Sniffing out Prostate Cancer

Dog lovers are well acquainted with a canine sensory ability for which the species is well known- the sense of smell. Dogs can be both amazing and at times vexing when using their noses. A keen sense of smell has been exploited to help in hunting, tracking, drug identification, and bomb detection.

A new use has been found for canine sniffers. Urine-Sniffing Dogs: Early Detection of Prostate Cancer, is a Science Daily article which has this to say:

Researchers report the evaluation of the efficacy of prostate cancer (PCa) detection by trained dogs on human urine samples.

A Belgian Malinois shepherd showed an ability to detect prostate cancer in urine samples. Accuracy was very good and "sensitivity and specificity were both 91%." This may become another diagnostic tool in the fight against prostate cancer.

Some Good Facts About Cats

The article titled Ten Fascinating Facts About Cats lives up to its billing. Some cats are either righty or lefty but most are ambidextrous. I never gave that a thought before seeing the article.

Cats do see in color and meow only at people and not at other cats. Nose pads are to cats what fingerprints are to humans. No two cats have the same nose pads.



HT: Diana

Macaque Monkey Adopts a Kitten

Apparently we are not the only species which adopts pets. I recall a story years ago of a gorilla in captivity which had adopted a pet cat he was fond of and lived with. Piper Weiss wrote an article about a macaque monkey, living in a forest in Bali with an adopted kitten. The article contains some excellent photos showing the two together.

Aging Problems with Cats and Dogs

My cat has been treated at Brick Town Veterinary Hospital and I can attest to being satisfied with the service rendered. The office is located at: 251 Chambers Bridge Road in Brick (Tel: 732-477-9440). They send me emails with information about pets. The most recent one was titled: 5 Health Concerns to Watch for as Your Pet Ages.

Dogs and cats are said to age five to seven times faster than people. They also tend to hide signs of sickness. I did not know that cats become seniors at 11 years of age. The five age related problems are: arthritis, kidney problems, diabetes, dental problems and behavioral problems. Symptoms of diabetes include fatigue, urinary accidents, a lot of drinking, weight loss and vomiting. In addition to teeth problems dental problems also encompass gum problems and bad breath.

Clancy, the Mercury Sniffing Dog

Some are fortunate enough to be able to work productively with a beloved pet who has a serious life mission. Carol Hubbard works with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in St. Paul. Her working companion is a dog named Clancy. Clancy is trained to sniff out mercury and is able to detect as little as a half gram of it. Clancy and Carol Hubbard work in schools where Clancy locates mercury spills that can occur in science classrooms where students handle thermometers and barometers.

Dogs have a remarkably keen sense of smell and this trait has been put to good use by the military and by law enforcement agencies. Clancy puts his talent to use in the environmental field. The students in schools are not surprisingly receptive to Clancy whose appeal extends beyond the service he provides.

Science Daily features an article and video about Clancy, Carol and their work. It took only about two months to train Clancy. The article is informative and entertaining.

Separation Anxiety for Dogs

How to Deal With Your Dog's Separation Anxiety is an eHow article. Eric Letendre provides some advice for dog owners whose dogs get upset when left alone. Eric reminds us that dogs are social animals. They enjoy interaction with other dogs and with humans as well.

The advice is largely centered around the idea that one can increase a dog's tolerance for solitariness by progressively increasing the amount of time the dog is left alone. The idea being that an owner carefully times the absences and ups the solitary time as the number of time alone exercises increases.

As is the case with humans, exercise can be an antidote for anxiety. You may want to take your dog for a long walk prior parting. If the separation problem is severe a vet might be called on to prescribe medication.

Carpet Urination by Cats

Cat urination on carpets is a serious problem. Getting rid of the offensive smell is of course is one aspect of it. That can be done so that humans do not detect odors yet still a cat can be attracted to the area because cats have a keener sense of smell. The attraction can lead to further urination. The key is to eliminate odors cats can detect and to alter a cat's behavior.

Yahoo Answers addresses the issue. Suggestions are made. Hopefully effective ones.