UF Health Podcasts

Shelters inundated with animals are nothing new — but increasingly ingenious methods are being used to find them homes.

One TikTok personality promoting an animal shelter down south has conjured some creative names for various canine breeds. For example, a curly-furred dog became a “Himalayan fur goblin,” which joined other imagined breeds, like the “Teacup werewolf” and the “Creamsicle push-up pup.” Then, to promote the shelter’s population of pit-bull mixes, she sang “I Want a Pitt-o-potomous for Christmas.”

Judging by the numbers, it’s working. Between 2021 and 2024, the shelter’s adoption rate jumped by over 25%.

Another shelter created “Diary of a Shelter Dog” on social media. Still others waive adoption fees — all to help animals find their forever homes.

Canine osteoarthritis — or OA — affects about 20% of dogs older than one year and up to 80% of dogs over eight years of age. However, only about one in 8 pooch parents knows much about it.

OA is a chronic inflammatory disease that progressively damages a dog’s joints, causing pain, reduced activity and lost mobility. Certain breeds and dogs with early injuries are most at risk. Pooch parents should be aware of early subtle signs, like unusual postures, hesitancy in climbing stairs —even changes in a dog’s sleeping habits. It’s important to communicate any of these changes to your veterinarian.

Frequent wellness exams also help your veterinarian pinpoint signs. Remember — the earlier OA is detected, the more effective treatment is likely to be.

Allergies in captive animals appear to be on the rise — just as they are in people, especially urbanites in Western countries. That’s probably no coincidence.

This phenomenon isn’t just affecting pets and domestic animals. From bats and rhinos to dolphins and bears, more animals in zoos are itchy than ever before. Researchers suggest this is linked to animals being raised in manmade environments where they have decreased exposure to natural antigens. The result can be a faulty immune system that overreacts to harmless substances. The same may be said for people.

Another factor that could be driving allergies is climate change, which leads to higher pollen counts during longer allergy seasons.

Most allergies can be treated — but wouldn’t it be even better to nip this trend in the bud?

A personalized immunotherapy has recently been approved for canine osteosarcoma, a bone cancer diagnosed in about 10,000 dogs each year.

The first step of production involves collecting some of the patient’s cancer cells, which the manufacturer uses to create vaccine unique to that dog’s cancer.

Next, some of the dog’s T cells are collected once they’ve been exposed to the cancer vaccine’s antigens. These T cells are sent to the manufacturer where their cancer cell-fighting properties are unleashed. These super-primed T cells are then delivered intravenously back to the patient, followed by another immune-boosting agent.

The goal is that the dog’s immune system then would recognize and destroy osteosarcoma cells.

Did you know that many wild animals have ways to administer first aid?

For example, mice may tug on the tongues of their unconscious brethren and clear their mouths to help open their airways.

Elsewhere, chimpanzees with intestinal parasites munch on bitter leaves from the Aspilia [ass-PILL-ee-ya] plant, and brown bears eat razor-sharp grass to help clear tapeworms.

Closer to home, some urban songbirds weave cigarette butts into their nests to leverage tobacco’s mite-killing properties.

Even termite-hunting African ants have impressive first-aid routines. During their large-scale raids, those injured by termites are carried back to their nests, where caretaker ants lick their wounds with antibiotic-rich saliva.

These are just some of the many ways animals take care of their own.

Men have a distinct advantage over women in physical strength. But a new study from scientists in a couple of cold-weather states discovered something surprising.

In extremely cold weather, female metabolism appears to be more efficient. That makes them more resistant to fatigue than men during prolonged periods of exertion in frigid temperatures.

Scientists at the state universities in Montana and Wisconsin traveled to Alaska to monitor the performance of men and women participating in the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic. The competition occurs in the spring.

This isn’t a leisurely romp on a bunny slope. Participants ski 136 to 161 miles in unforgiving terrain. They traverse mountain ranges under Arctic conditions. Even in spring, temperatures drop as low as minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Researchers tracked a group of volunteer participants by giving them water containing harmless but traceable nonradioactive isotopes. By measuring these isotopes in urine, sweat and respiration, an athlete’s energy expenditure can be measured.

The study notes that women were getting more mileage from each calorie.

Some unrelated studies by the military suggest women might also be more fatigue-resistant than men during warm weather ultra-endurance events. But that’s far from settled science.

This doesn’t mean a physically stronger male athlete would be bested by a female participant in an extreme competition like the Alaskan event. Size and strength still give men a clear advantage.

But they might be more fatigued than women at the finish line, even if they reach it first.

If your doctor has told you to lower your blood pressure, you might want to consider buying bananas in bulk. A new study suggests potassium can lower blood pressure, even if your sodium intake is high.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, a condition called hypertension that increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and other serious complications.

Researchers from Canada wanted to see if a monkey’s favorite fruit offers a simple solution.

The team used computer models to simulate the effect of potassium and sodium on blood pressure throughout the body. They accounted for biological differences between men and women. They then ran simulations, factoring in varying levels of potassium and sodium intake and different types of hypertension. Each model evaluated the interactions between the kidneys, heart, digestive system and regulatory systems.

They found that high sodium intake raised blood pressure in both men and women while high potassium intake reduced it.

Doubling the dose of potassium lowered blood pressure by up to 14 millimeters of mercury in men and 10 millimeters of mercury in women. That’s about the same reduction that many who take blood pressure medications achieve.

Even when sodium intake remained high, potassium still did its job to prevent blood pressure spikes. The researchers suggested that in the long term, increasing potassium can help your body eliminate more sodium.

So the next time you find yourself staring into the bottom of an empty potato chip bag, make a banana — maybe two — your next snack.

The way we create snake antivenom hasn’t changed much in a century. Using the standard methods leaves us with a concoction of antivenom that gets the job done. But there can be side effects, and some treatments only work to treat bites from certain snakes in specific regions.

Now, scientists may have found a better way — thanks to a man who spent years letting snakes bite him, as well as injecting himself with escalating doses of snake venom.

Tim Friede, a self-taught herpetologist, developed a kind of hyperimmunity to venom from snakes like the king cobra and black mamba, whose venom is so potent it can take out a horse.

When researchers analyzed his blood, they discovered antibodies that could neutralize a surprising number of deadly snake toxins. Using those antibodies, they created what may be one of the most broadly effective antivenoms to date.

The researchers gathered 19 of the world’s deadliest elapid [ell-uh-pidd] snakes — a group that includes cobras, mambas, krait [krite] and coral snakes. Then, they tested antibodies from Friede’s blood.

The result? A three-part cocktail: two human antibodies added to a small-molecule toxin-blocker. Together, it protected mice from all 19 snake venoms.

Any new treatments for snakebites are welcome. Some 600 species cause more than 100,000 deaths and 300,000 permanent disabilities in humans every year.

The team plans to apply the cocktail to dogs who come in for snake bite treatment in Australia. They hope to develop a second antivenom targeting vipers — the other major snake family.

Normally, nothing good comes from being bitten by a snake — but this may be a notable exception.

If you’re struggling to curb sugar cravings, you might have your intestines to blame. A new study has found that a high consumption of soda and other sugary drinks can rewire your intestines, causing them to favor sugar absorption over other nutrients.

Researchers from India used two groups of mice to study the impact of sugar on metabolism.  One group was put on a diet of regular food and water while the other group received regular food and water with 10% sucrose, resembling the sugar content in soda. The mice were allowed to eat and drink freely for three months.

During the study, the researchers monitored the mice’s weight, blood sugar levels, and food and water intake. After three months, they evaluated the mice’s metabolic health by looking at how the mice processed sugar and responded to insulin. They took tissue samples from the liver, intestines and muscles to see how the sugar impacted the mice at the molecular level.

Results showed that the group of mice that drank sugary water had significantly higher blood sugar levels, increased levels of insulin resistance and increased liver glucose production compared with the group that drank regular water.

The small intestine of the mice in the sugar water group also changed. The number of sugar transporters — proteins in the intestines that help absorb sugar — increased, whereas transporters for other nutrients like fats and amino acids decreased. The researchers also noticed a change in muscle function at the cellular level.

So the next time your favorite soda starts calling your name, consider the fact that a sugar addiction goes deeper than your tongue.

For those who love sushi, here’s something to remember: Japanese wasabi might boost short- and long-term memory in older adults.

We all know the sushi condiment from the often-pungent blast that punches the nose more than our taste buds. Wasabi cultivation dates to the eighth century. But it only became better known in the United States after 1980 with the rising popularity of sushi.

We already know from work in the laboratory that wasabi might improve cognition. Yet, studies were few and improved intellectual capabilities had not been tested in older adults. So, Japanese researchers took a closer look.

They recruited 72 people ages 60 to 80 and separated them into two equal groups. One group took a 100-milligram wasabi tablet every day for three months.  The second group got a placebo.

Afterward, the cognition of volunteers was measured, including language and reasoning skills, concentration and memory.

Scientists discovered that the wasabi group’s long- and short-term memory improved significantly compared with the control group. They found no effect in other cognitive functions.

More testing is being done to explore wasabi’s benefits. Physicians aren’t writing wasabi prescriptions just yet.

The spice is also known for being rich in vitamin C and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Indeed, researchers say wasabi might reduce inflammation in the area of the brain responsible for memory.

It’s important to remember that diet and exercise also play an important part in keeping our minds sharp. There is no single elixir for good brain health.

In the meantime, a sushi lunch just might hit the spot.