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Scientists seeking dogs who can understand 20 objects by nameThe University of Portsmouth's Dog Cognition Center has been on a quest to find the U.K.'s smartest pooch for several years now.... Read more
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Why do dogs have different coats? Experts explain—and give grooming tips for different typesDog hair comes in many varieties, from shaggy to short, curly to straight. If you live with a dog, you live with their hair—on your couch, in your clothes, it's everywhere!... Read more
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Receptors make dairy cows a prime target for influenza, team findsAs highly pathogenic avian influenza has spread in dairy herds across the U.S., the virus is being detected in raw milk. A new study by a broad team of researchers at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine helps explain why.... Read more
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A wildlife park has scrapped koala cuddles. Is it time for a blanket ban?A popular wildlife park in Brisbane has announced it will no longer offer "koala holds", prompting questions about whether other captive animal facilities should follow.... Read more
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Pigs are social but only dogs are attached, companion animal study findsResearchers at the ELTE Department of Ethology in Budapest investigated whether an infant-mother analog attachment bond arises in intensively human-socialized companion pigs towards their owners similar to companion dogs.... Read more
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Features of H5N1 influenza viruses in dairy cows may facilitate infection, transmission in mammalsA series of experiments with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses circulating in infected U.S. dairy cattle found that viruses derived from lactating dairy cattle induced severe disease in mice and ferrets when administered via intranasal inoculation. The virus from the H5N1-infected cows bound to both avian (bird)... Read more
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Study shows current strategies are ineffective in controlling Salmonella Dublin in Danish cattleIn a recent study published in the Journal of Dairy Science, researchers from the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), the University of Copenhagen, and SEGES have shown that despite stringent movement restrictions among Danish cattle farms, Salmonella Dublin continues to propagate, indicating that current strategies are insufficient to curb the spread... Read more
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Why cats meow at humans more than each otherThis is a story that goes back thousands of years.... Read more
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Human crying stresses out dogs more than pigs, finds study of family petsResearchers at ELTE Department of Ethology in Budapest compared how companion dogs and companion miniature pigs from all over the world reacted to human emotional vocalizations. They found that both dogs and pigs differentiated between human crying (a negative but very usual vocalization) and human humming (not negative but unusual... Read more
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Scientists pinpoint strategies that could stop cats from scratching your furnitureMany cat owners are familiar with torn cushions, carpets, and couches. The feline instinct to scratch is innate, but is often perceived as a behavioral problem by cat owners, and sometimes leads to interventions that are not cat-friendly.... Read more
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Researchers train sheep to complete awake MRI imagingMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique commonly used to explore the brains of sheep. Until now, it had only been performed under general anesthesia, to ensure the animal's immobility. Anesthesia, however, leads to stress and other negative side-effects, in addition to jeopardizing the study of brain activity.... Read more
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How 'One Health' clinics support unhoused people and their petsHaving a pet can be expensive, but being able to access health care for your pet should not be a luxury.... Read more
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When people are under economic stress, their pets suffer too—we found parts of Detroit that are animal welfare desertsNearly two-thirds of U.S. households have at least one pet. More than ever before, companion animals are a part of life—particularly in cities, where the majority of Americans live.... Read more
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Animals with disabilities get a little help from engineering design studentsA braille-inscribed video game controller for a blind student. A splint for a cat or dog with an injured leg. An acorn that can be filled with seeds for a bird to reach with a broken beak.... Read more
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Climate change is helping the H5N1 bird flu virus spread and evolveThe spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 among animals is unprecedented having been found on all continents—except Oceania—with the United Nations calling it "a global zoonotic animal pandemic."... Read more