Injuries in children due to metal landscape edging (metal strips half-buried in the ground to edge lawns) have been previously documented. A 2001 study showed that over a two-year period, 126 children were admitted to the Children’s Hospital in Denver for lacerations caused by metal lawn edging, mostly to the feet and knees. But what about the risk to pets? The danger of metal landscape edging to animals has not been documented until now. A new study shows that the sharp-edged landscaping tool also poses a risk of injury to dogs. Amanda Duffy, DVM, DACVECC, led the study while at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH). Her team looked at the frequency and severity of limb injuries in dogs resulting from contact with metal edging. Over a 10 year period, the VTH admitted 60 dogs that fit the conditions for the study. These 60 dogs accounted for nearly one-third of all paw injuries at the VTH’s emergency service, according to the study.

 Responsible breeders are always trying to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia in their dogs blood lines. One way to achieving this goal is to have an accurate test for susceptibility to this disease. A recent study attempted to look at the differences in the two most common tests. Currently the test regarded as the "gold standard" used to determine a dogs susceptibility to hip dysplasia is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) hip joint scoring system. This system rates a dogs hip joint on a seven-point scoring system. The test relies on interpretation of a radiograph of the dogs hips, which are then assigned a score by three independent radiologists: Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild, Moderate and Severe (Click here to read an explanation of each score). Another, more recently developed test, is the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP) test. Unlike the OFA test, PennHIP requires the dog to be anesthetized. Three radiographs are taken to measure the hip joint laxity. A score between 0-1 is assigned, with 0 being very tight hips and 1 being very loose. The test is not pass-fail, and the score is actually based on a measurement of the hip’s distraction index (DI).

A recently published paper on stem cells has been retracted by three of the four authors.

There could soon be a new weapon in the fight against canine cancer. Researchers at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine are set to begin testing of an anti-cancer drug in dogs this fall. University of Missouri Assistant Professor of Oncology Kimberly Selting, DVM, DACVIM, will lead the research. Selting said the clinical trial will include 15 dogs, and she will start enrolling patients in mid-October. “The study will allow any dog with a confirmed diagnosis of cancer, and that has a tumor that is still measureable,” Selting said. “We will note if any particular cancers respond better than others and that will help us design the next phase of this clinical research, knowing which kinds of cancer to target. In people, taxanes are used often for lung and intestinal cancers, as well as breast and other cancers.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed this month that an American man died of rabies last year. A 42-year-old psychiatrist from Virginia made an emergency visit to a hospital on Oct. 2, 2009, after experiencing chills and hot flashes accompanied by discomfort in his legs, urinary incontinence and back pain, according to the CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). After being sent home with a diagnosis of lumbar back pain, the man began exhibiting signs of hydrophobia at home: gagging while drinking and showering. The next day he saw his primary care physician and expressed concern that he might have rabies. He was referred back to the emergency department, and was subsequently admitted to the hospital in order to undergo tests for neurological disorders.

Many veterinarians know that dogs of different ages have different dietary requirements. A new study provides another piece of evidence that supports the idea of age-based diets in dogs. A team of researchers from the University of Illinois has analyzed for the first time the gene expression profiles of colonic mucosa in dogs as a function of age and diet. The objective of the study was to compare the colonic mucosal gene expression in healthy young adult dogs with that of senior dogs that were fed two types of diet: animal-protein based and plant-protein based. The study found that "the colonic mucosa of senior dogs had increased expression of genes associated with cell proliferation, inflammation, stress response, and cellular metabolism, whereas the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and defensive mechanisms were decreased in senior vs. young adult dogs. No consistent diet-induced alterations in gene expression existed in both age groups, with the effects of diet being more pronounced in senior dogs than in young adult dogs."

Advising a client or potential client on what type of pet is best for their family can be tricky. But a new study might make the answer at least a little clearer.

Rabies kills an estimated 55,000 people each year, mostly in Asia and Africa. This week marked the fourth annual World Rabies Day, a global effort to increase rabies knowledge and prevention.

A new drug is showing promise as a treatment for lymphoma in dogs, researchers at the University of Illinois have found.

Nice dogs finish last. That statement does not refer to racing (or dating), however, but rather to the recent finding that agreeable, trainable dogs live longer than other, more aggressive dogs. A study from researchers at Quebec’s Sherbrooke University suggests that “artificial selection on dogs (through domestication) generated variations in personality traits that are correlated with life histories and metabolism.” The scientists found that dogs that are more obedient on average live longer than disobedient or bold dogs, and more aggressive breeds have higher energy needs than nonaggressive breeds. Lead researcher Vincent Careau, a PhD student at Sherbrooke University, said there was a link between personality and longevity, but it was not what most people think.