“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” ― Dean Koontz, A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
In This Issue: May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month; Upcoming PuppyUp Walks; Cancer Immunotherapy Developed for Humans Will Be Used to Treat Dogs; From the Founder; Pup of the Month.
May Is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Lyme Borreliosis in Dogs
(From PetMed)
Lyme disease is one of the most common tick-transmitted diseases in the world but only causes symptoms in 5-10% of affected dogs. It is caused by a spirochete (bacteria) species of the Borrelia burgdorferi group. When infection leads to disease in dogs, the dominant clinical feature is recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. There may also be a lack of appetite and depression. More serious complications include damage to the kidneys, and rarely, heart or nervous system disease.
Kidney disease appears to be more prevalent in Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Shetland sheepdogs, and Bernese Mountain dogs. Experimentally, young dogs appear to be more susceptible to Lyme disease than older dogs. Transmission of the disease has been reported in dogs throughout the United States and Europe, but is most prevalent in the upper Midwestern states, the Atlantic seaboard, and the Pacific coastal states.
Do All Ticks Transmit Lyme Disease?
No. In the northeastern and north-central U.S., the black-legged tick (or deer tick) transmits Lyme disease. In the Pacific coastal U.S., the disease is spread by the western black-legged tick. Other major tick species found in the U.S., including the lone star tick and the dog tick, have NOT been shown to transmit the Lyme disease bacterium. But beware: Lyme disease has been reported in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs
Many dogs who develop Lyme disease have recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. Sometimes the lameness lasts for only three to four days but recurs days to weeks later, either in the same leg or in other legs. This is known as “shifting-leg lameness.” One or more joints may be swollen, warm, and painful.
Some dogs may also develop kidney problems. Lyme disease sometimes leads to glomerulonephritis – inflammation and accompanying dysfunction of the kidney’s glomeruli (essentially, a blood filter). Eventually, kidney failure may set in as the dog begins to exhibit such signs as vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased urination and thirst, and abnormal fluid buildups.
Other symptoms associated with Lyme disease in dogs include:
· Stiff walk with an arched back
· Sensitivity to touch
· Difficulty breathing
· Fever, lack of appetite, and depression
· Superficial lymph nodes close to the site of the infecting tick bite may be swollen
· Heart abnormalities are reported, but rare
· Nervous system complications (rare)
Causes of Lyme Disease in Dogs
Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease in dogs, is transmitted by slow-feeding, hard-shelled deer ticks (Ixodes spp.). Infection typically occurs after the Borrelia-carrying tick has been attached to the dog for at 2-3 days.
Diagnosing Lyme Disease in Dogs
You will need to give a thorough history of your dog’s health, including a background of symptoms and possible incidents that might have precipitated them. The history you provide may give your veterinarian clues as to which organs are being affected. Your veterinarian may run some combination of blood chemistry tests, a complete blood cell count, a urinalysis, fecal examinations, X-rays, and tests specific to diagnosing Lyme disease (e.g., serology). Fluid from the affected joints may also be drawn for analysis.
There are many causes for arthritis, and your veterinarian will focus on differentiating arthritis initiated by Lyme disease from other inflammatory arthritic disorders, such as trauma, degenerative joint disease, or osteochondrosis dissecans (a condition found in large, fast growing breeds of puppies). Immune-mediated diseases will also be considered as a possible cause of the symptoms. An X-ray of the painful joints will allow your doctor to examine the bones for abnormalities.
Treating Dog Lyme Disease
If the diagnosis is Lyme disease, your dog will be treated as an outpatient unless their condition is unstable (e.g., severe kidney disease). Doxycycline is the most common antibiotic that is prescribed for Lyme disease, but others are also available and effective. The recommended treatment length is usually four weeks, but longer courses may be necessary in some cases. Your veterinarian may also prescribe an anti-inflammatory (pain reliever) if your dog is especially uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, antibiotic treatment does not always completely eliminate infection with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Symptoms may resolve but then return at a later date, and the development of kidney disease in the future is always a worry.
Living and Management
Improvement in sudden (acute) inflammation of the joints caused by Borrelia should be seen within three to five days of antibiotic treatment. If there is no improvement within three to five days, your veterinarian will want to reevaluate your dog.
Preventing Lyme Disease in Dogs
If possible, avoid allowing your dog to roam in tick-infested environments where Lyme disease is common. Check your dog’s coat and skin daily and remove ticks by hand. Your veterinarian can also recommend a variety of sprays, collars, and spot-on topical products that kill and repel ticks. Such products should be used under a veterinarian’s supervision and according to the label’s directions. Lyme vaccines are available, but their use is somewhat controversial. Talk to your veterinarian to see if Lyme vaccination is right for your dog.
Upcoming PuppyUp Walks
Lancaster, NH PuppyUp Walk a Great Success!
(Janine Elliott) The Lancaster, NH PuppyUp Walk was organized by White Mountains Regional High School students (above) who researched the human/animal bond and wanted to “pay it forward.“ They picked a goal of $2000, which was huge considering our regional population of about 6000 people. We exceeded our goal by more than 12%! We had a little over 40 dogs and had a fantastic time!
The Puppy Up Foundation wishes to thank the White Mountain Regional HS students for selecting our foundation. Their enthusiasm and initiative are significant, and we appreciate their efforts in the fight against cancer.
PuppyUp Walks in May and June
Upcoming Walks To Look Forward To
The weather is finally changing for the better — well, in much of the country at least – and we have two PuppyUp Walks to look forward to: one in May and one in June.
Our PuppyUp Walks are family focused events for all humans and canines to enjoy! This heartwarming and energizing event raises awareness, funds and provides education in the field of comparative oncology and the links between canine and human cancer. It is a day to honor and recognize those who have survived or are battling cancer, and memorialize those whose lives have been lost to this disease. We invite you to visit our sponsors and vendors, enjoy music, food and fun!
May 19, 2018: The inaugural PuppyUp Elkhart will make its debut on Saturday, May 19th!
Won’t you please join us in Central Park for a 1.5 mile walk along the scenic Elkhart Riverwalk to promote awareness of canine cancer and fundraise for cancer research to benefit both pets and people.
We are looking forward to a great event. Registration and check-in begin at 9 am. The walk will start at 11:00 am.
Please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you!
General Inquiries
elkhart@puppyup.org
Here’s the link to more information and registration.
June 24, 2018: PuppyUp Madison, Wisconsin will take place from 10 AM to 2 PM at McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
Since the inaugural PuppyUp Madison Walk in May, 2014, the Madison community has provided unprecedented support to help find a cure for cancer in our canine and human companions, raising over $500,000.00 for the study of comparative oncology. Through celebrating our heroes, honoring our survivors, and remembering those who have passed, PuppyUp Madison has made resounding strides to help fund research. Thousands of kind people throughout our Madison and surrounding communities have provided support, sponsorship, participation, and the ultimate act of kindness in teaming with us in what will be our 5th PuppyUp Madison event. For this, we are eternally grateful.
To find out more and register for the Madison Walk, please follow this link.
The PuppyUp Walk in Nashville has been postponed due to inclement weather conditions. We will announce the new date on our web page and here in the newsletter. It is tentatively scheduled for sometime in the fall.
To learn more about future walks, please follow this link. To learn how to start a walk in your area, click here.
Cancer Immunotherapy Developed For Humans Will Be Used To Treat Dogs
Cancer Immunotherapy Developed for Humans Will Be Used to Treat Dogs
Neurosurgeons from the University of Alabama at Birmingham are partnering with veterinary universities to conduct the first immunotherapy study for brain tumors in dogs using an oncolytic herpes simplex virus.
By Amanda Carrozza
As the One Health initiative grows to bridge the gap between human and veterinary medicine, there has been significant research in the area of comparative oncology. So far this year, American Veterinarian® has reported on immunotherapies that may slow growth or even shrink gliomas in dogs and humans, a liquid biopsy assessment tool to detect tumor cell mutation, and a shared study between the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation and the V Foundation for Cancer Research on the treatment of bladder cancer.
Now, another One Health study can be added to this auspicious list. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is partnering with veterinary universities to conduct the first immunotherapy study for brain tumors in dogs using an oncolytic herpes simplex virus known as M032.
“Brain tumors in dogs and humans are remarkably similar,” said Renee Chambers, DVM, MD, a UAB neurosurgeon and professor in the department of neurosurgery at UAB School of Medicine. “They share similar rates of incidence and mortality, and they share similar symptoms such as seizures, which is often the first symptom observed in both humans and dogs. Treatment is very much the same too, with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy the standard of care. It is not unreasonable to assume that the dog will be a highly useful model of human brain tumors.”
M032 is a second-generation oncolytic herpes simplex virus that selectively replicates in tumor cells. The virus infects tumor cells while leaving healthy cells alone. M032 kills tumor cells directly through oncolytic replication and then proceeds to infect tumor cells in proximity, continuing the process of tumor destruction. M032 was developed by James Markert, MD, chair of the UAB Department of Neurosurgery, and is a second-generation virus to the genetically engineered virus known as G207, which was initially designed for clinical use in patients with malignant brain tumors.
“Both G207 and M032 have been engineered to minimize the production of any toxic effects for the patient receiving the therapy,” said Dr. Markert. “Both are now in human studies, an M032 study in adults at UAB, along with a companion pediatric study of G207 underway at Children’s of Alabama. These studies mark the first time one institution has conducted trials of genetically engineered herpes virus in both adult and pediatric—and now canine—populations.”
Dr. Chambers is working with Auburn University, University of Georgia and Mississippi State University to use M032 to treat their canine patients with naturally occurring brain tumors. The goal is to treat about 14 dogs per year.
“We anticipate that M032 will be as safe and effective in dogs as it is proving to be in humans,” Dr. Chambers said in an interview with UAB. “It opens up an exciting new research pathway while providing the potential of a therapy that could benefit both humans and canines with brain tumors.”
The first step of the project will be to determine an optimal and safe dose of the virus for canine patients. From there, Dr. Chambers said she and her academic veterinary partners will combine this therapy with a checkpoint inhibitor that is expected to keep the immune system “turned on” to capture and kill even more tumor cells.
“This work is important not only to canine brain tumor therapies but also to devising safer and more effective therapies for humans,” Dr. Chambers said. “It will critically inform the medical community on whether this combination approach, using an oncolytic virus followed by a checkpoint inhibitor, will be the next step in the successful treatment of brain tumors in both people and pets.”
From The Founder — Luke Robinson
Indiana, Luke, and Hudson.
Puppy Up Studios www.PuppyUpStudios.org
• Video is up for one of my interviews with the pet parent and patient of our bone cancer studies at UW Madison as part of a new series of our Clinical Trials.
• YBD is back on the road and this trek will be loaded with content. I’ll be interviewing Dr. Tim Fan on our upcoming osteosarcoma study, attending our new walk in Elkhart IN, and
• I’ll be presenting at an event in Chicago May 24th and my presentation will include the mission of Puppy Up and the importance of collaboration within the veterinary oncology community. This will be a must-see video. Stay tuned for when it’s out of the edit bay
Power of Companions www.PowerofCompanions.org
Finally, I’ve got my video up to the first visual presentation of the monument so that everyone can see the ‘canvas’ to work with. We’re excited with the Paw Print of it and it’s been a truly collaborative and fluid effort. We’re working on a professional rendering and should have new dates up for the contest and specifics soon!
I am pleased to announce a project I have been working on for some time that is finally coming to fruition.
A hyper-fictionalized serial event based on our story and Volume I will be ready on Murphy’s anniversary June 23rd. No spoilers for you yet but more info coming in our next newsletter.
Hudson, Indiana & Luke
Pup of the Month
DaMat Moser
DaMat Moser
By Wanda Moser
We lost our brave boy March 23, 2016 to cancer. DaMat fought to be a champion show dog. He fought a bear to save his family. He fought this disease with everything in him. But cancer was the one battle he could not win.
DaMat came to us as a rescue. He was a champion show dog who had been abused by a handler. He bonded with our God daughter immediately. She wanted to show him as a junior handler. What a beautiful team they made! They won a lot of ribbons, but most importantly to us, he helped her build confidence, pride, and security in life and love. She cried into his fur when she was sad, talked to him about her troubles, her dreams, and hopes. She cuddled into his warm fur when she was sick or afraid, and even as adults – so did we. He loved everyone he met and they loved him right back.
We lost this sweet loving brave soul a few months before his eleventh birthday to a brain tumor and cancer. It was our turn to be brave for him. March 23, 2016 we made the choice to let him rest. Of course we are proud of his accomplishments, titles, and bravery. His sweet kind spirit was a blessing to us and many others. We loved him for all of those reasons. But most of all, we loved DaMat just because he was.
(DaMat was a contestant in the 2017 Puppy Up Calendar Contest.)
The Puppy Up Foundation does not endorse nor recommend any particular product, service, or treatment. We offer information strictly for educational and/or informational purposes. We believe it is the pet owner’s responsibility to do the research and draw his or her own conclusions.
We can always use your help. If you’re interested, send me an mail at ginger@puppyup.org.
Sincerely,
Ginger Morgan, Executive Director
The Puppy Up Foundation
