Results for search "Pets And Health".
Some people mistrust the safety and effectiveness of human vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases, a fact that became abundantly clear during the pandemic.
Now, a new survey of 2,200 dog owners shows this mistrust may often extend to canine vaccinations.
The finding suggests there is spillover between the issues, with those who have negative feelings about human vaccines more lik...
Does your dog struggle to breathe, especially at mealtime?
New research suggests the two might often be connected.
The University of Missouri researchers discovered that about 75% of dogs who had respiratory disease and were participating in a swallowing study were also found to have one or more digestive tract abnormalities. The scientists have been investigating the interplay betw...
Warming temperatures may be bringing a new risk for shelter dogs: the spread of tick- and mosquito-borne disease in a broader geographic area, according to a new study.
Bites from these pests can cause serious illness in dogs, including heartworm and Lyme disease.
The study, on shelter dogs in the eastern United States, shows that they may experience the brunt of warmer weather, but...
Mothers use sing-song language to talk to their infants. Their dogs respond to it, too, according to a new study.
Researchers in Hungary also found that dogs have greater brain sensitivity to the speech directed at them than to adult-directed speech, especially if the words are spoken by a woman.
In imaging scans, dogs and infants showed brain similarities during the processing of ...
When Daniel Cooney and his husband Patrick Key adopted Rothko, a coonhound mix, from a shelter eight years ago, it took time to get used to his quirks.
Rothko doesn’t always jell with other pups, which means the dog park is often out of the question.
"There are several dogs in the neighborhood that we have to stay away from, but we have gotten good at noticing the signs of aggress...
Do you have COVID-19? With a little training, your dog might be more effective at figuring that out than even at-home antigen or sophisticated hospital tests.
Dogs are so good at it, according to a new research review, that they may be ready for mainstream medical use ...
It's commonly thought that having a companion animal — be it a dog, cat or bird — is good for the owner's mental health.
A new study suggests that's not so, at least for people with severe mental illness and for pets that aren't trained therapy animals. Pets may, however, be an important part of the social network for folks with severe mental illness.
Having pets was not signifi...
American industry engages in some of the same high-risk practices as other countries in keeping and selling commercial animals that have the potential for triggering outbreaks of disease among humans, a new report shows.
Researchers from Harvard Law...
Like people, dogs slow down as they age.
Researchers wondered whether slowed walking could also signal mental decline. To learn more, they did a series of experiments that included measuring the dogs' speed both on and off leash as well as cognitive testing.
“Walking speed in people is strongly associated with cognitive decline,” said study author
Like humans, older dogs can be prone to a variety of health issues.
Among the maladies that middle-aged and older dogs experience is Cushing's disease, when the body produces too much of a hormone called cortisol.
Fortunately, it is possible to test for and treat the condition, giving your pet a healthier late life.
"Cortisol is one of the body's natural steroids," said Dr. An...
The Canadian wildfires that are burning out of control have brought hazy skies and polluted air to parts of the United States unprepared for it -- and that's affecting not just the people, but their pets and livestock, too.
An animal welfare expert from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers some advice for animal caregivers to help them get their animals through these smoky...
Could a treatment combo that improves the odds against melanoma for humans work in dogs?
Yes, claims a new study that found radiotherapy followed by immunotherapy extended survival in canine melanoma patients.
Melanomas in dogs are similar to human melanomas. An effective treatment for human melanomas is a combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The researchers from Japan wa...
Wild and feral cats appear to release more toxoplasmosis parasites in places densely populated with people, new research suggests.
These cats also "shed" more when the temperature is warmer, a significant finding given climate change, according to the report published online June 21 in PLOS ONE.
Policymakers could help protect humans from this illness by better managing th...
New research on horses and dogs found elevated levels of PFAS “forever chemicals,” establishing horses as sentinel species.
Sentinel species provide advance warning of a danger to people.
The work also advanced knowledge about PFAS exposure and liver and kidney function in these animals. PFAS stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of chemicals used in plastics an...
Just like their humans, dogs get cranky when temperatures and air pollution levels surge.
Heat and air pollution have previously been linked to human aggression. Now, researchers say it also appears that there are more dog bites on hot, polluted days.
More research is needed to confirm these findings, according to study author
Fido really needs a friend.
That's the main takeaway from a new survey that included more than 21,400 dogs and their owners, and showed that pups who have companions (whether furry or human) live healthier, longer lives than those who don't.
The strength of a dog's social support network had an even greater effect on their health than their owners' financial status, and these r...
Millions of stray cats roam the world over, and surgical sterilization has long been the primary method of population control.
But a small new study shows promising results for a one-and-done contraceptive injection.
Researchers say this first-of-its-kind approach appears safe and effective.
“A non-surgical contraceptive that could result in lifetime sterility following...
It's a wonderful thing to try to save stray animals, but for some people it can turn into a form of hoarding thats dangerous for pets and humans alike.
People who “hoard” animals may feel like they're saving them, but caring for many pets may take a toll on their well-being and that of the animals they take in, according to a new study.
“Although most folks with hoarding disor...
Cats who became infected with COVID-19 had the same variants as their owners throughout the different phases of the pandemic, new research finds.
Scientists looked at retrospective samples to assess COVID-19 infections in U.K. cats from April 2020 to February 2022. The cats had been infected with the Alpha and Delta variants following their emergence in the human population.
...
Man's aging best friend has a new treatment to dull osteoarthritis pain as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced approval Friday of the first monoclonal antibody for dogs.
Called Librela, the bedinvetmab shot controls pain from the most common form of arthritis in dogs. Osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 25% of dogs during their lifetime.
In this condition, the cartil...
In the spring and summer, everyone races outside with their dogs to enjoy the warmer weather, but a new study suggests there is a downside to that.
More children are bitten by dogs in those months, according to researchers at Nemours Children's Health.
But a dog bite isn't inevitable: It's possible to keep both dogs and children safer, and to provide proper care if the unfortunate d...
Like people, man's best friend can get dementia with aging.
And these older dogs sleep less deeply when they develop the condition, just as people with Alzheimer's disease do, according to research that included problem-solving tasks and brain wave measurements.
“Our study is the first to evaluate the association between cognitive impairment and sleep using polysomnography -- the ...
Walking your dog gets you moving and out in the fresh air, but head injuries and fractures are very real possibilities, especially for older dog owners, researchers say.
The most common injury from walking a leashed dog that sends folks to the ER is fractured fingers, a new study from Johns Hopkins University found.
But traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the second-most common inj...
Put out that cigarette for the health of your four-legged friend.
When smokers search social media for anti-tobacco information, they tend to engage most with posts about the risk of secondhand smoke on their pets, a new study reveals.
Posts with new information about harmful chemicals also receive high engagement, researchers found.
“Our results show that people respond to ...
Cats constantly licking and chewing because of a skin condition called feline allergic dermatitis may benefit from a new generic treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA approved Modulis for Ca...
While research has shown that having pets can lower the chances of respiratory allergies in children, a new study finds it might also reduce the risk of food allergies.
Japanese investigators found that young children exposed to dogs in the home were less likely to experience egg, milk and nut allergies, while those exposed to cats were less likely to be diagnosed with egg, wheat and soyb...
In more bad news about antibiotic resistance, new research suggests that people and their pets may be able to transmit multidrug-resistant germs to each other.
Still, cases of cross-transmission are rare and it's not clear if pets are giving germs to people or people are giving germs to their pets, the study authors noted.
"In urban areas in high-income countries, pets do not seem ...
If your bedtime routine includes snuggling up with your Boston terrier or lulling yourself to sleep to the gentle purrs of your calico cat, you might want to rethink it.
Pets can offer a sense of security and comfort, but sharing a bed with them may lead to wakeful nights, according to a new study.<...
Like humans, some dogs suffer from anxiety. They might show fear or excitability toward strangers. Loud noises might result in "accidents." They may get destructive when you leave home.
The cause of their distress could lie in their brain makeup, researchers from Ghent University in Belgium say.
For the study, published March 15 in PLOS ONE, res...
It won't come as a surprise to those who love their furry friends, but a new poll finds many Americans saying their pets offer them mental health benefits and are a part of the family.
Roughly 86% of cat and dog owners said their pets had a positive impact on their well-being, the American Psychiatric Association's (APA)
In the wake of natural disasters like wildfires that have destroyed whole communities with alarming speed, some folks are focused on the beloved pets left behind — and how to save others in the future.
More than 1,000 pets died in the Marshall fire on Dec. 30, 2021, in Boulder County, Colo., according to
If your dog is bigger, male and a purebred, it may get a diagnosis of cancer earlier in its life compared to other dogs, a new study finds.
A dog's size, gender and breed appear to affect its average age at cancer diagnosis, researchers found. This should inform canine cancer screening guidelines, they wrote in the Feb. 1 issue of PLOS ONE.
Cancer kills more adult dogs than...
It's possible to prevent heartworms in many of your furry friends — dogs, cats and ferrets, specifically.
Heading off a severe and sometimes deadly illness simply requires regular, year-round preventive treatment through a pill, injection or topical medication, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Heartworms are parasitic worms that can grow to 12 inches in length. ...
Owners whose cats have diabetes now have a new option to care for the condition in their otherwise healthy pets.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first pill to improve control of diabetes in some cats.
The drug, call...
Is your pooch a herder or a hunter? You can try taking them to a trainer, but new research shows much of their behavior is hardwired in their DNA.
For the new study, researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 200 dog breeds and surveyed 46,000 pet-owners to try to suss out why certain breeds act the way they do.
“The largest, most successful genetic experiment that humans hav...
That special link you may have with a purring, four-legged friend has been going on between the species for millennia, new research shows.
The human-cat relationship was probably forged over a shared interest in rats more than 10,000 years ago, investigators say. As farming became a way of life, cats served as ancient pest control, killing rodents and making a bond with people that contin...
Anyone who's ever loved a pet like a member of the family knows that the grief when that dog, cat or other furry friend dies can be devastating.
But too often, finding others who truly understand and support that sense of loss can be challenging.
Michelle Crossley, a mental health counselor, ...
A new immunotherapy gel being tested in pet dogs could pave the way for gentler and more effective treatment of one of the most common childhood cancers, researchers say.
Sarcoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, affecting the bones and soft tissues.
It's also the third most common cancer in children, with 1 in 3 dying from the disease, researchers said.
Sarcoma in ca...
For cat owners who are convinced that their furry feline understands and even responds to the sound of their voice, here's the reward they've been waiting for: A new French study finds that, yes, cats can identify their owner's cooing and calling.
After extensive work with 16 cats, the investigators...
Universities sometimes offer "Pet Your Stress Away" events offering a chance to relax while gently patting the head and stroking the back of a calm dog.
But some people are more interested in interacting with cats than dogs, according to a new study that linked preference to personality type.
If you have dogs, you probably already know that petting them can give you a lift.
Researchers set out to prove that using technology to show what happens in the brain when stroking or sitting next to a dog. They also compared that to petting a stuffed animal.
They found that when study participants viewed, felt and touched real dogs it led to increasingly high levels of activity ...
For many kids with autism, Rhett, a black Labrador retriever, has been a calming and comforting influence in his seven years as a therapy dog.
But parents shouldn't assume that a service pooch is the solution for every child on the autism spectrum, a new study...
Everyone knows dogs have a keen sense of smell, but now researchers have discovered they can even smell stress in the breath and sweat of humans.
"Dogs possess an incredible sense of smell. Previous research has demonstrated their ability to detect changes within the human body from odor alone, such as ou...
Five years back, “Nugget” the Jack-A-Poo was in serious need of some tender loving veterinary care.
“He needed vaccinations and a few other things,” Seattle native Grace Stroklund recalled of her sidekick, a Jack Russell Terrier/Toy Poodle mix. “But I was just not in the wheelhouse financially to do any of that.”
At 23, Stroklund was struggling with her own challenges. H...
The COVID-19 pandemic has undone decades of progress controlling dog and cat populations through spay and neuter surgeries, a new University of Florida study finds.
Spay-neuter procedures perform...
Your dog may like to lick your hand or face, but if you're using a chemotherapy cream that treats certain skin conditions, you should not allow it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises.
The medication fluorouracil is fatal to dogs when ingested. People who keep the cream on a nightstand or counter sh...
Much like humans, dogs can develop dementia as they age -- and that risk climbs by half with every extra year of life in a dog's golden years, new research shows.
The study, of more than 15,000 dogs and their human companions, found that just over 1% had canine cognitive dysfunction (...
Writer Jenny Block and her chiweenie, Aurora, are on a health kick.
"We walk at least 1 mile and up to 4 miles in the early morning, before it gets too hot," said the Houston-based author.
"She needs it, and I need it, so it works out great," said Block, who has shed...
Health authorities are investigating a parvovirus-like illness that has killed more than 30 dogs in northern Michigan, most within three days.
The dogs died in Otsego County after showing symptoms such as vomiting and bloody stool, signs of canine parvovirus, but tests were negative for the virus, according to a Facebook
Humans and dogs undoubtedly share a powerful bond, but can dogs cry when overcome with emotion?
According to a recent study, possibly the first to try to answer that question, canine's eyes do indeed well up with tears, most often when they are reunited with their beloved owner.
“We ...