Feature Channels: Pets

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Things are literally up in the air if a hurricane approaches, but family pets in South Carolina should now breathe a little easier. In a recent survey of coastal residents about their hurricane plans, the one near-certainty was that pets would be going with their owners in any evacuation – 95 percent of owners said so. But apart from soothing some canine and feline nerves, the survey uncovered a number of worrisome attitudes about intended evacuation behaviors among coastal residents.

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In Nunavik, there are many dogs – sled dogs, pets, and strays – but no veterinarian, so the University of Montreal International Veterinary Group has given Andréanne Cléroux, a veterinary student, the mandate to design and deliver a first aid guide for dogs in northern Quebec.

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Dogs are among the best animals when it comes to providing models for better medical treatments in humans, and with more than 77 million dogs in the United States alone, it’s another way the human-animal bond has become closer than anyone had ever dreamed.

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For decades, Kansas State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has been the go-to regional source for animal testing and diagnoses, and a national center for rabies serological testing. With recent developments it's likely to remain so for decades more.

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A university veterinarian gives dog owners advice about daily exercise that improves their canine's life.

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A Kansas State University veterinary medicine student is investigating ways to improve horse vaccinations and defend them against pathogen challenges at an early age.

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Man’s best friend may make a positive difference in the workplace by reducing stress and making the job more satisfying for other employees, according to a Virginia Commonwealth University study.

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Collaborative project to treat pets from underserved areas; believed to be first time vet school, high school have teamed up for clinic.

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A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

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Dogs with spinal cord injuries may soon benefit from an experimental drug being tested by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences — work that they hope will one day help people with similar injuries.

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Sabre, a rescued, happy-go-lucky black Labrador Retriever who served as Cornell University’s first police dog, died on Jan. 5, 2012 in Ithaca. Over an eight-year career that ended in 2008, the retriever kept venues safe for students, faculty and visiting dignitaries such as President Bill Clinton, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and the Dalai Lama.

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Researchers modeled the synthetic canine antimicrobial on a naturally occurring peptide found in the white blood cells of dogs. The discovery could mean a longer and healthier life for man's best friend.

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The article authors Marvin Chum and Wai Pui Ng describe the neurosurgical, vascular, otolaryngological, and psychological injuries sustained by an 11-year-old boy who was attacked by a Siberian tiger housed at a private home.

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Good news for the millions of dog and cat lovers whose four-legged friend is causing them to sneeze and wheeze.—removing the pet from the home isn’t the only option. At the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Boston, Nov. 3-8, allergists discuss the use of immunotherapy – allergy shots – combined with environmental changes to help control pet allergy symptoms.

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Nestlé Purina’s latest commercial for its Beneful dog food, aimed directly at canines by using high-frequency noises inaudible to humans, should serve to increase the bond owners feel with their pets, says a marketing expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Fish in a cramped, barren space turn mean, a study from Case Western Reserve University has found. With nearly 183 million ornamental fishes in tanks across the U.S., that's a big deal, researcher says.

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New technique gives cats protection genes.

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U of SC-Salkehatchie researcher finds that obese dogs have lower body temperatures than lean dogs.

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Prenatal pet exposure, a mother’s delivery mode and race are influential factors in a child’s risk of developing allergies by age 2, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

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Veterinary medicine students are more likely to struggle with depression than human medicine students, undergraduate students and the general population, according to several recent collaborative studies from Kansas State University researchers.

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Chaser, a border collie who can identify more than 1,000 objects and distinguish between nouns and verbs, will show off her vocabulary skills in a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

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Dr. Cheryl London, an associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State, is among a small group of veterinary oncologists in the United States who are funded to conduct research with dogs in order to advance and accelerate cancer research in humans. Dogs share many of the same types of cancer as humans, and treatment advances in one species can often translate to the other. Pet owners may not be aware that many human cancer treatments are also available for dogs. Dr. London offers simple tips to dog owners about watching for signs of cancer, and what to do if your dog is diagnosed with cancer.

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Pets can serve as important sources of social and emotional support for “everyday people,” not just individuals facing significant health challenges.

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Healing for horses has gone portable. A pocket-sized, Cornell University-developed ultrasound device that aids in healing the legs of horses is now being sold in the veterinary and trainer market.

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Indiana University scientists Marta Venier and Ronald Hites have found chemical flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at concentrations five to 10 times higher than in humans, but lower than levels found in a previous study of cats.

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Paul Curtis, an expert on wildlife-human conflicts and a professor of Natural Resources at Cornell University, comments on the spread of feral hogs into New York state.

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Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration.

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Building on research he’s conducted for the past 10 years in Canada and Britain, Larché and his research team have developed a vaccine which is effective and safe with almost no side effects. The research is published in a recent (January 2011) issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, a leading journal in the allergy field.

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An interdisciplinary team of University of Virginia researchers has been awarded a shot at a $25 million prize to develop a nonsurgical method for sterilizing cats and dogs.

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The nutritional content of dog foods marketed for old dogs varies as widely as owner’s perceptions about them, according to a study published this month by veterinary nutritionists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

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Accidental pet poisoning is a common problem when owners intentionally give medication in an attempt to make their pet feel better. Do not reach for the human medicines until you talk to the animal's veterinarian.

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They’re furry, fun loving and could be the key to getting your sedentary teen off the couch, finds a new study on dog ownership and adolescent physical activity.

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Companion animal critical care expert Dr. Susan Hackner, and pioneering dog and cat cardiologist Dr. Mandi Kleman, will talk with media members about the best in cutting-edge veterinary care on Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Cornell’s ILR Conference Center, 16 E. 34th St., Sixth floor, New York City.

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When it comes to pet dental care, two Kansas State University veterinarians hope that owners remember an important message: Prevention is always better and often cheaper than treatment.

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As pets get older, there are many ways pet owners can ease the aging process for their cat or dog, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian.

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Some of man’s best friends are wagging their tails – literally -- thanks to human research on a new type of surgical imaging device being pioneered at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Nine dogs that would have died of canine Cushing’s disease are alive and barking today, and even one cat has been given a new lease on one of its nine lives.

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CU-PetHealth shows a pet owner the proper amount to feed a canine or feline companion based on age, weight and other factors; and it even reminds a human caretaker when it’s time for a pet’s vaccinations.

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K-State's Susan Nelson, assistant professor of clinical services, says chocolate consumption by many pets, including dogs, cats, ferrets, birds and rats, can be extremely hazardous.

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While natural food is a rising trend among humans, pet owners should be careful before feeding similar types of food to their pets, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian.

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Almost three out of four cats in a new study wore collars consistently during a six-month study, suggesting that most cats will tolerate a collar even if their owners are skeptical about its success.

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Tests of the potential vaccine against “Ich” ― the dreaded “white-spot” disease that plagues fish in commercial fish farms, public aquariums, pet fish retail outlets and home aquariums ― are raising hopes for finally controlling the disease, scientists reported here today at the 240th national Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

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An NC State University researcher has helped to locate and identify a gene responsible for a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects American Staffordshire terriers and that may also be responsible for a rare human disease.

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New research suggests allergies to dogs, cats and dust mites make hay fever symptoms worse.

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Summer is a prime time for animals, especially cats, to contract the bacterial disease tularemia, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian.

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Hot weather is here, and that means both dogs and their owners can enjoy more outdoor activities. But a Kansas State University veterinarian says hot weather can be dangerous for dogs.

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In a collaboration of veterinary medical school programs, a Lipizzaner stallion was cloned at Texas A&M and the foal was delivered at the University of Florida.

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University of Kentucky College of Medicine alumni, 2,730 in total, are currently practicing across the Commonwealth, generating $6.3 billion annually into Kentucky’s economy and creating at least 49,140 jobs, according to UK’s Office of Health Research and Development.

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Students and faculty in Ohio are using canine blood samples to study the possibility of using canine populations to determine environmental affects on humans in the same geographical area.

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Simple, common, and mostly inexpensive genetic tests available for most breeds.

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A study done by Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine finds a large range in calorie content, density, and serving size among weight-control diets for pets.