Do you ever find yourself intentionally blinking when you notice other people blinking? It’s as if we all have something stuck in our eyes at the same time. A new study published in Royal Society Open Science found that dogs appear to have the same reaction when seeing other dogs blink, which suggests that blinking may be a form of non-verbal canine communication. They also observed increased blinking in response […]
Antibiotic-resistant infections are a global concern for both humans and animals. A recent study published in Veterinary Quarterly tested a new way to treat an antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection in a Siamese cat, known as “Squeaks”. Squeaks had acquired the infection following multiple surgeries that aimed to treat the cat for injuries after a severe fall from a high-rise. In this study, the veterinary team created a viral phage […]
While the gut microbiome has been gaining a lot of attention for its potential role in health and disease, it appears that the butt microbiome is important in feline communication. How many times have you seen cats sniffing each other? Brave researchers at the University of California at Davis explored this hidden side of cat communication and published their findings in Scientific Reports. The researchers identified both the bacterial species […]
Did you know that rodents and rabbits are not able to vomit? This was certainly news to me. So, I had to find out more… First, let’s talk about the difference between retching and vomiting. During retching (or dry heaves), the diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract, which helps increase pressure within the stomach (and prepare the contents for expulsion). Vomiting also involves contractions of the diaphragm, abdominal as well as […]
I sat through a very interesting session at this year’s Experimental Biology conference called, “The Power of Comparative Models for Accelerating Translational Healthspan Research: Underutilized Lab Animals, Companion Pets, Old World Monkeys, and Pumas.” While the title seems to capture the general idea of the symposium, I thought I would share a bit more information about the presenters and their exciting research. Dr. Karyn Hamilton from Colorado State University presented […]
Researchers have identified variants in the B4GALT1 gene of Amish people that are associated with low levels of LDL (i.e. “bad”) cholesterol and fibrinogen, a gene involved in blood clotting. In fact, people with variants in this gene are 35% less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease. When the variant was expressed in mice, the animals had similar decreases in LDL cholesterol and fibrinogen. Researchers are hoping to create […]
I do…so of course I found myself on Youtube watching all sorts of videos about it. Here is one that caught my eye, lol.
Okay seriously, humans are not actually cats. But, humans and cats do share similar nervous system control over how we move from one place to another, i.e. locomotion as described in a recent review article published in Physiology. The ability for mammals to finely control movement depends on two main control systems located in the brain and spine as well as sensory feedback from the skin, muscles, tendons, eyes, and […]
Researchers at Anivive, a pet health drug discovery and commercialization company, are seeking approval to test a new drug for Covid-19 that was originally developed to treat feline intestinal coronavirus. Similar to Covid-19, feline coronavirus is very contagious. In some cats, the virus mutates and leads to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is currently the top cause of death for young cats and kittens (~700,000 cats annually). The new drug, […]
Do you have a stressed out cat? If so, try playing cat music, that’s right…music designed for cats. Researchers at Louisiana State University observed that music made specifically for felines can help them calm down during a visit to the vet. The special recordings (below) include cat vocalizations as well as sounds that are close to the vocal frequency of cats. The team found that cats who were exposed to […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 