The Modern Bark | Dog Training Tips

Sunday April 5, 2020, a Malayan tiger, Nadia, was given the news that she had tested positive for the Covid 19 virus.  Nadia and several other lions and tigers residing at the Bronx Zoo in New York had developed a suspicious dry cough, first noticed March 27, 2020.  Preferring to err on the side of caution, zoo officials sent her sample in for Covid 19 testing. It is believed the big cats contracted the disease from one of the zoo keepers, who was asymptomatic, but a carrier for coronavirus. Nadia and her cohorts are not the first animals to have confirmation for having contracted the novel coronavirus from their human caretakers. Dogs and Cats Have Contracted Covid 19 From Their Owners In Hong Kong, the owner of a seventeen year old pomeranian, named Benny, contracted SARS -CoV2, and was hospitalized from February 25 to March 8th.  During this time Benny was also tested for the virus and was diagnosed with a weak positive for Covid 19. The dog was asymptomatic, ...

Photo Credit By cogdogblog  A New Therapy for Dogs With Metastic Cancers Is Now Available And Getting Good Results A new drug, HylaPlat, has produced high cure rates for many different forms of Canine Cancer. By way of targeting the cancer, and directly injecting it with Hylaplat chemotherapy, results have been dramatically improved locally, as well as systemically. So far the drug has proven highly effective on a variety of metastic cancers.  Trials are ongoing through veterinary practices, and your vet’s practice and your dog may be able to participate for free. Contact Information for canine cancer trial participation is located at the bottom of the article.

Did he do it? Does this dog look guilty to you? Is it a mistake to confer human emotions and motives on our dogs? Are dogs really more human than some of us are prepared to believe?  Recently, dogs have become the new darlings of cognitive science, and research exploring the range of canine emotions and cognitive abilities is mounting at an exponential rate. Among the many human characteristics attributed to dogs is the concept of guilt. It’s not unusual for a dog owner to state, “I knew he had done something; he had that ‘guilty look.’” We all know that doleful, guilty dog expression, but does it really demonstrate that dogs feel shame? If not, what’s behind it? Researchers at University Barnard College in New York set out to answer a few of these questions. The Guilty Dog Experiement In a study by Alexandra Horowitz, Assistant Professor from Barnard College, dogs were placed in a controlled environment where they and their owners were setup to make guilty...

Between 6000-8000 dogs in the United States receive treatment for Osteosarcoma each year.  Typically a disease of large breed dogs, Osteosarcoma can affect breeds of all sizes.  As the disease progresses, it reshapes normal healthy bone tissue and changes it to tumorous bone.  In dogs as in people, this remodeling process becomes increasingly more painful as the disease progresses, impacting activity levels and quality of life. Dr. Vladimir Osipov Sarcomaimages.com The Dorothy Cimino Brown, DVM and Kimberly Agnello DVM University of Pennsylvania Study Seventy dogs suffering from Osteosarcoma participated in this study.  A variety of breeds were represented including Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrieves and various mixed breeds. The average size of the dogs in the study was 90 pounds, and the average age fell between 8 and 9 years.  The study was conducted by splitting the group in half and treating both groups with standard care, while the...

Source: Courtesy of PDPics.com Dogs are omnivores with scavenging tendencies; t his means they are open to eating almost anything that appears edible,  and that can lead to bouts of diarrhea.  Diarrhea is defined as loose or watery stools; it is the system's attempt to quickly eliminate something distressing from the intestinal tract that is poisoning the system. Causes of Acute Diarrhea in Dogs Acute or sudden onset diarrhea The dog may have picked up a bug or virus The dog has eaten something that does not agree with him Internal Parasites  Change in Diet Poison Causes of Chronic Diarrhea in Dogs Food allergies such as gluten or main protein ingredient allergy Inflammatory Bowel Disease Kidney, Liver or Thyroid Disease Irritable Bowel Syndrome In most instances, diarrhea does not necessarily warrant a trip to the vet.  If the dog appears to be in good health otherwise, then you can treat his symptoms at home with some simp...

Great Dane and Chihuahua Skeletons Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons While Osteosarcoma represents just 5% of all canine tumors, it is estimated that between 6000 and 8000 new cases will be diagnosed this year in the United States. As the most common type of bone cancer in dogs, Osteosarcoma accounts for approximately 85% of canine tumors that originate in the skeletal system. This is an aggressive cancer where malignant tumors develop deep within the bone; from there they destroy healthy bone and remodel it with tumorous bone from the inside out.  The tumerous bone becomes increasingly painful and is not as strong as healthy bone, potentially causing the bone to break easily with minor injury. Risk Factors Associated With Development of Osteosarcoma In Dogs Osteosarcoma is generally a disease of large breed dogs, and although any size dog may develop the disease, it is estimated that large breeds such as the Scottish Deerhound are 200 times more likely to develop the dis...

Courtesy of PDPics.com Cancer is increasingly common in pet animals, and as pets age, the likelihood of contracting some form of the disease increases substantially.  In fact, cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over 10 years of age.  In breeds like the golden retriever it is estimated that between 60 and 80% will contract a form of cancer. But cancer is not restricted to geriatric canines, dogs as young as 4 years old may be diagnosed with it. While dogs in general contract cancer at approximately the same rate as humans; cats tend to get fewer cancers, perhaps owing to their nine lives. Some cancers such as Hemangiosarcom and Oesteosarcoma have a higher rate of occurrence within certain breeds, suggesting a genetic component is probably at work. If your dog’s breed has a propensity for developing a specific type of cancer, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the early warning symptoms of the onset of the disease.  Awareness...

By  federico stevanin , published on 08 November 2008 Stock photo - image ID: 1001821 As scientists of various disciplines investigate the topic of dirt eating, or more accurately clay eating, they are discovering that it is more prevalent across geographic regions and species than previously imagined.  Humans, primates, dogs, cats, parrots, buffalo, deer and even fruit bats engage in clay eating or geophagia, a subset of pica. Until now it has been assumed that the animals engaging in geophagia were either malnourished or suffering from a form of obsessive compulsive disorder originating from boredom.  New studies indicate that there may be other factors at work in the age old practice of clay eating. In our list of five reasons your dog eats clay, we offer up three traditional explanations as well as two new explanations that are gaining credence in the international dirt-eating research community. Eating Soil From Boredom, Habit or OCD It has been noted tha...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dimas_sc/3100685891/ A few breeders and I occasionally have a chuckle over the fact that pet buyers seem to be more concerned with knowing hip scores than are most other breeders.  Perhaps the other breeders have already done their homework on the OFA database or our websites; it certainly appears that the puppy buyers have done their homework regarding finding a reputable breeder. Good for them; that’s the kind of home I like my puppies to go to. Canine Hip Dysplasia is a physically debilitating disorder that is both emotionally and financial draining for dog owners.  With no cure other than pain management or hip replacement surgery, diagnosis of hip dysplasia is the breeder’s as well as the pet owner’s heartbreak.  Stocky breeds such as the Bulldog and those weighing over 60 pounds such as the St. Bernard experience hip dysplasia rates of up to 72% and 46% respectively.  It is estimated by Cornell University that 22% of c...

Canned pumpkin tops the list of the most nutritious fruits and vegetables!  Rich in Vitamin C and E, high in fiber as well as antioxidants, it also helps to control loose stools.  Add to that a teaspoon of cinnamon, an anti-inflammatory that improves blood circulation and helps regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol,  and you have a super  nutritious and inexpensive treat for your best friend.  This is a gluten free recipe that's great for dogs on a limited ingredient diet . Also, dogs suffering from diabetes or arthritis will benefit especially from this recipe. Preparation time 5 minutes: Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Dry Rolled Oats 1 - 15 oz Can of Pumpkin (not the spiced pie filling) 1 - Teaspoon Cinnamon 1/2 Cup Dry Powdered Milk 2 - Tablespoons Water 2 - Tablespoons of Molasses - optional Place dollops on a greased (or Pam sprayed) cookie sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 300 degrees. D...

Mighty dogs to the rescue. Once again, our canine companions are assisting in providing invaluable medical advances to mankind.  Previous studies have shown that dogs can detect early stages of cancer as well as super bug infections in patients with hospital acquired infections. Now comes another gift from Man's Best Friend! Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a virus commonly found in dogs, the parainfluenza virus (PIV5), could serve as the foundation for the next great breakthrough in human vaccine development.  PIV5, which does not cause disease in humans , contributes to upper respiratory infections in dogs, and therefore is  targeted in many canine vaccines.  As the virus does not affect humans, researchers turned their eyes towards it as a potential delivery mechanism for human   vaccines against  diseases that have previously alluded  development. Science has successfully used viruses to crea...