Veterinary Medicine News

December 23, 2024

Top Headlines

Bighorn Sheep Face Death by Avalanche in Sierra Nevada Range

Dec. 10, 2024 — Snow cover in the Sierra Nevada is expected to shrink overall as the climate warms, but avalanche frequency could remain the same or even increase at high elevations. That's bad news for bighorn sheep that live there, according to new ...

Backyard Chickens Are Here to Stay

Dec. 3, 2024 — Chickens have been a mainstay in Australian backyards for generations. New research reveals that owners see their chickens as a blend between pet and livestock as well as a trustworthy source of ...

Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Future of Tick Control

Nov. 27, 2024 — Scientists create potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ...

Secrets of Horse Genetics for Conservation, Breeding

Nov. 19, 2024 — Researchers are helping uncover new information about the Y chromosome in horses, which will help owners identify optimal lineages for breeding and help conservationists preserve breed ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:45pm EST

From Pets to Pests: Researchers Explore New Tool to Fight Disease-Carrying Insects

Nov. 12, 2024 — Researchers are testing a product commonly used to treat ticks and fleas on pets to target fly and mosquito larvae with the goal of helping reduce ...

International Canine Gene Research Database Accelerates Biomedical Research

Nov. 11, 2024 — A new database covering over 100 different canine tissues can significantly enhance our understanding of hereditary diseases and provide valuable information for health research in both dogs and ...

Improving Deer Health One Test at a Time

Oct. 30, 2024 — The cervid livestock business is one of the fastest-growing industries in rural America. In Missouri alone, more than 250 farms are dedicated to raising deer. To improve overall herd health and ...

AI Algorithm Accurately Detects Heart Disease in Dogs

Oct. 28, 2024 — Researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm to accurately detect heart murmurs in dogs, one of the main indicators of cardiac disease, which affects a large proportion of some smaller ...

Dogs Contaminate Ponds With Parasite Medications

Oct. 8, 2024 — Most dog owners didn't know that flea and tick treatments are dangerous to aquatic life, suggesting more awareness could ease the ...

Do Coyotes Have Puppy Dog Eyes? New Study Reveals Wild Canines Share Dog's Famous Expression

Oct. 2, 2024 — A new study challenges the hypothesis that 'puppy dog eyes' evolved exclusively in dogs as a result of ...

New Tool Can Assess Elderly Dogs' Frailty

Sep. 30, 2024 — Researchers have developed a tool that can aid owners and veterinarians in assessing an elderly dog's frailty. The tool -- when coupled with simple assessments of body and muscle condition by the ...

Researchers Discover Gene Variants That Determine Speed of Graying in Horses

Sep. 19, 2024 — Scientists now understand why some gray horses turn completely white as they age, while others remain an eye-catching 'dappled' gray ...

Are Cows Pickier Than Goats?

Sep. 19, 2024 — Linnaeus collected 643 different plant species that were then fed to horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. The results were carefully compiled but not analyzed until now, 275 years ...

Grim Statistics on Koala Survival Odds

Sep. 9, 2024 — Records of koala admissions to veterinary hospitals in South East Queensland shows euthanasia was the most common ...

Dog-Owner Interaction Is Reflected in Heart Rate Variability

Nov. 8, 2024 — A recent study showed that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner adapt to each other during interaction. High heart rate variability is associated with relaxation, while low heart rate ...

Promoting Horse Welfare With an Intestinal Disease Screening Method

Sep. 10, 2024 — Researchers are developing a promising method to support the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in horses. Awareness of the prevalence of IBD in both humans and animals has increased in ...

Both Cats and Dogs Often Enjoy Playing Fetch With Their Owners

Sep. 4, 2024 — Although more common in dogs, 4 in 10 pet cats also choose to play fetch with their owners, researchers ...

Kidney Disease in Cats: High-Quality Feline iPSCs Generated Without Genetic Footprint

Sep. 4, 2024 — High-quality feline induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have now been generated. The feline iPSCs are also footprint- and feeder-free. Further research using these stem cells is expected to ...

Newly Discovered Viruses in Parasitic Nematodes Could Change Our Understanding of How They Cause Disease

Sep. 4, 2024 — New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious ...

Rein Tension May Affect Horse Behavior

Sep. 3, 2024 — High rein tension was found to be associated with trotters opening their mouths, which indicates pain or discomfort in the ...

Aoudad, Bighorn Sheep Share Respiratory Pathogens

Aug. 27, 2024 — A team of researchers has discovered that aoudad -- an animal in the sheep and goat family -- can catch and spread many of the same respiratory pathogens that can impact desert bighorn sheep, a ...

A New Pandemic Could Ride in on Animals We Eat, Researchers Warn

Aug. 22, 2024 — Researchers warn the animals we eat could be the gateway for a pandemic in the form of antimicrobial resistance, unleashing a wave of deadly superbugs. The World Health Organization estimates that ...

Bacterial Gut Diversity Improves the Athletic Performance of Racehorses

Aug. 7, 2024 — The composition of gut bacteria of Thoroughbred racehorses at one-month-old can predict their future athletic performance, according to a new study. Foals with lower bacterial diversity at 28 days ...

How an Emerging Disease in Dogs Is Shedding Light on Cystic Fibrosis

July 29, 2024 — A canine gallbladder disease that involves the accumulation of abnormal mucus similar to that seen in human cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is caused by improper expression of the gene associated with ...

New Progress in Research Into Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Cattle

July 29, 2024 — A research team has published a groundbreaking study on malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). This disease is caused by the alcelaphine gammaherpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), which infects its natural host, the ...

New Study Confirms Mammal-to-Mammal Avian Flu Spread

July 24, 2024 — A new study provides evidence that a spillover of avian influenza from birds to dairy cattle across several U.S. states has now led to mammal-to-mammal transmission -- between cows and from cows to ...

Smell of Human Stress Affects Dogs' Emotions Leading Them to Make More Pessimistic Choices

July 22, 2024 — Dogs experience emotional contagion from the smell of human stress, leading them to make more 'pessimistic' choices, new research finds. Researchers tested how human stress odors affect ...

New Genetic Test Will Eliminate a Form of Inherited Blindness in Dogs

July 22, 2024 — Scientists have identified the genetic mutation that causes progressive retinal atrophy in English Shepherd Dogs, which results in incurable blindness, and developed a genetic test to help eliminate ...

What Fat Cats on a Diet May Tell Us About Obesity in Humans

July 17, 2024 — Pet cats may be excellent animal models for the study of obesity origins and treatment in humans, a new study of feline gut microbes suggests -- and both species would likely get healthier in the ...

Receptors Make Dairy Cows a Prime Target for Influenza

July 15, 2024 — A study helps explain why dairy cows infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza are shedding the virus in their milk. Their findings could help develop biosecurity measures aimed at slowing the ...

Raw Milk Is Risky, but Airborne Transmission of H5N1 from Cow's Milk Is Inefficient in Mammals

July 8, 2024 — While H5N1 avian influenza virus taken from infected cow's milk makes mice and ferrets sick when dripped into their noses, airborne transmission of the virus between ferrets -- a common model ...

A Dog's Puppyhood Can Cause 'Puppy Blues' Reminiscent of Baby Blues

June 28, 2024 — Bringing a puppy home is usually a happy event, but sometimes the life change that comes with it can provoke significant negative emotions. Researchers found that almost half of dog owners experience ...

Biting Flies on Dairy Farms Can Spread Bovine Mastitis

June 26, 2024 — A new study identified biting flies as reservoirs of bacteria that cause bovine mastitis on dairy ...

When Should You Neuter or Spay Your Dog?

May 28, 2024 — A new study updates guidelines for when you should neuter or spay your dog to prevent increased risk of cancer or joint ...