Dog flu goes viralMarch 13, 2018While it’s unknown how many dogs have been affected—canine influenza isn’t a reportable disease in the U.S., although it is in Canada—the figures are underreported, said Cynda Crawford, DVM, clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
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An inconvenient truthFebruary 16, 2018If you’re like me, you were raised to think that all dogs should be sterilized. Veterinary school and our lives in practice further reinforced that truism. Dogs, we were reverently informed, require sterilization if they’re to live long, healthy lives.
Raw feeding trends continue to rack up risks for dogsFebruary 8, 2018In a new study, researchers at the University of Melbourne's U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital found that consuming raw chicken meat increases a dog's risk of developing acute polyradiculoneuritis (APN) by more than 70 times. The cause of APN in dogs has baffled the veterinary community for a long time, said Matthias le Chevoir, DVM, DECVN, chief investigator on the project. "It is a rare but very debilitating condition where the dog's hind legs first become weak," he said. "It can then progress to affect the front legs, neck, head and face. Some dogs may die from the disease if their chest becomes paralyzed. Most dogs eventually recover without treatment but it may take up to six months or more in some cases. "In our clinic alone we see around 30 cases per year and around three in ten cases would not recover," Dr. le Chevoir continued. "Watching your pet suffer is obviously very distressing and it can be difficult for owners to nurse their pet if the condition can gradually improve." Paralysis results from the dog's immune system becoming unregulated and attacking its own nerve roots, progressively worsening over several days. APN is the canine version …
Tell me about your puppyhood...February 2, 2018The Canine Science Collaboratory, located in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe, is on a unique mission: to better understand the behavior and cognition of dogs and their wild relatives. It’s an ambitious goal with tremendous implications for dogs, owners, veterinarians, and others who work with one of America’s most popular pets.
Elanco announces FDA approval of new flea, tick preventiveJanuary 24, 2018Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Co., announced that Credelio has been approved by the FDA. Credelio is a new monthly oral tick and flea option for dogs that contains the patented active ingredient lotilaner, which targets the nervous system receptors of ticks and fleas, not dogs, according to the company. The preventive protects against lone star, American dog, black-legged, and brown dog ticks, as well as fleas. "When choosing pet medications, veterinarians and pet owners are most concerned with safety for the pet as well as efficacy of the product. Lotilaner, the active ingredient in Credelio, was selected from hundreds of candidate molecules with this in mind," said Tony Rumschlag, DVM, director, regional consulting for Elanco. "This new tasty chewable is fast-acting and effective against ticks and fleas, while being easy on dogs and puppies." In a field study, 100 percent of Credelio tablets were administered successfully and dogs accepted 94 percent of them when offered by hand, in an empty bowl, or with food, according to the company. The product's active ingredient—lotilaner—circulates in the dog's blood stream, targeting the receptors of ticks and fleas when they bite the dog. In clinical studies, it killed 100 …
Common and 'forgotten' head and neck lymphocentrumsJanuary 8, 2018Recently, a young Weimaraner presented for eyelid surgery through our ophthalmology department, and it was noticed that he had bilaterally symmetrical subcutaneous soft tissue swellings dorsal to the maxillary third premolar teeth.
ASU awarded $6.4M grant to test preventive canine cancer vaccineJanuary 8, 2018Arizona State University (ASU) professor Stephen Albert Johnson, Ph.D., has received a $6.4 million grant from the Open Philanthropy Project to support a clinical trial of a vaccine to prevent canine cancer. The trial will involve approximately 800 middle-aged, healthy pet dogs and will test the effects of a multivalent frameshift peptide (FSP) vaccine developed at ASU that has shown promise in mouse studies. Scientists think the vaccine has potential for human use, too. "Our goal has always been that if this is possible, we should at least try it," said Johnston, director of the Biodesign Center for Innovations in Medicine and CEO of Calviri Inc., a cancer vaccine company. "Open Philanthropy was the only organization that responded to support our high-risk project, the biggest cancer intervention trial in dogs ever." Johnston and his team developed the new FSP vaccine over the past 10 years. The vaccine, already tested for efficacy in mice, is shown to be safe in dogs, according to Johnston's research. Cancer is the leading cause of death in pet dogs and their cancers are very similar to their human counterparts. Some breeds have a very high cancer rate, as much as 40 percent. The canine …
Zomedica, Celsee Inc. partner to deliver cancer liquid biopsy platformDecember 21, 2017Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp. has entered into a license and supply agreement with Celsee Inc., an innovator of progressive rare cell capture, characterization, and retrieval products in the emerging field of liquid biopsy. Under the terms of the agreement, Zomedica will have animal health exclusive global rights to develop and market Celsee's liquid biopsy platform for use by veterinarians as a cancer diagnostic. A liquid biopsy is a blood test with the potential to detect the presence of circulating tumor cells in the blood. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are shed from a primary tumor into neighboring blood vessels and are transported throughout the body's circulatory system. The detection of CTCs in the blood could indicate a cancer diagnosis without the need for an invasive tissue biopsy, according to Zomedica. "Liquid biopsy is cutting-edge technology in human medicine right now and we're excited about the opportunity to develop and market this platform for use in veterinary medicine," stated Gerald Solensky, Jr., CEO at Zomedica. "We selected the Celsee platform because of the ease of use, workflow simplicity, and flexibility to use our novel canine biomarkers. If we successfully develop Celsee's technology, we believe we will be able to …
USDA grants Zoetis' Vanguard Rapid Resp one-year DOIDecember 19, 2017The USDA has granted Zoetis' Vanguard Rapid Resp intranasal vaccine line one-year duration of immunity (DOI) claims for Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), and canine parainfluenza virus (CPiV). Vanguard Rapid Resp is the first and only intranasal vaccine line in the US that has been demonstrated to provide one year of protection against three important canine infectious respiratory diseases (CIRD), according to the company. "The demonstration of a one-year duration of immunity for all three antigens in Vanguard Rapid Resp represents an important step in the protection of dogs from CIRD. This new DOI confirms the efficacy of a single product that provides both rapid and durable protection against these important antigens in the CIRD complex," said Stephan Carey, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, assistant professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, consultant for Zoetis. "This extended DOI is essential in reducing morbidity and mortality from infectious respiratory disease among dogs in social or commingled environments such as boarding facilities and shelters." Vanguard Rapid Resp is available in three antigenic combinations (Bb + CPiV + CAV-2; Bb + CPiV; Bb only), and all of these choices can be administered with a syringe …
The beat goes onDecember 15, 2017Dogs love their human families with their whole hearts, and the humans who love them back want to keep their beloved companions’ hearts healthy.
