One of the most remarkable creatures on the planet, the Asiatic cheetah, is nearing extinction. 

 

According to The Guardian, “Fewer than 50 of the critically endangered carnivores are thought to be left in the wild—all of them in Iran—and scientists fear that without urgent intervention there is little chance of saving one of the planet’s most distinctive and graceful hunters.” 

 

The United Nations recently pulled funding to protect these animals, which put them at an even greater risk. Iranian conservationist Jamshid Parchizadeh told The Guardian that lack of funding and protection means certain death for the Asiatic cheetah. “Iran has already suffered from the loss of the Asiatic lion and the Caspian tiger,” he stated. “Now we are about to see the Asiatic cheetah go extinct as well.”

 

The Asiatic cheetah, which is one of the fastest land animals on Earth, has seen a steady decline in population in Iran due to hunting, loss of habitat, and road accidents. (Before they were found in Iran, Asiatic cheetahs once lived in both India and Asia, but were driven out because of factors like hunting and farming.) 

 

While efforts have been made by conservationists and scientists over the years to save the Asiatic cheetah, the situation is dire. In a letter written to Nature.com, Parchizadeh stated, “Bringing the Asiatic cheetah back from the brink of extinction will require close cooperation between governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and grassroots stakeholders. The government’s wholehearted support is crucial.” 

 

Dr. Laurie Marker, the founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, also recently wrote a letter that urged for open communication about the cheetah crisis, especially via technology. (She also pointed out that the Asiatic cheetah isn’t the only type of cheetah in danger: “The harsh reality is cheetahs are on a crash-course with extinction. One hundred years ago, there were 100,000; today less than 8,000.”) 

 

“We can share solutions with organizations in all cheetah home range territories and with people everywhere wishing to save this magnificent species for future generations,” Marker wrote. “Humans have caused the problems that are threatening the cheetah, but we are also the only species that can save them.” 

 

Image via Shutterstock 

 

Read more: Reptiles are at Risk of Extinction, Study Finds

 

I would love to talk to my dog—or at least know what he is thinking. Dr. Gregory Berns is trying to do just that. Berns, a researcher and physician at Emory University in Atlanta, has been doing the impossible since 2011. That is when he started studies with dogs trained to stay absolutely still in an MRI scanner to see how their brains respond to various tasks.

 

The same MRI machine that your doctor uses to look at your injured joints can be recalibrated to measure brain activity, a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI measures blood flow to different parts of the brain. The researchers then correlate that variation in blood flow to the tasks the dog (or human) performs to interpret what the dog thinks.

 

Your Dog Loves You as Much as Food

 

In one task constructed by Berns, the dogs were rewarded with either praise from their human or a food reward. When the results of all of the dogs were analyzed together, there was no difference in the magnitude of the response between the two types of rewards. That means that averaged together, dogs seemed to love food just as much as they loved their people. But when the results from each dog were analyzed individually, that’s when everything became interesting.

 

As he described in his new book, “What It’s Like to Be a Dog,” Berns saw real personality differences between the dogs who volunteered for the study. Some were chow-hounds—always searching for that extra morsel of food. Others sought approval from their people during the training phase of tasks. These differences were apparent in how the dogs’ brains responded to the different types of rewards. This kind of confirmation that brain activity matches temperament makes way for more complex studies of canine cognition.

 

I have one of those dogs who is easy to read. He loves people and other dogs first and food is way behind, bringing up the rear. I can put food on the floor and he will sit and wait for the cue to eat it. But if a new person comes to visit, there is no holding him back. I know where he would fall in the spectrum of Berns’s research dogs.

 

Understanding the Canine Thought Process

 

In his book, Berns describes several of his other recent studies, including that dogs recognize faces using a special part of the brain analogous to the structure in the human brain. Dogs have evolved alongside humans for thousands of years and have relied on their ability to read human emotions for their food and shelter. Therefore, it’s illuminating but not surprising that dogs have a special part of their brain dedicated to facial processing.

 

Apart from dogs, Berns and his colleagues also study the brains of other animals, including dolphins, sea lions, and Tasmanian devils. Though that last species may seem like an odd choice, Berns was trying to better understand the extinct thylacine of the Australian continent. Very little is known about the thylacine, a wolf-like marsupial driven to extinction by the sheepherders from its last stronghold in Tasmania in the early 1900s. Some believe a small population still exists in the wild backcountry of the island. In addition to satisfying his intellectual curiosity, Berns hopes that by studying preserved brains from museum collections he can shed light into the behavior of the animal. And, if there is an existing population, help field researchers locate the remaining individuals.

 

This kind of research into animal neuroscience, studying how animals think, has real utility, too. As Berns discussed recently with The New York Times, dogs raised to be service dogs undergo extensive and expensive training for years before they can be paired with a person. But Berns and his colleagues found that dogs who show more activity in areas of the brain associated with self-control are more likely to succeed at their training. Earlier screening would allow organizations who train service dogs to focus their energy on those puppies more likely to succeed.

 

The next frontier, in my opinion, is understanding what makes working dogs good at their jobs. What is it in the brain of a Border Collie that makes her so good at herding sheep or the brain of a Bird Dog that makes him so excellently focused on flushing quail? Just as many tests of conformation have helped improve the health of breeds, might pre-breeding brain scans promote breed function and mental health?

 

As an advocate for shelter dogs, I would love to see brain studies applied to those dogs who need the most help finding homes. Not all dogs are cut out for participating in these kinds of studies. Berns and his colleagues spent years working with a very select group of dogs who were able to stay still and who wanted to participate. But I think all dogs can benefit from this kind of research that allows us to peek inside dogs’ brains to learn a little bit of how they think.

 

Dr. Elfenbein is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist located in Atlanta. Her mission is to provide pet parents with the information they need to have happy, and healthy, and fulfilled relationships with their dogs and cats.

 

 

Losing a pet is a heartbreaking experience for any pet parent to endure, and for one woman, it led to a diagnosis of broken heart syndrome. 

 

According to the Washington Post, a woman named Joanie Simpson suffered a physical and emotional pain so strong after the death of her Yorkshire Terrier, Meha, that she wound up in the hospital. Simpson referred to her dog as her “little girl.” When her canine died at the age of 9, she described it as “a horrendous thing to have to witness.” 

 

Simpson’s symptoms, which included excruciating back and chest pain, turned out not to be a heart attack as suspected, but rather a rare diagnosis of broken heart syndrome. 

 

The signs and symptoms of a heart attack and broken heart syndrome are very closely linked, explained Dr. Glenn Levine, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

 

“People with broken heart syndrome can exhibit chest pain, pressure, or discomfort…it truly seems like they’re having a heart attack,” he told petMD. The EKG findings can also suggest that these patients have a complete blockage of one of their coronary arteries, he added.

 

“Even though they don’t have blocked arteries and the symptoms of a classic heart attack, in which the heart muscle actually dies, what we find is the function of the pumping chamber of the heart is not working normally,” Levine noted. 

 

While there is no specific treatment for broken heart syndrome, once the diagnosis is made, a doctor will get the patient started on medications to help “the heart heal and recover over the subsequent weeks,” Levine explained. 

 

There are no findings as to what exactly can cause broken heart syndrome (like the death of a loved one, including a pet), but Levine said that women are more susceptible. The fact of the matter is, “it can affect anyone.” While broken heart syndrome has been underdiagnosed, Levine said, awareness has increased over the past decade.

 

If you are experiencing any heart attack-like symptoms, call 911 to get immediate medical care. 

 

Image via Shutterstock 

 

Read more: Coping with Your Pet’s Death: An Important Guide

On October 9, a year-old dog with a 6.4 pound tumor was brought to Gallatin County Animal Shelter in Sparta, Kentucky, with his owners asking for him to be euthanized rathen than get the medical care he so desperately needed. The staff at the shelter, however, thought the canine deserved a second chance at life.

 

Kayla Nunn, an employee at the shelter, tells petMD that despite his condition (the tumor, located on the dog’s leg, was painful and already starting to rupture from being dragged on the ground and he also had injuries from a slightly embedded collar), Clyde, as he’s now known, “was sweet as can be and a very happy dog.”

 

Nunn says the Shepherd/Husky mix was way too young to endure the type of treatment he’d been receiving and that he’d been dealing with this awful condition for more than half of his life already. 

 

The shelter decided to send an email to various rescues to alert them about Clyde and see if any could help out. That’s when HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team) of Cincinnatti, Ohio, stepped in. 

 

Clyde was transferred to HART thanks to the efforts of a volunteer who brought him to his new destination on the very day he was discarded by his owner. The next day, the organization announced on their Facebook page that Clyde underwent surgery. 

 

Katie Goodpaster, a HART Volunteer, tells pet, “The surgery was extremely successful and took roughly two hours and involved 50-60 blood vessels.  He had lost some blood, and the vet didn’t want to keep him under anesthesia any longer than necessary.  A drainage tube was put in his chest to allow fluids to drain and will be taken out in a couple of days.” 

 

HART posted an updated report on their website, in which Clyde’s vet, Dr. Fidan Kaptan says, “the next step that we have for him is getting a biopsy done. Basically, the biopsy will tell us a little bit better about the mass, what we’re dealing with.” They note that, if the tumor is cancerous, Clyde may need chemotherapy. 

 

Goodpaster assues petMD, that in terms of his overall health, “Clyde seems to be doing wonderfully.  He was understandably a little groggy the day of his surgery but the staff had him on a lead the follow day in the yard and he wouldn’t sit still!  He greets everyone with a tail wag and seems to be in good spirits.” 

 

Clyde is now 6.4 pounds lighter and, when he’s ready, will be available for adoption in a few short weeks (he still needs to be neutered) into the loving forever home he deserves. “Even though I’m sure he felt horrible, when he was first brought in he greeted everyone with a tail wag and a smile,” Goodpaster says, adding, “At a year old he definitely did not deserve a death sentence!  That boy has so many more years of love and happiness ahead of him!” 

 

In the meantime, Clyde’s supporters can make a donation to help with his medical expenses here. 

 

Image via HART of Cincinnatti Animal Rescue 

 

Read more: 8 Types of Dog Tumors and How to Treat Them

 

Earlier this year, Australia made headlines when a study discovered that feral cats cover nearly 100 percent of the continent. Now, months later, the country has another feline-related issue on its hands. 

 

A recent study released by the Biological Conservation journal found that both feral and domestic cats in Australia consume 377 million birds a year. Those numbers vary depending on weather patterns, but roughly up to 1 million birds are killed a day. 

 

The study points out that nearly all of the birds killed by cats are native to Australia and that 338 different species have been killed, including 71 threatened species.

 

Lead researcher Professor John Woinarski of Charles Darwin University called the numbers “staggering,” and he’s not alone in his shock and concern for cats and birds alike. 

 

Evan Quartermain, the head of programs for Humane Society International (HSI), told petMD that the distressing figure is a call for Australians to practice responsible pet ownership. 

 

“Current government-funded control methods include baiting for cats with 1080-based poisons, which, [aside from] being incredibly inhumane, is certainly not in the best interests of cats or other non-target wildlife that can take them,” he said, urging the Australian government to take the right measures in helping with this problem.

 

While there are no easy answers or quick fixes for this issue, Quartermain said that HSI advocates for more natural solutions, such as cat curfews and reducing controls on dingo populations, which “have been shown to lower cat abundance and limit their hunting movement.” 

 

Other animal rights groups have suggestions for the issue as well. “The only real solution to Australia’s feral cat problem is to embark on a vast sterilization campaign,” said Ashley Fruno, the associate director of campaigns for PETA. “The government needs to fund immuno-contraceptive solutions that will humanely and effectively decrease populations.” 

 

Quartermain said that they are not only concerned for the welfare of the country’s cats, but also for the birds and Australian ecosystem because of this issue. 

 

“Australia’s bird species are essential to the health of our forests, heathlands, grasslands, and everything in between,” he said. “An incredible level of ecosystem services such as pollination, the spreading of seeds, reduction of agricultural and environmental pests, and nutrient turnover are provided by Australia’s diverse bird life.”

 

Both Fruno and Quartermain agreed that this issue is a human-made one, due to pet owners who either allow their cats to roam outside or abandon them completely.  

 

“The tragedy is that, as usual, it is we humans who are at fault and the animals (be they cats or the native species killed by cats) that suffer,” Quartermain said. “The good news is responsible pet ownership is something all cat owners can practice, and some local governments around the country are introducing additional measures to either keep pet cats completely contained on people’s properties or to at least ensure they aren’t out at night through curfews.”

 

Image via Shutterstock 

 

Read more: Study Finds That Feral Cats Now Cover Nearly 100% of Australia

 

Yet another reason to be extremely wary of adopting a puppy from a pet store: over the past year, there has been an outbreak of Campylobacteriosis (an infectious disease caused by the Campylobacter bacteria) in 12 states, stemming from Petland store locations. 

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, as of mid-September 2017, upward of 55 cases of the illness in people have been reported, which have led to 13 hospitalizations. Those infected, the CDC noted, should be treated by a doctor and make sure they get plenty of fluids and rest. 

 

The infection, which is spread from animals to humans via contact with contaminated feces, can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever, among other symptoms, and can last anywhere between two to five days. This process begins roughly 24 to 72 hours after a person has ingested the bacteria. 

 

“Many of the people sickened in this outbreak were Petland employees, while others had either bought a Petland puppy, shopped at Petland, or visited someone who had purchased a puppy from Petland,” the CDC reported, adding that the stores are “cooperating with public health and animal health officials to address this outbreak.” 

 

Dr. Shelley Rankin of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine told petMD that “all mammals have some form of Campylobacter bacteria in their gut already, but some strains are pathogenic,” meaning they can carry the disease that can appear in both animals and humans. 

 

When it comes to this particular outbreak, Rankin said it’s important to look at the source of the puppies: the breeder(s). These types of illnesses can start in these facilities, she said, and it can be difficult to eradicate the cycle. 

 

In this situation, Rankin said what likely happened is that adult dogs at one or more breeding facilities were fed a food source that was compromised, which contaminated the environment and then was passed along to the puppies during the birthing process. 

 

If you believe you have been in contact with a dog who has the strain of Campylobacter bacteria, make sure they recieve veterinary treatment. Additionally, the CDC suggests you use disposable gloves when coming in contact with the dog’s poop, disinfect any area that may have been contaminated, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling. 

 

Image via Shutterstock 

 

Read more: How to Stop Diarrhea in Dogs

 

Following a life of service, a brave and beautiful German Shepherd named Hunter was put to rest after being diagnosed with liver cancer. 

 

The 10-year-old police K-9 received a hero’s farewell from his owner, Officer Michael D’Aresta, accompanied by his friends and colleagues from the Middletown Police Department in Connecticut. 

 

The Middletown Police Department shared the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post. “Officer Michael D’Aresta unfortunately has to make the toughest decision any K-9 handler dreads. Hunter has been ill for that past several days and when tests were conducted, they revealed that Hunter has a very aggressive form of liver cancer. They unfortunately recommended that he be euthanized.” 

 

With a heavy heart, D’Aresta took Hunter to the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital to put him to rest on Sept. 1, the Hartford Courant reported.

 

But D’Aresta and Hunter, who had worked together since 2007, were not alone in those final hours. As D’Aresta carried Hunter into the hospital, the Middletown Police Department saluted them along the way to the entrance. (The photos, which were posted on the department’s Facebook page, are utterly heartbreaking.) 

 

While Hunter may be gone, his tireless work for the force will not soon be forgotten. In an announcement regarding his death, the department said that Hunter and D’Aresta, “performed at the highest level, setting the bar of what a K-9 team should be.” 

 

Image via Middletown Police Department Facebook

 

Read more: Working Dogs: ‘Man’s’ Best Friend, On the Field and Off

 

 

By Megan Sullivan

 

Animal lover Jen Kostesich has adopted many pets over the years, but never one quite like Neela.

 

When Kostesich first brought Neela home, she was emaciated and couldn’t walk very well. “She was a quivering, wiggly pile of nerves and didn’t really know how to use her body too well,” Kostesich recalls. That’s because this sweet black and white cat was born with cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition that makes pets wobbly and unsteady.   

 

Located in the back of the brain, the cerebellum controls coordination and balance. Cerebellar hypoplasia occurs when parts of the cerebellum are not completely developed. Symptoms become noticeable as kittens start standing and walking, around 6 weeks of age. Signs include head bobbing, limb tremors, unsteadiness or clumsiness with a wide-based stance, inability to judge distance, and disequilibrium.

 

Cats with cerebellar hypoplasia often learn to adapt to their condition and become more mobile over time. “She gets around great now as an adult cat, so it’s really fun to watch her blossom,” Kostesich says.

 

Neela also benefited from hanging around Kostesich’s other kittens. “When we brought her in with all the other kittens, they really helped do a lot of the work of teaching her how to ‘cat.’”

 

Thankfully, cats with cerebellar hypoplasia have a normal life expectancy, and the condition does not get worse with age.

 

For Neela, life has only gotten better since finding a loving home. “She’s so special. I think that she’s inspiring,” Kostesich says. “It doesn’t faze her that she can’t walk like a normal cat. She can get on with her life in a very normal way.”

In the last several years, reports of dogs getting sick or dying after swimming in ponds, lakes, and streams have become more common.

 

Most recently, a 16-month-old Black Lab named Alex fell ill after swimming in a New York reservoir that, unbeknownst to his owner, had an outbreak of harmful algae, according to a report from EcoWatch. “Alex later collapsed and was immediately rushed to the vet,” the article stated. “Unfortunately, despite treatment, he died five hours later from cyanobacteria neurotoxins, one of the toxins found in algal blooms.”

 

In another recent tragedy, two dogs died after swimming in a pond in Napa County, California, that contained toxic blue-green algae, the Sacramento Bee reported. Warnings of similar algae blooms have been popping up more and more in California. 

 

These stories, in addition to the hundreds of other reported cases by the CDC, have touched a nerve with fellow pet owners, especially those who take their dogs near bodies of water. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in conjunction with veterinarians, scientists, and the New York Sea Grant, created a helpful guide about the dangers of harmful algal blooms and the deadly impact they can have on dogs.

 

Toxic algal bloom are visible scums found in bodies of water like ponds, lakes, and puddles, where dogs can often be found playing or even drinking. Exposure to these toxins can lead to poisoning or even death.

 

According to the guide, these blooms typically occur after periods of warm, sunny, and calm conditions during the summer and fall, at water temperatures between 60 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, or due to runoff after a big storm. Dr. Christopher Gobler, a professor at Stony Brook University and one of the guide’s contributors, told petMD that global warming may also have an impact because “warmer temperatures make blooms more intense, as does excessive nutrients from wastewater or fertilizers.” 

 

Dogs are more susceptible than humans to toxic algae poisoning because of their behavior, the DEC guide explains. “When toxins are present, dogs can be exposed to toxins by drinking the water, by eating washed up mats or scum of toxic cyanobacteria and by having skin contact with water. Dogs are often attracted to algal scum odors. After leaving the water, dogs can also be poisoned by grooming their fur and paws.” 

 

If a dog has been poisoned by a toxic algal bloom, some of the signs and symptoms include repeated vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hives, rashes, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, and drooling, among others. In more extreme cases, a dog can die from being exposed to toxic algal blooms in water.

 

If a dog has been playing in or even drinking infected waters, signs can begin to show up in as little as a half an hour after exposure. Even scarier, there can be delayed effects from longer or repeated exposure. While all dogs are at risk, smaller dogs (those weighing less than 40 pounds) are expected to have higher health risks when exposed to high toxin concentrations.

 

If you suspect your dog has been exposed to a toxic algal bloom (which the DEC describes as appearing “foamy or like pea soup, spilled paint, colored water; also as scum or floating mats”), it is imperative that you seek immediate veterinary care. 

 

To avoid contact all together, the DEC suggests keeping your dog out of these bodies of water. If your dog does enter the water, “rinse/wash them thoroughly with fresh water from a safe source if available (i.e. bottled water or household garden hose). Otherwise, a towel or rag can be used to remove algal debris.” The guide also recommends using rubber gloves while you clean your pet. 

 

The DEC warns that these water-based toxins “are increasing in many areas” and “the number of dog poisonings from cyanobacterial toxins is also on the rise.” 

 

Image via Shutterstock 

 

Read more: 7 Scary Diseases Your Dog Can Get from Water