This book (Working Group) provides you with the thorough descriptions and positive attributes of these breeds, including origin, purpose, history, normal heights and weights, acceptable colors, and behavioral traits. Our books differ from most books on dog breeds because this book also provides you with a comprehensive and authoritative source of all the known, predisposed hereditary health syndromes for these breeds. You will find extensive references for each problem described. We also provide the breed club address for these breeds and a list of laboratories and organizations that can provide professional help and information. As a small-animal veterinarian, I have always been intrigued by the way dogs have been bred to fill a purpose in life, and I am further impressed that they also tend to love performing that service. Greyhounds and other sight hounds are built for speed, with aerodynamic bodies consisting of a small head, deep chest, narrow waist, and large leg muscles. On the other hand, dachshunds take their name from German words meaning ?badger dog, ? and they use their long nose, long body, and short legs to both track, enter, and dig into badger dens. After developing a practice that catered to clients with show dogs, my interest in each breed continued to grow as I studied and observed more and more about the unique predisposition and incidence of health problems in each breed. Breeders of purebred dogs for show were a challenge and inspiration for me to research and help them with their unique health problems. Historically, references to hereditary problems are scattered throughout various veterinary medical texts and journals, such as ophthalmology, neurology, gastroenterology, cardiovascular, and dermatology. This book, as well as the other books and articles I have written, has been researched and compiled with the intention to provide both veterinarians and dog owners with comprehensive and authoritative predisposed information under the breed name. At the date of this publication, The American Kennel Club, Canine Health Foundation, and the Kennel Club of England report over 400 known hereditary health syndromes throughout the dog kingdom. During the writing of my first book in 1983, less than fifty hereditary issues were able to be predicted or diagnosed. Sequencing of the canine genome; DNA tests; metabolic testing, including blood tests and urine testing; and phenotypic examinations, such as radiographs, ultrasound, and CERF or OFA eye registry exams by a Board Certified veterinary ophthalmologist have advanced the science of breed-related health and behavioral problems. This book will provide veterinarians, researchers, pet owners, and breeders with a comprehensive guide to all the known problems veterinarians and dog owners should consider during pet selection and throughout each life stage of our canine friends.
Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats, Third Edition provides a comprehensive exploration of current knowledge of breed predispositions based on rigorous examination of primary research. Incorporates the latest research, new testing methods, and newly-discovered predispositions and diseases Provides expanded information on genetics, epidemiology, and longevity Includes key characteristics of diseases, including pathogenesis, genetics, risks, and common presentations Indexes dogs and cats by breed, with listings of common inherited and predisposed disorders organized by body system Includes absolute and relative frequency/occurrence data for conditions, along with references to further information
The book deeply focuses on the epidemiology, diagnostics, therapy and molecular basis of canine and feline dementia or cognitive dysfunction syndrome. The aim is to provide a broad overview of the current knowledge on canine and feline dementia. Experiences of clinicians are appropriately linked with current scientific knowledge in a readily comprehensible form. In the first three chapters we describe the clinical pictures of canine and feline dementia, discuss the medical causes of the disease and its phenotypic variability. In the 4th chapter we introduce the dog as an appropriate animal model for human Alzheimer’s disease progression. Then we shed light on the neuropathological hallmarks of canine and feline dementia. For the first time we touch upon the modern diagnostic approaches based on the neuroproteomic technological progress. Last but not least, we address the current pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for therapy and risk and protective factors of feline and canine dementia. The book addresses clinicians, researchers, university teachers and graduate students in veterinary neurology and medicine.
Handbook of Veterinary Neurology provides quick access to vital information on neurologic conditions in a wide range of species, including canine, feline, bovine, caprine, equine, ovine, and porcine. A problem-oriented approach makes it easy to diagnose and treat neurologic problems in small and large animals. The coverage of disorders by problem, not by established disease diagnosis, emulates how animals present to the veterinary hospital and simplifies the formulation of a correct diagnosis. Within each chapter, discussions of neurologic disease include a review of the localization criteria and the diseases that can cause that problem, plus treatment and surgical techniques. Lead author Michael D. Lorenz brings decades of experience to neurologic assessment, using a diagnostic approach that requires minimal knowledge of neuroanatomy. - A problem-based approach is organized by presenting sign rather than by condition, guiding you to logical conclusions regarding diagnosis and treatment. - Algorithms diagram the logic necessary to localize lesions and to formulate diagnostic plans. - Coverage of current diagnostic techniques includes the use of diagnostic tools, such as radiology, spinal fluid analysis, electrodiagnosis, and MR imaging. - Case histories in each chapter present a problem and the results of the neurologic examination, then ask you to solve the problem by localizing the lesion, listing probable causes, and making a diagnostic plan. Answers are provided at the back of the book. - A consistent format for each case history includes signalment, history, physical examination findings, and neurologic examination. - A comprehensive appendix describes species and breeds that have a congenital predisposition for particular neurologic diseases. - Extensive references make it easy to pursue in-depth research of more advanced topics. - A companion website includes 20 narrated video clips with accompanying PowerPoint slides that correlate to the case histories in the book, covering neurologic assessment and clinical problems such as paresis of one limb, tetraparesis, stupor, seizures, ataxia of the head and limbs, and cranial nerve disorders. - Two new co-authors, Jean Coates and Marc Kent, board-certified in neurology, enhance the credibility of this edition. - A full-color design and numerous illustrations include enhanced images of neuroanatomy and pathology.
Dogs, Canis familiaris, share the lives of humans all over the world. That dogs, and the behavior of dogs, are of interest to many is therefore no surprise. In this thesis, the main aim has been to identify factors that affect dogs’ behaviours. The dog, Canis familiaris, is our first domesticated animal. Since domestication, various types of dogs have developed through adaptation to an environment shared with humans and through our selective breeding, resulting in a unique variation in morphology and behaviour. Although there is an individual variation in the behaviour of dogs, there is also a difference between breeds. Moreover, selection during the last decades has split some breeds into divergent types. Labrador and golden retrievers are divided into a common type, for show and companionship, and a field type, for hunting. By comparing the breed types, we can study the effects of recent selection. In Paper I, we investigate differences in general behavioural traits between Labrador and golden retriever and between common and field type within the two breeds by using results from the standardized behaviour test Dog Mentality Assessment. There were differences between breeds and types for all behavioural traits. However, there was also an interaction between breed and type. Thus, a common/field-type Labrador does not behave like a common/field-type golden retriever. Even though they have been selected for similar traits, the selection has affected the general behavioural traits differently in the two breeds. In paper II, we were interested in dogs’ human-directed social skills. Dogs have a high social competence when it comes to humans. Two experiments commonly used to study these skills are the problem-solving test, where dogs’ human-directed behaviours when faced with a problem are measured, and the pointing test, where dogs are tested on how well they understand human gestures. We compared the social skills of German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, and of common- and field-type Labradors. Labradors were more successful in the pointing test and German shepherds stayed closer to their owners during the problem solving. Among Labrador types, the field type had more human eye contact than the common type. Importantly, when comparing the two experiments, we found no positive correlations between the problem-solving test and the pointing test, suggesting that the two tests measure different aspects of human-directed social behaviour in dogs. A previous study has identified two suggestive genetic regions for human-directed social behaviours during the problem-solving test in beagles. In paper III, we show that these SNPs are also associated to social behaviours in Labrador and golden retrievers. Moreover, the Labrador breed types differed significantly in allele frequencies. This indicates that the two SNPs have been affected by recent selection and may have a part in the differences in sociability between common and field type. The behaviour of dogs cannot simply be explained by genetics, there is also an environmental component. In paper IV, we study which factors that affect long-term stress in dogs. Long-term cortisol can be measured by hair samples. We found a clear synchronization in hair cortisol concentrations between dogs and their owners. Neither dogs’ activity levels nor their behavioural traits affected the cortisol, however, the personality of the owners did. Therefore, we suggest that dogs mirror the stress level of their owners. The mediator between genes and the environment is epigenetics, and one epigenetic factor is DNA methylation. In paper V, we compared methylation patterns of wolves and dogs as well as dog breeds. Between both wolves and dogs and among dogs there were substantial differences in methylated DNA regions, suggesting that DNA methylation is likely to contribute to the vast variation among canines. We hypothesize that epigenetic factors have been important during domestication and in breed formation. In this thesis, I cover several aspects on how dogs’ behaviours can be affected, and paint an intricate picture on how genetics, epigenetics, and human-dog relations forms dog behaviour.
Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.
Every day, you are faced with a deluge of common and not-so-common problems. The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline offers authoritative coverage and timely answers to all your questions. It is a clinical reference loaded with practical information from leading experts in small animal practice. This text is an important resource you can use every day. A quick reference resource of internal medicine in canine and feline health, the book includes: over 700 specific disorders...contributions from nearly 300 leading authorities in the field...and 17 section editors covering every specialty of small animal practice. The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline is broken into three major sections. The Problems is a concise, targeted focus on primary signs and symptoms for fast and accurate recognition. The Laboratory offers profiles that give easy access to indications, interpretations, and pitfalls of each study to help you make better decisions and save time and money. The Diseases alphabetically lists every common condition you manage in the dog and cat, as well as less common ones, so you, ll be prepared no matter what shows up in your waiting room. All the major topics are listed alphabetically in a consistent one- or two-page format. Excellent appendices provide a convenient one-stop location for conversion tables, lab values, and drug information.