By CBS GREENSBORO, N.C. (CBS) Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are studying a new experimental treatment for dogs with brain cancer. They hope their research will lead to treatments for people. “Billie,” a 10-year-old Boston terrier, was having trouble walking and was experiencing seizures earlier this year. She was diagnosed with glioma, a type of brain cancer. Like brain cancer in people, it’s not...

By Ruwida Muqabel Can studying dogs’ health help scientists with human aging and health? The Dog Aging Project believes so. The citizen-science project is designed to engage the public in data collection to advance understanding of how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging in dogs. “The main goal of the project is to understand the factors that influence aging in dogs… with the long-term...

We’re coming up to Christmas and the temptation is to treat our pets too. And that often stretches to give the dog titbits from what we’ve been eating – but there are some foods that  are very harmful to dogs. There are things that we love but can make our pets very ill indeed. Be strong, don’t fall for those cow eyes as you...

By Karin Sherbin Jezebelle was a horrible dog. I thought she would be with me only a short time when I picked up the red dog with a hint of golden retriever from the side of U.S. 460. Her ears reminded me of the hat that helped TV’s Flying Nun soar: flat across with ends tipped downward. No one was looking for her. Perhaps...

By Sean Kirst Sarah Ross guessed it was leukemia long before the doctors confirmed it. Five years ago, she had been feeling lousy in a way she had never experienced before. When a blood test came back with some indicators pointing to the disease, Ross stalled for a while before doing a follow-up. In her heart, she said, she already knew what was happening....

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A contagious disease in dogs has popped up in the Charleston area. A local veterinarian is warning pet owners about an uptick in cases of canine distemper. Distemper is a serious viral illness that’s highly contagious and often fatal for dogs. Dr. Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC, at Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, said cases don’t come into their clinic very often,...

Allison Burk Professional Support Offers Comfort Through the Loss of a Pet Making end-of-life decisions for your pet or coping with the loss of an animal is something that no pet owner wants to think about. A program at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center recognizes the importance of human-animal bonds and provides grief support for pet owners facing tough decisions for their...

The Better Cities for Pets Report details how pet-friendly cities optimize community services with animals in mind Not only are animals a large part of our lives, but pet ownership has a significant impact on how we build our communities. This is according to an inaugural report from Mars Petcare and the Better Cities for Pets program, which explored animal-related housing, policy, and government...

[This article, while addressing NK cells in humans, is applicable to canines as well.] The so-called natural killer (NK) cells are cells of the innate immune system that recognize and eliminate infected cells or cancer cells. During a virus infection, NK cells also keep the body’s own immune cells such as the T cells at bay in order to avoid excessive killing of intact...