasound device for noninvasively fragmenting ureteral stones in cats,evaluating its safety and effectiveness. [22] Additionally,his collaboration with engineers from the University of Washington led to the adaptation of burst wave lithotripsy technology for cats,effectively breaking up feline stones in under 10 minutes during laboratory tests. [23]
Lulich was born in Chicago,Illinois,to a Black mother who died by suicide and a white father with whom he had an estranged relationship. At the age of nine,he faced a tragedy on the way to his mother's funeral when his father's car hit a dog that had darted out from an alley. This incident inspired him to pursue a career in veterinary medicine,with his personal loss influencing his work in the field. He lives with his husband in Minneapolis. [24]
Kidney stone disease,also known as renal calculus disease,nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis,is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material develops in the urinary tract. Renal calculi typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine stream. A small calculus may pass without causing symptoms. If a stone grows to more than 5 millimeters,it can cause blockage of the ureter,resulting in sharp and severe pain in the lower back that often radiates downward to the groin. A calculus may also result in blood in the urine,vomiting,or painful urination. About half of people who have had a renal calculus are likely to have another within ten years.
The Sphynx cat also known as the Canadian Sphynx,is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation,and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these animals,starting in the 1960s.
The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed as a short-haired version of the Persian. The Exotic is similar to the Persian in appearance with the exception of the short dense coat.
Cystoscopy is endoscopy of the urinary bladder via the urethra. It is carried out with a cystoscope.
The Himalayan,is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired cat similar in type to the Persian,with the exception of its blue eyes and its point colouration,which were derived from crossing the Persian with the Siamese. Some registries may classify the Himalayan as a long-haired sub-breed of Siamese,or a colorpoint sub-breed of Persian. The World Cat Federation has merged them with the Colorpoint Shorthair and Javanese into a single breed,the Colorpoint.
A bladder stone is a stone found in the urinary bladder.
The Egyptian Mau is a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed.
Neutering,from the Latin neuter,is the removal of a non-human animal's reproductive organ,either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration,while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. Colloquially,both terms are often referred to as fixing. In male horses,castrating is referred to as gelding. An animal that has not been neutered is sometimes referred to as entire or intact.
The Ragdoll is a breed of cat with a distinct colorpoint coat and blue eyes. Its morphology is large and weighty,and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. They are best known for their docile,placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name Ragdoll is derived from the tendency of individuals from the original breeding stock to go limp and relaxed when picked up. The breed is particularly popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Cystinuria is an inherited autosomal recessive disease characterized by high concentrations of the amino acid cystine in the urine,leading to the formation of cystine stones in the kidneys,ureters,and bladder. It is a type of aminoaciduria. "Cystine",not "cysteine," is implicated in this disease;the former is a dimer of the latter.
The European Shorthair,called the European in FIFe and Celtic/European Shorthair in WCF,is a breed of cat. The term has also been used as an elaborate way of referring to common domestic short-haired cats of Europe,causing some confusion as the pedigree cats of this breed also should resemble the typical domestic cats of Europe.
A calculus,often called a stone,is a concretion of material,usually mineral salts,that forms in an organ or duct of the body. Formation of calculi is known as lithiasis. Stones can cause a number of medical conditions.
Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a generic category term to describe any disorder affecting the bladder or urethra of cats.
Bladder stones or uroliths are a common occurrence in animals,especially in domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Occurrence in other species,including tortoises,has been reported as well. The stones form in the urinary bladder in varying size and numbers secondary to infection,dietary influences,and genetics. Stones can form in any part of the urinary tract in dogs and cats,but unlike in humans,stones of the kidney are less common and do not often cause significant disease,although they can contribute to pyelonephritis and chronic kidney disease. Types of stones include struvite,calcium oxalate,urate,cystine,calcium phosphate,and silicate. Struvite and calcium oxalate stones are by far the most common. Bladder stones are not the same as bladder crystals but if the crystals coalesce unchecked in the bladder they can become stones.
Bladder cancer in cats and dogs usually is transitional cell carcinoma,which arises from the epithelial cells that line the bladder. Less often,cancer of the urinary bladder is squamous cell carcinoma,adenocarcinoma,or rhabdomyosarcoma.
The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.
Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) or feline interstitial cystitis or cystitis in cats,is one of the most frequently observed forms of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Feline cystitis means "inflammation of the bladder in cats". The term idiopathic means unknown cause;however,certain behaviours have been known to aggravate the illness once it has been initiated. It can affect both males and females of any breed of cat. It is more commonly found in female cats;however,when males do exhibit cystitis,it is usually more dangerous.
The Abyssinian is a breed of cat with a distinctive "ticked" tabby coat,in which individual hairs are banded with different colours. They are also known simply as Abys.
Capillaria feliscati (also known as Pearsonema feliscati,the cat bladder worm is a worm that affects cats,and seldom dogs. Its main final hosts are wild carnivores. It is a urinary tract nematode,though its occurrence is rare. C. feliscati are small,delicate,yellowish,thread-like worms. Adults are approximately between 16 and 53 millimetres in length.
Julia Beatty is a British-Australian veterinary researcher specialising in feline medicine clinical research and educating students of veterinary science.