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Pet Care Articles
Why are grass seeds dangerous for dogs?
Picture your dog running through long grass enjoying the summer sunshine – your first thought probably isn’t worrying about grass seeds. But should it be? Vets see grass seeds all the time in the warmer months and as a dog owner it’s important to be aware of what to look out for. From sore paws to inflamed ears, they can cause a host of problems for your dog. Read more.
Understanding Allergies
Have you ever had an itch you just can’t scratch? That’s life for a dog with allergic skin disease. Also known as atopy or atopic dermatitis, allergic skin disease is seen in 10-15% of dogs1. Causing persistent itching, soreness and secondary infections it can seriously impact the lives of both dogs and their owners.
In this first of two articles, we’ll focus on what causes allergies in dogs and how we can recognise them; understanding these allergies is key to helping these dogs live the best possible lives. Read more.
Persistent Bad Dog Smell After a Bath: Unraveling Perplexing Odors
Unfortunately, unpleasant odors are something most pet owners are familiar with. While most of these are resolved by a thorough bath, what do you do if that doggy smell continues to linger?
As a veterinarian, I frequently encounter less than fragrant dogs, and often use these odors to assist when making diagnoses. In this article I’ll review a few of the common causes of persistent bad dog smells, including what you can look out for at home and when it might be time to visit a vet.
Cat with Lump or Bump On The Belly: Our Vet Explains
You’re playing with your cat or giving them some late-night cuddles and you notice something on their belly that doesn’t feel quite right…
Lumps on a cat’s belly often come as a surprise, as many of our feline friends are highly offended if you try to have a feel down there. It can be hard to know how long it’s been there, or what to do next. Unfortunately, some of the lumps we diagnose in this area can be quite unpleasant – but they aren’t always bad news. In this article we’ll look at some of the types of lumps we see on cats’ bellies and how to tell the difference between them.
Scientific Writing
Abstract
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is a common ophthalmic disease of dogs caused by either quantitative or qualitative deficiencies in the ocular tear film. Diagnosis is typically based on the Schirmer Tear Test 1 (STT-1) which detects aqueous deficiency but does not necessarily detect other forms of KCS. Tear film breakup time (TFBUT) is increasingly used in medical ophthalmology but is rarely used in veterinary practice. It is a measure of tear film stability and is subsequently affected by both quantitative and qualitative deficiencies. At present, there are very limited data to support its use in dogs. This study of 40 dogs at the Queens’ Veterinary School Hospital suggests that average values for invasive (ITFBUT) and non- invasive TFBUT (NITFBUT) in healthy eyes are 20.6 ± 4.74 s and 16.7 ± 5.09 s respectively. Our data suggest threshold values of 10.2 s (ITFBUT) and 7.45 s (NITFBUT) for the diagnosis of KCS. Our analyses also indicate that ITFBUT, NITFBUT and STT-1 are highly correlated, supporting the use of TFBUT as an adjunct in the assessment of KCS. Our study concludes that measures of TFBUT may be a useful adjunct to existing measures for the diagnosis of KCS, including atypical non-aqueous deficient cases.
Investigating the use of tear film break-up time (TFBUT) as a tool for canine ophthalmological examination.
In the process of publishing
The sleep-wake cycle in mammals is the biological pattern of alternating periods of sleep and wakefulness. In mammals it is governed by the interaction of the homeostatic drive for sleep and the circadian rhythm. These systems work together to allow consolidation of sleeping and wakefulness; for example, it has been suggested that circadian stimulation of wakefulness increases throughout the day in order to oppose the wake-dependent increase in the homeostatic sleep drive, thus allowing a consolidated period of wakefulness during the day. Similarly, the circadian sleep drive may increase overnight to oppose the decreased in homeostatic sleep drive, allowing consolidated sleep. Whilst the homeostatic drive for sleep is clearly a significant influence on the sleep-wake cycle, it is poorly understood; in contrast, the circuitry responsible for circadian rhythmicity is much better understood. Investigation has also taken place into individual areas of the brain and types of neurons that are active during wakefulness and sleep; these will be discussed later. See more.
Describe the neural circuitry underlying the sleep-wake cycle
Paquet and Smiseth aim to elucidate whether prenatal maternal effects on offspring phenotype influence paternal behaviour, thereby enabling females to manipulate males by biasing sexual conflict over parental care. Since Trivers’ seminal work1, research into sexual conflict over parental care has proliferated. Little research, however, exists into the possible contribution of maternal effects. Previous theoretical and empirical work on sexual conflict over parental care has focused on the sexually symmetrical behavioural mechanisms of negotiation, matching and sealed bid responses for the resolution of such conflict2,3. Existing research into maternal effects on this conflict targets specific candidate mechanisms, such as maternal androgen deposition3,4, but fails to provide conclusive evidence for the role of maternal effects in sexual conflict. See more.
Research Paper Review: Females manipulate behavior of caring males via prenatal maternal effects
Dr Primrose Moss - Freelance Veterinary Writer 