Weekly News Roundup 5/12 – 5/18

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Dogs could help boost physical activity for kids with disabilities

A recent case study published by researchers at the Oregon State University in the April 2017 issue of Animals, describes how a young boy with cerebral palsy enjoyed improvements in his condition, including physical activity and motor skills from interaction with the family dog. The researchers developed a physical activity, animal-assisted intervention that had the dog—a year old Pomeranian—act as a partner for the child. One other promising result showed the dog’s behavior and performance also improving over the course of the intervention.

CSU develops at-home treatment for parvo

An at-home parvovirus treatment developed by veterinarians at Colorado State University could save pet owners hospitalization bills. The treatment is demanding in terms of care, requiring treatment and monitoring every few hours. The effectiveness of the treatment was studied in 20 puppies with canine parvoviral enteritis and published in the January/February 2017 issue of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. Of the puppies treated with the outpatient protocol, 80% survived compared to the 90% survival rate of hospitalized puppies. Lauren Sullivan, a specialist in small-animal emergency and critical care at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said this treatment can honor the human-animal bond when finances are an issue: “Hospitalization is still the gold standard, and veterinary involvement is still necessary with the outpatient protocol, but this is another choice for families that are committed and have the time."

Two dogs test positive for rabies in Colorado

Two dogs in northeastern Colorado have tested positive for rabies, the first cases of rabies in dogs in the state since 2003. Neither dog had a current vaccination for rabies and both were euthanized. The dogs, from Weld and Yuma counties, were both infected by rabid skunks. Several dogs and people who had contact with the infected dogs are receiving post-exposure preventative treatment, but it does not appear the rabies had spread. Colorado has seen 41 cases of rabies in wild animals so far this year, and the cases of rabid skunks are on the rise.

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