Dogs
Heat-related illness in working dogs
A number of recent events have elevated the status of working dogs and highlighted the need to keep these dogs healthy. Although these dogs—such as K-9 officers, military dogs, or rescue dogs—are often exposed to more palpable dangers, heat-related illnesses such as dehydration and heat exhaustion actually tend to be the leading causes of death in these dogs.
Presently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for preventing these illnesses. But thanks to a recent study funded by Morris Animal Foundation at the University of Florida, that’s starting to change. In this... Read more.
Posted by MAF on April 27, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Dog health
PermalinkScientists work to outsmart overactive immune systems
By Alex Jimenez
It’s no secret that dogs and cats have extraordinary immune systems. Like many animals, they are biologically engineered to fight off an array of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and more. However, for cats and dogs affected by the mysterious and often fatal disease known as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), a relentless immune system can quickly become a pet’s own worst enemy.
More common in dogs, IMHA is a condition in which the immune system of an affected animal attacks and kills its own red blood... Read more.
Posted by MAF on April 10, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Dog diseases, Dog health
PermalinkStudying Bacteria that Cause Urinary Stones
Urinary stones are a common problem in dogs, and one that can cause life-threatening obstruction of the urinary tract. It is suspected that natural bacteria in the gut can help prevent this condition. Using Morris Animal Foundation funding, researchers from the University of Minnesota examined these helpful natural bacteria in healthy dogs and compared them to those in dogs with urinary stones. They confirmed that a lack of certain types of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs increases their risk of urinary stone formation. The team was able to produce... Read more.
Posted by MAF on March 29, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Canine health, Dog health
PermalinkNew Dog Health Info Center
Dogs offer unconditional love, loyalty and companionship. Like humans, though, dogs are susceptible to a wide range of illnesses. Because many diseases can be managed well if caught early, routine preventive care is critical to keeping your dog healthy.
The Dog Health Info Center is here to help you learn more about the diseases that affect dogs—and how to spot signs of trouble.
Read more.Posted by MAF on March 2, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Canine health, Dog health
PermalinkStopping the revolving shelter door
By Alex Jimenez
one vet student’s mission to slow shelter return rates
When Western University of Health Sciences veterinary student Rochelle Prudic started providing veterinary-based training to the staff at a local shelter, she never thought her work would have nearly as much impact on the humans she was training as it did on the animals she was helping. But after immersing herself in the shelter life, it didn’t take long for her to see the connection.
In one instance, Prudic recalls the energy of a beaming shelter employee who put her newfound skills to use. Just days after her... Read more.
Posted by MAF on February 22, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Animal welfare, Dog health
PermalinkMapping a treatment for canine back pain
By Kelley Weir
For some of us, back pain is the bane of our existence. It turns out we are in good company—with dogs. Our four-legged friends are not immune to back pain either.
While some dogs, like Dachshunds, seem to be prone to chronic back problems because of their body type, others experience back pain associated with their jobs. Working dogs used for such strenuous tasks as bomb detection, tracking, herding and police work have a higher incidence of back injuries than the usual pet. Back problems in pets most often occur in older animals; however, in working dogs, back problems frequently occur in young or... Read more.
Posted by MAF on February 22, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Dog health
PermalinkHistory’s largest dog study gets ready for takeoff
By Heidi Jeter
Most of us know that smoking increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and physical activity reduces the risk of both. What many may not know is that these scientific findings and many more all sprouted from a small project that began in 1948. The Framingham Heart Study recruited residents of Framingham, Mass., to observe them throughout their lives and identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This study, which has since followed three generations of participants, is now recognized as perhaps the most influential study of all time for human... Read more.
Posted by MAF on February 17, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Canine cancer
PermalinkWorking to stop canine flu at shelter doors
By Allison Tonini
Imagine the flu season with no antibacterial hand soaps and no flu shots. And imagine that no matter where you go, you are surrounded by people who already have the flu. Unfortunately, this world is a reality for the estimated six to eight million dogs that enter shelters every year.
Since its discovery in 2004, canine influenza virus (CIV) has become widespread in shelters across the United States. It has been nearly impossible to develop effective control strategies because it was not known whether newly admitted dogs were introducing the disease into a shelter or whether a shelter... Read more.
Posted by MAF on January 19, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Canine health, Dog health
PermalinkPotential prognostic lymphoma test
Dr. Matthew Breen
North Carolina State University
Dr. Sue Lana
Colorado State University
Lymphoma accounts for nearly 25 percent of all cancers in dogs, and some breeds are particularly susceptible. Untreated dogs rarely survive beyond three months after diagnosis. Even with chemotherapy, overall response and survival times vary widely, indicating a need to develop more refined modes of classification.
Studies have shown that certain chromosome changes in humans with lymphoma have both diagnostic and prognostic significance. Investigators from North Carolina State University and Colorado... Read more.
Posted by MAF on December 14, 2011
Categories: Canine cancer , Dog cancer, Dog health
PermalinkNovel cancer treatment reduces side effects and cost
By Allison Tonini
Painful images of hair loss, long hospital visits, fatigue and sickness are immediately associated with the common cancer treatments, which is why some pet owners are reluctant to seek therapy for their animals. Although aggressive chemotherapy can cause serious health issues in humans, the same is generally not true for animals.
Scientific studies have shown that dogs and cats react differently to chemotherapy than their human counterparts do. In fact, most of our furry friends don’t experience significant negative side effects. Still, there’s always room... Read more.
Posted by MAF on November 28, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Canine cancer
PermalinkKeeping aging dogs healthy in twilight years
By Allison Tonini
research corrects metabolic issues
Dogs, like people, begin to experience health problems as they age. Diagnosing these geriatric illnesses can be challenging. All too often, metabolic and endocrine system disorders are the silent factors leading to a senior dog’s sudden decline in health.
Although it is normal for aging dogs to experience fluctuations in their production of hormones and enzymes, extremely high or low levels of a hormone affect glandular function and can progress into full-blown metabolic or endocrine system... Read more.
Posted by MAF on November 28, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Dog health
Permalink‘Grey’ Group Pays Tribute to Aging Dogs, Raises Funds for Cancer Research
By Allison Tonini
In 1993, Lori Haberman-Wilson and her husband, Chris, said goodbye to their beloved dog, Giovanni, a lovable mixed breed who had osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, a disease that has claimed the lives of thousands of canine companions. Looking back, Lori says although it wasn’t a happy event in her life, it was undoubtedly one of the important ones.
In remembrance, Lori and Chris’s veterinarian made a donation to Morris Animal Foundation in Giovanni’s name. In addition to the memorial card, Lori and her husband started receiving Morris Animal Foundation newsletters, which... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 28, 2011
Categories: Cure cancer, Dog health
PermalinkOrion’s Story: Cutting-Edge Science Bides Time for Family’s Canine Star
By Allison Tonini
Orion furrowed his brow in confusion as he watched his family leave the hospital without him. Although he had obeyed commands to sit, stay and lie down through endless tests, the nine-year-old Golden Retriever had no way of understanding his severe diagnosis.
Orion’s family was forced to make a huge decision: perform a high-risk surgery on Orion’s heart to remove a cancerous tumor or leave the tumor alone. Although the surgery was risky, the latter option meant certain death. As owner Jody Kujovich and her family tearfully left the hospital so Orion could be prepped for... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 27, 2011
Categories: Canine cancer , Dog health
Permalink‘Berner’ Lovers Work to Beat Health Issues
Because of their calm nature and love of people, Bernese Mountain Dogs, affectionately called “Berners,” have become increasingly popular. Along with that popularity has come an increased focus on maintaining the health of this breed.
The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA) and its affiliate Berner-Garde Foundation aggressively support ongoing research pertaining to Bernese Mountain Dogs. The average life of a Berner is seven to eight years, and Berner-Garde’s mission is to expand... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 26, 2011
Categories: Dog health
PermalinkChanging the way dogs are bred
By Amy Ettinger
Genetic tests identify at-risk dogs and prevent diseases
When a dog develops blindness, the condition can be devastating for both the animal and its human companion. Almost all breeds of dogs can be affected by degenerative eye disease. Fortunately, researchers have a new understanding of the genetic causes and have developed tools to help breeders identify at-risk dogs. As a result the number of dogs affected has been greatly reduced.
Researchers are now using genetic markers to identify a number of inherited diseases in dogs, ranging from cancer to progressive retinal... Read more.
Posted by MAF on August 26, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Dog health, Veterinary research
PermalinkPeering into the future
The answer is in the genes
By Heidi Jeter
It has been 15 years since Dolly, the world’s most famous sheep and the first mammal ever cloned from an adult somatic cell, burst onto the scene in 1996. Her birth was heralded as a game-changing scientific breakthrough. It was also an entrance into a brave new world that, because of the ethical questions surrounding cloning, brought the science of genetics to the forefront of public consciousness.
Yet, the reality is that the field of genetics was already moving at a rapid pace. The... Read more.
Posted by on August 19, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Dog health, Veterinary research
PermalinkNew Drug Administration Option Improves Cancer Treatment Success and Decreases Side Effects
Conventional chemotherapy drugs only modestly improve cancer survival rates while also causing notable side effects. Metronomic therapy, a novel method of administering chemotherapy that involves frequent, low-level doses of chemotherapy rather than higher doses given at longer intervals, may improve treatment response and decrease side effects. Researchers studied whether metronomic dosing of the drug cyclophosphamide is safe and effective in treating dogs with soft-tissue sarcomas. Thirteen dogs were enrolled in the study and all but two (which experienced tumor growth and were removed to pursue other treatment options) successfully... Read more.
Posted by on August 17, 2011
Categories: Animal studies, Cancer, Canine cancer , Dog diseases
PermalinkStudy Advances Mast Cell Tumor Grading System
The objective of this project was to evaluate and compare the usefulness of a newer, simpler grading system with respect to outcome in patients at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (TCSVM). After reclassification of all tumors to either low- or high-grade, survival times remained significantly correlated with tumor grade, including those previously classified as intermediate. Most of the patients diagnosed with intermediate grade tumors reclassified as low-grade reached the end of the four-year time point. However the survival time for patients... Read more.
Posted by on August 9, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Canine cancer
PermalinkProgram gives rise to promising cancer researcher
Foundation fellow works toward new stem cell therapies
By Kelley Weir
Aric Frantz grew up on a farm with a lot of animals, so it’s easy to see why he would want to become a veterinarian. After receiving a degree in medical biology, Frantz worked as a lab technician in human medical research. However, after spending time working with veterinarians, Frantz decided a career helping animals would be more satisfying.
After entering the veterinary program at the University of Minnesota, he received a grant to participate in Morris Animal Foundation’s Veterinary Student Scholars... Read more.
Posted by MAF on July 11, 2011
Categories: Animal studies, Canine cancer , Dog cancer
PermalinkComparative Research Identifies Most Effective Knee Surgery for Large Dogs
Cranial cruciate ligament disease results in partial or complete joint instability, pain and lameness. Two types of surgical treatments are commonly used to treat this condition in dogs: lateral fabellar suture and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). In this study, researchers from the University of Illinois compared the two surgeries to determine whether one is more effective. Methods used to determine surgical outcomes included an owner survey, muscle mass measurements, and pain-free motion and gait analysis of the affected knee. The study established TPLO surgery as the more effective option for large and giant breed dogs. In... Read more.
Posted by MAF on June 13, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Canine health, Dog health
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