https://phys.org/biology-news/veterinary-medicine en-us Veterinary medicine news stories about diseases, disorders and injuries in non-human animals The spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 among animals is unprecedented having been found on all continents—except Oceania—with the United Nations calling it "a global zoonotic animal pandemic." https://phys.org/news/2024-06-climate-h5n1-bird-flu-virus.html Cell & Microbiology Veterinary medicine Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638099573 Measuring the heart rate of great apes in captivity is essential for both health management and animal studies. However, most existing methods are either invasive or inaccurate. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-heart-health-advancing-noninvasive-chimpanzees.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:25:04 EDT news638018701 When Sylvain De Guise and his friends get together, it's not at a barbeque or for a game of pickleball. Their reunions happen on research boats. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-shortcut-dolphin-health.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:23:27 EDT news637935804 Sufficient, high-quality sleep is important to the welfare of dogs. During sleep-disordered breathing, airflow is obstructed, and the body does not get enough oxygen. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-apnea-collar-diagnostics-canine-disordered.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:00:20 EDT news637858818 African Swine Fever (ASF) poses a grave threat to the swine industry, with the virus causing severe economic and agricultural disruptions since its emergence in China in 2018. The disease, transmitted by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), has become endemic with a high mortality rate nearing 100%. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ancient-remedies-modern-woes-traditional.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:59:59 EDT news637858795 Virginia Tech's Audrey Ruple and Courtney Sexton, already deeply involved in data collection and analysis for dog health and connections to humans through the Dog Aging Project, are imploring fellow scientists to cast the net even wider for data on the shared environments of humans and dogs in a perspective piece that appears this month in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-issue-action-diverse-range-dog.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 13 Jun 2024 17:04:04 EDT news637517041 A new type of dart launcher has been developed as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to firearms or air guns to inject animals with drugs or tracking chips. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dart-launcher-animals-drugs.html Biotechnology Veterinary medicine Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:32:04 EDT news637515121 Shelter dogs awaiting adoption fare better with a canine companion than when they're housed alone, according to new research from Virginia Tech. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dogs-housed-companion-stressed-faster.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news637401602 Cannabidiol, or CBD, has become popular in recent years thanks to the marketing of its potential health benefits. So it's no surprise that pet owners are turning to CBD as a remedy for various ailments in their furry companions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-abcs-cbd-pets.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:15:03 EDT news636984901 African swine fever virus is the only mammalian infectious virus that encodes type II DNA topoisomerase and has caused serious damage to the global swine industry in recent years. Safe and effective commercial vaccines and drugs are still lacking. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-potential-drug-african-swine-fever.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:00:38 EDT news636973235 Bird flu has infected a Benton County dairy herd, marking the first confirmed detection of the virus in cows in Minnesota. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-case-bird-flu-minnesota-dairy.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 07 Jun 2024 06:18:49 EDT news636959925 Walking your dog daily is an excellent activity for dogs and owners, alike, because it brings mental and physical stimulation to your pet and creates an unbreakable bond between you and your furry friend. However, as summer approaches and the temperature begins to rise, owners should be aware of the risks associated with walking pets in the heat. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-alternatives-dog-summer.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 06 Jun 2024 13:19:03 EDT news636898741 Dogs' learning success is enhanced when they are not only rewarded with food, but also praised and petted for their good performance, according to a new study by researchers from the Department of Ethology at ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, published in Scientific Reports. The ethologists investigated the relations among emotions, learning and sleep. Their results shed light on how learning style and sleep affect dogs' behavior and learning success. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-rewarding-dogs-petting-efficiently.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:10:08 EDT news636894601 Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses are becoming increasingly flexible and are adapting to mammals in new ways that could have global consequences for humans, wildlife and livestock, according to a new study of a massive outbreak among elephant seals in Argentina in 2023. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-elephant-outbreak-transnational-highly-pathogenic.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:55:04 EDT news636818102 Social justice movements often allude to the idea that "seeing is believing," meaning that if people are exposed to a given injustice, political transformation will follow. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-believing-animal-welfare-campaigns-approach.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:50:01 EDT news636721981 A study from researchers at Durham University has found that the process of domestication and selective breeding has limited the ability of domestic dogs to use facial expressions to convey effective states (emotions) as effectively as their wolf ancestors. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-constrained-communication-abilities-domestic-dogs.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Tue, 04 Jun 2024 10:30:00 EDT news636715796 When researchers talk about their biggest bird flu fears, one that typically comes up involves an animal—like a pig—becoming simultaneously infected with an avian and a human flu. This creature, now a viral mixing vessel, provides the medium for a superbug to develop—one that takes the killer genes from the bird flu and combines it with the human variety's knack for easy infection. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pet-dogs-cats-weak-link.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 03 Jun 2024 10:00:02 EDT news636626125 Deciding when it's time to say goodbye to a beloved furry friend is never easy, even when the animal in question may be suffering from low quality of life due to age or illness. The question for many dog owners remains—how do you know when it's time? https://phys.org/news/2024-05-goodbye-survey-difficult-decisions-dog.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 30 May 2024 16:24:38 EDT news636305072 Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, Marlen Rice from the University of Utah, US, and colleagues report in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-virus-zebrafish-pet-disease-laboratory.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Thu, 30 May 2024 14:00:01 EDT news636276661 Stray cats are a big problem across most Australian cities and towns. They cause many complaints related to nuisance behaviors and concerns about urban wildlife, as well as straining government resources. Ratepayers ultimately pay for the substantial costs created by roaming cats. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-stray-cat.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 30 May 2024 11:50:01 EDT news636286332 A study carried out by the University of Helsinki's DogRisk research group, the University of Eastern Finland and Wise Nose–Scent Discrimination Association in Finland investigated the threshold for scent detection in dogs. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-scent-dogs-discern-odor-molecules.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Wed, 29 May 2024 14:37:03 EDT news636212222 Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have updated their guidelines on when to neuter 40 popular dog varieties by breed and sex. Their recent paper in Frontiers in Veterinary Science adds five breeds to a line of research that began in 2013 with a study that suggested that early neutering of golden retrievers puts them at increased risk of joint diseases and certain cancers. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-neuter-spay-dog-guidelines.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 28 May 2024 14:12:58 EDT news636124375 Health authorities are working to gather information on the spread of the H5N1 virus, or bird flu, in U.S. dairy cows—the first confirmation of the virus in cattle. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-dairy-cows-iceberg-bird-flu.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Mon, 27 May 2024 13:44:03 EDT news636036241 A new study has shown an advance in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections in animals. The research, focusing on a 5-year-old Siamese cat Squeaks with a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection post-arthrodesis surgery, marks the first published documented application of personalized phage therapy in veterinary medicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-personalized-phage-therapy-resistant-wounds.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 27 May 2024 13:30:14 EDT news636035411 A series of recent attacks by XL bully type dogs in the UK, and government attempts to both define and control the breed, has refocused attention on how society manages "dangerous dogs." https://phys.org/news/2024-05-aggressive-dog-isolating.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 27 May 2024 12:08:03 EDT news636030481 Clinging to a teddy bear that dwarfs her, Tim Tam takes in her surrounds with shiny-eyed wonder and awe from the safety of her crib. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-koalas-fair-shot-survival.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Fri, 24 May 2024 11:29:06 EDT news635768942 Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux in people and animals—may be effective at fighting cancer and other immune disorders in dogs, building on similar ongoing research in human medicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-common-heartburn-medications-cancer-immune.html Veterinary medicine Fri, 24 May 2024 10:20:37 EDT news635764822 Special-needs dogs exist on a spectrum that may include those with physical impairments—such as missing, deformed, or paralyzed limbs; blindness; or deafness—with behavioral issues such as separation anxiety or situational fears, or with medical diagnoses like chronic illnesses, diabetes, or allergies. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-dogs-special.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 23 May 2024 11:40:01 EDT news635683111 A team of geneticists and animal welfare specialists from the U.K. and one from the U.S. has identified the genetic mutation responsible for a newly discovered cat coat color pattern in Finland. In their study, published in the journal Animal Genetics, the group sequenced the genomes of two of the cats. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-genetic-mutation-responsible-coat-pattern.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Thu, 23 May 2024 10:00:02 EDT news635676866 A free-market environmental group has recommended expanding a Bureau of Land Management wild horse and burro adoption program that it says is saving taxpayers millions of dollars a year. A wild horse advocacy group has called the program a failure. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-success-wild-horse-critics.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Thu, 23 May 2024 09:20:02 EDT news635673545