Assessing the risk of parvovirus infection in puppies attending socialization classes.

Assessing the risk of parvovirus infection in puppies attending socialization classes.The best time to begin socialization training in young dogs is between 4 and 16 weeks of age, yet sequestering puppies until their full course of vaccines is completed is often recommended.

 In this study, the authors sought to determine if puppies ≤ 16 weeks of age that attended puppy socialization classes were at increased risk of contracting canine parvovirus (CPV) infection compared with dogs that did not.

 Researchers gathered data from 21 clinics in the United States, including clinics in both high- and low-income areas as well as from four cities with distinct seasonal patterns.


Information was gathered on puppies examined between birth and 16 weeks of age with respect to signalment, CPV vaccination status, whether the puppy was suspected of or confirmed as having CPV infection, and whether the puppy had attended socialization classes.

 In addition, dog trainers in the same four cities were contacted to participate if they taught puppy classes with enrollees that were predominantly < 20 weeks of age and that had at least one CPV vaccine before starting the first class.

Information about these puppies included signalment, vaccine history, and whether the puppy was suspected by the trainer as having CPV infection before or while attending classes. These cases were followed up further with the owners to determine whether CPV infection had been diagnosed. 

Information collected from participating clinics included data on 1,012 puppies, and of these 48 (4.7%) attended puppy socialization classes and 876 (86.6%) did not. Class history of the remaining 88 dogs was unknown.

CPV infection was diagnosed in 14 dogs that did not attend socialization classes and was not diagnosed in any of the dogs that did. In addition, information on 231 puppies from 24 dog trainers was evaluated.

CPV infection was not suspected by the trainers in any of these dogs. The result shows that puppies ≤ 16 weeks of age that attended socialization classes are at no greater risk of developing CPV infection than those that do not attend these classes.


 The authors caution, however, that this population was not a random sample and that these results are not generalized for all geographic areas. Assessing the risk of parvovirus infection in puppies attending socialization classes.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs. Step 1. Recognize the first signs, the first stages of the illness usually last a week. During this period the sick dog will present some general symptoms. These signs are: muscle pain, irritability, weakness, agitation, discomfort, photophobia (intolerance to bright lights), loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, inability to swallow normally and cough. Step 2. Look for symptoms of the paralytic form of the disease, this is the most common form of rabies in dogs, and lasts about 3 to 7 days after the first general symptoms. It is called this way because it causes paralysis of some areas of the body of the infected canine, which can start on the hind legs until reaching the facial muscles. Step 3. Look for symptoms of the aggressive form of the disease, this form of rabies also lasts about a week, and happens when the dog has symptoms of aggression and irritation. This type of rabies in dogs often causes a change in behavior. VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs. It will make them act abnormally, and the foam in the mouth so characteristic of this condition makes them look even more dangerous. Although many think that this is the only form of the disease, it is not, and is much less common. The signs that will help you detect this furious form are excessive salivation with the appearance of foam, hydrophobia or panic to the water, aggression for no apparent reason, uncontrollable desire to bite things and people, restlessness, loss of appetite, irritability, playful attitude that changes Drastically to an aggressive one with just a caress or some other sign of affection. Step 4. Look for any open wounds or any bite marks on your pet's body: usually this disease is transmitted through saliva, which can reach the body of the can through a direct bite or other underlying injury. Contagion is usually carried out when an uninfected dog is bitten or scratched by one that is in the aggressive form of the disease. In very rare cases the virus travels through the air or stays in contaminated objects until it reaches the mucous membranes of its victim. These symptoms will progressively worsen, which greatly increases the risk of death and contagion to other animals and humans. Also, keep in mind that children are primarily affected by the bite of a rabid dog, because they are the least able to defend themselves both physically and biologically.

Kissing your puppy could send you to the hospital; CDC says virus is spreading.

Kissing your puppy could send you to the hospital; CDC says virus is spreading. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that 16 more Americans have been diagnosed with Campylobacter, an infection commonly found in puppies. The bacteria strain can be transmitted through close contact such as cuddling and kissing. According to the CDC, the latest report further marks a sweeping outbreak across the country, which has now affected 55 people in 12 states. Thirteen of these cases have required hospitalization due to severe diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fever and cramping, the CDC adds. "Outbreaks of Campylobacter have most often been associated with unpasteurized dairy products, contaminated water, poultry, and produce. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection,” the CDC stated in a Miami Herald report. According to the CDC, 35 people have reported purchasing a puppy from a Petland store prior to getting sick. The were also found to have either visited a Petland chain or lived in a home with a Petland puppy. The federal agency has also reported that 14 infected people are Petland employees. The federal agency has admitted to difficulties in containing the outbreak and has urged the general public to report any cases of infection. Likewise, the CDC has issued safety guidelines for dog owners. “Talk to your doctor if you think you have a Campylobacter infection and let them know if you recently purchased a puppy at a pet store, visited a pet store, or visited or live in a home with a puppy sold through a pet store before illness began.

NatureFresh Farms develops unconventional pest management methods.

NatureFresh Farms develops unconventional pest management methods. A pest outbreak in the fall of 2016 left all bell pepper growers in the Leamington area highly concerned.

 Pepper Weevil (Anthonomus Eugenii) is an unconventional pest that a regular Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system cannot maintain and cannot be spotted by humans which makes it nearly impossible to catch early on.

 Once the pest spreads, it is essentially a death sentence for the crop as no beneficial bug is strong enough to combat it and sprays just irritate the pest forcing it to reproduce more. 

 Cam Lyons, Research and Development and IPM Technician at NatureFresh Farms, realized that there had to be a solution and conducted countless development sessions.

 “Dogs are a very intelligent animal. Many worker dogs are trained to recognize and discover scents associated with drugs or bombs, so it seemed possible to train a dog to recognize pepper weevil.”

 After a lot of research, NatureFresh Farms adopted Chili, a 15-month old female Belgian Shepherd who was bred as a working dog. Chili underwent 8 weeks of training and was certified by The American Working Dog Association who verified that Chili was the first dog certified for pest related scent detection on a farm. 

 This certification also allows Chili to work in the farm without any food safety concern.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: How to clean cat ears with coconut oil.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: How to clean cat ears with coconut oil. Coconut oil is used as an ointment and ear cleaner in dogs and cats. Its easy to swab on cotton balls and clean your pets ears. The supplies needed to clean the ears are ; 1) cotton balls/ buds. 2) coconut oil 3)mild restraint/assistant. VETERINARY MEDICINE: How to clean cat ears with coconut oil. Coconut oil can be used internally, externally and for wounds,cut,stings and dry coat. See more

Global pet trade and spread of infectious disease.

The exotic animal trade is a multi-billion dollar industry, and the US is the world’s leading importer. While the US government is on the alert for well known animal-transmitted diseases, there is no mandatory health surveillance for most animals coming though US ports for commercial distribution.

 Live animal imports could bring new diseases into the US and infect endemic wildlife, with devastating consequences as, for example, was seen with the worldwide exposure of amphibians to Chytrid fungus which resulted in the decline of more than 200 species. 

 The legal commercial exotic animal trade is a booming enterprise that ships ornamental fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians around the world. 

These pets, livestock and other animals can carry unexpected infectious diseases from their homelands. If these non-native species escape or are released to the wild, they can create epidemics among susceptible endemic wildlife. 

 Four US agencies oversee live animal imports, but there is currently no systematic screening for disease in most live animal imports. The majority of animals processed through American ports for the pet industry fall under the aegis of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which has no authority to conduct health inspections. 

 Livestock imports are regulated by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), with oversight by the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection. Species known to carry certain diseases (rabies in dogs, or tuberculosis in monkeys, for example) are monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 According to a 2010 report from the US Government Accountability Office, a lack of interagency collaboration creates gaps in health surveillance that could leave native wildlife and people exposed to disease. 

These risks could potentially be enormous. A single fungal disease, Chytrid, for example, devastated more than 200 amphibian species worldwide.

 A related pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, originating with the Asian salamander trade, wreaked similar havoc on native populations in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

If this fungus gains a foothold in the US — a salamander biodiversity hotspot — experts fear entire species could be wiped out. continue

The rabies scourge, action plan.

Rabies scourge: Health ministry to vaccinate dogs across Ghana. In commemorating the world rabies day ,Health minister Alex Segbefia says his ministry will begin a nationwide vaccination of dogs against rabies. The ministry is preparing to roll out the programme in 2017 when it would have submitted a vaccination budget to the Finance ministry. The one world one health approach to eliminate the scourge of rabies is a great idea.

The fact that children are often victims of these scourge makes it even more important to forge an alliance to stop the virus. Dogs are the source of the vast majority of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans mostly in Asia and Africa. At least 40% of people who are bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years. 

The vaccination of dogs,cats and monkeys is a vital key to stop the scourge of the rabies virus,every responsible pet owner should vaccinate their pets against rabies. The annual vaccination of pets against rabies will prevent this threat to life of man and other animals which might act as carriers of the virus and further propagate the virus. 

Prevention by vaccination is much better and cheaper as lives will be saved because there is no cure for the disease. The war on rabies in Ghana is through a two pronged approach according to the health minister ;One is to increase the availability of vaccines to cure infected humans. 

The ministry has therefore ordered a new batch of vaccines .2) In a more pro-active approach to tackle rabies, the minister said “you must actually just vaccinate the dogs”. He said the ministry will go round region by region, identify and vaccinate dogs against rabies.He also said there is the need for a sensitization for dog-owners to tag their pets.  

 In Nigeria,the scourge can be prevented by education,mass vaccination of dogs and provision of affordable human diploid anti rabies vaccine.

 The enforcement of stray dog laws and dog licensing with tags will go a long way to check the scourge of the rabies virus. Pet owners should be held accountable for the health status of their pets,and must show documentation as regarding vaccination status. 

 Empowerment of animal control officers, especially at local government levels will help eliminate the scourge. 

The generation of adequate data as regarding number of dog per zone/local government/state will give a clear picture of our pet population, the area of concentration /major foci of these pets which will  assist in proper planning for budgeting for vaccination programmes. more #rabies #endrabies #savechildren #vaccinate #pets.

Parvo virus outbreak.

20 dogs have been put down in San Juan County because of a serious outbreak of the highly contagious virus. Some puppies from the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter contracted canine parvovirus after they were adopted and others at the shelter tested positive for the virus. The shelter made the decision to end all puppy adoptions for the next 14 days so as to quarantine the puppies and make sure they aren't sick,” said Stacie Voss, Director of the FRAS. The parvovirus is dangerous to puppies and tough to get rid of, but there is one way you can protect your pets. “The best thing you can do is vaccinate your puppies to keep them safe and not allow them to interact with unvaccinated dogs until they are fully vaccinated,” she said. Puppies at FRAS are being watched for signs of the virus. In the meantime, the shelter is receiving between 30 and 40 animals a day and already has more than 300 housed. FRAS is having an adoption sale. All adult animals aged 6 months and up will have an adoption fee of only $25. Kittens under 6 months of age will have an adoption fee of $50 and are two for the price of one. Adoption fees includes spay or neuter surgery, microchiping, at least one set of vaccinations (excluding rabies), and a 30-day trial of pet insurance. Vaccination is the only way to protect the dogs from this infection,puppies should be handled properly to prevent infection. Contributed by KOB 4 EYE WITNESS NEWS.

Hanna the Labrador Retriever Receives 3D Printed, Bionic Tooth.

Dental care can be a challenge for everyone, even with insurance. As premiums and co-pays increase–while benefits decrease—we’re often left with difficult choices and challenges, not to mention pain, difficulty eating, and self-consciousness about a range of issues that can arise when all is not going well with the teeth. But some of these issues can apply to other species too, it would seem. Jeanne Montenegro of Brazil has first-hand experience in facing dental issues with a pet after her dog broke off a tooth while chewing on a bone. No geriatric case either, her Labrador retriever Hanna is just a puppy at 15 months old. With permanent teeth having grown in already, this was an issue all around, with the situation not about to fix itself. The dog became depressed and increasingly hungry as she experienced pain every time she tried to eat. At a loss for what to do for the sad canine who needed to be encouraged to eat again, Montenegro enlisted veterinary help and was referred to a team of Brazilian dentists and scientists at the University in Santos, in Southeast Brazil. Not only were the specialists able to help Hanna, but the procedure was performed at no cost since it was the first time they had ever tried something like this. The price tag on this type of service would probably run around $1500 USD. The team took on the project with enthusiasm however, certainly printing a much smaller item than usual, but just as important. Known as the ‘Animal Avengers,’ the team has had experience with helping numerous other animals too as they created a 3D printed prosthetic for a toucan, a titanium beak for Gigi the Macaw, and even a 3D printed shell for Fred the Tortoise. Making a 3D printed bionic tooth was definitely a new endeavor for the team, made up of Dr. Matheus Rabello, Dr. Paulo Miamoto, Dr. Roberto Fecchio, Cicero Moraes, Dr. Sergio Camargo, and Dr. Rodrigo Rabello, all of whom volunteer their time. Dr. Miamoto, a forensic dentist, constructed a mold of Hanna’s upper jaw. Moraes, a 3D design specialist, created the model for the tooth to be made in metal, using both chromium and cobalt. “The new tooth is tougher than the original one,” Moraes said. “This is the smallest object I have ever had to design for printing.” The team scanned an identical tooth from the other side of Hanna’s mouth and were able to design the 3D implant from that, completely customizing it for the area it needed to be inserted in, offering Hanna some of the greatest benefits of 3D technology—most definitely offering patient-specific care at its best. Hanna’s owner says that the pup is indeed back to normal, but she is not allowed to chew on those beloved rawhide bones or toys anymore—and games like tug of war are certainly out of the question. That’s a small price to pay though to have Hanna thriving again. The tooth was made at the Renato Archer Information Technology Centre in Campinas, one of the only places in the area that is capable of 3D printing in metal. Once completed, the vets had to be meticulous in fitting the tooth due to the extremely tiny space it had to inhabit, for good. While obviously this would not be an operation that many pet-owners could afford today, the team hopes that as they perfect procedures like this and continue to progress, one day pet care like this will be more common—especially with 3D design and printing. Contributed by 3Dprint.

Dog flung from roof survives.

Police in southern India have arrested two medical students, an inspector said on Wednesday, after video of a stray dog being flung from the balcony of a two-storey building went viral, sparking outrage. The footage shows one of the students beaming as he lifts the dog by the scruff of the neck to a ledge before tossing her over. The other student is thought to have filmed the incident. An animal rights activist later found the dog injured but alive. According to police, the students said during questioning that they threw the dog and filmed it "just for fun". Police in Tamil Nadu state arrested the pair, who are final-year students at a medical college in the state capital Chennai, and a local court on Wednesday granted them bail. A cash reward of 100,000 rupees (£1,000) was offered by the Humane Society International, an animal protection group, to “anyone who is willing to volunteer valid information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this evil”. The animal, which in the video lands with a thud and is heard to cry out with pain, was thought to have perished. The animal activist Shravan Krishnan posted an image of himself holding the dog, found alive, late on Tuesday. The dog was found cowering under a staircase of the building on Tuesday as police questioned residents of the residence about the perpetrators, said Mr Krishnan. When called upon to come and check on the dog and take her for treatment. We confirmed she was the same dog [because in] the video [it] looked like she was a female dog, there is a small black patch on her tail, her hind legs are injured and she wasn’t able to move properly. Contributed by the telegraph.

Study shows early neutering poses health risks for German shepherds.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), has found that spaying or neutering German shepherds before the age of 1 triples the risk of one or more joint disorders, particularly for cranial cruciate ligament tears, according to a university release. "Debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, CCL and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dog's useful working life and impact its role as a family member," says lead investigator Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, a distinguished professor emeritus in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in the release. "Simply delaying the spay/neuter until the dog is a year old can markedly reduce the chance of a joint disorder." In the UC Davis study, researchers looked at veterinary hospital records for a 14.5-year period for 1,170 intact and neutered (including spayed) German shepherds for joint disorders and cancers previously associated with neutering. The diseases were followed through 8 years of age, with the exception of mammary cancer in females, which was followed through 11 years of age. Dogs were classified as intact, neutered before 6 months, neutered between 6 and 11 months, or neutered between 12 and 23 months. Joint disorders and cancers were of particular interest to the researchers because neutering removes male and female sex hormones that play key roles in processes such as closure of bone growth plates, the release states. The findings show that 7% of intact males were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, as contrasted with 21% of males that were neutered prior to 1 year of age. Five percent of intact females were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, while in females neutered before the age of 1 the percentage diagnosed rose to 16%. Mammary cancer was diagnosed in 4% of intact females, as compared to less than 1% of females neutered before 1 year. In intact females, urinary incontinence was not diagnosed at all; however, in females neutered before 1 year of age, it was diagnosed in 7% of cases. contributed by dvm360.

Oklahoma dog undergoes emergency surgery after swallowing Gorilla Glue.

One Oklahoma dog underwent emergency surgery after she swallowed Gorilla Glue. Krystal Wilson is thankful her 6-month-old Weimaraner, Lake, is safe after a very close call. Wilson said a family member brought over some Gorilla Glue for a house project last Thursday and left it out, in the dog's reach. The curious puppy found the glue and ate some of it. Wilson said she noticed something was obviously wrong with her dog. "Just a small amount had just swollen up to the size of a turkey leg. It was huge, pretty much took the size of her stomach," Wilson said. Wilson rushed Lake to a local veterinary hospital. "Gorilla Glue means surgery," said Dr. Leonardo Baez with Midtown Vets. Veterinarians worked fast and, within minutes, Lake was in surgery. "So, the glue, once it gets to the stomach, it slowly starts expanding. You can see here, it's the perfect shape of a stomach, so you get a mold," Baez said. The mold was solid as a rock."This thing is seriously hard," Baez said.Baez said Gorilla Glue has a very sweet taste, which is appealing to animals and even children. "Just like any other chemical, do it yourself, just put them up high or in a box where the pets and the kids cannot get to it," Baez said. It is a scary lesson for Wilson and her family. "It's hard not to feel guilty. You feel like you kind of failed. We were very upset that we failed, but you can't prevent everything," Wilson said. Fortunately, Lake is back home. "We're very lucky that she's here with us, back to her crazy self," Wilson said. Baez said Gorilla Glue can be deadly. Luckily, in this case, they got the mold out in time and Lake is having a fast recovery, already wagging her tail again.

DOG PARKER.

On-demand neighborhood doghouses provide-1) Clean and comfortable places for dogs to hang out. 2) Peace of mind and freedom for loving pet parents.3) An easy way for any store to be immediately dog-friendly 4) More time together for you and your pup! Welcome the dog parker. The Co-founders Chelsea Brownridge and Todd Schechter of Brooklyn-based Dog Parker introduced a new concept on-demand dog houses Presenting “dog parking by the minute,” these dog houses are intended to be, effectively, parking spots for “urban pet parents” to safely leave their dogs for a few minutes while running errands, in a more secure alternative to tying a leash around a tree or bike rack. A membership card opens the house, the dog can be guided in, and no one else can gain access until the dog’s owner returns a few minutes later, using the same membership card or the Dog Parker app to unlock the house. Similar to a Zipcar model of business, a membership would run $25 annually per dog — leading, they say, to a $1.7 billion business opportunity that could benefit up to 2.4 million urban dogs. With Boyce Technologies as their tech partner, Dog Parker tested three different sizes for their dog houses, now using a one-size-fits-most model that fits about 97% of dogs (sorry, no mastiffs). The parker needs regular maintenance similar to a vending machine, the Dog Parker houses also function as their own advertising, as they would be placed right on the streets in urban areas, starting with New York City. read more at dogparker.com

Pet jerky treats linked to hundreds of dog deaths.

Jerky treats imported from China are still being linked to hundreds of dog deaths, according to the FDA. Between September 2014 and December 2015 the FDA investigated 200 more reports of animals becoming sick after eating the chicken, duck and sweet potato treats imported from China. The number is lower than previous years but investigators still caution owners to be on the lookout for vomiting or other symptoms. Since 2007, the FDA has investigated the illnesses of 6,200 dogs – including more than 1,100 deaths. Culled from WIRC

Rare human disease found in dogs.

The study published in the journal Veterinary Pathology, shows that rare severe form of pulmonary hypertension, which up until now, has only been classified as a human lung disease, has also been discovered in dogs. This study according to a Michigan State University, the research is the first to document the existence of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, or PVOD, in dogs," said Kurt Williams, the lead author of the study and an expert in respiratory pathology in MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine. "PVOD is considered one of the most severe forms of pulmonary hypertension." PVOD might be more common in dogs than in people, but this has yet to be determined and needs to be looked at closely. Pulmonary hypertension develops because of abnormal blood vessels in the lungs, which makes it harder for the heart to push blood through and provide oxygen to the rest of the body. In cases of PVOD, the small veins in the lungs become blocked, increasing pressure in these blood vessels, and ultimately causing heart failure. The same process happens in canines,.these dogs also come in with similar symptoms as humans, yet because subtle changes in health may not be recognized as quickly in dogs, death can occur quickly once the animal is seen by a veterinarian. Symptoms include cough, increased rate of breathing, respiratory distress, loss of appetite and chronic fatigue. Fatal progression of the disease in humans can last up to two years. Unfortunately, there are very few effective treatment options for PVOD and a lung transplant often becomes the best choice. PVOD is a poorly understood disease not just because it's so rare, but also because there has been no other animals known to have the disease, but this finding aids the diagnosis. The discovery could be important for human medicine because the canine disease may serve as a model for human PVOD. Cases like this help to show how important veterinary medicine is to medicine in general, medical professionals in the human medical community are becoming much more aware of the many diseases shared by our respective patients and how together we can learn from each other. The value of one world one health can not be underestimated.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER AND OBESITY GENE..

A new University of Cambridge study shows that Chubby labrador retrievers may be genetically predisposed to obesity. This research has been published in the journal Cell Metabolism,the dog – which is the most popular breed in the UK – is often considered to be "obsessed with food", say the researchers,this could be explained by the gene. 310 pet and assistance Labradors were weighed, assessed, and given a "body condition score". The team also "searched for variants of obesity-related genes" and assessed food-motivation via a diary kept by dog owners. The research found that one particular gene – POMC – was associated with obesity in the Labradors, with around one in four Labradors thought to carry the gene. It affects how the brain regulates and recognizes the feeling of hunger – meaning the dogs may carry on eating when they're full. "This is a common genetic variant in Labradors and has a significant effect on those dogs that carry it, so it is likely that this helps explain why Labradors are more prone to being overweight in comparison to other breeds," said Eleanor Raffman, lead author of the research. "People who live with Labradors often say they are obsessed by food, and that would fit with what we know about this genetic change." The team says the research may also have an impact on our understanding of human obesity. "Common genetic variants affecting the POMC gene are associated with human body weight and there are even some rare obese people who lack a very similar part of the POMC gene to the one that is missing in the dogs. So further research in these obese Labradors may not only help the well being of companion animals but also have important lessons for human health," said Stephen O'Rahilly, who also worked on the research. Obesity in dogs can cause diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a reduced lifespan as also observed in man. culled from wired.co.uk

ATOPIC DERMATITIS(AD)

A new study from researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine, have uncovered important insights about the association of AD in dogs compared to humans. How AD arises isn't yet fully understood, but this study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and sheds more light on atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin condition and the most common form of eczema, is estimated to afflict as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population, and is much more common now than it was 50 years ago. Veterinary clinical estimates also show that approximately 10 percent of dogs have atopic dermatitis. Canine AD shares important features of the human version. For example, in both humans and dogs AD has been linked to abnormal blooms of Staphyloccocus bacteria on the skin -- mostly Staphyloccocus aureus in humans, and Staphyloccocus pseudintermedius in dogs. The research team, comprised of veterinary dermatologists, microbiologists, pathologists, and primary scientists, tracked the bacterial populations, or "microbiomes," on dogs' skin, and key properties of the skin's barrier function during an occurrence of AD, and again after standard treatment with antibiotics. During the flare, researchers observed a sharp decrease in the diversity of the skin bacterial population as certain bacterial species proliferated, along with a decrease in the skin's protective barrier. With antibiotic therapy, both measures returned to normal levels. In both canine and human atopic dermatitis there is a similar relationship among skin barrier function, the immune system, and microbes, even if the individual microbe species aren't identical. The insights gained from this study and others like it will allow one day to treat this condition by altering the skin's microbiome without antibiotics. Thirty-two dogs (15 with canine AD, and 17 without) from Penn Vet's Ryan Hospital were enrolled in the study. On three occasions -- first during AD flares in the affected dogs, then after 4-6 weeks of targeted antibiotics, and finally 4-6 weeks after treatment concluded -- the team took swabs from several areas of skin on the affected dogs. They surveyed the microbiomes of these samples by amplifying and sequencing copies of a key bacterial gene whose DNA sequence is distinct for different bacterial species. Samples from the dogs with ongoing AD had almost ten times the proportion of Staphylococcus species, compared to the control dogs. Corynebacterium species also rose, as they typically do in humans with AD. A standard measure of the diversity of the dogs' skin microbiomes also decreased sharply, indicating that the abnormal bacterial proliferation -- chiefly from S. pseudintermedius -- had crowded out other, harmless or potentially beneficial bacterial species. At the second visit, immediately following completion of antibiotic therapy, the abundance of Staphyloccocus and Corynebacterium on the skin of affected dogs and the diversity of their skin microbiome had returned almost to the levels seen in the control dogs. Those measures remained largely the same in the third visit, after antibiotic therapy was finished. Impairment in the skin's ability to work as a "barrier" to keep moisture in and harmful bacteria out is considered a possible factor in triggering or advancing AD. Results showed that the low-bacterial-diversity state of AD flares -- corresponding to lesions of AD on the skin -- correlated with impairments in the skin barrier, as indicated by a standard test of the water loss rate through the skin This investigation is a prime example of the One Health approach to research, a recognition that we're dealing with the same disease processes in animals and in humans. Materials from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

A PET-CAMERA- IN A-SMART-BALL.

Changing the way ,we keep our pets busy. Introducing PlayDate, the world's first truly interactive pet camera. Playdate lets you play with your dog or cat from anywhere in the world, via our smart ball and our mobile app. Use the camera inside the ball to see your pets as well as the environment around them.You can control PlayDate's smart ball remotely from your iOS or Android device after downloading our free app from the App Store or Google Play. Imagine being able to play with your dog when you're not at home: read more at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/playdate-world-s-first-pet-camera-in-a-smart-ball#/

Huge long-necked dinosaurs had big, precocious babies.

A research published in the journal of science,that huge long-necked dinosaurs had big, precocious babies The babies of a huge, long-necked dinosaur called Rapetosaurus that lived on the island of Madagascar did not just sit in a nest and look cute. They were born ready for action. Scientists on Thursday announced the discovery of fossils of a baby Rapetosaurus the size of a big dog that apparently starved to death during a drought several weeks after hatching from its soccer-ball-sized egg. Unlike many animal babies, particularly humans, the hatchling Rapetosaurus had adult proportions, meaning it likely did not need significant parental support and was actively foraging for plants rather than waiting for momma to feed it. Such babies are known as "precocial," as opposed to "altricial" offspring that have different body dimensions from adults, cannot get around by themselves and require considerable parental support for food and protection, Macalester College paleontologist Kristi Curry Rogers said. "The main conclusion was that this is the first evidence for a truly precocial dinosaur: one that matured rapidly and without parental care," Adelphi University paleontologist Michael D'Emic added. Rapetosaurus lived about 67 million years ago, not long before the demise of the dinosaurs, and was the largest creature in Madagascar at the time. The baby, known from a partial skeleton including limb bones, pelvic bones, fingers, toes and several vertebrae, was probably around 4 feet (1.2 meters) long from head to tail and weighed between 50 and 90 pounds (23-40 kg) when it died. An adult Rapetosaurus was probably around 40 feet (12 meters) long, a little more than a school bus, and weighed around 16 tons, roughly 2-1/2 times as much as an elephant, Curry Rogers said. It was a medium-sized member of a dinosaur group called titanosaurs, which included the largest land animals ever on Earth. Titanosaurs were part of a larger assemblage of dinosaurs called sauropods, known for their long necks, long tails and voracious appetite for plants. D'Emic said the researchers looked at the microstructure of the baby's bones to see preserved cavities that once held cells, blood vessels and nerves. The density and organization of those indicated a rapidly growing individual, and there was even evidence for bone repair, suggesting an active lifestyle and fast metabolism, D'Emic added. Examples of precocial animals today include most lizards, snakes and reptiles, certain birds and some large mammals including wildebeest. "Precocial young can avoid predation on their own, and there is a much smaller chance of the entire brood succumbing to predation at once," Curry Rogers said. read more ;http://in.reuters.com/article

EMERGENCY VET ATTENTION FOR DOG THAT ATE FLOUR WITH RAISINS.

A dog who chomped through a packet of dried fruit has sparked a "deadly raisins" warning.Jasmine Quick from Plymouth had brought baking ingredients home after a competition when boxer Ray made his move on the leftovers. The eight-year-old pet ate a kilo of sugar and its wrapping, a bag of flour and a packet of raisins and sultanas. Ray was absolutely covered in flour and sugar, and was guzzling his way through the raisins, when the chaos was noticed and the owner called the vet immediately. The Veterinarian, Erin Beale noted that this was a potentially disastrous cocktail because grapes, raisins and sultanas are all highly toxic to dogs and even small amounts can be fatal, depending on their size. Ray he got help straight away, and recovered quite quickly and was soon back to his normal self. read more at bbc.com