Dogs and Order: SDU

There’s not much in life that’s more comforting than a warm, fuzzy dog.  In addition, they seem to know when we need their comfort. Fortunately, more and more dogs are being used for therapy to help people through tough situations.

For someone testifying in court about a traumatic experience, it can be a terrifying and unsettling experience.  There’s a growing interest nationwide in providing therapy dogs for people in these situations, and the results so far have been very promising.

Read more about Dogs and Order in USAToday.

Chicken soup for colds, chicken eye research for blindness

The whole “dogs are color blind” myth was disproved quite a while ago, and now science shows that chickens and other birds may have better color vision than people do.  It may be due to evolution – as birds evolved, they spent more time in sunlight than most mammals did – but chickens (and other birds) have better organization of the receptors in their eyes that detect color.  Learning more about chicken eyes could help researchers find treatments and cures for many eye diseases that can cause blindness.

Read the full story on HealthDay.

Depending on the breed, dogs can have 6-13 major blood types.  Compare that to the 3 major blood types in people!

PTSD prescription…get a pet

Pets for Vets is one of several non-profit organizations that matches veterans with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or other war-related disorders with homeless pets.  They’ve found that pets help these veterans better cope with their problems as well as providing that unconditional love that pets do so well.  To read more about these programs, read the news story on CNN.com.

Animal diseases don’t just affect animals

…they affect people, too.  We’re not just talking about zoonotic (pronounced “zoo-oh-NOT-ik”) diseases, which can be passed from animals to people – we’re talking about diseases that can wipe out an entire family’s (or community’s) source of self-reliance and income.  A disease like foot and mouth disease, which caused billions of dollars in animal and economic losses when an outbreak occurred in the U.K. in 2001, could be even more devastating if it killed off a large number (or all) of the animals in an underdeveloped country that relies on livestock for transportation, work and food.

In recognition of the importance of preventing and controlling these diseases, preserving food safety and protecting the livestock that play such a vital role in underdeveloped countries, Britain’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Scottish government have pledged 13 million pounds in funding for research.   Read the full story by Reuters U.K.

Muscle-bound monkeys could help cure muscular dystrophy

Gene therapy helped monkeys grow bigger muscles, and this finding may lead to new therapies to help people with muscular dystrophy.  A protein called myostatin puts the brakes on muscle growth, and stopping the action of myostatin lets the muscles grow – much in the same way that letting off the brake can help a car go a little faster.  By inserting a gene that increased the production of a protein that stops the action of myostatin, researchers were able to increase muscle growth.  Human trials may not be too far away, providing hope for many people with muscular diseases.

Read the story on NPR.

Dog breath is no laughing matter

…even if you’re a cat.  Just like people, pets need dental care to keep their teeth healthy.  Pets can develop tooth and gum disease that can cause tooth loss, pain and problems with eating.  Keep their teeth healthy and you’ll help them live a longer, healthier life – everyone wins!

February is National Pet Dental Health Month.  For resources, including a podcast and a video on how to brush your pet’s teeth, visit the AVMA’s Pet Dental Health Month web page.

Doggy geniuses?

Every dog owner likes to think their dog is smart, but how smart are they?  Scientific studies show they’re smarter than we used to think.  Research has shown that dogs can learn 165-250 words, signals or signs.  The scientists put dogs’ intellectuality on the level of a 2 to 2 ½ year old child.  Hmm…maybe when they’re whining they’re actually asking “why?”

Read the full story in the New York Times.