A comparison of automated and manual methods to determine the hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations was carried out using 50 canine and 30 feline blood samples. There were significant differences between manual and automated Hct for both the dog (P<0.05) and cat (P<0.01) samples, as well as between the manual cyanmethemoglobin and automated cyanide-free methods for both species (d...

OBJECTIVES To determine the age at which children with apparently normal development can recognise the television image of a cat, dog, or baby. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING District general hospital in north London. SUBJECTS 797 children with apparently normal development aged between 8 and 23 months and 26 children with Down's syndrome aged 18 months. OUTCOME MEASURES Whether or...

It is unknown whether family members with detectable specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and/or allergic symptoms to pets are more or less likely to reside in a household with pets. We cross-sectionally investigated potential relationships between family members' allergic sensitization and symptoms to dogs and cats and current household pet-keeping practices, using birth cohort data. Blood samples...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and may serve as biomarkers. Here, we present the first analysis of miRNA expression in the kidneys of healthy cats and dogs. Kidneys were divided into renal cortex (CO) and medulla (MD), and RNA sequence analysis was performed using the mouse genome as a reference. A total of 277, 276, 295, and 297 miRNAs were detected in c...

Threeto 4-month-old infants show asymmetric exclusivity in the acquisition of cat and dog perceptual categories. The cat perceptual category excludes dog exemplars, but the dog perceptual category does not exclude cat exemplars. We describe a connectionist autoencoder model of perceptual categorization that shows the same asymmetries as infants. The model predicts the presence of asymmetric ret...

OBJECTIVE To examine risk factors for eczema at age 4 years. STUDY DESIGN Beginning at 1 year of age, infants of atopic parents (n = 636) had annual clinical evaluations and skin prick tests (SPTs) to 15 aeroallergens and milk and egg. Parents completed validated surveys on eczema and environmental exposures. House dust samples were evaluated for allergens and endotoxin. Eczema was defined as...

The aim of this population study was to identify personality traits among older (>65 years) male and female owners of cats and dogs and to compare their general health status in relation to their personality. Further, the aim was to examine whether current cat and dog ownership could be predicted by the owners’ personality and health. Data were collected from the NorthTrøndelag Health Study (HU...

Highly purified human (Lys-forms), cat, dog, and rabbit plasminogens showed significantly different sensitivities to activation by highly purified streptokinase. The most sensitive plasminogen is the human zymogen, followed by the cat, dog, and rabbit zymogens, respectively. These human, cat, dog, and rabbit zymogens reacted with streptokinase to form homogeneous equimolar plasminogen-streptoki...

Before the discovery of Toxoplasma gondii as a coccidium of the cat in 1970, cat and dog coccidia were classified in the genus Isospora and considered of little clinical or zoonotic significance. Since 1970, several new (Hammondia sp., Neospora sp.) and previously described species, including Sarcocystis, Besnoitia, and Cryptosporidium have been found as coccidians of cats and dogs with clinica...

BACKGROUND Exposure to cat and dog allergens is very common in the Western World and is a serious cause of asthma in sensitized subjects. OBJECTIVE We sought to study the clinical effects of air cleaners in living rooms and bedrooms of asthmatic children sensitized to cat or dog allergens. METHODS Twenty asthmatic children sensitized to pet allergens (cat/dog) and with an animal at home par...