BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii can infect all warm-blooded animals. Modified agglutination test (MAT) and ELISA are widely used for the detection of T. gondii antibodies. However, there is little information on their acceptability for detecting antibodies in companion animals. METHODS This study compared ELISA and MAT for their ability to detect T. gondii infection in naturally infected dogs an...

The environments around WISE-selected hot dust obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) and WISE/radio-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at average redshifts of z = 2.7 and z = 1.7, respectively, were found to have overdensities of companion Submillimeter-selected sources. The overdensities were of∼2–3 and∼5–6 , respectively, compared with blank field submm surveys. The space densities in both samples...

Namibia has a rich history in veterinary health but little is known about the vector-borne diseases that affect companion dogs and cats. The aim of this review is to summarise the existing published and available unpublished literature, put it into a wider geographical context, and explore some significant knowledge gaps. To date, only two filarial pathogens (Dirofilaria repens and Acanthocheil...

The primary aim of this article is to review the use of animal health insurance data in the scientific literature, especially in regard to morbidity or mortality in companion animals and horses. Methods and results were compared among studies on similar health conditions from different nations and years. A further objective was to critically evaluate benefits and limitations of such databases, ...

The lack of population health surveillance for companion animal populations leaves them vulnerable to the effects novel diseases without means early detection. We present evidence on effectiveness a system that enabled detection and rapid response canine gastroenteritis outbreak in United Kingdom. In January 2020, prolific vomiting among dogs was sporadically reported Electronic records from na...

BACKGROUND Studies in Australia and elsewhere have shown high levels of antibiotic resistance in coagulase-positive staphylococci in dogs visiting veterinary clinics with pyoderma and related conditions. Although important, such studies tend to overestimate the burden of resistance. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of coagulase-positive staphylococci in healthy dog...

In connection with the use of cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes in human medicine, there is increased attention their veterinary particularly by owners companion animals and horses. Therefore, veterinarians are expected to face this interest have corresponding knowledge on these substances. Presently, it not possible medical marijuana (in terms dried cannabis flowers) many countries, but in...

Dogs have become one of the most important companion animals in modern society. However, it is estimated that 20% to 40% of owned dogs are obese, suggesting that obesity has become one of the most important canine health problem. In addition, obesity in dogs also leads to type II diabetes. Because the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) has been shown to be essential in maintaining energy homeostasi...

In this paper we present evidence that simple problem solving in the dog is strongly influenced by the relationship with the owner. Twenty-eight dog-owner pairs were observed in a novel situation and when performing a simple problem-solving task. Dogs were categorized according to their relationship with the owners (`companionship" or "working relationship"). In addition to the behavioral analy...

We describe a BDI (Belief, Desire, Intention) approach and architecture for a conversational virtual companion embodied as a child’s Toy. Our aim is to support both structured conversation-based activities (e.g., story-telling, collaborative games) as well as more free-flowing, engaging dialogue with variation and some unpredictability. We argue that a goal-oriented approach to the agent’s conv...