Unlike ticks, fleas don’t seem all that threatening. Mostly, we see the tiny bloodsuckers as a nuisance for pets and for us, not a serious threat to anyone’s health. Don’t dismiss them. Learn how fleas can transmit a surprising number of diseases to animals and humans. Source: Pet MD, September 12, 2016. Fleas can cause serious harm to you and your pet’s health through … [Read more...]
Pacemaker Posse celebrates dogs’ longer lives
Dr. Ryan Baumwart, veterinary cardiologist at Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Hospital, has placed pacemakers in 23 dogs over the last two years. Five members of the Pacemaker Posse joined Baumwart last spring for a reunion. Some of their stories are shared in this report. Source: Center for Veterinary Health Sciences News, August 22, 2016. Our students can … [Read more...]
The latest from JAVMA
We have linked to the table of contents in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The article Risk reduction and management strategies to prevent transmission of infectious disease among dogs at dog shows, sporting events, and other canine group settings provides a series of 64 recommendations focused on group settings from multi-dog … [Read more...]
First puppy cloned in U.S.
ViaGen Pets of Austin, Texas, announced the birth of a Jack Russell terrier named Nubia on July 22, 2016. Nubia was implanted as an embryo in a surrogate and was born nine weeks later. The article suggests cloning can be a win-win for veterinarians wanting to offer a solution to help soften the loss of a favored pet. Source: Veterinary Practice News, September 2016, page … [Read more...]
Researchers want dogs to live longer
Researchers at the University of Washington are studying what may be done to increase the life expectancy of dogs. Daniel Promislow and pathologist Matt Kaeberlein at the school have started the Dog Aging Project. Guest host Patt Morrison interviews Kaeberlein. Source: KPCC, August 31, 2016. They want to understand how dogs age and explore if medications can help them live … [Read more...]
Back to school doggie blues
Now that everyone is back to their fall schedules, dogs may feel neglected and can even fall into depression. Cesar Milan presents strategies to prevent or help relieve depression and anxiety in family pets during this time period. Source: Cesar’s Way, August 31, 2016. If a dog has never experienced “back to school,” it is going to take some time. If the dog has gone … [Read more...]
Why do dogs eat poop?
Poop-eating is surprisingly common and mostly harmless to dogs eating their own poop. Coprophagia, is the scientific name for this vile habit. Ingesting the stool of other animals, on the other hand, puts a dog at higher risk for intestinal parasites, viruses or toxins. Lisa Radosta DVM, DACVB, recommends physical and fecal examinations to rule out physiological factors such … [Read more...]
Teaching puppies to sleep
Katherine Eldridge offers tips for helping a puppy to settle in and sleep through the night. She says getting a new puppy is just like having a baby in the house. They are cute and fun to cuddle and play with, but also poop a lot and throw occasional tantrums. Everyone has heard horror stories about owners kept awake all night by an unhappy baby. Luckily getting a puppy to … [Read more...]
Tunes for dogs
Deezer, the on-demand digital music streaming service has assembled two playlists that dogs enjoy. Deezer worked with animal behaviorist Dr. David Sands to study how dogs hear and react to different kinds of music based on beats per minute. The results are these playlists that they claim are scientifically proven to help energize or calm your pup. Source: The Bark, August … [Read more...]
What’s trending at Animal Health Digest
Every market creates its version of the top five or 10 list. Our Animal Health Digest team uses views and clicks to understand what our subscribers read. The results shape the focus of what we “read for animal health professionals.” AHD is a free service for all levels of personnel in our industry. The AHD Bulletin is published weekly and delivered on Thursdays via email. We … [Read more...]
Facts on CBD treats for dogs
Sources vary on the exact number, but cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of among 60 to over 100 distinct chemical compounds — called cannabinoids as a group — that can be derived from the plant we know as marijuana. This author reviews what CBD is, clarify what it is not, how it functions and the kinds of medical conditions that it might be useful in treating. The Food and Drug … [Read more...]
More dogs prefer praise over food
Those dog treats, coupled with praise for a dog’s job well-done may not be necessary, new research suggests. “Awake Canine fMRI Predicts Dogs’ Preference for Praise Versus Food,” was recently published online in the Journal Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. It confirms more dogs prefer praise over food. Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist with Emory University used an … [Read more...]
3 tips stop chaotic barking when the doorbell rings
Jennifer Mauger, certified dog trainer, offers tips to help silence dogs when the doorbell rings. She references classical conditioning methods to redirect a dog’s associations with the doorbell. Consider using this article for blog posts, websites or as a pet owner handout. Source: Petcha.com, August 16, 2016. Mauger’s tips require practice and repetition but work: … [Read more...]
New dog breeder certification program verifies standards
The Pet Leadership Council, an organization comprised of pet industry leaders, animal welfare advocates, veterinarians and academia, announced its support for Canine Care Certified, a new national, voluntary program that sets rigorous, science-based standards for professional breeders. The program is built on five pillars of care for dogs and puppies in a professional breeding … [Read more...]
OSU veterinarians save 6-month old Marley
Marley, a six-month old Golden Retriever needed a life-saving procedure. Trouble was, it had never been done before at Oklahoma State University. However, Marley’s owners, Marcene and Fred Warford of Muskogee, OK, had full faith in the OSU team. It was a faith rewarded. Source: NewsOK, August 15, 2016. They found a shunt, a diversion of blood, in Marley’s liver that wasn’t … [Read more...]
Some NSAIDs work better than others for osteoarthritis
As mainstay treatment for osteoarthritis, NSAIDs inhibit one or more steps in arachidonic acid metabolism, including inhibition of prostaglandins by cyclooxygenase (COX). Sales representatives and veterinary teams will find this review of drugs and supplements valuable. Consider using it to lead a discussion in a veterinary team meeting or during a lunch and learn … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Multimodal approach needed in heartworm prevention
Phase 2 of a groundbreaking study by John McCall, MS, PhD, demonstrates a great need to change the approach to fighting the rising incidence of heartworm infection in dogs. New data shows that blocking transmission from dogs to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to dogs, using repellents/insecticides and macrocyclic lactone preventives are part of a multimodal approach. McCall's … [Read more...]
Reduce fear aggression in dogs
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, discusses dog aggression in the context of fear. She shares ways to reduce a dog’s fear and adjust the resulting aggressive behavior. Fear related aggression frequently appears as a young dog matures, between eight and 18 months. These behaviors get unwittingly reinforced as humans (the most common scary stimulus) back off. Source: Whole Dog … [Read more...]
Research results, nothing to spit at
You just have to love our industry! Researchers recently shared the results of a meta-analysis to establish a reference range for dog salivary cortisol and to explore the relationship between cortisol and a variety of dog, experimental and environmental parameters. Source: Scientific American, July 27, 2016. (via AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief, July 29, 2016) This … [Read more...]
5 dog illnesses that nutrition affects
There’s no argument that well-balanced diets are fundamental to canine health. This piece offers basics for client reinforcement, good clinic website material and a quick reminder for dog owners to not skimp on food quality. Source: Pet MD. Here are just a few canine health problems seen in dogs that are directly affected by their diet. … [Read more...]
Breed-standard surgeries influence how humans see dogs, study finds
Cosmetic ear cropping and tail docking "are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient," according to the AVMA. Plus, these practices may hinder dogs' ability to communicate. Such modifications also affect human perception, according to research published in PLOS One. It found people see surgically altered dogs of certain breeds as more aggressive and in many cases … [Read more...]
Isolate when canine flu hits
If you're seeing canine influenza in your practice, recent findings show it's best to suggest a 21-day isolation period. A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that tested shelter dogs with H3N2 canine influenza found that the virus was shed intermittently for up to 24 days after the initial positive test. Source: DVM 360, July 18, … [Read more...]
International Assistance Dog Week is August 7 – 13
August 7 – 13 has been noted to honor all the hardworking assistance dogs that help individuals with their disability related limitations. Free materials to promote International Assistance Dog Week are available at assistancedogweek.org. They include a news release, fact sheet, event ideas, web banner ads and a radio public service announcement. Source: … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Add mosquito control to heartworm protocol
In this special insert, veterinarians and parasite researchers discuss heartworm disease and a new multimodal approach that may help solve it. The research and roundtable were sponsored by CEVA, a supporting sponsor of Animal Health Digest. Source: DVM 360, July 2016. We still have to administer the preventative – that is foundational and critical – but we can also reduce … [Read more...]
Train kids and dogs
Sometimes the biggest challenge to training dogs is to prevent a well-meaning family member from sabotaging the process. Source: AKC Family Dog, July/August 2016. It is important to include children in every step of the process and to make sure everyone is following the rules in regards to training. The reality is that the humans in the equation need training as well. If … [Read more...]
Pet owners spend big on pest control
Research publisher Packaged Facts of Rockville, MD, recently published the study Pet Medications in the US, 4th Edition.. It analyzes the market for prescription and over-the-counter medications for dogs and cats with a particular focus on brand-name products and antiparasitics. Source: Pet Product News, July 2016, page 16. From and availability standpoint, the market for … [Read more...]
9 abilities show how smart dogs are
Dogs have been domesticated for at least 32,000 years. They’re one of the more popular pets in the U.S. and are in about 44 percent of all households. We all think that our dog is unique. Dr. Brian Hare, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Duke University, shares his observations in his book, “The Genius of Dogs” and as host of the new DogSmarts podcast. Source: Business … [Read more...]
Canine life jackets tested
Summer activities find dog owners and their pets in boats, at beaches and near other water bodies. Finding the right personal flotation device (PDF) for canines can be confusing. Stephanie Colman shares the results of Whole Dog Journal’s tests of the best-selling PFDs for dogs. Source: Whole Dog Journal, July 2016, page 6. (partial link) A good canine life jacket should … [Read more...]
Differential use of the left and right nostril in dogs
Karen B. London, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and certified professional dog trainer whose clinical work over the last 17 years has focused on the evaluation and treatment of serious behavioral problems in dogs, especially aggression. A recent study titled “The dog nose “KNOWS” fear: Asymmetric nostril use during sniffing at canine and human emotional … [Read more...]
It’s the what, not the why
Cesar Millan reminds us when a dog acts out in a way that’s completely out of character, rule out a physical cause first. Then, skip the “Why is my dog doing this?” question and ask, “What could have changed to cause it?” Source: Cesar’s Way, June 26, 2016. Big life changes can have huge effects. Illness, divorce, financial trouble, death of a family member outside of the … [Read more...]