Animal Airwaves

To treat canine seizures effectively, they first need to be accurately characterized. That’s challenging when pooch parents may be the only ones witnessing these events.

Now, an international team of veterinary researchers has developed a questionnaire that standardizes the description and classification of canine seizures. Pet parents are presented with practical descriptions of clinical signs — developed from data collected from over 600 dogs and 96 breeds — along with clear video examples. Using these aids, pet parents can accurately describe seizures up to 97% of the time.

Researchers hope this tool will help both clinical diagnostics and genetic research. The questionnaire is now available for use by veterinarians and researchers around the world.

As increasing numbers of cannabis-derived products become available for people, veterinarians are often asked whether they are safe for pets.

When state laws legalize marijuana for people, those laws don’t apply to animals. Also, any product claiming to be therapeutic must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it can be legally manufactured and distributed.

So far, no cannabis-derived products have received FDA approval for therapeutic use in animals. Although some cannabinoids [cah-NAB-in-oids], like CBD, may have potential in treating epilepsy or osteoarthritis, there’s scant scientific evidence for their use in animals. That’s the main reason why the American Veterinary Medical Association does not recommend them.

Although we hear lots about raw food diets, cooked or processed commercial pet foods also need to be prepared and stored properly.

First, make sure that bags and cans of food are undamaged when you buy them. Then store dry food in an airtight container in a dry area kept lower than 80 degrees. Keep the original bag with all the manufacturing data. Refrigerate moist food and discard any that’s left out for more than a couple of hours.

Use a dedicated utensil — and never an unwashed pet food bowl — as a scoop. Make it a habit to wash pet food, water bowls, utensils and mats frequently in warm, soapy water. Also get used to washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds after handling any pet food and keep young tots away from all animal food.

Feline panleukopenia [pan-loo-kow-PEE-nee-ah] is a viral disease that often kills or severely debilitates cats — especially kittens and sick or unvaccinated adult cats. It’s extremely contagious and can spread like wildfire through shelters and kennels.

The feline panleukopenia virus, also called FPV, attacks rapidly growing cells, like those in the intestines, bone marrow and developing fetuses. Kittens under five months of age are most vulnerable to dying from FPV. Those that survive often have brain damage, resulting in tremors and coordination problems — even seizures and blindness.

Vaccination against FPV is recommended for all cats. Because pregnant cats can pass infection to their unborn kittens, it’s important that they have a series of initial vaccinations followed by a booster every 3 years.

Particularly heat-susceptible dogs, like double-coated breeds, need extra cooling strategies for protection in extreme heat. One family learned this in a tragic way.

With their 4-year-old Newfoundland in the backseat of their air-conditioned SUV, a couple headed off for a summer pooch play date. With the car running constantly and the windows cracked, everything seemed fine — until suddenly it wasn’t.  Before they could reach a veterinarian, their dog had died from heatstroke.

Most fans in large vehicles are located up front. To prevent overheating, consider a pet-specific air-conditioning unit that directs cold air to the rear of the vehicle. Keep the AC on high for the entire trip and even have your dog wear a cooling vest. Frozen treats and cool water also help.

Although healthy algae is an important part of aquatic ecosystems, the right conditions can promote the growth of dangerous types of algae.

These harmful algal [AL-gull] blooms are most likely to occur during warm weather — even into fall. However, they can crop up at any time of the year. Other ideal conditions include low water levels and slow-flowing water.

Harmful algal blooms produce toxins that can seriously sicken — and even kill — animals and people who come into contact with contaminated food or water. There’s no way to tell if an algal bloom is harmful just by its appearance, so it’s important to stay on top of public health announcements. Still, if you’re concerned about the smell or appearance of algae on the water, it’s best to steer clear — and keep animals away, too.

A 12-year study of more than 130,000 dairy cows showed that severe heat reduces their milk production by about 10 percent.

What’s more, that lower production can last up to 10 days after just one sweltering day.

This effect is expected to become more pronounced by 2050, as heat stress worsens. South Asia is likely to feel the most severe consequences, since it’s expected to account for more than half of the world’s increased milk production over the next decade.

Although producers must rely on cooling strategies for their cows, these methods may only be able to reduce heat’s effects on production by about 40%.

Nearly 50,000 cases of the blood vessel cancer called canine hemangiosarcoma are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

It’s invariably fatal, although removing the dog’s spleen and chemotherapy may extend its life.

Now, an experimental therapy is showing promise. First, a blood test is used to detect hemangiosarcoma cells. Then the affected dog is treated with eBAT [Ē-bat], which consists of two antibodies that target receptors on these cells with a toxic payload. eBAT invades the cancerous tissue, stops protein production and destroys cells that feed the tumor.

Fewer than 50% of dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma live six more months. So far, treatment with eBAT after a splenectomy has increased this rate to about 70%, and that’s significant.

Cats love their snooze time — in fact, they nap 12 to 16 hours a day. After analyzing hundreds of videos of sleeping cats, researchers found that two out of three cats prefer to sleep on their left side. The question is … why?

When cats sleep on their left side, they see their surroundings with their left visual field when they wake up. This information is then sent to the right hemisphere of their brain, which is best at spatial awareness. This includes analyzing possible threats and coordinating quick escape actions, which could help cats in hunting and evading predators.

So, instead of being a mere fancy, the feline tendency for left-sided sleeping may actually be a survival tactic.

Skin grafts can provide lifesaving treatment for large soft-tissue wounds. That’s true for people and animals, and sometimes these grafts have interesting origins.

In 2024, a wounded adult bald eagle was found by a Good Samaritan who brought it to a veterinarian. There was no healthy skin left to close the infected, gaping wound, making euthanasia an obvious option. But because the bird could still use its claws, the veterinarian decided to try a skin graft — one from an Atlantic cod.

With the help of a company that produces cod-skin grafts for human wounds, the eagle healed in about 10 months. This was the first time cod-skin patches had been used to help a bird of prey.

Given that fish make up about 90% of an eagle’s diet, it seems Mother Nature has a sense of humor.