https://phys.org/biology-news/veterinary-medicine en-us Veterinary medicine news stories about diseases, disorders and injuries in non-human animals Declawing house cats to keep them from scratching people and furniture is controversial—and even banned in some countries and areas in the U.S.—but the practice is not limited to house cats. In a new study, researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-shouldnt-declaw-tigers-big-cats.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:51:27 EDT news610041083 An analysis of more than 2 million pet dogs living in the UK in 2019 has identified the most common overall breeds—topped by mixed-breeds, Labrador retrievers, and Jack Russell terriers—while also highlighting the popularity of breeds with physical features associated with increased health risks. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-mixed-breeds-labradors-jack-russell-terriers.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:00:02 EDT news609580531 Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSV) cause significant damage to pig farms worldwide every year. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-treatment-porcine-virus-billions-farmers.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:08:04 EDT news609588481 Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea, have created a browsable epigenetic atlas for dogs called EpiC Dog (Epigenome Catalog of the Dog) to assist with future research efforts. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-epic-dog-tool-canine-epigenetics.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:20:01 EDT news608804218 A new study published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions suggests that companion animals—including dogs, cats, fish and birds—do not significantly benefit the emotional health of owners with severe mental illness. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-pets-significantly-benefit-emotional-health.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:00:02 EDT news608476202 In a landmark study published today in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the University of Georgia, and the One Health Company have unveiled the results from the largest-ever genomic sequencing study of canine tumors. The study shows that dog and human cancers are far more genetically similar than previously known and underscores the important role of canine cancer data in accelerating the development of precision treatments for cancer patients of both species. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-largest-ever-genomic-sequencing-canine-cancers.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:26:04 EDT news607865161 In an advance that will help scientists track coronavirus variants in wild and domesticated animals, researchers report they can now detect exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in any animal species. Most coronavirus antibody tests require specialized chemical reagents to detect host antibody responses against the virus in each species tested, impeding research across species. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-team-all-species-coronavirus.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Thu, 06 Jul 2023 11:00:01 EDT news607790553 A University-of-Queensland-developed vaccine may protect farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus (WNV), providing economic and biodiversity benefits to northern Australia. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-vaccine-crocodiles-multi-million-dollar-industry.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:43:32 EDT news607250609 Dog breeds differ in pain sensitivity, but these differences don't always match up with the beliefs people—including veterinarians—hold about breed-specific pain sensitivity. The results appear in a new study from North Carolina State University published in Frontiers in Pain Research, which also found that a dog's temperament (specifically in the way they interact with strangers) may influence the way veterinarians view breed pain sensitivity. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-dog-affect-pain-sensitivity-necessarily.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:27:41 EDT news607188459 Dogs who slow down physically also slow down mentally, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. Measuring gait speed in senior dogs could be a simple way to monitor their health and to document decline in their neurological function as they age. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-dementia-older-dogs.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:48:03 EDT news607092481 A new analysis suggests that wild, stray, and feral cats living in areas with higher human population density tend to release—or "shed"—a greater amount of the parasite that causes the disease toxoplasmosis. The study also draws links between environmental temperature variation and parasite shedding. Sophie Zhu of the University of California Davis and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 21. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-wild-feral-cats-toxoplasmosis-parasites.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:00:01 EDT news606563563 In a new study, researchers from North Carolina State University detected elevated PFAS levels in the blood of pet dogs and horses from Gray's Creek, N.C.—including dogs that only drank bottled water. The work establishes horses as an important sentinel species and is a step toward investigating connections between PFAS exposure and liver and kidney function in dogs and horses. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-pfas-blood-dogs-horses-fayetteville.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:00:01 EDT news606497914 The distant ancestors of modern horses had hooved toes instead of a single hoof, which vanished over time, according to researchers. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-modern-horses-lost-additional-toes.html Evolution Veterinary medicine Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:00:01 EDT news606398637 The chicken sheds I conduct research in are enormous—over three-quarters the length of a football field and 20 meters wide. In each house, around 28,000 near-identical broiler chickens, which are the type we use for meat, are reared in six-week production cycles. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-backpack-wearing-chickens-animal-welfare.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:10:04 EDT news606485293 Dog bites may occur more frequently—by up to 11%—on days with hotter, sunnier weather, and when air pollution levels are higher, suggests a paper published in Scientific Reports. However, the authors caution that more data and further research is needed to confirm these findings. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-dog-common-hot-polluted-days.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 15 Jun 2023 11:00:04 EDT news606039740 What exactly makes for a fit Fido? And how does a dog's environment factor into their dog years? https://phys.org/news/2023-06-pet-dogs-healthier.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:50:10 EDT news605461806 A successful long-term experiment with live hogs indicates Nebraska scientists may be another step closer to achieving a safe, long-lasting and potentially universal vaccine against swine flu. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-nebraska-scientists-long-lasting-swine-flu.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:47:17 EDT news605288833 Currently there are no contraceptives capable of producing permanent sterilization in companion animals. Spaying, the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus, is the most widely used strategy to control unwanted reproduction in female cats. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-gene-therapy-long-term-contraception-female.html Biotechnology Veterinary medicine Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:00:02 EDT news605263878 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists discovered how the current epizootic H5N1 avian influenza virus (bird flu) gained new genes and greater virulence as it spread west. Researchers showed that the avian virus could severely infect the brains of mammalian research models, a notable departure from previous related strains of the virus. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-genetic-bird-flu-severity.html Evolution Veterinary medicine Tue, 30 May 2023 13:23:04 EDT news604671781 A study on canine brain networks reveals that during mammalian brain evolution, the role of the cingulate cortex, a bilateral structure located deep in the cerebral cortex, was partly taken over by the lateral frontal lobes, which control problem-solving, task-switching, and goal-directed behavior. The study relies on a new canine resting state fMRI brain atlas, which can aid in the analysis of diseases characterized by dysfunctional integration and communication among brain areas. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-networks-dog-brain-insights-mammalian.html Evolution Veterinary medicine Fri, 26 May 2023 14:41:26 EDT news604330878 The dog, man's best friend, is a popular pet. There are hundreds of different dog breeds, each of which is said to have a personality of their own. A study recently completed at the University of Helsinki confirms this notion of personality differences between dog breeds. The research is published in the journal iScience. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-age-puppyhood-socialization-linked-canine.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 25 May 2023 15:42:03 EDT news604248121 Animal behavior experts at Nottingham Trent University and Harper Adams University investigated more than 100 previous research papers exploring the various ways in which visitors impacted behavior across more than 250 species in zoos. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-elephants-enjoy-presence-zoo-visitors.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Tue, 23 May 2023 12:34:03 EDT news604064041 A team of Georgia Tech researchers has built an automatic feeding machine for gorillas at Zoo Atlanta that allows the primates to more naturally forage for food. Their ForageFeeder replaces the zoo's previous feeding protocols, which had staff deliver food to the habitat at set times and locations. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-gorillas.html Biotechnology Veterinary medicine Wed, 17 May 2023 14:05:32 EDT news603551128 The Clinic for Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universitaet Berlin in Germany, has investigated the intensive molecular changes that take place during dog pregnancy. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-canine-mother-baseline-metabolites.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Wed, 17 May 2023 11:20:02 EDT news603540645 Modern dog breeds that are genetically more distant from wolves have a relatively larger brain size compared to ancient breeds that are thousands of years old, according to the findings of Hungarian and Swedish researchers. The increase in brain size cannot be attributed to the roles or life history characteristics of the breeds, suggesting that it is likely influenced by urbanization and a more complex social environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-brains-modern-dog-larger-ancient.html Evolution Veterinary medicine Fri, 12 May 2023 13:54:13 EDT news603118449 Household cats acquired the same COVID-19 variants as their owners throughout the pandemic, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-variants-covid-cats-timeline-human.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 10 May 2023 13:28:52 EDT news602944129 Researchers Charlotte de Mouzon and Gérard Leboucher of the Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Nanterre in France, have examined preferred feline etiquette when faced with an unfamiliar human. In the paper, "Multimodal Communication in the Human–Cat Relationship: A Pilot Study," published in Animals, researchers examined four modes of human interactions—vocal, visual, bimodal and a no communication control—with a dozen cats living in cat cafés. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-french-felines-responsive-cat-faster.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Tue, 09 May 2023 15:00:02 EDT news602862705 In people with Alzheimer's, the earliest symptoms are commonly disruptions in sleep rhythms. These include daytime sleepiness, showing agitation or confusion around dusk, staying awake longer, and waking up often at night. These changes are thought to result from damage to sleep-regulating areas in the brain. Alzheimer patients tend to spend less time in both REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, in which most dreaming occurs, and non-REM (NREM) sleep. But they show the greatest reduction in so-called slow-wave sleep (SWS)—a stage of non-dreaming deep sleep, characterized by slow "delta" brain waves (0.1 to 3.5 Hz)—when day-time memories are consolidated. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-dogs-dementia-deeply-people-alzheimer.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:01 EDT news601819962 Researchers have identified new genetic mutations linked to a subset of canine bladder cancers. Their findings have implications both for early cancer detection and for targeted treatments in dogs and humans. The study is published in the journal PLOS Genetics. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-genetic-culprit-canine-bladder-cancers.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Tue, 25 Apr 2023 08:53:03 EDT news601631581 Transmissible cancers, which occur only rarely in the animal kingdom, are spread by the transfer of living cancer cells. In the case of Tasmanian devils, the cells are transferred through biting—a behavior that is common in devils especially in fights over mates and food. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-evolution-contagious-cancers-affecting-tasmanian.html Evolution Veterinary medicine Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:00:06 EDT news601202790