http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/dogs/ Veterinary research and news on dogs as companions, canine health, wolf pack behavior and more. If it is news about dogs, you will find it here! en-us Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/dogs/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084633.htm Many animals and people experience chronic joint pain. In dogs, a common source of joint pain is hip dysplasia, a developmental defect of the hip joint. Implantation of gold into the soft tissues around the hip joints of dogs with dysplasia can relieve pain and lessen stiffness for several years. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100639.htm Scientists are describing discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats.  Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623162121.htm Elemental hyperaccumulation in plants is hypothesized to represent a plant defense mechanism. The objective of this study was to determine whether selenium hyperaccumulation offers plants long-term protection from the black-tailed prairie dog. This study is the first to test the ecological significance of hyperaccumulation over a long period in a hyperaccumulator's natural habitat. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623162121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611065839.htm What dog owner has not come home to a broken vase or other valuable items and a guilty-looking dog slouching around the house? By ingeniously setting up conditions where the owner was misinformed as to whether their dog had really committed an offense, researchers uncovered the origins of the "guilty look" in dogs. Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611065839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124829.htm Osteoarthritis is commonly diagnosed in the late and irreversible stages, when treatment can only be expected to decrease pain and slow progression of disease. Because osteoarthritis is a widespread problem in dogs and humans, doctors and veterinarians need a precise way to diagnose the disease early and accurately. Now, researchers are investigating potential biomarkers in dogs for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis, which could help identify patients at increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602083759.htm Researchers have discovered the genetic cause of day blindness or "cone-rod dystrophy" in the wire-haired dachshund. The disease was discovered in two litter mates in 1999 and has since been studied in both clinical and genetic trials in offspring of these. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602083759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527174052.htm A new discovery could help feed millions. When a scientist set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people. The research has identified a nontoxic chemical technology that when applied to rodents, caused infertility in rats, which feast on crops intended for human consumption. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527174052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203728.htm Sensory ataxic neuropathy (SAN) is a recently identified neurological disorder in Golden Retriever dogs with onset during puppyhood. Affected dogs move in an uncoordinated manner and have sensory deficits. Researchers in Sweden have now revealed that SAN is caused by a mutation in mitochondrial DNA. Sat, 30 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173545.htm Packs of hunting dogs, troops of baboons, herds of antelope: when people observe social animals, they are often struck by how intelligent they seem, and recent studies suggest that sociality has played a key role in the evolution of larger brain size among several orders of mammals. But new research calls this hypothesis into question -- at least for carnivores. Tue, 26 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm A new study shows how the behavior of dogs has been misunderstood for generations: in fact using misplaced ideas about dog behavior and training is likely to cause rather than cure unwanted behavior. The findings challenge many of the dominance related interpretations of behavior and training techniques suggested by current TV dog trainers. Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507181225.htm Baboons are surprisingly skilled social animals. Researchers describe a female baboon that herded goats in an African village. The baboon knew all of the relationships between the goats so well that at night she would carry a bleating kid from one barn directly to its mother in another barn. Sat, 09 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507181225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507101820.htm Researchers investigated whether MRSA and C.difficile could be passed between pet therapy dogs and patients. The findings suggested that MRSA and C. difficile may have been transferred to the fur and paws of these canine visitors through patients handling or kissing the dogs, or through exposure to a contaminated health care environment. The dog that acquired C.difficile had politely shaken paws with many of the patients. Fri, 08 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507101820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114315.htm Many dogs are put down or abandoned due to their violent nature, but contrary to popular belief, breed has little to do with a dog's aggressive behavior compared to all the owner-dependent factors. This is shown in a new study which includes breeds that are considered aggressive by nature, such as the Rottweiler or the Pit Bull. The conclusions, however, are surprising: it is the owners who are primarily responsible for attacks due to dominance or competition of their pets. Fri, 01 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415162658.htm As more pet owners are choosing to treat their pets' cancers through advanced medicine, veterinarians gain valuable knowledge about the progression and treatment of cancers in humans through pet trials of new drugs. To help organize nationwide trials in tumor-bearing dogs using cancer drugs. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415162658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402171440.htm The wolves on Isle Royale in the state of Michigan are suffering from genetically deformed bones. Scientists blame the extreme inbreeding of the small isolated wolf population on the island National Park in northern Lake Superior. Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402171440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408140210.htm Researchers are looking to soy as a way to make traditional canine cancer therapy more effective, less stressful for the dog and less costly for the owners. Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408140210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181445.htm Modern technology increasingly is encroaching into human connections with the natural world and psychologists believe this intrusion may emerge as one of the central psychological problems of our times. Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402124238.htm We all know that people sometimes change their behavior when someone is looking their way. Now, a new study shows that jackdaws -- birds related to crows and ravens with eyes that appear similar to human eyes -- can do the same. Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402124238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326181720.htm "Falling all over" a pet usually refers to indulging or pampering a four-legged companion, but a new report shows that many Americans, particularly the elderly, are falling over their dogs and cats literally... and hurting themselves. Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326181720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323143856.htm Scientists are reporting promising results with a drug called nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl) in battling cancer in dogs without any negative side effects. While it gives profound hope to dog owners, NO-Cbl also points to a powerful new cancer treatment for humans -- one that infiltrates cancer cells like a biological Trojan horse. Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323143856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310100835.htm A large-scale analysis suggests that strategies that help America's carnivores stay away from each other have been a driving force in the evolution of many of these species, influencing such factors as whether they are active daytime or nighttime, whether they inhabit forests or grasslands, or live in trees or on the ground. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310100835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316101426.htm Using a novel genetic technology that covers up genetic errors, researchers have developed a successful treatment for dogs with the canine version of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a paralyzing, and ultimately fatal, muscle disease. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316101426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312150738.htm Someone in the developing world -- particularly in rural Africa -- dies from a rabid dog bite every 10 minutes. But global elimination of this horrific disease appears to be possible, according to scientists. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312150738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316201503.htm Eating dog meat is common in many Asian countries, but research conducted as part of the South East Asian Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network has discovered a potentially lethal risk associated with preparing dog meat: rabies. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316201503.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309205747.htm The U.S. Secretary of the Interior has affirmed the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in the western Great Lakes and the northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Montana and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Wolves will remain a protected species in Wyoming. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309205747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090304114242.htm The incidence of pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, among dogs and cats with blunt and penetrating trauma has been reported to range from 13-50 percent, with mortality rates ranging from 10-18 percent. Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090304114242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090301094244.htm Young children are especially vulnerable to severe dog bites in the head and neck areas, and there is a correlation between cases of dog bites and rising temperatures, according to new research. Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090301094244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090216092939.htm The gut protozoans Giardia duodenalis and various species of Cryptosporidium are extremely contagious single-celled parasites liable to cause digestive disease in both humans and animals. Some species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium and Giardia are important zooneses, as they occur in both animals and humans. Zooneses are diseases that may be transmitted between animals and people. Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090216092939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090213114207.htm Animals can re-establish their use of smell to detect siblings, even following an interruption such as prolonged hibernation. Smell is an important animal survival tool. Female ground squirrel sisters bond for protection and use smell to recognize each other. Animals also need to recognize siblings to avoid inbreeding, which would have a negative effect on their genetic fitness. The research on how animals recognize kin is vital to helping plan conservation programs for endangered species. Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090213114207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217141540.htm In a new, year-long survey of dog owners who use confrontational or aversive methods to train aggressive pets, veterinary researchers have found that most of these animals will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified. Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217141540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090213172533.htm For the sensitive work of detecting explosives and drugs in airports and other high-risk areas, humans have long relied on a marvel of evolutionary biology: the sniffer dog. The canine nose can detect a seemingly infinite range of odors, alone and in combination, at concentrations down to the parts per trillion level. Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090213172533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209205156.htm Smokers are more likely to quit smoking for the sake of their pets' health than they are for their own, suggests new research. Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209205156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205142137.htm Slipping through trees or across snow, the wolf has glided into legend on paws of white, gray or -- in North America -- even black. This last group owes an unexpected debt to the cousins of the domestic dog, say researchers. Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205142137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127131652.htm Dog owners who sleep with their pet or permit licks on the face are in good company. Surveys show that more than half of owners bond with their pets in these ways. Research done by a veterinarian found that these dog owners are no more likely to share the same strains of E. coli bacteria with their pets than are other dog owners. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127131652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121091237.htm Most of the rabies virus circulating in dogs in western and central Africa comes from a common ancestor introduced to the continent around 200 years ago, probably by European colonialists. Scientists report that within this common ancestry there are distinct subspecies at country level and that there is only limited movement of virus between localities. These factors mean that, if neighboring countries collaborate, a progressive strategy to eliminate rabies from this area of sub-Saharan Africa is possible. Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121091237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174124.htm Researchers have found that the genetic mutation responsible for degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs is the same mutation that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the human disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. As a result of the discovery, researchers can now use dogs with DM as animal models to help identify therapeutic interventions for curing the human disease, ALS. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091318.htm A new study suggests that college students may handle stressful situations better if they have a pet. Research has already shown that pets can improve the quality of life for people who are aging or those who are chronically ill. But researchers have recently found that many college students may also benefit from owning a cat or a dog.  Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104033.htm Human and veterinary medicine could receive a big boost through use of larger animals, especially pigs and dogs, in research. There is the prospect of bringing drugs to the market more quickly at less cost, as well as accelerating progress in other forms of therapy, notably the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine. Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081128082831.htm During the last century human athletic records have continued tumbling, but are there limits to how fast elite athletes can run? Marathon runner Mark Denny from Stanford University has calculated human athletes' speed limits over distances ranging from 100m to the marathon and predicts that male runners may eventually sprint 100m in 9.48s. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081128082831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209091945.htm Dogs can feel a simple form of envy, researchers have found. Compared to a variety of control situations, the dogs reacted differently to unfair reward distribution, as measured by their reaction when the partner was given food for the task, but the subject was not. Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209091945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081203184533.htm A new study suggests that evolution can behave as differently as dogs and cats. While the dogs depend on an energy-efficient style of four-footed running over long distances to catch their prey, cats seem to have evolved a profoundly inefficient gait, tailor-made to creep up on a mouse or bird in slow motion. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081203184533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119175533.htm Conservationists are battling to save the world's rarest wolf from a rabies outbreak by creating a 'barrier' of vaccinated wolf packs. Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119175533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111163123.htm Researchers have discovered the origin of the mucinosis present in Shar Pei dogs, a hereditary disorder responsible for the characteristic wrinkles found in this breed. The research report appears in the journals Veterinary Dermatology and Journal of Heredity. The report details the genetic alteration in this breed which multiplies the activity of an enzyme responsible for an excessive production of hyaluronic acid, a substance which gathers under the skin and produces wrinkles. Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111163123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132630.htm Researchers are exploring a new method of getting medicine to the eyes of infected dogs that is more effective and reliable than using eye drops. Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031122500.htm Jake, an 11-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, was the first dog in the Midwest and only the 11th in the world to undergo surgery for a new, cementless elbow prosthesis last April. The procedure, done at MSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital by a veterinary orthopedic surgeon, has left Jake pain-free from elbow arthritis. Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031122500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071818.htm A gene mutation that causes high levels of uric acid in all Dalmatian dogs and bladder stones in some Dalmatians, has been identified. The discovery equips dog breeders with the tools to eliminate that trait from the Dalmatian breed and yields clues to the cause of similar problems in humans. Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191536.htm Because African wild dogs face bigger competitors like lions, whose larger stomachs handle large irregular meals, the African wild dog evolved a runner's metabolism (lithe, smaller stomachs) and formed large packs. In packs they reduce costs and ensure a regular supply of food. But in packs less than five, they end up in poverty traps, less well fed, less able to have pups, and spiral downward. This study reveals an extinction risk for social species. Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016084051.htm For centuries man has had a uniquely close relationship with dogs -- as a working animal, for security and, perhaps most importantly, for companionship. Now, dogs are taking on a new role -- they are helping in the hunt for genetic mutations that lead to diseases in humans. Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016084051.htm