Kelley Weir

Conventional chemotherapy drugs modestly improve cancer survival rates, but many cause notable side effects. Recently, a study founded by Morris Animal Foundation found Metronomic therapy, a new way of administering chemotherapy that involves frequent, low-level doses of chemotherapy rather than higher doses at longer intervals, may improve dogs’ treatment response and decrease side effects. Researchers studied whether metronomic dosing of the drug cyclophosphamide is safe and effective in treating dogs with soft-tissue sarcomas.

Read More

A Belgian Sheepdog

As a veterinary student, Nicole Giguere understands the human–animal bond. She can also appreciate the heightened bond that police dogs share with their handlers. Not long after her husband, a paramedic, called her one evening to ask her how to help an injured police dog, Nicole decided that there should be some kind of first-aid course for handlers with working dogs. Her next step was to study the most common causes of injury in police dogs.

“I deeply admire police dogs,” Giguere says. “I feel that these dogs and their partners are the true embodiment of the human–animal bond.”

Read More

“One Handsome Greyhound”
The word osteosarcoma is all too familiar in greyhound circles, where pet parents mourn the loss of thousands of beloved dogs each year. But there is hope in the fight against this deadly disease: The ongoing innovative research that will lead to new treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

It has long been known that some breeds have a predisposition to develop certain cancers—such as osteosarcoma in greyhounds, golden retrievers and great danes.

One promising study tests rapamycin, a drug used with human cancer patients, in treating dogs with osteosarcoma. This bone cancer clinical trial is shepherded by the Comparative Oncology Program at the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center for Cancer Research.

Read More

Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes longer, healthier lives for animals through humane research, recently funded a study to determine how educated veterinarians and physicians are about dog-bite prevention techniques. Of the respondents, only 21 percent of veterinarians and 5 percent of physicians reported that they had acquired most of their knowledge about dog bites from medical or veterinary school. Most interesting, the study found that the vast majority of those surveyed would like to have had more information about dog-bite prevention during their schooling. “We hope the information from this study can be used to develop better curricula for medical and veterinary training programs,” said Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, president/CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. “This curriculum could prove to be of benefit to both people and dogs alike, helping us to better live side by side.”

Read More

Playful dogs are happy, healthy dogs at any age. Fetching a ball, going for a walk, chasing a dream— being the dogs they were meant to be. Arthritis doesn’t have to be the end of living life to the fullest. Loving care makes all the difference. It begins with understanding and leads to solutions for a healthier, happier life. But joint issues are a very common problem affecting more than 12 million dogs, especially older and large dogs.

Read More

Dogs that jump incessantly and exhibit exuberant energy levels may face more than just reprimands from their owners. Drastic as it may sound, small behavioral issues that go unaddressed account for millions of pets left in shelters, say experts who urge early intervention and applaud Morris Animal Foundation’s research into the field. Recognizing behavior as the number one reason people relinquish pets each year, the Foundation is working with animal behavior expert Robert K. Anderson, DVM, MPH, diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), and generous donors who are committed to finding answers to this dire situation.

Read More