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A Deadly Virus Makes a Comeback

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A Deadly Virus Makes a Comeback AnimalNEWS 19.1 A DEADLY VIRUS MAKES A COMEBACK Fur Seals Help Researchers Understand Ocean Life Cancer Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward 2019 Dog & Cat Studies For more than 70 years, Morris Animal YOUR Foundation has been a global leader in funding studies to advance animal American German Shepherd health. With the help of generous GIFTS IN donors like you, we are improving the health and well-being of dogs, cats, Dog Charitable Foundation ACTION horses and wildlife worldwide. PARTNERS IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN THIS ISSUE 2 Your Gifts in Action In 2007, the American German Shepherd Dog Over the years, they have 3 Partners in Research Charitable Foundation Inc. (AGSDCF) made its first gift to support canine health studies at Morris funded research projects in hip 4 Fur Seals Help Researchers dysplasia, genetics of bloat, Animal Foundation. Since then, the organization has canine epilepsy, musculoskeletal 6 It’s More Fun with Goldens continued its investment in research, particularly in conditions and, more recently, 7 Feline Panleukopenia health concerns for the German shepherd. hemangiosarcoma, an almost universally fatal 8 Cancer Research Heart Drug’s Variability cancer in dogs. But this year, they decided to 10 Dog & Cat Health Studies Between 6 and 17 percent of cats with cardiac diseases develop potentially life- invest in veterinary students, While they continue to actively 11 Our New CSO and CDO threatening blood clots. The anticlotting drug clopidogrel, also known as Plavix, is often prescribed to prevent clots from forming. However, veterinarians have been too, and made a gift of fund research, the organization perplexed why some cats respond to treatment and others do not. Washington State $100,000 to support Morris wanted to expand their giving University researchers recently shed light on this issue by identifying a genetic Animal Foundation’s Veterinary to support educational mutation that might explain this variable drug response, a step closer to help tailor Student Scholars program. The programs as well. OUR MISSION medications for cats with heart disease. (Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and program provides grants to Our mission is to bridge Therapeutics, September 2018) current veterinary students “We’re getting a little long in the science and resources with an interest in animal tooth and need to invest in the to advance the health Surgical Cure for Rare Heart Disease health research, and who have next generation,” said Hokkanen. of animals. Arrhythmias caused by abnormal electrical conduction pathways in the heart, submitted an approved proposal “For our donors, this means known as atrioventricular accessory pathways (AP), can be fatal if left untreated. for a summer research project. not only continuing to support MedVet Cincinnati researchers adapted a catheter-based procedure used in human research into health conditions medicine to successfully eliminate AP conduction long-term in about 95 percent “We are thrilled to that affect German shepherds, AnimalNEWS of dogs treated. This procedure is essentially a cure for AP problems in most dogs, be supporting the but also making sure we do our Volume 19/Issue 1/Spring 2019 eliminating the need for continued, lifelong monitoring and drug therapy. (Journal up-and-coming great part to support the veterinary of Veterinary Internal Medicine, September 2018) minds in veterinary professionals who care for our AnimalNEWS is published dogs every day.” four times a year by Updated Genome Paves Way for More Discoveries medicine who will Morris Animal Foundation. Thanks to recent work on the horse genome by researchers at the University of be helping our dogs, ” Hokkanen noted that for AGSDCF Louisville, University of Kentucky and University of California, Santa Cruz, there are donors, giving back to the breed 720 S. Colorado Blvd. now an additional 300 genes to study that scientists couldn’t study before. This more said AGSDCF President Deb they are passionate about is Suite 174A complete map of the horse’s genetic code will help advance the discovery of genetic Denver, CO 80246 Hokkanen. “It’s exciting for our simply a matter of love links and causes of diseases and other serious health problems in all breeds of organization to be working and appreciation. 800.243.2345 horses. (Communications Biology, November 2018) together with Morris Animal 303.790.2345 Foundation to improve the health “We are grateful for these special Lead Exposure Linked to Aggression of all breeds and every dog.” dogs who have given their hearts [email protected] Urban mockingbirds eat a broad range of food items, from bugs to berries, making and souls to make our daily lives morrisanimalfoundation.org them an invaluable model to study environmental lead exposure in urban wildlife AGSDCF was founded in 1984 and happier. We give to the health of and pets. Tulane University researchers found a strong association between lead is devoted to funding research the breed, and in thanks for their exposure and hyper-aggressive behavior in mockingbirds living in New Orleans projects that improve the health gracing us every day with their neighborhoods with elevated soil lead. Ongoing research looks at how this behavior impacts health, reproduction and survival of these birds. Findings may of the German shepherd dog. wonderful presence.” have important implications for other wildlife species, pets and even people living in affected areas. (Science of the Total Environment, November 2018) 2 AnimalNEWS morrisanimalfoundation.org 3 Guafo Island’s Fur Seals Help Researchers The third paper shared the discovery of plastic “Most people think we study fur seals microfibers in the seals’ feces. This finding suggests because they’re charismatic or the way they that scat from pinnipeds may be an efficient way to monitor levels of microfibers and microplastics in look, but it’s actually because they’re very UNDERSTAND the environment. important pieces of marine ecosystems, as predators,” said Dr. Seguel. “Anything that Guafo Island and its surrounding waters are home happens in the marine ecosystem affects OCEAN LIFE to a wide variety of animals, from penguins to whales. them somehow and we can still understand So why does the team focus so much attention on fur processes in the ocean that would affect Though they live on a small isle off the coast of Chile, “The idea is to keep long-term studies seals? Because they provide a good snapshot of ocean life while still spending a significant amount other top ocean predators.” the South American fur seals of Guafo Island are going because we learn the most when proving to be immensely informative. The island is of time on land. home to the Pacific Ocean’s largest fur seal rookery, we’re able to combine information, year More insight from the seal studies is yet to come. Dr. which for more than a decade has been studied by after year, and start seeing trends that Compared to other pinnipeds, fur seals not only live Seguel said his team will publish at least three more scientists to learn more about ocean life. are important.” closer to open ocean waters, they tend to forage far manuscripts in the near future about the fur seals deeper into the ocean as well. But unlike fully aquatic of Guafo Island, one of which will deal with climate The team has been prolific in their publishing, with animals, such as dolphins or whales, researchers change and its effect on the seals’ immune systems. “We’re always trying to understand how have much greater access to the seals when they an ecosystem works, the health of it and three papers published in 2018 alone from Morris Animal Foundation-funded research. The first paper return to their rocky beaches. Dr. Seguel and his team what factors we’re causing to potentially focused on previously unknown factors contributing to can follow, mark, capture or simply observe them to impact it,” a die-off of fur seal pups, including mites, pneumonia analyze any number of factors in their lives. and sea surface temperature. A second paper focused said Dr. Mauricio Seguel, a research fellow at the on research that found hookworms exploit a live fast/ University of Georgia and member of the Guafo die young strategy in their fur seal pup hosts, which Island Research Group. could eventually pose a species survival risk to critically endangered populations of fur seals. 4 AnimalNEWS morrisanimalfoundation.org 5 FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA A DEADLY VIRUS IT’S MAKES A COMEBACK A kitten just brought home from the shelter won’t eat her breakfast. A few hours later, vomiting and diarrhea begin. She’s MORE rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic and diagnosed with feline panleukopenia (FPV). With support care, the kitten survives, but her owners are left wondering about this illness that seemed FUN to come out of nowhere and threaten their kitten’s life. WITH GOLDENS Feline panleukopenia infection – also known and even protective inhabitants of the Ellie, Hero #2349 and Tate, Hero #2460 as feline parvo or feline distemper – was intestinal tract might become co-conspirators first described 100 years ago. FPV is highly in the disease process. contagious and can spread quickly among For Julie Cuenod and her husband, Marc, summer Gathering information on more than 3,000 golden cats in multi-cat households, shelters and “By analyzing fecal samples and comparing road trips to Colorado Springs, Colorado, are always retrievers throughout their lives, the Study hopes boarding facilities. Young cats and poorly infected and uninfected cats, we should be a doggone adventure. Packed in a car with their to identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle vaccinated cats are at highest risk for able to characterize every single virus present two golden retrievers, Ellie and Tate, the couple and genetic risk factors for cancer and other infection, and mortality rates are high.
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