Over 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer in the USA each year. Treatment options for many of these patients are limited. It is important that the veterinary and scientific communities begin to explore novel treatment protocols for dogs with cancer. Oncolytic viral therapy is a promising treatment option that may prove to be relatively inexpensive and effective against several types of canc...

We describe a BDI (Belief, Desire, Intention) goal-oriented architecture for a conversational virtual companion embodied as a child’s Toy, designed to be both entertaining and capable of carrying out collaborative tasks. We argue that the goal-oriented approach supports both structured conversational activities (e.g., story-telling, collaborative games) as well as more “free-flowing” engaging d...

BACKGROUND Diarrhea is one of the most common clinical symptoms reported in companion animal clinics. Dog circovirus (DogCV) is a new mammalian circovirus that is considered to be a cause of alimentary syndromes such as diarrhea, vomiting and hemorrhagic enteritis. DogCV has previously only been identified in the United States, Italy, Germany (GeneBank accession number: KF887949) and China (Gen...

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the safety of topical ocular administration of a cross-linked, modified hyaluronic acid (xCMHA-S) hydrogel, and its effectiveness in accelerating repair and closure of acute and nonhealing corneal ulcers in companion animals as a veterinary treatment and its utility as a model for therapy in human corneal ulceration. Methods Two concentration...

Different test series have been developed and used to measure behaviour in shelter dogs in order to reveal individuals not suitable for re-homing due to their aggressive tendencies. However, behavioural tests previously validated on pet dogs seem to have relatively low predictability in the case of shelter dogs. Here, we investigate the potential effects of (1) timing of the behaviour testing a...

Ticks and tick-borne infections are global medical and veterinary public health concerns. Thailand has economically and environmentally changed markedly over the past several decades. The magnitude of free roaming carnivores such as dogs and cats is still represents a considerable problem. Stray animals serve not only as reservoirs for infectious diseases to all pet but also as carriers for zoo...

BACKGROUND Chlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular pathogens with a worldwide distribution in many animal species, including humans. No information exists on the prevalence of Chlamydia felis infections in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, the geographical center of China. The aim of this study was to carry out a census of cats and dogs in Lanzhou and document the seroprevalence of C. felis...

The ‘Animal symbol’ symbolizes the primitive and instinctive nature of human beings, has been psychologically important since ancient times. Among many animals, dogs, in particular, were originally wolves, but first to be domesticated by humans. It is an animal that people attach regard as a family member because it absolutely obedient dependent on humans when they perceive leader. However, mos...

Studies about the behaviours of mixed-breed dogs are rare, although mixed-breeds represent the majority of the world's dog population. We have conducted two surveys to investigate the behavioural, demographic, and dog keeping differences between purebred and mixed-breed companion dogs. Questionnaire data were collected on a large sample of dogs living in Germany (N = 7,700 purebred dogs represe...