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 Thu, 15 May 2008 23:05:01 EDT Thu, 15 May 2008 23:05:01 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/2008/05/080512135105.htm The patient's sight was restored through a two-step surgical procedure that involves cutting into the eye to take out the cloudy cornea and inserting a permanent, plastic cornea. The new cornea is sutured, or stitched, into place. The entire eye including the new, plastic cornea is then covered with tissue from the dog to help the eye heal from the surgery. Because of the tissue and the bandages, the dog cannot see after this procedure. After several weeks, the bandages are removed and a hole is cut into the tissue exposing the new, plastic cornea. Tue, 13 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512135105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094438.htm It's a tough job, but somebody, or at least some dogs, have to do it. In the Cerrado region of Brazil, four dogs trained to detect animal feces by scent are helping researchers monitor rare and threatened wildlife such as jaguar, tapir, giant anteater and maned wolf in and around Emas National Park, a protected area with the largest concentration of threatened species in Brazil. Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507131453.htm The duck-billed platypus: part bird, part reptile, part mammal -- and the genome to prove it. Scientists have decoded the genome of the platypus, showing that the animal's peculiar mix of features is reflected in its DNA. An analysis of the genome can help scientists piece together a more complete picture of the evolution of all mammals, including humans. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507131453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403183024.htm Dog owners, who have noticed that their four-legged friends seem equally delighted to see them after five minutes away as five hours, may wonder if animals can tell when time passes. New research in Science may bring us closer to answering that very question. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403183024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320132646.htm Researchers have unlocked new evidence that could help them get to the bottom of our most common phobias and their causes. Hundreds of thousands of people count snakes and spiders among their fears, and while scientists have previously assumed we possess an evolutionary predisposition to fear the unpopular animals, new research seem to indicate otherwise. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320132646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124104.htm The canine influenza virus, first identified in 2004, had been circulating in the greyhound population for at least five years prior to its discovery and may have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of respiratory disease among dogs at racing tracks during that period, according to new research. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311204812.htm A young researchers has been investigating a retinal disease called cone-rod dystrophy in the Norwegian population of wirehaired dachshunds. His findings are of comparative interest for the corresponding disease in people. Inherited photoreceptor diseases (diseases of the sensitive cells of the retina) occur naturally in both people and dogs. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311204812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311141021.htm Scientists studying macrophages, the biological cells that spring from white blood cells to eat and destroy foreign or dying cells, have discovered how these "policemen" differentiate between friend and foe. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311141021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304173310.htm A professor of veterinary medicine has identified and named a previously unknown eye disease. Immune-Mediated Retinopathy, or IMR, causes loss of function in retinal cells and, in some cases, blindness. IMR is very similar to a previously known malady called Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome or SARDS. Both diseases occur when the dog produces auto antibodies that attack the retinal cells. The antibodies mistake retinal cells for cancerous tumors or tissues that need to be destroyed. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304173310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305144206.htm Using pacemakers to electrically re-tune a heart damaged by long bouts of a wobbling heartbeat, where one heart muscle wall is beating sooner than the other, leads to fast improvements in the tissue levels of more than a dozen proteins key to the organ's health, scientists report in experiments in dogs. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305144206.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145300.htm As western states debate removing the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act, a new study cautions that doing so may result in an unintended decline in another species: the pronghorn, a uniquely North American animal that resembles an African antelope. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228112011.htm Cancer researchers have found that humans and dogs share more than friendship and companionship -- they also share the same genetic basis for certain types of cancer. Furthermore, the researchers say that because of the way the genomes have evolved, getting cancer may be inevitable for some humans and dogs. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228112011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219132149.htm If you're a land owner and animals such as coyotes or wild pigs are driving you hog wild, help may soon be on the way to control their numbers in a humane way -- in the form of a birth control pill for animals. The need is apparent: According to the American Humane Society, about 7 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year at animal shelters. One female cat can lead to the production of 420,000 offspring in her lifetime. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219132149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223105255.htm The gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains is thriving and no longer requires the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior has announced. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will remove the species from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223105255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220221008.htm Obesity in pets mirrors that of humans, as do the reasons -- decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake, even genetic predisposition. Like humans, there are also many health problems associated with being obese, such as diabetes mellitus. It's no secret that obesity is a problem in humans. Reality television makes millions of dollars chronicling the efforts of Americans attempting to shed excess weight. And every day, new medical research highlights the serious implications obesity has for heart disease, diabetes and other maladies. Now, more and more attention is being paid to the problem in our pets. The prevalence of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 percent. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220221008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125500.htm The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East has long been identified as a "cradle of civilization" for humans. In a new genetic study, researchers have concluded that all ancestral roads for the modern day domestic cat also lead back to the same locale. The study involving more than 11,000 cats. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123181351.htm Parkinson's disease and epilepsy strike millions of people each year. They also affect countless dogs, and veterinarians are working to find ways to treat these and other neurological diseases in both species. Veterinary researchers are investigating the causes and potential treatments for a number of diseases that can be fatal in both humans and animals. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123181351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116095531.htm Computer programs may be the most accurate tool for studying acoustic communications amongst animals. New software is able to classify dog barks according to different situations and even identify barks from individual dogs, a task humans find challenging. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116095531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211233016.htm Scientists found scat sniffing dogs might be the best way to confirm the presence of rare carnivores in forested areas like the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211233016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214094129.htm While it is well understood that the evolution of new genes leads to adaptations that help species survive, gene loss may also afford a selective advantage. Scientists identified 26 losses of long-established genes, including 16 that were not previously known. Next they compared the identified genes in the complete genomes of the human, chimpanzee, rhesus monkey, mouse, rat, dog, and opossum to estimate the amount of time the gene was functional before it was lost. This refined the timing of the gene loss and also served as a benchmark for whether the gene in question was long-established, and therefore probably functional, or merely a loss of a redundant gene copy. Through this process, they found 6 genes that were lost only in the human. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214094129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203204150.htm A recent study indicates that mother squirrels have personalities, and they are essential for the growth rate and survival of her pups. Giving a squirrel a personality test requires an open mind, the proper tools and patience. Researchers found that red squirrels have a range of personalities, from exploratory and aggressive to careful and passive. Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203204150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203203820.htm A survey, commissioned by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians has found that more than 300 dogs and cats may have died earlier this year as a result of eating contaminated pet food. In addition, the survey also determined that the cause of death may have been related to two food contaminants which, separately, are relatively harmless, but together can be deadly. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203203820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128105543.htm Like us, our canine friends are able to form abstract concepts. Scientists have shown for the first time that dogs can classify complex color photographs and place them into categories in the same way that humans do. And the dogs successfully demonstrate their learning through the use of computer automated touch-screens, eliminating potential human influence. Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128105543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115181808.htm Pre-malignant mammary lesions in dogs and humans display many of the same characteristics, a discovery that could lead to better understanding of breast cancer progression and prevention for people and pets, according to scientists. Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115181808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109100214.htm Anyone who has thrown a backyard barbecue knows that hot dogs are inexplicably packaged in different numbers than buns -- eight hot dogs per pack versus 10 hot dog buns. Put in ecological terms, this means that weenie roasts are 'hot-dog limited' -- the extra buns are worthless without hot dogs to fill them. Such limiting factors are a cornerstone of natural ecology, where phosphorus or nitrogen limits plant production in most ecosystems. Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109100214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108140336.htm Dogs see a lot better than humans do at night. Dogs have many adaptations for low-light vision. A larger pupil lets in more light. The center of the retina has more of the light-sensitive cells (rods), which work better in dim light than the color-detecting cones. Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108140336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030133907.htm A discovery about the genetics of coat color in dogs could help explain why humans come in different weights and vary in our abilities to cope with stress. The protein that determines coat color in dogs engages the melanocortin pathway, a circuit of molecular interactions that controls the type of melanin and amount of cortisol produced by the body. This pathway determines skin and hair color as well as stress adaptation and weight regulation. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030133907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025094914.htm Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding a virus which poses one of the greatest global disease threats to wild carnivores including lions, African wild dogs and several types of seal. The discovery of how canine distemper Virus jumps across and infects different species of carnivores could lead to a more effective monitoring and control of the virus. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025094914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024083652.htm The St Bernard dog -- named after the 11th century priest Bernard of Menthon -- is living proof that evolution does occur, say scientists. Biologists at The University of Manchester say that changes to the shape of the breed's head over the years can only be explained through human-directed evolution through selective breeding, an artificial version of natural selection. Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024083652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019183055.htm Scientists have been studying the interactions and interdependence of wolves and moose at Michigan's Isle Royale National Park for nearly half a century. In the late 1940s, a pack of wolves made the treacherous trip across 15 to 20 miles of frozen waters of Lake Superior to Isle Royale, located not far from the Canadian border. There they found a wilderness island safe from hunters and traffic and home to an abundant moose herd. The wolves settled in to a self-contained ecosystem where they were virtually the only predators and the moose were their primary prey. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019183055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071002150858.htm Geneticists have developed a tool for efficiently mapping disease genes in dogs. This genomic tool may accelerate studies of dog diseases, many of which also affect humans. While dogs and humans often share the same living spaces, they are also susceptible to many of the same illnesses, including cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes. Sat, 06 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071002150858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071002213445.htm Dogs that bite children have often not bitten kids before, but they tend to have underlying behavioral or medical problems, indicates new research. Young children were much more likely to be bitten when dogs felt their food or other resources, such as toys, were under threat. Older children bore the brunt of dogs' territorial behaviour. Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071002213445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070923202538.htm Nutritional supplements have successfully been used to improve the memory, ability to learn and cognitive function of old dogs -- and might be able to do the same thing with humans. These supplements (acetyl-l-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid) are continuing to be studied in work with humans, and scientists believe they may provide a new approach to the neurodegeneration and cognitive decline common with aging. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070923202538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070911111523.htm While the wily coyote reigns as top dog in much of the country, it leads a nervous existence wherever it coexists with its larger relative, the wolf, according to a new study. In fact, coyote densities are more than 30 percent lower in areas that they share with wolves. Wed, 19 Sep 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070911111523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070905095349.htm New research showing that dog-walking in bushland significantly reduces bird diversity and abundance will lend support to bans against the practice in sensitive bushland and conservation areas. Until now, arguments and debate about the ecological impacts of dog-walking have remained subjective and unresolved because experimental evidence has been lacking. Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070905095349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070831123420.htm It has been in the news for years about how secondhand smoke is a health threat to nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke is attributed with killing thousands of adult nonsmokers annually. If smoking is that harmful to human beings, it would make sense that secondhand smoke would have an adverse effect on pets that live in the homes of smokers. Researchers note that, "one reason cats are so susceptible to secondhand smoke is because of their grooming habits." Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070831123420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070830114825.htm If Mark Boyce could converse with elk, he might give them a word of advice: avoid open, flat, snowy areas near rivers and roads. A biological scientist at the University of Alberta, Boyce analyzed 774 wolf-elk kill sites and concluded that spatial patterns of predation between wolves and elk are more strongly influenced by landscape features than by wolf distribution. Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070830114825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824215618.htm New research at the University of Glasgow has found that arthritis in cats is far more common than previously thought. Professor David Bennett in the University's Vet School, has found that as many as 30 per cent of all cats over the age of eight may be suffering in pain and a reduced quality of life due to arthritis. It has been supposed cats do not suffer from this disease because their symptoms are less prominent than in other species. Cats suffer with arthritis as a result of increasing 'wear and tear' due to age or as a consequence of previous injury to the skeleton or due to some developmental abnormality of the skeleton which they may have been born with. This eventually results in chronic pain and a significant reduction in the quality of life of the cat. Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824215618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210729.htm Global warming is impacting more than the water levels in the Great Lakes. It could be the beginning of the end for the moose and wolves of Isle Royale. And if it is, a Michigan Technological University scientist places the blame squarely on the human race. "Humans have made summers increasingly hot, which likely exacerbates moose ticks," says John Vucetich, a population biologist in Michigan Tech's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. "Both the heat and the ticks are detrimental to moose. If wolves go extinct for a lack of moose, humans will be to blame." Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210143.htm Environmental change in the Earth's atmosphere is clearly writ in the bones of wolves, scientists have discovered. To track atmospheric change caused by human activity, researchers have long studied a variety of materials, from tree rings to air trapped in glacial ice. A problem has been "noise"--natural variability caused by sampling and random events that affect atmospheric chemistry. Noise can make it hard to tease out trends from the data. Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802181939.htm A class of proteins known as toll-like receptors are the guard dogs of the immune system, sniffing out bacteria or viruses then rousing the rest of the immune system for attack. Because of their ability to activate the body's defenses, toll-like receptors are a darling of drug developers. New research identifies what protein alerts toll-like receptor 9, one of the most powerful guard dogs in the pack. Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802181939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801161457.htm Researchers have developed a new technique that successfully treated rats for blindness caused by glaucoma. They previously determined that animals with glaucoma increase production of neurotrophins in an attempt to shield against blindness. They imitated that process in the laboratory, modifying bone marrow-derived stem cells and transplanting them into the eyes. Their experimental treatment will be used on dogs in the next year. If successful, it is expected to move to human trials. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801161457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712135334.htm Borrelia burgdorferi seem to be particularly successful at infecting Bernese Mountain Dogs, according to recent research. Swiss researchers found that more than half of the dogs they tested were infected with the spiral-shaped bacteria, which are passed on by ticks and can also cause Lyme disease in humans. Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712135334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712134813.htm One of the major issues associated with longer life expectancy in man and his best friend is an increase in the incidence of cancer. Even though they cannot talk, it seems dogs might be able to tell us why and how certain cancers develop. In turn that could lead to better treatments for both canine and human cancer patients. Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712134813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070704144900.htm The ancient gray wolves of Alaska became extinct some 12,000 years ago, and the wolves in Alaska today are not their descendents but a different subspecies, an international team of scientists reports. Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070704144900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627121032.htm The veterinary hospital at Oklahoma State University's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences offers percutaneous laser disc ablation surgery for canines and is the sole provider worldwide of the treatment option for dogs. Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627121032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627144507.htm Like their human owners, dogs are at risk of suffering broken bones, torn ligaments, arthritis and congenital diseases. Fortunately for both pet owner and pet, there are veterinarians who can treat these ailments and get pets back on their feet. James Roush, an orthopedic surgeon at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University, is one such veterinarian. Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627144507.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626214417.htm Could the world-fabled Tasmanian Tiger have survived beyond its reported extinction in the late 1930s? Australian researchers hope to find out by extracting and analyzing DNA from animal droppings found in Tasmania in the late 1950s and '60s. Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626214417.htm