Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Ehime University investigators measured 34 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in 100 commercial dog and cat foods sold in Japan and detected PFAS across many products, with higher concentrations in fish-based foods and dry products, and higher estimated intake from wet products.... Read more

Why does your dog rush to "help" when you are searching for something, while your cat seems… eh, less concerned? New research suggests that this difference may stem from deep evolutionary roots—and that, in certain situations, dogs behave more similarly to young children than to cats.... Read more

A horse's whinny is an unusually distinctive mix of sounds including both high and low frequencies. Reporting in Current Biology, researchers demonstrate how horses produce high-frequency sounds that defy their large size while simultaneously producing lower tones: they whistle through their larynx while vibrating their vocal folds as a human... Read more

A study from an international team of experts in veterinary medicine, human medicine and genomics provides the first large-scale genetic map of feline cancer, revealing that cats may hold the key to understanding several human cancers.... Read more

At least 1,100 dead or sick birds, mostly Canada geese, have been reported across New Jersey in an outbreak that started on Valentine's Day, according to state officials.... Read more

In an era of rising grocery costs, eggs remain one of the most accessible and complete protein sources for families. New research from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) is investigating how chickens age to help keep that high-quality protein on dinner... Read more

A protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL)—studied in humans in the context of neurodegenerative diseases and aging—is also detectable in the blood of numerous animals, and NfL levels increase with age in mice, cats, dogs and horses. Experts from the DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH)... Read more

Mitral regurgitation is the most prevalent valvular heart disease in humans. It's also common among dogs, especially older and smaller breed dogs. In both species, the mitral valve fails to close tightly enough to keep blood from flowing back into the left atrium as the heart is contracting. Untreated, it... Read more

Scientists have identified a further 12 dog breeds as being at risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome—a condition that can cause serious breathing problems—including the Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Boston terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, chihuahua and boxer.... Read more

Just as for humans, sufficient sleep supports learning and coping for horses. A recent study at the University of Helsinki indicates that short periods of REM sleep impair horses' perseverance and performance in demanding learning tasks. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, an entirely new learning test... Read more

Canine cancer patients receiving a new form of immunotherapy lived longer or shorter depending on the composition of their microbiome, the community of organisms living in their gut. Results of the clinical trial led by Oregon State University scientists were published in Veterinary Oncology.... Read more

African swine fever has been detected outside a containment zone in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region for the first time since its outbreak in November, officials said on Friday.... Read more

A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that overweight and obese dogs have significantly higher eye pressure than lean dogs, with pressure increasing by 1.9 mmHg for every one-unit rise in body condition score. The research suggests that excess body fat and related metabolic changes may... Read more

What if cattle were selected not only for their productivity, but also for their resistance to disease? A study conducted by a team of scientists combining systemic immunology, genomics and machine learning provides a better understanding of what shapes animals' immunity, even before they fall ill. The work is published... Read more

New research on avian malaria, which has decimated Hawaii's beloved birds, explains how non-native birds play a key role in transmission and contribute to the widespread distribution of the disease. This disease threatens many native species that are integral to Hawaii's identity and its unique and fragile ecosystems.... Read more