Nine cat isolates and nine dog isolates of Rhodococcus equi from clinical material were investigated for the presence of the virulence-associated antigens (VapA and VapB) and virulence plasmids. Five of the cat isolates and one dog isolate were VapA positive and contained an 85-kb type I or an 87-kb type I plasmid. The remaining 12 isolates were avirulent R. equi strains and contained no virule...

It was previously demonstrated that the dog dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene is polymorphic in terms of the repeat number and/or order of 39- and 12-bp sequences located in the third exon. To examine whether or not the repetitive region is present in other species of the order Carnivora, the homologous region of DRD4 genes were sequenced in the gray wolf, raccoon dog, Asiatic black bear, common...

The structure of the canine tapetum lucidum appears to be basically similar to that described in some other carnivores, but specific distinctions are present. The reflecting rodlets of the dog are similar in their dimensions to those of the cat, but they are more closely packed, resulting in a unique value for the wavelength of maximal reflectance. In addition, the rodlets are less precisely or...

Cutaneous larva migrans is a self-limited cutaneous eruption caused by larva of roundworms that do not normally parasitize humans. Ankylostoma brazielensis, the dog and cat hookworm, is the most common agent. The disease is found in tropical and subtropical regions and may be seen in travelers from these regions. We report a case of a 37-year-old Iranian man who had cutaneous larva migrans afte...

The origin of horse, dog, cat, bovine, sheep, porcine, and goat meat was determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, using species-specific primers. Test mixtures of meat were prepared by adding 5%, 2.5%, 1%, 0.5%, and 0.1% levels of pork, horse, cat, or dog meat to beef, sheep, and goat meat. Samples taken from those combinations were analyzed by PCR for species determination....

Threeto four-month-old infants presented with a series of cat or dog photographs show an unusual asymmetry in the exclusivity of the perceptual category representations formed. We have previously accounted for this asymmetry in terms of an inclusion asymmetry in the distribution of features present in the cat and dog images used during familiarization (Mareschal, French, & Quinn, 2000). We use ...