Rockville, MD (August 31, 2011) – It may look like a purebred Labrador but is it really? Is your “Puggle” really bred from a first generation Beagle – or something that just resembles a Beagle? For curious owners who don’t have pedigree documents for their beloved dogs, two new DNA tests announced today can finally answer those nagging questions and may help them take better care of the health of their pets.

Mars Veterinary™, a global leader in pet care and canine genetic breed identification has expanded its range of dog DNA analysis products with two new one-of-a-kind genetic tests.
Wisdom Panel^® Purebred and Wisdom Panel Designer Dog certification tests can help satisfy owner curiosity and give them the knowledge to care for their specific dog type. The new tests, available online now at www.wisdompanel.com, evaluate the genetic patterns within a dog compared with the genetic signatures observed in Mars Veterinary’s database of known purebred dogs.

Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog

The state-of-the-art Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog tests – the only dog DNA tests designed specifically for testing purebred and designer dogs – both comprise a “do-it-yourself” cheek swab, allowing owners to simply administer the test at home and mail back the samples in a pre-paid package. Within three weeks of receipt of the swab sample, dog owners can expect to receive an e-mail notifying them that their official Ancestry Report is ready. The Purebred dog test results will confirm based on the extensive Wisdom Panel data base whether the dog’s ancestry consists of a single breed over four generations. The Designer Dog test results will similarly confirm whether the dog is a first generation cross between two purebred dogs from different breeds which forms a true hybrid between the two purebred parents. Both tests are available online at www.wisdompanel.com for the low price of $69.99 each.

Between its existing Wisdom Panel Insights and Wisdom Panel Professional Canine Genetic Analysis DNA tests and the revolutionary new products, Mars Veterinary with a goal to set a national standard to breed classification for both purebred and designer dogs – a move that it hopes will discourage irresponsible breeding practices. It also will assist all dog owners in making more informed decisions about the health and wellness of their pets.

The Science Behind Wisdom Panel

Wisdom Panel canine DNA analyses are based on more than a decade of extensive research, drawing from expertise of leading scientists, veterinarians, universities breed organizations throughout the world and the Waltham^® Center.  This science has also yielded the swab-based Wisdom Panel Insights, the most comprehensive swab product on the market and Wisdom Panel Professional, the only blood-based canine DNA analysis available exclusively through veterinarians. Wisdom Panel development included the analysis of more than 19 million DNA markers from more than 13,000 dogs, enabling the detection of breed composition of dogs with unprecedented accuracy.

Understanding Disease Predisposition 

Understanding a dog’s true genetic makeup won’t make owners love their dogs any less – but knowing what to look for from a disease predisposition perspective may help them take better care of their pets.

“Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog tests may unearth a breed history that owners never even suspected,” said Dr. Angela Hughes, Veterinary Genetics Research Manager at Mars Veterinary. “Knowledge of the true breed makeup of a dog can help owners work with their vets to be on the lookout for certain diseases they never would have suspected and increase the chances their dog lives a healthy and happy life.”

About Mars Veterinary™

Mars Veterinary is a division of MARS^® Incorporated, a company known for innovative consumer and pet food brands that are trusted by people around the world.  Its mission is to facilitate responsible pet care by enlightening pet owners and communities with valuable insights into their pets as individuals through innovative, science-based discoveries. For more than a decade, Mars Veterinary has researched and developed state-of-the-art genetic tests for mixed-breed dogs, revolutionizing personalized pet care. By discovering a dog’s ancestry, pet owners and veterinarians can work together to tailor wellness programs that fit the needs of a dog. For more information, visit www.wisdompanel.com.


About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the               United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the philosophy of a “mutuality of benefits” for all stakeholders – this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Petcare – PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Wrigley – ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience –SERAMIS®, CIRKU™ and COCOAVIA™.

THE NATION’S TOP (MIXED BREED) DOGS ARE…
The Mars Veterinary National Mutt Census is the most comprehensive analysis of the nation’s mixed breed dog population ever conducted. While the data collected was vast, a few key findings emerged:

Pet Trends: Pure Breed vs. Mixed-Breed
    While German Shepherds prove popular as both a pure breed and mixed-breed, the most common breeds registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) are not necessarily the most common breeds found in mixed breed dogs. The top 10 most popular breeds found in the nation’s mutts include:
1.    German Shepherd (# 2 most popular AKC registered breed*)
2.    Labrador Retriever (#1 most popular AKC registered breed*)
3.    Chow Chow (#63 most popular AKC registered breed*)
4.    Boxer (#6 most popular AKC registered breed*)
5.    Rottweiler (#13 most popular AKC registered breed*)
6.    Poodle (#9 most popular AKC registered breed*)
7.    American Staffordshire Terrier (#70 most popular AKC registered breed*)
8.    Golden Retriever (#4 most popular AKC registered breed*)
9.    Cocker Spaniel (#23 most popular AKC registered breed*)
10.    Siberian Husky (#22 most popular AKC registered breed*)

Mutt Census data shows that the DNA of America’s mix-breed dogs tells a story of which breeds were popular in past decades. If a breed was trendy in the past, but has fallen from popularity, it may still represent a large portion of the mixed breed population. For example, the Chow Chow breed —popular in the 1980s— is commonly found at the grandparent or great grandparent level in tested mixed breed dogs. The American Staffordshire Terrier in contrast, is a breed that appears to be growing in popularity against a trend of declining breed registrations overall.

A Paw-Print of Pet-Owner Trends

• Shelter Dogs Rule!: Shelters are the most frequently cited place (46 percent) where people obtain mixed breed dogs, followed by a friend/neighbour or relative (18 percent).

• Mutts Nibble on Kibble: Dry dog food is the most popular feeding choice (65 percent), surpassing mixed food (wet and dry - 21 percent), wet food (5 percent) and raw food and scraps (9 percent).

• Doggy/Owner Sleepover:  Nearly half of owners (48 percent) reported that their dog slept with them.

• Small Dogs Rule: For most mixed-breed dog owners, bigger isn’t necessarily better. Breeds weighing more than 80 pounds represent less than 11 percent of all mixed breed dogs.

• Bugs Bite: Flea and tick prevention is important for dogs living in most areas of the country, but 69 percent of respondents reported that they don’t use flea and tick control medicines regularly.

• Population control: Nearly nine out of 10 (89 percent) mixed breed dogs are neutered.

The Science Behind Wisdom Panel
With a simple swipe of a cheek swab, the state-of-the-art Wisdom Panel Insights dog DNA test can determine the ancestry of a mixed-breed dog by testing for more than 185 breeds, the largest database on the market – all for the low price of $69.99.  Within three weeks, dog owners will be e-mailed an official Ancestry Report that reveals the dog’s genetic background that may help owners make sense of obvious and not-so-obvious physical traits plus behaviors like digging, herding and barking that can all come from the various breeds in a dog’s family tree.  Once an owner understands a dog’s natural tendencies, it’s possible to create a tailored training, exercise and nutrition program to fit his one-of-a-kind needs.
Wisdom Panel canine DNA analyses are based on nearly a decade of extensive research, drawing from the expertise of leading scientists, veterinarians, universities and breed organizations throughout the world.  This science has not only yielded the swab-based Wisdom Panel Insights, the most comprehensive swab product on the market, but also Wisdom Panel™ Professional, the only blood-based canine DNA analysis available exclusively through veterinarians. Wisdom Panel development included the analysis of more than 19 million DNA markers from more than 13,000 dogs, enabling the detection of breed composition of a mixed-breed dog with unprecedented accuracy.

About Mars Veterinary™
Mars Veterinary is a division of MARS® Incorporated, a company known for innovative consumer and pet food brands that are trusted by people around the world.  Its mission is to facilitate responsible pet care by enlightening pet owners and communities with valuable insights into their pets as individuals through innovative, science-based discoveries. For nearly a decade, Mars Veterinary has researched and developed state-of-the-art genetic tests for mixed-breed dogs, revolutionizing personalized pet care. By discovering a mixed-breed dog’s ancestry, pet owners and veterinarians can work together to tailor wellness programs that fit the one-of-a-kind needs of a mixed-breed dog. For more information, visit www.wisdompanel.com.
 
About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar.  In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the               United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the philosophy of a “mutuality of benefits” for all stakeholders – this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today.  Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience.  More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.
 
Mars brands include: Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Petcare – PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Wrigley – ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience –SERAMIS®, WISDOM PANEL®, CIRKU™ and COCOAVIA™.
 
For more information, please visit www.mars.com.

Dr. Carlos Bustamante of Stanford University School of Medicine and his colleagues at Stanford, Cornell University, and the National Human Genome Research Institute catalogued the genomes of over 900 dogs from over 80 domestic breeds (as well as undomesticated breeds such as wolves and coyotes). They examined over 60 distinct physical traits and discovered that more than 80 percent of those traits were controlled from a mere six or seven regions within the genome.

A much more complex interchange of genes in humans control similar physical human traits. Sorting out every gene fragment involved in determining the expression of these traits in humans is very complex. By identifying similarities between human and canine biology and then studying the simpler but related canine genetics, researchers hope to learn more about how those same systems work in humans. For example, scientists identified a correlation between the HMGA2 gene and height in humans and a similar correlation between the HMGA2 gene and size in dogs. By studying that gene in dogs, they hope to learn more about how it affects height in people.

While the current study focuses solely on physical traits, Bustamante and his colleagues hope to extend their research into behavioral traits in the future. They do not know if behaviors can be tied to a small number of regions of the genome as the physical traits can, but if such links do exist they could be a key to learning how those same behaviors work in humans.

TFOT previously reported on other research into genomes and the genetic makeup causing specific diseases and traits, including a new method of mapping the human genome that could bring prices down to as little as $30, research into unique features of the sea urchin genome, full sequencing of all 99 known variants of the common cold, and the discovery of switches that turn on and off gene expression in nucleic acids.

Read more about the canine genome research in this abstract from Stanford University School of Medicine.

Originally published at: The Future of Things
Author: Janice Karin
Date: February 21, 2011 

In particular, the discovery was made by the LUPA ('Unravelling the molecular basis of common complex human disorders using the dog as a model system') project, which is backed with EUR 12 million under the Health Theme of FP7. The study was also supported by two other FP7-funded projects, namely EUCILIA and SYSCILIA. EUCILIA ('Pathophysiology of rare diseases due to ciliary dysfunction: nephronophthisis, oral-facial-digital type 1 and bardet-biedl syndromes') has received EUR 2.93 million in funding and SYSCILIA ('A systems biology approach to dissect cilia function and its disruption in human genetic disease') has clinched more than EUR 11 million in support.

Current data show that 1 in 20,000 people suffer from PCD, which triggers chronic respiratory infections. PCD is associated with an abnormality of cellular micro-cilia, hair-like structures responsible for various tasks including protecting us from germs in the lungs. Microorganisms contained in the air are expelled by the flapping of micro-cilia. PCD obstructs this flapping motion, allowing infections to lodge in our lungs. Experts have known for some time that many gene mutations are behind this disease's appearance, but almost two thirds of human cases could not be explained.

To get a handle on the genetic origin of various human diseases, the researchers gathered and compared DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) samples from purebred dogs that were either healthy or suffering from similar diseases to humans. Both humans and dogs suffer from a number of common disorders such as cancer, diabetes and epilepsy.

A growing number of researchers in the biomedicine field use sickly dogs to investigate which genes are responsible for diseases found in people. In 2007, scientists from the University of Liège's Faculty Veterinary Medicine assessed Old English Sheepdog (bobtail) puppies diagnosed with chronic airway inflammation. The researchers believed there was a connection between a gene and the disorder, thus putting PCD in the spotlight particularly because one of the pups had a situs inversus (a reversal of an organ's normal position in the thoracic cage).

In this study, led by experts from the GIGA-Research Unit at the University of Liège (GIGA-ULg Unit) in Belgium, the team assessed the DNA of five sickly bobtails and compared it with that of 15 healthy bobtails. Using 40,000 genetic markers, the researchers identified a region of canine chromosome 34 linked to the disease, and a mutation within gene CDC39.

'We were thus able to identify 15 different mutations of this disease,' says Dr Anne-Christine Merveille from the GIGA-ULg Unit, lead author of the study. 'These mutations explain half of the cases analysed, or close to 5% of the patients throughout the world who are suffering from this disease.'

For her part, LUPA project coordinator Dr Anne-Sophie Lequarré, one of the authors of the study, adds: 'The demonstration of this gene's responsibility in this pathology will enable the families affected to be better advised.'

Commenting on the use of dogs in research for human health, and the pioneering work of LUPA, Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn underlines: 'This shows that pet dogs are not only man's best friend but also suffer from many of the same illnesses and can help us understand and treat those illnesses. I congratulate all those involved in this study. LUPA is an excellent example of innovative and groundbreaking health research that will benefit both humans and dogs and advance medical knowledge.'

Originally published at: Balkans.com
Author: Balkan Business News
Date: December 13, 2010 

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease which affects one person in 20,000. The disease is characterised by motility defects in cellular micro-cilia. The flapping of these micro-cilia allows micro-organisms contained in the air to be expelled. PCD hinders this flapping and is at the root of chronic respiratory infections.

Several mutations in some dozen or so genes are responsible for the development of this disease, but they do not explain 60% of the cases in human beings. To try and resolve these cases the researchers brought their investigations to bear on...dogs.

In effect dogs and humans suffer from numerous diseases in common which very probably have the same genetic origin (cardiac disorders, epilepsy, cancer, diabetes, etc.). A recent trend in biomedical research is to use dogs which are ill as a subject for study in order to detect the genes which could also be involved in the same disease occurring in human beings.

The researchers at the GIGA-ULg Unit and their international colleagues followed this very logic in investigating PCD.

Several Old English Sheepdog (bobtail) puppies suffering from chronic bronchitis were examined in 2007 at the ULg's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The frequency of this complaint in this breed suggested a genetic origin and raised suspicions of a PCD, a conviction which was strengthened by the fact that one of the dogs had a situs inversus, in other words a reversal of the heart's normal position in the thoracic cage. During the embryo stage it is one of the functions of some hair cells to create a flow which enables organs to be correctly positioned; if this flow does not take place there is a risk that an organ's normal position will be reversed.

The researchers analysed the DNA of five ill bobtails brought in for consultation at the veterinary clinic and compared it to that of 15 other healthy bobtails. The analysis of this DNA, with the help of 40,000 genetic markers, enabled the identification of a region of canine chromosome 34 linked to the disease, and more particularly a mutation within gene CDC39.

"We were thus able to identify 15 different mutations of this disease," explains Anne-Christine Merveille, a researcher in Professor Michel Georges team at the GIGA-ULg Unit. "These mutations explain half of the cases analysed, or close to 5% of the patients throughout the world who are suffering from this disease."

The study illustrates well the usefulness of dogs for a rapid decrypting of complex human genetic diseases. ‘The demonstration of this gene's responsibility in this pathology will enable the families affected to be better advised,' adds Doctor Anne-Sophie Lequarré, in charge of the LUPA project.

Originally published at:PhysOrg
Author: University of Liege
Date: December 10, 2010 

Some dogs in the Valley are part of a study doctors hope will find what causes certain cancers in humans.

Researchers are taking the DNA from dogs, using voluntarily donated saliva, blood and tumor samples, hoping to find a better and faster way to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancers in humans and dogs.

Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) are working on the study which is part of the  Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium .

"It's a true bark to bedside effort," said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, President and Research Director for TGen and VARI. "We can do a study with 10 dogs that would take 1,000 human participants."

Trent said about 200 scientists and staff are involved with the project and will focus on sarcomas, those cancers that originate in the connective tissues such as bone, cartilage and fat.

The cancers are commonly found in various breeds of dogs but rarely seen in humans.

"If you're a patient with rare cancer you're doubly-cursed. One is you've got cancer. Second, we probably know so little about it because it is rare," Trent said.

While the cancers may not be common in people, once diagnosed Trent said the cancer can have devastating effects.

"This is an opportunity to use something very common in a breed of dogs, like a racing Greyhound, that's very rare in humans," Trent said. "Childhood cancers with bone that caused disfiguring loss and really take advantages for both."

The research is being paid for by a 2-year, $4.3 million federal grant and by $1 million in grants from PetSmart and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Originally published at: ABC15.com
Author: Corey Rangel
Date: November 26, 2010 

The lab at PetScreen is housed at the University of Missouri Life Science Business Incubator at Monsanto Place.

Serum from a cat will be used for research in detecting cancer.
“A few bags,” he said. “That first Christmas in our new apartment, we had a tree and a chair.”

Today, Shah is the leader of a promising startup called PetScreen Inc. Based at the University of Missouri Life Science Business Incubator at Monsanto Place, the company is helping veterinarians do a better job of fighting cancer in dogs and cats.

“We knew we wanted to be in the American market,” he said. “But we had no real, actual idea of how it was going to pan out.”

A year later, it’s panning out pretty well, Shah said.

The company’s financial footing is growing steadier, and an ever-growing list of veterinarians and animal oncologists are learning about PetScreen’s two diagnostic tests. The first test helps veterinarians determine the most effective chemotherapy treatment to try; the second offers a reliable way to detect lymphoma in dogs.

More tests are in the works, Shah said.

PetScreen has its roots in a British company that was started in 2004 by two British researchers, Kevin Slater and Graeme Radcliffe. Both men had ties to Nottingham Trent University and met at a cricket match.

“Cricket is a rather slow game, so Graeme and I started talking about our careers and interests,” Slater wrote in an e-mail.

Radcliffe had lost two dogs to cancer, and Slater had just sold a company and was open to a new challenge. The idea for PetScreen emerged immediately from their first conversation.

“We then met several times to explore the idea of developing advanced diagnostic testing for cancer in pets,” Slater wrote.

Shah joined the company two years ago after leaving a sales-and-marketing management position with Nationwide Laboratories. For Shah, it meant transitioning from being a well-paid employee to an entrepreneur without a salary.

“I chose the roller coaster, and it’s what keeps me going,” Shah said.

Although he hardly considers himself PetScreen’s savior, Shah — who has an owner’s share in the firm — said the company was struggling when he joined the team.

“I came on board because what they had was good, but they didn’t know how to sell it to the veterinary market,” he said.

The first test the company offers is based on Slater’s experience helping physicians find the most effective chemotherapy drugs for individual patients.

“Biopsies are standard practice in all cancer diagnosis,” he wrote. “The idea was to take some of the cells from the biopsy and grow them in the lab. It is then possible to add drugs to these cells to see which ones are the most effective at killing the cancer cells.”

The chemo that works best in the lab probably works best in the individual. The test was already available for humans; Slater adapted it to help pets with cancer, he said.

The second test identifies the protein biomarkers in an animal’s blood that indicate when a dog suffers from lymphoma. “We are a biomarker discovery company,” Shah said.

Anything can be a biomarker, he said. Gray hair is a biomarker for old age. Girth is a biomarker for weight.

The company evaluates blood samples with the help of a mass spectrometer.

“If you look at 100 sick animals and 100 healthy animals and compare the mass spectrometry, you’ll spot the variances. You’ll see proteins that are elevated in one population and not another,” he said.

Shah said scientists spent decades huddled in basements, slaving away to determine which biomarkers make the best predictors. “Mass spectrometry makes it easy,” he said.

PetScreen’s canine lymphoma blood test doesn’t tell a veterinarian if a dog is going to develop lymphoma. “It’s not a genetics test,” he said. “But if the animal has lymphoma, it will allow a vet to treat it as soon as possible, which leads to far better treatment outcomes.”

Lymphoma is the most common malignancy in dogs, and some breeds are particularly vulnerable. “The test can be used as a regular screen in high-risk breeds to alert owners to this disease. They can then act sooner when they spot the symptoms,” he added.

For MU veterinary oncologist Carolyn Henry, the tests are a godsend.

“Any time we can detect cancer earlier, we have a better chance of treating it appropriately,” she said.

Henry said most of the time she already knows an animal has cancer. What the test permits her to do is fine-tune her approach. “We can quit or start treatment,” she said. “It’s a project we’re collaborating on.”

Shah and Henry share a goal of finding more biomarkers as the research moves forward.

A test for feline lymphoma is in the works.

“A dog with lymphoma often presents with lumps on the neck and other body parts,” Shah said. “But a cat tends not to have obvious lumps.”

And he’d like to develop a test for immature heartworm infestation. “Because that means you can start treatment sooner,” he said.

Fate played a role in PetScreen’s journey from Nottingham to Columbia.

Henry heard of the lymphoma blood test when a student noticed it online and asked her about it. “I wasn’t familiar with it,” she said.

A few weeks later, she happened to be in Birmingham, England, speaking to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, so she dropped by the PetScreen booth to learn more about the new tests.

There, she met Slater. Henry told him she doubted his test would be successful in the United States until he established a presence here. “But if you want to do a study, let me know,” she added.

“Carolyn was interested in what we were setting out to do but, being from the Show-Me State, was naturally skeptical,” Slater wrote.

Initially, Slater was more interested in New York. But on that same trip in spring 2007, he happily presented data to a group of veterinary oncologists affiliated with the University of Missouri.

Later in the day, Henry felt obligated to take the out-of-town guest to dinner. “I was annoyed because it was Summerfest, and I really wanted to see the band Little Feat. I didn’t want to miss it,” she said.

As the music drifted into the car, Slater inquired: “Excuse me, is that Little Feat? Do you mind if we stop?”

The two bonded. “He is our little Austin Powers,” she said.

Slater wrote: “Very quickly we felt that Columbia wanted us and we wanted Columbia.”

With 72 million dogs in the United States, entering the American market was imperative if PetScreen wanted to grow.

“There are more dogs here than there are people in the U.K.,” Shah said.

Shah has discovered the entrepreneurial climate here is “slightly more progressive” than the United Kingdom’s, and he believes Americans are more open to new ideas.

“You still have to work really hard, but there’s an undercurrent of wanting people to succeed,” he said.

Shah said the business incubator has “been fantastic.”

Jake Halliday, president and CEO of the incubator, said it’s one of the few U.S. locations certified to assist international businesses, a certification earned only two weeks ago.

Shah is grateful for Halliday’s help. “He’s been fantastic in supporting me,” Shah said.

Regional Economic Development Inc. also has helped, Shah said. REDI shared a $25,000 incentive grant that originated from the Boone County Industrial Development Authority.

“It’s a good use of resources,” said REDI Executive Vice President Bernie Andrews, noting PetScreen could’ve set up in many places in the United States. “But we want them to locate here.”

Andrews added that the U.K. division has helped REDI forge contacts in England’s life sciences community.

“It’s easier to get appointments when you have a referral,” Andrews said. “It’s one thing for an economic development agency to make a contact. But when you have an advocate, it means so much more.”

Shah’s previous career opportunities have led to where he is today.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from Liverpool University in 1992 and later studied marine physiology at Leicester University.

“It’s amazing how many people do research into the most arcane topics,” he joked. “I studied shrimps’ eyes. I could talk for hours about shrimp.”

One of his early jobs was with Schering Plough Animal Health, which is where he became familiar with the veterinary business.

After leaving that company in 2000, he took a year to travel the world. He reached Everest Base Camp, studied Thai massage for a month, lived with a family aboard a houseboat on the Mekong River in Laos for a month and dove off the Great Barrier Reef.

While in Thailand, he met his American wife, Audrey. Today they have a 3-year-old daughter, Isabella.

In 2001, he launched his own veterinary consulting business but ultimately took the job with Nationwide Laboratories in 2004.

Shah agrees he has a strong entrepreneurial streak, but he has learned something from every success and failure. “You don’t just walk into becoming a successful entrepreneur. Each experience taught me something about life, people and how to run a business,” he said.

His ultimate dream job is to work as a veterinarian. “It would be absolutely fantastic,” he said.

While people have always loved their pets, Shah said some modern owners are willing to spend significant sums of money to treat a pet’s illness. It’s not unheard of for someone to spend as much as $50,000, Shah said.

“Lifestyles have changed,” said Shah, noting that some people are as fond of their pet as they would be of a child.

Shah is the owner of a border collie at home in England and the adoptive parent of a calico cat — named Little Cat — here in Columbia.

“She inherited us,” he said. “She came in one cold, February day, and we fed her.”

Shah and his wife tried to find the cat’s rightful owners to no avail, and now she lives in a heated outdoor home on their porch.

“Every case I deal with, I’m mindful there’s a worried owner with a pet they love who is facing cancer,” he said.

Originally published at: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Author: Kris Hilgedick
Date: November 27, 2010 
Photos by Gerik Parmele

The Ithaca, N.Y.-based college announced the anonymous gift—one of the largest private gifts in the college's history—in September.

The $10 million will support endowed professorships, DNA sequencing, and the DNA Bank, an archive of DNA and medical information that defines inherited diseases. Research conducted through the program will further scientists' understanding of, and ability to, fight cancer and other diseases that affect animals and humans, according to a college press release.

"With this gift, we will leverage the information embedded in canine genetics—available after hundreds of years of selective breeding—for the benefit of animals and humans," said Dean Michael I. Kotlikoff. "We know that each breed possesses a unique and highly similar collection of genes, which confer susceptibility to certain diseases and constitute a stunning opportunity for gene association studies that cannot be performed in people. These investigations can be done noninvasively in dogs and will inform our understanding of the specific genes that result in susceptibility to some of our most serious diseases."

Faculty and alumni identified advancing translational research as a strategic priority for the college this past year. With the initial investment from the gift, Cornell will search for a faculty member in biostatistics to lead the comparative genomics effort. Then, the college will begin recruiting for a second faculty position, in cancer biology. The gift will endow both positions indefinitely, providing the opportunity to secure additional research funding, according to the press release.

Originally published at: AVMA
Author: JAVMA News
Date: November 5, 2010

Scientists believe that studying village dogs can provide vital new information about dog domestication and evolutionary genomics. “Dogs really are a powerful model system for understanding how evolutionary forces influence genetic variation among populations,” said Carlos Bustamante, a professor of genetics at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The village dog project grew out of a major three-way collaboration examining dog genetics and evolution, which also includes Robert Wayne, UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and Elaine Ostrander, chief and senior investigator, cancer and genetics branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Ostrander studies genes important in growth regulation, particularly as they apply to human and dog diseases. Among other things, her group has constructed high-density comparative maps of the canine genome and has been able to map genetic loci for several dog cancers, Addison’s disease, osteoarthritis, and other disorders. Cancer is of particular interest to her group and is the major focus of its canine disease studies.

Earlier this year, Wayne’s team at UCLA released a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study showing that most breed dogs can trace their origins to Middle Eastern wolves, not Asian or European wolves as previously thought. This research involved analyzing genetic data from more than 900 dogs from 85 breeds, including all the major ones, and more than 200 wild gray wolves worldwide, including populations from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The work also produced the first evolutionary tree of dog breeds, showing a surprising structure that suggested that new breeds were developed from crosses within specific breed groups that share particular traits.

These studies focused on breed dogs are key to identifying genetic differences among breeds. “But there was a piece missing—village dogs,” Bustamante said.  “These are dogs that are not pure-bred dogs, who can hearken back to pre-breed diversity.”

Bustamante, who recently was among those named to receive a prestigious $500,000 MacArthur “genius’’ award, a “no-strings attached’’ fellowship, said there is a strong scientific rationale for studying village dogs.

“If we think about dogs, they live in different types of worlds,’’ he said. “Breed dogs, we keep in our homes. Wolves live in the wild and are subject to natural selection. Then you have village dogs, which are somewhere in between. They have undergone some degree of adaptive change, living near humans but still are subject to natural selection, the way wolves are. So by studying them, we can get a much better picture of the evolutionary process.”

Bustamante is leading a project, believed to be the largest of its kind, to genotype stray dogs around the world. He and his team, who began the effort while at Cornell University, have collected blood samples from more than 1,200 village dogs found in dozens of different countries on five continents. To do so, they enlisted the help of numerous local researchers, shelters and veterinarians.

“The procedure involved talking to locals to find dogs that were living in the community, or working with shelters to sample shelter dogs that had been brought there from the around the area,” said Adam Boyko, a research assistant in the department of genetics who is directing the sampling effort. “Dogs were briefly muzzled for safety, and then weighed, measured and photographed before 3-5 milliliters of blood was drawn for an analysis.”

NSF funded the work with $296,385 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. “ARRA funding has allowed us to turn dogs into a model species in evolutionary genomics, as well as answer important questions about how domestication and adaptation to human environments have shaped the dog genome prior to the advent of modern artificial selection toward breed standards,” Boyko said.

The scientists believe that the knowledge gained will offer critical insights not only into dog genetics, but human genetics as well.

“Understanding the dog genome helps us understand the human genome,” Bustamante said. “It helps us understand human traits. Dogs are the most phenotypically diverse species. If humans varied as much as dogs, we’d have two-feet-tall humans and 20-feet-tall humans.” Boyko agreed, adding: “Dogs are fast becoming an important species for medical genomics,” he said.  “Many disease variants have been found in dogs, some of which have given us important insights into human disease.”

Moreover, “we care about dogs,” Bustamante said. “By studying genetic disorders, for example, by going out and finding the genes involved, we may find ways to cure them. Dogs are a great model system.  If you understand why dogs get cancers, you get certain insights into human cancers. Ultimately, we would love to create a toolbox of approaches that can be applied to other systems; what we learn about dogs can help us study evolution in other systems. There’s an intense connection there.”

The researchers are in the genetic analysis phase of the project, meaning they are examining common genetic markers and comparing them to wolves and breed dogs. “We are also genome sequencing, and will build demographic models to compare the genomes of the village dogs to the wolves and the domestic dogs to see what’s unique and shared, and what you see only in breed dogs,” Bustamante said.

The implications of having this repository of out-bred dog DNA samples and phenotypic data are huge.

“We now have better resolution than ever for determining the origin of dogs as well as the first ever picture of what ‘natural’ dog populations look like phenotypically and genetically,” Boyko said. “Dog geneticists have been able to find many interesting genetic variants using association mapping in purebred dogs now, for the first time, we can see where and when these variants arose, and start to understand how they affect individuals under ‘natural’ conditions. Perhaps most importantly, we are able to generate a list of millions of genetic variants in dogs that will be useful for future genomic projects, since currently nearly all the variants known in dogs are known from sequencing just two individual dogs: a boxer and a poodle.”

Originally published at: US News & World Report
Author: Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Date: October 12, 2010

The following is an selection (compiled by George A Padgett, DVM) of dog breeds where Gastric torsion or Bloat has been found. To arrive at this list, Dr. Padgett included only those breeds where a licensed veterinarian documented a case of bloat. Even if only one dog was reported with a diagnosis of bloat in a particular breed, he included the breed in the list as he felt that the earlier the problem could be eliminated, in a breeding program, the better.

As Dr. Padgett rightly points out, the more popular the breed of dog, the more likely it will be to have a variety of genetic diseases. Rare breeds have such small populations, it is almost impossible to find or trace genetic diseases. Cross or mixed-breed dogs are included in his data base as they are by far the largest single group of dogs seen by veterinarians.

Despite all myths to the contrary, cross or mixed-breed dogs are prone to many genetic diseases including bloat. If you are planning to get a mixed-breed dog and you know which two breeds were the parents, the chances of your dog being predisposed to bloat will depend upon whether one of its parents are in the list of breeds experiencing bloat. If you don’t know the breed makeup of your dog, you have no way of knowing whether or not it will be free of bloat.

The following is an sampling of dog breeds registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) that have been diagnosed with bloat, according to the group in which they are placed. A complete list of all breeds affected by bloat can be found elsewhere.

There are eight breeds in the Sporting Group that have a predisposition to bloat including: the Golden Retriever, the Irish Setter and the Labrador Retriever.  

In the Hound Group, eleven dog breeds have had at least one verified episode of bloat.                         

In the Working Group, thirteen breeds are affected, including the Doberman Pincher, Great Dane and Rottweiler.

The Airedale Terrier is the only breed in the Terrier Group that has been reported with an episode of bloat.

All three sizes of Poodles have been reported with at least one case of bloat. In fact, the Toy Poodle is the only breed in the Toy group that has had a confirmed case of bloat due to its genetic similarity to other Poodles.

The Chow Chow and the English Bulldog joins the Poodle in the Non-Sporting Group as having had a bloat episode.

In the Herding Group five breeds are prone to bloat. The best known breeds are the Collie and the German Shepherd Dog.  

Since Bloat is such a devastating disease, owners of these particular breeds should be mindful of the risks or predisposing factors that might trigger an occurrence. An epidemiological study conducted by the Cornell University Veterinary School on the health histories of dogs participating in a dog show found a number of predisposing conditions in the incidence of bloat. (Unfortunately, this link no longer exists and the study is no longer available on-line from Purdue.) Another resource is the 1984-85 publication of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America’s “Blue Book” (the cover is blue!) on Toxic Gut Syndrome of the German Shepherd. This article clearly describes how a dog behaves who is experiencing bloat. (This publication is also hard to find.)

The list of dog breeds may have been updated since the publication of Dr. Padgett’s book. New puppy owners, or potential buyers, are advised to explore the website of the national breed club to learn which genetic diseases are prevalent in their chosen breed.

References

George A. Padgett, DVM. Control of Canine Genetic Diseases. Howell Bookhouse. New York. 1998.

Delbert G Carlson, DVM and James M Giffin MD “Dog Owners’s Home Veterinary Handbook. 1992  Simon & Schuster MacMillan. Pp. 199-202.

“Toxic Gut Syndrome of the GSD” by Charles Kruger, DVM and Helen Sherlock. Genetics: 1984-85 Volume 1 (The Blue Book). German Shepherd Dog Club of America Inc. pp. 11-17.

Predisposing conditions in the incidence of bloat: http://clubweb.interbaun.com/~ pamb/raw_diet.php

 http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/51842-bloat-in-dogs-symptoms -and-treatments

 http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/310025-how-to-tell-if-a-dog- has-bloat

 http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/266195-causes-of-bloat-in-do gs

 http://www.helium.com/knowledg e/266194-how-to-prevent-bloat- in-dogs

Originally published at: Helium
Author: Pam Brink
Date: October 6, 2010

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a disease which leads to blindness and cannot be treated. Canine health experts say the best way to combat the inherited condition is to identify dogs that carry the mutation and develop informed breeding strategies. By identifying the mutation, the Animal Health Trust (AHT) team in Newmarket has been able to develop a DNA test which will identify golden retrievers which carry the mutation.

The mutation which causes a second form of PRA is still to be identified.

Cathryn Mellersh, head of canine genetics at the AHT, said: “Our research shows that this mutation is present in the UK golden retriever population, so it’s likely that several hundred new carriers are being born each year and that golden retrievers are invariably going blind as a result.

“Without the support of the Golden Retriever Breed Council and many owners who have provided DNA samples for us to analyse, we wouldn’t have been able to make this significant breakthrough.

“This new DNA test will enable breeders to learn whether their dogs are carriers of the mutation. This, in turn, will enable them to make better informed breeding decisions and therefore produce puppies which will not go blind as a result of this mutation.”

Mike Townsend, chairman of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which helps fund the work, said: “This is a real breakthrough and one which we hope will help to prevent blindness in many golden retrievers in the years to come.

“Every dog deserves to lead a healthy, happy life and it is important that we do all we can to ensure that future generations are given this opportunity.”

Originally published at: EADT24
Author: Laurence Cawley
Date: September 20, 2010

"The last known sighting of a Sierra Nevada red fox in the Sonora Pass area was some time in the 1920s," said Mike Crawley, Bridgeport District ranger. "Needless to say, we are quite surprised and excited by this find."
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Federal wildlife technicians Emily Crowe and Julien Pellegrini were checking hundreds of photos when they came across an overexposed image taken at 2:17 a.m. Aug. 11 of what appeared to be the rare red fox — with its characteristic white-tipped tail — trying to get at the bait bag dangling from a tree.

The Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) lives at high elevations, eating small mammals and birds. It has a reddish head, back and sides; black backs of the ears; black "socks" on its feet; and a white-tipped tail.

But the only known population of the fox is roughly 20 animals clinging to survival in the Lassen Peak region, about 150 miles to the north.

DNA analysis of saliva from the tooth punctures on the bait bag allowed UC Davis wildlife genetics researchers Ben Sacks and Mark Statham to make a positive identification.

"We got back to the Forest Service and said, 'Yep, you've got yourself a Sierra Nevada red fox there, and it's distinct from the Lassen Peak population,'" Sacks said. "It's got a genetic signature that we haven't seen outside of the skulls and skins of museum specimens collected before 1926.

"Red foxes don't live to be 100 years old, so we're assuming there are more of them up there," Sacks added. "So we now have two small, isolated populations, and we don't know how big the second group is. That's about as endangered as you can get."

On Friday, federal biologists, UC Davis genetics researchers and university students began setting up additional monitoring stations and cameras to try to determine the size and health of the Sonora Pass population.

It remains to be seen whether the discovery will affect ongoing U.S. Marine Corps training exercises as well as plans to develop a snowmobile crossing in the remote area.

"It is very unusual to discover a new large animal species," said Forest Service spokeswoman Christie Kalkowski. "In this case, it was like finding a rare jewel in a totally unexpected place."

Originally published at: LAtimes.com
Author: Louis Sahagun
Date: September 7, 2010

Originally published at: MSNBC/MSN.com
Author: LiveScience
Date: August 11, 2010

When Heather Huson was growing up in Pennsylvania, her stepfather went to see a sled dog race and fell in love with the sport. "I started racing when I was 7," she says. Her family moved to upstate New York when she was a teenager because it had better snow. Now she's a graduate student in genetics at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks—but she's still interested in sled dogs.

Huson was interested in studying the genetics behind performance in her beloved animals. For this study, Huson visited eight kennels—four that specialize in distance races like the Iditarod, and four that specialize in sprints, races of 5 to 50 kilometers that last only a few hours. All of them use Alaskan sled dogs. Huson, who trained as a veterinary technician before graduate school, drew blood from a total of 199 dogs—"easier than trimming toenails," she says—and she or someone at the kennel ran each dog and scored its speed, endurance, and work ethic (i.e., how much of the run it was actively pulling as opposed to letting its teammates do the work).

Alaskan sled dogs seem like they shouldn't have much in common genetically. They look different—they can be long-haired or short-haired, floppy-eared or perky-eared, 13 or 30 kilograms. And though breeders of distance dogs tend to stick to other Alaskan sled dogs, sprint-dog breeders mix in other breeds, like English pointers, shorthaired pointers, and even greyhounds. But Huson found much more commonality than she anticipated.

To figure out which breeds the dogs were most closely related to, Huson analyzed microsatellites, small, repeating sequences of DNA. In earlier work, one of her co-authors had figured out patterns of microsatellites that identify each of 141 purebreds. Huson expected that sled dogs' microsatellites would group them with Siberian huskies or Alaskan malamutes, the breeds that were their most likely ancestors. But instead, they formed "their own little genetic group," she says—essentially a breed of their own, as unique as poodles or corgis. Although the microsatellite patterns of one sled-pulling mutt might include his pointer grandpa and Siberian forebears, most of the microsatellites represented the unique Alaskan sled dog pattern. "This is saying, 'Here's another genetic breed of dog, but they were selected for and bred based on performance,' " not on looks, Huson says. The study will appear online tomorrow in BMC Genetics.

Huson also determined which breeds brought different attributes to the dogs. Dogs with a lot of malamute and husky blood had more endurance; those with ancestors that were pointers and salukis were speedier.

Don't look for the Alaskan sled dog at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show anytime soon, though. The people who breed these dogs use them for work and have no particular interest in lobbying the American Kennel Club to recognize them as purebreds, Huson says.

The conclusion that sled dogs represent their own breed is unexpected, says evolutionary biologist Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles. "It was a bit of a surprise to find that they're distinct from everything else." The work, he notes, should lead the way to finding genes behind a variety of behaviors in these dogs, like the willingness to pull a sled.

Originally published at: ScienceMag
Author: Helen Fields
Date: July 21, 2010

The Poodle breed is available in three sizes. To the lay person, these sizes could be called “small, medium and large”, but in the poodle fraternity, they are classified as “Toy” (less than ten inches at the shoulder), “Miniature” (less than fifteen inches) and “Standard” (over fifteen inches).  Each size of poodles is available in a range of colours, including blue, grey, silver, brown, cafe-au-lait, apricot and cream. They almost sound like scrumptious varieties of chocolate.

Apart from the height and colour differences, the different types of poodles have an identical “breed description”. They are all said to be “active, intelligent and elegant-appearing dogs, squarely built, well proportioned, moving soundly and carrying themselves proudly”.

They’re also claimed to be a “low-shed” breed, which is partly why the cross-bred versions are so popular. It’s important to realise that no dog is non-shed: moulting is part of the hair growth cycle of all dogs. But some breeds – including Poodles – do shed less, and this can make them far more home-friendly.

I’d never seen myself as a “poodle person”, but I’ve recently discovered a skeleton in my closet. Spot, our twelve year old family dog (pictured above),  is a cross-bred pooch that we rescued as a pup, abandoned in a local builder’s yard. We’d always classified him as a “terrier cross”, but with the new DNA test that’s become available, we were able to pinpoint his precise origin. We weren’t surprised when the cheek swab told us that he was 50% Fox Terrier, but it was the other 50% that shocked us. We now know for sure that either his father or his mother was a Poodle, and our random rescue dog is a highly prized hybrid known as a “Foodle”.

Knowing the dog as I do, I don’t think he’d be impressed to learn about his pedigree ancestry. Whatever the DNA test has told us, he’s still a terrier-cross to us.

Originally published at: Telegraph.co.uk
Author: Pete Wedderburn
Date: July 7, 2010

The Nutro Company, a leading manufacturer of natural pet food* products, is initiating a movement to enhance dog parks across the country called the Room to Run(TM) Dog Park Appreciation Project. The Nutro Company is kicking off the initiative this Saturday with the first event in Nashville, where company volunteers, along with local community members, are painting benches, replacing the retaining wall and participating in other projects to improve the space at Centennial Park.

"We are so excited to get our hands dirty, and we anticipate a tremendous turnout by community members who come to the park on a regular basis," said Melanie Sapikoski, Sales Associate for The Nutro Company and team captain for the Nashville event. "The activities at Centennial Park will really help shed light on how important dog parks are to the communities they serve."

Led by associates from The Nutro Company, in partnership with members of the community, the ROOM TO RUN(TM) project is an effort to enhance and revitalize dog parks in 30 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Enhancing dog parks is a natural fit for the company, as The Nutro Company has had a long standing commitment to natural ingredients in their pet food for more than 80 years. The project is a way for the company to connect with communities and help bring nature closer to home for dogs and their owners.

Volunteers from the company are hosting ROOM TO RUN(TM) events at selected dog parks from June 12 to June 19. Volunteer opportunities vary by location, but will include activities such as painting fences, providing benches, picking up trash and landscaping.

"As a company, and as a group of passionate pet owners ourselves, we are dedicated to enhancing dog parks because of the benefits they bring to not only pets but also the owners," said Carolyn Hanigan, Vice President of Marketing for The Nutro Company. "Taking the time to help communities revitalize their off-leash areas is an endeavor that we are eager to undertake, as it is so important to foster the human-animal bond and bring a bit of nature to our pets."

Dog parks provide many benefits to dogs and their owners, but many dog owners are disappointed with the parks themselves. According to a recent survey**, 44 percent of dog park-goers say their dog is more social with people and dogs than before they went to the park. Additionally, nearly 40 percent of people that believe their park is not well kept said the grass is not well maintained and another 36 percent said their park is not kept clean.

Whether there is a Room to Run(TM) event in your area or not, you can make a difference by going to your local dog park and making small changes to make it more enjoyable for everyone. For a list of locations and to find out more about the initiative, visit www.thenutrocompany.com.

About The Nutro Company

The Nutro Company is a leading manufacturer of natural pet food* products sold exclusively at pet specialty stores. The company has been making "The World's Best Pet Food" for more than 80 years and is dedicated to quality, excellence and innovation in dog and cat nutrition offering healthful formulas for every pet's life stage, activity level and size. The Nutro Company's family of brands includes MAX® dog and cat food, NATURAL CHOICE® dog and cat food, and ULTRA(TM) food for dogs in addition to the GREENIES® brands, which include the #1 vet recommended pet specialty dental chews*** and PILL POCKETS® treats. For more information, please visit www.thenutrocompany.com and www.greenies.com.

Originally published at: The Beacon (Windsor, CO)
Author: Lisa Mehring
Date: May 29, 2010

The company said it offers the best value because its test includes about 170 breeds, more than any other cheek swab application. WalletPop found a test from BioPet for $59.99 but it tracked ancestry from just 62 breeds.

When WalletPop suggested that the test could also determine whether that pricey pooch you purchased is really a purebred, Sourk said, "People do that but ours is not intended to do that."

WalletPop found a few other items that it considered best in show for fun and semi-frugality. I appreciated the Pup-Casso Paint Kit for Pets ($19.99) for sheer wackiness. Think of it as finger-painting for dogs. You place strategically placed paints on paper, apply a see-through plastic barrier, and encourage the dog to walk all over it. The paw-crushed images look to be what Jackson Pollock might have created had he watched "Blue's Clues."

I watched a dog try it out. Good for a minute or two of entertainment. Tammy Zaiko started the company a year ago after watching her Golden Retriever step on paint. She embraces the silliness. Said Zaiko: "You'll never wake up and say, 'Gee, I'm gonna buy a paint kit for my dog today.'"

The Easy Brush chew-it-yourself-toothbrush ($14.95) gets dogs into the brushing habit that probably eludes your 5-year-old human -- plus you can use Cheez Whiz as the toothpaste, said rep Carrie R. Foote. The bone-shaped device has bristles at both ends, and the dog is supposed to chew on it for two minutes every other day. We wondered what happened to Milk Bones as the tartar-control king for canines. Foote said Milk Bones don't clean the tough-to-reach parts of the gum line the way Easy Brush does.

I walked past a booth offering psychic readings for dogs and grabbed a handful of complimentary jelly beans, dropping them in my mouth as I prepared to leave. Then the thought hit me: Were those actually made for two-legged guests?

Originally published at: WalletPop.com
Author: Ron Dicker
Date: May 26, 2010

Animal DNA testing versus Animal Testing
There is a big difference between these two terms and the word ‘DNA’ changes everything. Animal testing or animal experimentation means the use of animals in any of the following:

• Toxicology (new drugs for humans are first tested on animals to examine side effects, effectiveness, dosages etc)
• Neurological research
• Genetic modification of animals in order to trigger the development of diseases
• Xenotransplantation (taking an organ from one species of animal and transplanting it into another)
• Cosmetic testing on animals

The above involves animal testing and this raises many ethical issues with animals being put through experiments like vivisection and drug-overdoses. Animal DNA testing is purely to the benefit of the animal and of course the pet lover, vet or breeder and causes absolutely no harm to the animal.

What would I need to Test my Dog for?
If you are thinking of breeding your dog, then an animal DNA test to detect the presence of Von Willebrand’s diseases (VWD) is important as this condition is not uncommon. In Doberman breeds it can cause bleeding to death under operating conditions. Would it not be good to inform your vet beforehand of your dog has this condition? Would you want to mate your dog that has a hereditary condition and can pass it down to its offspring?

Coat colour is also important if you are thinking of breeding your dog. There are patterns for coat colour which can be closely linked to your dog’s genes. There are certain alleles which can be found be DNA analysts at very specific locations on the dogs DNA profiles and these would encode for particular coat colours. With such a test you can easily work out which dogs to breed and the outcome of their offspring will have predictable coat colours. This is known as ‘colour-breeding’. Those dogs that will give you offspring whose colours will not be desirable can be excluded from the mating process. Rarer colours may raise the value of a dog and make it more appealing for competitions and to buyers.

Canine Breeding and Parentage DNA test
The evolution of dog breeding from a historical perspective is also interesting because some pups with certain coat colours were chosen for breeding and not others. There are instances were coat colour is linked to certain health related traits. Moreover, many hunting dogs today boast brown coloured variations because they were deliberately chosen because hunters believed that the colour helped camouflage the dogs better.

In much the same way as a paternity DNA test done for humans, you can establish the parentage of a dog. You may have a litter of puppies and wonder who is the father of these pups? Can it be that more than one biological father is involved? The implications are wonderful for pet breeders, what better guarantee of pedigree can you offer buyers than a DNA certified pedigree?

Dog DNA testing will become more and more widespread and as more conditions can be tested for, the demand will rise. Today, there are a range of animal DNA tests that can be done on birds, cattle, cats and horses.

Originally published at: easyDNA.ie
Author: easyDNA.ie
Date: May 14, 2010

His housemate, miniature schnauzer Clara, on the other hand, receives her insulin injection and eats at 7 a.m. sharp. After her morning meal ritual, she goes for a 45-minute walk. She does best with no changes, sticking to the same calories and exercise every day to maintain regular blood sugar levels.

In both cases, the dog’s owner, accountant David Carleton, takes such measures to prevent his dogs’ hereditary conditions from worsening. Great Danes are predisposed to bloat, while Schnauzers have a tendency to get diabetes. However, as with King Sigfred and Clara, hereditary issues need not weigh down on your pet and disrupt your lives.

Learn the DNA ABCs
It first helps to understand a bit about genetics, which is at the root of the entire problem. Genetics can refer to inherited variation in DNA, a specialized acid that contains the instructions used in the development of all living organisms. Genetic predisposition means that your dog is at risk of getting a health problem due to its breed and that breed’s associated genes. Just as diabetes, epilepsy, cancer and arthritis can run in certain human families, these conditions can pass down through dog families, too, even if your pet is a mutt with multiple breeds on its family tree. All breeds are susceptible to genetic-associated ailments. There is no way to tell if a puppy will have any of the predisposed diseases, since genetics is strictly luck of the draw. Two littermates may or may not have the same genetic makeup. Also, being predisposed just means a risk that is higher than normal. By the same token, a dog that is not predisposed can get diseases with a genetic component. Nothing is cast in stone when it comes to genetics.

Diseases and Conditions Linked to Certain Breeds
Here are a few common breeds with some of the disorders they may inherit:

* American pit bull terrier allergies, cleft palate, thyroid and hip problems
* Basset hound hair follicle disorders, glaucoma, back troubles
* Beagle cataracts, deafness, epilepsy, heart disorders
* Bloodhound bloat, hip problems, eyelid troubles
* Border collie deafness, cataracts, hip problems
* Boxer allergies, hip troubles, deafness, sinus issues
* Chihuahua glaucoma, baldness, heart disease
* Cocker spaniel (American) eye problems, epilepsy, hip disorders, thyroid disorders
* Dachshund deafness, back problems, baldness
* German shepherd hip problems, epilepsy, cataracts, heart disease
* Labrador retriever joint problems, hip disorders, skin troubles, epilepsy
* Poodle heart disorders, deafness, epilepsy, immune system problems
* Saint Bernard cataracts, digestion troubles, hip problems

Two of the most common genetic-linked health issues among virtually all breeds are hip dysplasia and allergies.

Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is abnormal development and growth of the hip joint -- common in larger dogs -- that can cause painful arthritis and movement problems. Dogs typically show signs at five to eight months of age. You can’t prevent the condition, but you can keep it from getting worse. “The big issue is nutrition,” said Dr. Greg L. Harasen, DVM, an orthopedic veterinary surgeon in Regina, Saskatchewan. “Dogs on high-energy rations as puppies, which grow at a more rapid rate, have more severe changes in their hips. The rations don’t cause the problem; they make the changes worse.” He explains that the problem is that some people feed their pups too much, elevating their dogs’energy and calcium levels, which forces the undesired rapid growth. Be sure to feed your pet according to manufacturer and veterinary guidelines.

For appropriate cases, there are surgical fixes to get your dog walking more easily again. Another remedy for adult canines is weight control. “In dogs with degenerative changes in their hips, the more they weigh as adults, the more clinical signs they tend to have,” says Dr. Harasen. Prevent obesity by not overfeeding your dog, by making sure that you account for all food consumed, including treats and kitchen handouts. Be sure that your dog gets enough exercise as well.

Sophie, a four-year-old dog owned by Susan Shalaby, a teacher in West Allis, Wis., has the hip dysplasia that affects many Bernese mountain dogs. Shalaby keeps Sophie at a healthy weight. “We take slow, short walks, and I adjust to her speed,” says Shalaby. “She takes a glucosamine supplement.” Two different pain relievers gave Sophie tummy upset, so Shalaby is researching others. Sophie whimpers when a metal brush is used over her hips, so a softer brush is used instead. “We’ll probably put a ramp in so she won’t have to deal with stairs as she gets older.”

Allergies
Allergies can also be inherited, with flea allergies among the most common for dogs. Amy Tiedt, a veterinary technician in Brooklyn, Wis., knows her West Highland white terrier, Fred, is wildly allergic to fleas and dust mites. Just two fleas can cause him to start scratching badly enough to need antibiotics. Dust mites make him just as miserable. Total flea control is critical. “I use topical flea preventive religiously and mark the calendar so applications are never late,” says Tiedt. To avoid steroid use, Fred gets daily fatty acid supplements and antihistamines as needed.

For dust mites, Tiedt regularly washes Fred’s dog bed, washable toys, her bedspread and bedding. Dust mites thrive in humidity, so in humid weather, Tiedt turns on her air conditioner. She vacuums with a HEPA filter and bathes her pet every so often with a hypoallergenic shampoo. She also says, “Fred gets an antihistamine before therapy visits because he’s allergic to something there. It’s all about managing his environment.”

Bad Genes, Not Bad Dogs
Fred, King Sigfred and other dogs prove daily that a hereditary disease doesn’t automatically mean that you and your dog must suffer. Sometimes you can prevent or delay conditions by following specific medical and nutritional recommendations. Your veterinarian can advise you, but the day-to-day management is up to you.
 

Originally published at: PetsWeekly.com
Author: Phyllis DeGioia for The Dog Daily
Date: April 30, 2010

Dr. Angela Hughes writes for Mars Veterinary (http://www.wisdompanel.com/), a division of MARS Incorporated dedicated to facilitating responsible pet care through education and innovative science-based discoveries, such as accurate canine DNA testing. Learn more at http://www.wisdompanel.com/.

Dogs are often considered best friends and members of the family. Their quality of life is therefore very important. Understanding your dog’s health plays a major role in your dog’s quality of life, as well as the happiness of your family as a whole. In addition to regular checkups at the veterinarian’s office to make sure your dog is in good health, there are several signs you can check for regularly at home to ensure your dog’s wellness. By knowing what to look for in your dog’s skin and coat, face and dental health, you may be able to spot illness before it becomes a serious issue. Below, learn more about signs of a healthy dog.

Skin and Coat:
The color of your dog’s skin and coat can vary depending on your dog’s breed, but in general, any scabs, red areas, flakes or growths are signs that your dog may be ill or have a skin problem. Some dogs have spotted skin and a spotted coat, which is normal. Check for ticks or fleas by brushing your dog’s fur backward and looking closely for dirt or specks that scurry away. Making sure your dog’s coat is glossy and free of dandruff or oiliness not only keeps your dog healthy, but ensures your dog is looking and feeling good.

Eyes, Ears and Nose:
Your dog’s eyes should be bright, shiny and clear, without swelling or inflammation. Watery eyes can be normal, but yellow discharge can be a sign of illness. Healthy ears are light pink and clean, with minimal wax or crust. Some dogs have long hair in their ears, which means they often need special attention when cleaning and drying the ears. Be sure your dog’s nose is moist and that discharge is clear.

Dental Health:
If your dog has a mouth infection or serious dental health problem, it’s important to get it treated right away, as dental health can have a serious effect on other parts of the body. A healthy dog has firm gums that range in color, from pink to spotted, depending on your dog’s breed and skin color. When checking your dog’s teeth, be gentle and look for soft white matter or hard yellow, brown or white matter, which are signs of decay. Also be sure that your dog’s breath does not smell foul.

Dog Breeds and Health:
Certain health issues are sometimes related to certain dog breeds, so it helps to understand your dog’s genetic makeup. The American Kennel Club keeps a list of recognized dog breeds, along with common physical and personality traits associated with each breed. If you have a mixed-breed dog and are not sure of your dog’s exact breed, there are dog breed tests that help determine your dog’s genetic makeup. Knowing your dog’s breed or breeds can help you develop a nutritional and exercise plan to make sure your dog leads a positive way of life.

Originally published at: PetTips.com
Author: Dr. Angela Hughes, DVM, PhD - Mars Veterinary
Date: April 28, 2010

Originally published at: UPI.com
Author: United Press International
Date: April 22, 2010

This won’t hurt a bit: Roe Froman, a veterinarian with Van Andel Institute’s Center for Canine Health and Performance, takes a DNA saliva sample from Skye, an Australian shepherd, at Must Love Dogs animal boutique in Grand Haven. The samples are used in human and canine cancer research.

GRAND RAPIDS — Picture a border collie herding sheep, enacting its natural impulse. Might the trait bred into the dog for centuries provide a clue to the cause of human addiction?

Or, imagine a hunting dog that points out its master’s prey. Could a genetic study of the animal unleash insights into the human mind?

A new Center for Canine Health and Performance at Van Andel Institute is using dog DNA to learn more about human diseases. The Grand Rapids lab and its research partners have announced a 2-year, $4.3 million federal grant to expand the scope of the study that may prove dogs are both man’s best friend and his physician’s.

“Everything you can do in human genetics, you can do in dog genetics,” said Mark Neff, director of the center created in partnership with the Van Andel-affiliated Translational Genomics Research Institute, or TGen, in Phoenix. “The two mutually inform one another and mutually benefit one another. Translating between is seamless.

“By studying the DNA of canines, we expect to more quickly discover the genomic causes of disease and more quickly find ways to better treat dogs and people.”

Because dog breeds have less genetic diversity than humans, who are relative mutts, it is easier to identify particular genes that cause certain diseases, Neff said. Finding cancer-causing canine genes in dogs may help pinpoint causes of human cancers and develop new treatment drugs.

For example, Van Andel researchers since 2008, as part of a Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium, have been studying hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels, in Clumber spaniels. Though common in some dog breeds, the disease is rare in humans and has no effective treatment.

“A patient who draws that card, there’s no solution for that. There’s not a large enough sample size (for effective research),” Neff said. “But you can learn about the human cancer, which is rare, by studying the dog cancer, which is common.

“All you need is that DNA sample to make that connection.”

Lynnette Gallagher’s five cocker spaniels arrive at Must Love Dogs to have their DNA samples taken for Van Andel Institute cancer research.While mice live at Van Andel, there are no dogs on site. DNA comes from saliva — typically a cheek swab or cup of drool — or blood and tumor samples donated voluntarily by veterinarians, breeders and dog owners from around the country.

Researchers are analyzing the canine DNA, and the findings could apply to human diagnostics and treatment. But, to throw the dog a bone, they also could indicate if a dog carries a defective, cancer-causing gene.

“The canines are not just a through-put for the end product” of human study, said Roe Froman, a longtime local veterinarian who joined VAI last fall as a senior veterinary research scientist. “We’re not just using the dogs to help the people. We’re also using the dogs to help other dogs.

“The more we can help to develop earlier diagnostics and better treatment protocols, those are huge benefits to the dog people.”

The faster samples can be accumulated, the faster research can progress, said Froman, president of the Clumber Spaniel Health Foundation. The owner of any dog with cancer can call Froman at 234-5556 to learn about donating canine DNA.

With the grant, which is supplemented by $500,000 each from PetSmart and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the consortium of several organizations including the National Cancer Institute, University of Pennsylvania and Michigan State University will study other cancers that originate in connective tissues such as bone, cartilage and fat: osteosarcoma, oral melanoma, malignant histiocytosis and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Researchers will look at as many as 20 dog breeds using some of the same tools deployed in human study, then work with pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments.

“We can use the exact same technology for canines,” said Jeffrey Trent, president and research director for VAI and TGen. “This is an important way to leverage biology to help people and at the same time help our canine friends.”

Eventually, the program also aims to study neurological and behavioral disorders as well as other conditions that may relate to human conditions. For example, studying dogs that suffer hearing loss may put researchers on a fast-track to finding keys to deafness in the muddled human genome.

Unwittingly, a dog’s fine-tuned gene pool may breed a cure for human disease.

“(Dog breeders) are the Mendels and Darwins of today,” Neff said. “My job is to go out and learn from them.”

Originally published at: MLive-Grand Rapids Press
Author: Matt Vande Bunte
Date: April 16, 2010