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Short Takes

Your Dog is Not Relieving Herself in the House to Get Back at You

If your potty-trained dog eliminates in your absence, it’s not to spite you or be vindictive about you leaving. It’s most likely because she feels panicked in your absence. In fact, that look on her face when you arrive back home is not remorse or guilt — it’s fear. She sees you’re angry at her and doesn’t understand why, since all she knows is that she has just been through an ordeal.

Genetically Mapping Canine Cancers Can Help Save Dogs’ Lives

In human medicine, genetic mapping of tumors that have already metastasized has added years to the lives of cancer patients who otherwise would have been near death. By understanding the exact nature of the genetic mutation that caused the cancer, scientists have been able to develop drugs that target malignant tumors with incredible precision, effectively pushing back the advance of life-threatening disease. Now, veterinary researchers have begun the process of pinning down the genomes of tumors in dogs.

You’re Still Not Giving Your Dog Heartworm Preventives?

More than six out of 10 dogs participating in research known as the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study had not previously been on heartworm preventives, according to research funded by the Morris Animal Foundation. While the investigation was just on one breed, it’s safe to assume this alarming statistic applies to other breeds (and mixed breeds) as well.

Why You Shouldn’t Leave a 4-Year-Old Alone with a Dog

We have often said that leaving a dog and a child younger than 6 alone together is not a good idea. That’s true no matter how gentle the dog and no matter how well behaved the child. A preschooler may not realize she’s hurting the dog if, say, she wants to press her pet’s eyes to see if they’re squidgy. Or she may want to play with the toys of a possessive dog and may misinterpret the animal’s displeasure. A new study only strengthens the case for not leaving small children and dogs to their own devices.

New Treatment for Canine Epilepsy

Epilepsy, a condition of recurring seizures for which a cause most frequently cannot be found, is the most common neurological disorder seen in dogs. It affects an estimated one in 20 of them. In the past, veterinarians often prescribed unapproved phenobarbital tablets from the human drug marketplace to help control seizures. But the Food and Drug Administration has just conditionally approved phenobarbital for our canine pets. The drug manufacturer has five years to be granted full approval by moving evidence for the drug’s effectiveness and safety from “expected” to fully “demonstrated.”

When Your Dog Starts Squinting

Some dogs start squinting in sunny weather as they age. It’s almost always nothing to worry about. There’s a sphincter muscle in the iris (the part that gives the eye its color), and it normally takes down the size of the pupil (the dark circle in the middle of the eye) to let in less light when the sun is shining bright. But as a dog ages, the sphincter muscle may not work as well, and too much light gets in. Ergo, the squinting.

When Will It Be Your Dog’s Turn in the Emergency Room?

Something’s terribly wrong with your dog, and you take her to the off-hours emergency clinic. But how long will you sit there before she gets seen?

How Delicious Is Your Dog?

If you haven’t yet met a dog named Cookie, Honey, or Mochi (a Japanese dessert), you will soon. One in nine dogs is now given a food-themed name, according to a database of more than 50,000 pet names. It makes sense. Foods are delicious, and we find our dogs deliciously captivating. Here are the top 10 food names given to dogs in 2023, according to the 2023 Pet Names Study released by trustedhousesitters.com.

If a Service Dog Comes Over to You

You know that you’re not supposed to pet a service dog without obtaining permission first from the dog’s person. The dog is working and could be distracted by your attention.

Short Takes November 2023

Post-Clipping Bacterial Infection

Another Worry for Short-Nosed Dogs: Sleep Apnea

Short-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs often have lifelong breathing problems because their pushed-in nasal cavities are too compromised for proper respiration. Now a new study says that a short snout predisposes a dog to sleep apnea, a condition of many interruptions in sleep throughout the night that are so brief they go unnoticed but can result in extreme daytime fatigue. People with sleep apnea are not only more tired than others, they are more disposed to a variety of illnesses that include high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The same may be true for dogs.

Low Thyroid Hormone Levels Don’t Always Signify Thyroid Disease

Signs of canine hypothyroidism — too little of certain thyroid hormones — often come on subtly and slowly, progressing over years, and therefore can be easy to miss or misattribute to advancing age. These signs often include poor coat quality, lethargy, mental dullness, exercise intolerance, and weight gain. If this constellation of symptoms describes your dog, it’s worth discussing whether an evaluation for hypothyroidism is in order, as treatment is available.