martes, 29 de noviembre de 2011

Proteger del frío al perro y al gato.


Cada animal tiene una percepción diferente de frío. Estos son algunos consejos para afrontar mejor el frío con nuestros amigos de cuatro patas.

La lluvia y el frío pueden poner en tensión el deseo de salir de nuestros animales. Incluso si el perro y el gato están cubiertos por el pelo, no creo que no se enfríen cuando salen de casa.

Hay algunos animales que no piensan nada en absoluto en poner la nariz fuera del hogar, mientras que a otros les gusta salir a tomar un baño en un charco.

Cuanto más joven es el animal y el más grande, mejor apoya la disminución de la temperatura, sin embargo, la mayoría son de edad avanzada y sufren más con las bajas temperaturas. Los perros grandes pueden afrontar los rigores del invierno sin ningún problema, incluso fuera, siempre y cuando tengan una perrera y un lugar protegido de la lluvia, en el que para escapar durante la noche, cuando bajan las temperaturas. Para otros, sin embargo, la atención debe ser preservada para cuando salen los paseos habituales. Es importante prestar atención a la temperatura, las corrientes de aire ya que incluso los animales pueden enfermarse. Para los gatos, de hecho, debe estar alerta a los síntomas de la rinitis y los resfriados, las enfermedades que pueden ser muy graves.

El destete de los perros y gatos: de la leche materna al pienso.


Desde el momento del nacimiento y durante las tres primeras semanas de vida, los cachorros y los gatitos reciben directamente de la leche materna todos los nutrientes que necesitan.

Durante los próximos 3 / 6 semanas, con el destete, puede comenzar a ofrecer alimentos específicos de la industria que deben ser caracterizadas por altos niveles de proteínas, minerales, vitaminas y ácidos grasos esenciales en los alimentos para más de perros o gatos. Esto es porque durante los primeros seis meses de vida, su cuerpo se caracteriza por un rápido crecimiento, y es por eso que el crecimiento de pequeñas tienen una mayor demanda de energía y nutrientes esenciales.

Para ayudarles a masticar el pienso, puede humedecer ligeramente con agua, dividiéndola ración diaria en 3 / 4 comidas. Esto es importante debido a que su estómago y sus intestinos no han alcanzado aún el tamaño y la capacidad de un adulto, entonces no tienen la capacidad de recibir todos los nutrientes que necesita en una sola comida.

Sólo entonces podemos reducir la frecuencia de la administración diaria a un ritmo como un adulto (una o dos veces al día) cuando el animal es más viejo ahora. Además, el desplazamiento del alimento a pecho industrial debe ser gradual para que poco a poco, a los pequeños cambios en la dieta, limitando la aparición de trastornos digestivos.

Después de los tres primeros meses de vida, los cachorros y los gatitos empiezan a ser capaces de comer por sí mismos y entonces usted puede más fácilmente y reducir la cantidad de agua que se usa para humedecer el alimento seco siempre respetando la dosis diaria recomendada en el envase de los alimentos.

De esta manera, los cachorros y los gatitos crezcan sanos y fuertes, beneficiados de una nutrición completa y equilibrada de sus primeros meses de vida.

Dispelling the Mixed Breed Health Myth in Observance of National Mutt Day


In commemoration of National Mutt Day, I am exploring the notion that mixed breed dogs have health advantages over pure breeds.

What exactly makes a mutt? "Mutt" is a term typically referring to dogs, but does not necessarily exclude animal counterparts of other species. The term mutt is often used in a derogatory fashion, but it should be perceived in a more positive light. A mutt is merely a living being having a mix of known or unknown genetics. One can even consider most humans to be mutts due to our various genealogical lineages. Heck, I'm a French, Irish, and Lithuanian mutt.

Not all canines fit into the mutt category, as some dogs have specific genetic lineage that is traceable through generations and are thereby known as pure breeds. The American Kennel Club (AKC) defines purebred as a "dog whose sire and dam belong to the same breed and who are themselves of unmixed descent since recognition of the breed."

As a practicing veterinarian I am aware of the commonly held perspective that mutts are healthier than mixed breed dogs. There are some aspects of this statement that I agree with and others with which I disagree.

From a clinical perspective, what may make a mutt healthier is the general lack of awareness of specific illnesses that develop based on their genetics. Veterinarians can cite specific examples of pure breed dogs and rattle off a list of breed specific diseases; plus one for the mutts.

Veterinarians can never certify that a mixed breed dog will completely lack the potential for developing a genetically correlated disease. We can only speculate that a mutt may have a reduced likelihood as compared to a particular pure breed; minus one half for the mutts.

An example of this mixed versus pure breed phenomena is hip dysplasia (HD), one of the most common canine orthopedic abnormalities. HD (AKA Coxofemoral subluxation) is a developmental malformation of the hip joint that highly correlates with the genetics of many large dogs. HD is an undesirable trait, as it increases the likelihood that a dog will suffer from painful osteoarthritis during its lifetime.

Acquiring a dog from a reputable breeder who uses Penn HIP or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) techniques to evaluate the sire and dam’s hip health can reduce the likelihood that the offspring of normal parents will develop hip dysplasia.

Breeds of dogs that are prone to hip dysplasia include (but are not limited to) the Golden and Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, and German Shepherd Dog. Not every dog within these pedigrees has HD, yet plenty of mixes of these and other breeds do.

As compared to a dog’s breed, a more realistic determining factor of the likelihood of developing HD is physical size. Generally, large dogs (roughly > 50 lbs) are more likely to develop hip dysplasia than small dogs (say < 20 lbs), regardless of being a pure or mixed breed.

Additional factors that play a role in a dog’s development of HD are:

  • Fast rate of weight gain
  • Obesity (see Pet Obesity: Health Implications, Recognition, and Weight Management)
  • Elevated protein, calcium, and other nutritional factors
  • Traumatic joint injury

Although acquiring a dog of prime and known genetic stock may reduce the likelihood that a disease like HD will develop, the overall picture of health and wellness is multifactorial. Both pure and mixed breeds have the same potential to develop illness secondary to toxic exposure or infection. Additionally, getting hit by car, enduring a dog fight, falling from heights, and other traumas have no mixed versus pure breed discriminatory pattern.

I am all for adopting a pet, provided you have adequate time, financial resources, and have made this decision in a well thought out manner. Organizations like PetFinder are leading the way in the on-line adoptive realm and are currently striving to place nearly 200,000 dogs into homes.

Interestingly, PetFinder lists the available canines by known or suspected breed categories. A disclaimer reads:

Breed Note: Many of these pets are mixes. In these cases, the breed listed is the one that best matches their looks and personality. Also, some of the pets presumed to be mixes may be purebred.

Perhaps claiming a dog is a particular breed makes it more adoptable after all.

Truly, I hope your mutt, pure breed dog, cat, or other companion animal lives many years having a great quality of life। Providing the best pet parenting possible, along with some good fortune, can help make this goal a reality।

Dr. Patrick Mahaney

Necesidades energéticas de los cachorros hasta las 28 semanas de edad


La alimentación de los cachorros desde el destete es fundamental para asegurar su óptimo desarrollo, sobre todo en perros medianos y grandes. Un equipo de investigadores de la Universidad Ludwig Maximians de Munich ha estudiado las necesidades de energía en dos razas caninas.

Una alimentación adecuada es crucial para asegurar un desarrollo óptimo en los perros que están en periodo de crecimiento, especialmente en razas grandes y gigantes. Los cánidos con una velocidad de crecimiento moderada tienden a sufrir menos enfermedades ortopédicas que los que se desarrollan a la máxima velocidad posible. En un estudio* llevado a cabo por investigadores alemanes de la Universidad Ludwig Maximians (Munich, Alemania) se han analizado las necesidades energéticas para un desarrollo óptimo hasta las 28 semanas de edad en dos razas diferentes: Beagle, como representante de los perros de tamaño medio, y Foxhound y sus cruces, como ejemplo de animal de raza grande.

Tras el destete, llevado a cabo a las seis semanas, las raciones de alimento de los perros incluidos en el estudio de campo se fueron ajustando cada día de forma individual, según el nivel de crecimiento de los animales, de forma que este se adaptase lo más posible a las curvas de desarrollo teóricas ideales en cada raza.

Se registró diariamente la cantidad de alimento y energía consumidas por los cachorros. La energía ingerida osciló entre 0,72 y 2,34 veces las necesidades teóricas de mantenimiento. Teniendo en cuenta todo el periodo experimental se observaron importantes diferencias entre las razas estudiadas. Los cruces de Foxhound-Bóxer-Labrador de Ingelheim mostraron unas necesidades energéticas mayores que los Beagle.

Por otra parte, las necesidades energéticas de los perros de estas razas recogidas en las tablas del NRC son muy superiores a las registradas en este estudio.

First Dogs Came from East Asia, Genetic Study Confirms


Researchers at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they have found further proof that the wolf ancestors of today's domesticated dogs can be traced to southern East Asia -- findings that run counter to theories placing the cradle of the canine line in the Middle East.

Dr Peter Savolainen, KTH researcher in evolutionary genetics, says a new study released Nov. 23 confirms that an Asian region south of the Yangtze River was the principal and probably sole region where wolves were domesticated by humans.

Data on genetics, morphology and behaviour show clearly that dogs are descended from wolves, but there's never been scientific consensus on where in the world the domestication process began. "Our analysis of Y-chromosomal DNA now confirms that wolves were first domesticated in Asia south of Yangtze River -- we call it the ASY region -- in southern China or Southeast Asia," Savolainen says.

The Y data supports previous evidence from mitochondrial DNA. "Taken together, the two studies provide very strong evidence that dogs originated in the ASY region," Savolainen says.

Archaeological data and a genetic study recently published in Nature suggest that dogs originate from the Middle East. But Savolainen rejects that view. "Because none of these studies included samples from the ASY region, evidence from ASY has been overlooked," he says.

Peter Savolainen and PhD student Mattias Oskarsson worked with Chinese colleagues to analyse DNA from male dogs around the world. Their study was published in the scientific journal Heredity.

Approximately half of the gene pool was universally shared everywhere in the world, while only the ASY region had the entire range of genetic diversity. "This shows that gene pools in all other regions of the world most probably originate from the ASY region," Savolainen says.

"Our results confirm that Asia south of the Yangtze River was the most important -- and probably the only -- region for wolf domestication, and that a large number of wolves were domesticated," says Savolainen.

In separate research published recently in Ecology and Evolution, Savolainen, PhD student Arman Ardalan and Iranian and Turkish scientists conducted a comprehensive study of mitochondrial DNA , with a particular focus on the Middle East. Because mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother in most species, it is especially useful in studying evolutionary relationships.

"Since other studies have indicated that wolves were domesticated in the Middle East, we wanted to be sure nothing had been missed. We find no signs whatsoever that dogs originated there," says Savolainen.

In their studies, the researchers also found minor genetic contributions from crossbreeding between dogs and wolves in other geographic regions, including the Middle East.

"This subsequent dog/wolf hybridisation contributed only modestly to the dog gene pool," Savolainen explains.

Cadre Noir, Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la UNESCO


'Cadre Noir', la Escuela Nacional de Equitación de Saumur, ha sido inscrita en la Lista de Patrimonio Inmaterial de la UNESCO.

Tras la petición del 'Cadre Noir' de ser Patrimonio Cultural, su solicitud fue aceptada tras una reunión mantenida en Bali (Indonesia) por el Comité Intergubernamental para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial.

Según la UNESCO, la tradicional escuela francesa supone un ejemplo de armonía entre seres humanos y caballos y la mantiene viva.
La alta escuela en general, y en particular la de la Escuela Nacional de Equitación de Saumur, se aseguran de que el jinete aprenda a combinar las ayudas con el respeto por el cuerpo del caballo y el estado de ánimo. Crean en el jinete el deseo de establecer una estrecha relación con el caballo hacia el logro, a través del trabajo, de la ligereza.

La Convención para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial fue creada en 2003 en la Conferencia General de la UNESCO y hoy en día 139 países están incluidos en él. Sólo estos países pueden presentar elementos para su inscripción en la Lista.

El Comité está compuesto por 24 estados miembros, los cuales son elegidos por un período de cuatro años y cada dos años cambian la mitad de ellos; es decir, cada dos años se eligen 12 nuevos que se unen a otros 12 elegidos dos años antes.

Genetic Testing for the Mixed Breed Dog


Yesterday, we talked about how genetic and other types of tests can help breeders make informed decisions about which individuals should be bred and which should be spayed or neutered to prevent them from passing on "faulty" genes to the next generation. Since December 2nd is National Mutt Day, I thought I’d talk about whether or not mixed breed dogs are also candidates for genetic testing.

Until recently, I think the words "genetic testing" and "mutt" rarely were found in the same sentence. All of our genetic tests were essentially aimed at ferreting out diseases that were prevalent within particular breeds with the primary aim of making subsequent generations healthier. Why test a mutt who shouldn’t be bred in the first place, and what tests would your run even if you wanted to? It is notoriously difficult to determine the heritage of a mixed breed dog unless the mating was witnessed. Of course, this doesn’t stop veterinarians, shelter personnel, friends, family, and random passers-by on the street from guessing, but that’s basically all they are … guesses.
I saw an article a couple of years ago (I can’t find it for the life of me; if anyone can pass on a copy it’d be greatly appreciated) that showed how bad we so-called animal professionals were at identifying breeds. I don’t remember the statistics, but the take home message was what we call a lab/pit mix might very well be a boxer/Australian shepherd cross.
Things have changed recently with the advent of DNA dog breed analysis, however. Several companies have come up with their own systems, but they all operate on similar principles. You gently swab the inside of your dog’s cheek to remove loose cells that contain DNA. The swab is then sent to the lab where the DNA is extracted and compared to a database of samples from a long list of dog breeds. The closest matches are your pet’s nearest relatives. The tests aren’t perfect, all breeds of dogs aren’t represented in each of the companies’ databases for example, but the results are more reliable than a guess based solely on a dog’s appearance or behavior.
Why run a dog breed analysis on your mixed breed dog? Curiosity is the primary reason. It can be fun to be able to answer "what type of dog is that" with a reasonable degree of certainty.
Theoretically, you also might be able to use the information to predict what health problems could be in store for you mutt। For example, both German shepherd dogs and golden retrievers are at risk for degenerative myelopathy. If you knew that your mutt was primarily a mix of these two breeds, this disease should be on your radar screen as he ages. Individual variation and the complexities of genetics make these types of predictions sketchy at best, but if you want to know what your dog "is" anyway, you might as well do a little research into how his genetics could affect his health. Dr. Jennifer Coates