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Saturday, September 4, 2021

Dogs

Canine, (Canis lupus familiaris), homegrown vertebrate of the own family Canidae (request Carnivora). It is a subspecies of the darkish wolf (Canis lupus) and is recognized with foxes and jackals. The dog is one of the two commonly typical and maximum well-known homegrown creatures on this planet (the tom cat is the opposite). For over 12,000 years it has lived with people as a looking pal, defender, item of contempt or worship, and accomplice. 

Dogs

The canine developed from the dark wolf into in excess of 400 unmistakable sorts. Individuals play had a full-size affect in making dogs that satisfy specific cultural requirements. Through the most easy sort of hereditary designing, canines had been reared to emphasize impulses that were apparent from their soonest reports with people. In spite of the reality that insights regarding the development of dogs are dubious, the number one canine had been trackers with sharp feelings of sight and scent. People fostered these senses and made new varieties as need or want emerged. 

Canines are reputable diversely in numerous pieces of the world. Attributes of faithfulness, companionship, defense, and love have received dogs a giant situation in Western way of life, and inside the United States and Europe the attention and looking after canines has was a multibillion-greenback commercial enterprise. Western civilization has given the relationship among human and canine wonderful importance, be that as it is able to, in a portion of the agricultural international locations and in severa spaces of Asia, dogs aren't held in a similar regard. In positive areas of the sector, dogs are utilized as gatekeepers or % animals or in any occasion, for meals, even though in the United States and Europe dogs are ensured and appreciated. In antiquated Egypt for the duration of the instances of the pharaohs, dogs were considered as holy.

Origins and history of the dogs History Paleontologists and archaeologists have established that about 60 million years ago a small mammal, alternating like a weasel, lived near what is now Asia, known as Miacis, the genus that is known in the ancestors of what is today Canids recognized animals: dogs, jackals, wolves and foxes. Miacis left no direct offspring, but dog-like canids evolved from it. About 30 to 40 million years ago, Miacis had become the actual primary dog: more precisely, Cynodictis, was a medium-length animal, longer than it was tall, with a long tail and rather bushy fur. Over the millennia, Cynodictis has raised two branches, one in Africa and the other in Eurasia. known as Tomarctus and is the progenitor of wolves, cubs and foxes.

Genetic evidence shows that puppies descended at once from wolves (Canis) and that the now-extinct wolf lineages that produced dogs branched off from the line that produced modern-day residing wolves someday between 27,000 and 40,000 years in the past. The timing and area of dog domestication is a matter of discussion. There is strong genetic evidence, however, that the first domestication activities took place somewhere in northern Eurasia among 14,000 and 29,000 years ago. In this location wolves probable facilitated their personal domestication by trailing nomadic humans in northern Eurasia and ingesting the stays of recreation animals that hunters left behind.

Most studies agree that domestication became no longer a unmarried discrete occasion. It became a technique that unfolded over hundreds of years—possibly related to canine populations that regarded in extraordinary elements of Eurasia at special times, with puppies and wild wolves continuing to interbreed with each other and with early canine populations being replaced by means of later ones. Some genetic studies have documented evidence of early domestication activities in precise regions. One study contends that wolves were domesticated sixteen,three hundred years in the past to serve as cattle in China, whereas any other reports that early puppies relationship from approximately 12,000 to 14,000 years in the past got here from a small stress of grey wolf that inhabited India. Genetic proof additionally well-knownshows that dogs did not accompany the first human beings to the New World more than 15,000 years ago, suggesting alternatively that puppies got here to the Americas just a few 10,000 years in the past. One take a look at even counseled that a few dogs have descended no longer from the wolf but instead from the jackal. These puppies, determined in Africa, might have given upward push to a number of the present local African breeds.

No matter what their origins, all canids have positive not unusual traits. They are mammals that endure stay young. The females have mammary glands, and they suckle their offspring. The early breeds had erect ears and pointed or wedge-fashioned muzzles, similar to the northern breeds commonplace these days. Most of the carnivores have comparable dental structures, that is one manner paleontologists have been able to pick out them. They broaden  sets of teeth, deciduous (“toddler”) enamel and permanent tooth.

Canids walk on their toes, in assessment to an animal just like the endure, which is flat-footed and walks on its heels. Dogs, like most mammals, have body hair and are homeothermic—that is to mention, they have an internal thermostat that allows them to hold their body temperature at a consistent stage no matter the outside temperature.

Fossil remains propose that 5 awesome varieties of puppies existed with the aid of the beginning of the Bronze Age (about 4500 BCE). They have been the mastiffs, wolf-kind dogs, sight hounds (which includes the Saluki or greyhound), pointing dogs, and herding puppies.

Role in human societies

Dogs have performed an important position inside the records of human civilization and have been many of the first domesticated animals. They were essential in hunter-gatherer societies as hunting allies and bodyguards against predators. When farm animals have been domesticated about 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, dogs served as herders and guardians of sheep, goats, and cattle. Although many still serve in those capacities, dogs are in particular used for social purposes and companionship. Today dogs are employed as courses for the blind and disabled or for police paintings. Dogs are even utilized in remedy in nursing houses and hospitals to encourage patients towards recovery. Humans have bred a extensive range of different puppies tailored to serve a ramification of functions. This has been more desirable by means of improvements in veterinary care and animal husbandry.

In historic Egypt puppies have been concept to own godlike traits. They had been pampered by means of their own servants, geared up with jeweled collars, and fed the most appropriate eating regimen. Only royalty became accepted to very own purebred puppies, and upon the dying of a ruler his favored dog was frequently interred with him to defend him from harm within the afterlife.

Illustrations of puppies dating from the Bronze Age had been observed on walls, tombs, and scrolls during Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Often the dogs are depicted hunting recreation with their human counterparts. Statues of dogs protect the entrances to burial crypts. In many cases those puppies truly resemble present day canines. Such relics are indelible testimony to the significance that human beings have given to the dog at some stage in the a long time.

The Origin of Races When it became clear that dogs are faster, stronger, and can see and hear better than humans, specimens exhibiting these qualities were bred to enhance these qualities. Like the mastiffs, they were designed to protect homes and tourists from damage.

As society modified and agriculture—in addition to hunting—became a way of sustaining life, different breeds of dogs were developed. swarming and guarding dogs were necessary to farmers for shielding their flocks. At an equivalent time, little breeds became fascinating as playthings and companions for noble families. The Pekingese in China and fragile breeds reminiscent of the Chihuahua were bred to be lapdogs. The hunting dog breeds were developed, in the main in England, to disembarrass granaries and barns of rodents. inform and retrieving breeds were selected  for special tasks relating to aiding gaseous nebula to search out and capture game. several breeds are very ancient, whereas others are developed as recently because the 1800s.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Dog Head Gear That’s Not A Muzzle

 Dog Head Gear That’s Not A Muzzle


Jumping and pulling on leash are the two most requested training solutions requested by the average dog owner. As humane training evolves, a set of kind, as well as helpful training gear systems, has developed. The no-jump leg harness and the no-pull chest harness are recent inventions.

Often mistaken for a muzzle and thereby creating unwarranted fear in a passerby, the headcollar has been used for thousands of years on llamas, camels, and horses. It was adapted for dogs 20 years ago by Dr. Roger Mugford and is proven to stop pulling ahead.

Today a dog sporting a head collar or halter is a common sight. Dr. Mugford developed the Halti brand head collar as an alternative to the physically damaging choke chain used to control large, aggressive, or difficult pets. The head collar works for goofy dogs, high prey drive, or overstimulated dogs and is welcome safety equipment for children, seniors, or any small handler with a large dog.

A consistent problem with traditional leash training is that the dog instinctively reacts to tension by pulling even harder against that tension. The head collar uses distraction and direction instead of force to shape the desired behavior. Used properly, the head collar allows the handler to steer a dog much the same way as using reins and a halter on a horse.

While the head collar is effective used alone, the initial training can include a regular leash attached to the neck collar or a body harness, and a second lighter leash attached to the head collar ring positioned under the dog’s chin. When the dog pulls ahead the handler directs the dog back with a smooth, gentle steer of the head collar leash. If used in tandem, the regular leash remains slack.


The basic theory is that where the head is turned the body naturally follows. When the dog’s head is turned back, he or she loses sight of the distraction ahead. The dog learns to choose which action-reaction feels best and which gets to a desired destination quickest without stops and starts.

Technique and fit are important for success. As with any new experience, the dog needs to be introduced to a head collar in a positive way. First sessions might simply be a couple of minutes in the living room. The head halter is presented so that the dog puts a nose and then eventually the entire muzzle through the loop to get a treat. The collar is not attached yet. When first clipped on, the dog wears the harness without a leash and enjoys interactive play with a toy or a game of fetch.



If the dog paws at the device or flops on the floor, the process is too fast. Back off and again present loop and treat then move forward to fastening the collar behind the head. It must not be too tight or too high, which risks eye injury as well as being uncomfortable. Fit correctly, a conforming collar does not constrict panting or yawning like a muzzle does. Just as the dog anticipates good things to come when a handler reaches for the leash, he or she comes to expect good things when the head collar is presented.


Once the dog is trained, which can be quite quickly, the head collar is removed and can be carried in a pocket as a lifelong helping tool for situations likely to cause arousal. An excursion involving crowds, lots of movement, and excitement might warrant putting on the head collar ahead of time. If it has become a positive reinforcer and fits well, the dog won’t mind.

There are several brands of head collars with different features. The most important points are that the halter be the right size, positioned correctly conforming to the head and face, presented with positive association, and used with a soft touch. Walking the dog should and can be a mutually satisfying activity for everyone of every age or stature, including the dog.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Horses - The Tapeworm Threat

Tapeworms were once considered a fairly benign parasite, unassociated with serious problems in equines. But recent studies show tapeworms are anything but harmless. Consider the statistics:



  • 81 percent of ileal impactions (a blockage at the end of the small intestine, commonly referred to as an impaction colic) are associated with tapeworms.
  • 22 percent of spasmodic (gas) colics are tapeworm-related.
  • Ileocecal intussusception (a serious, surgical form of colic where one part of the intestine telescopes into another) is almost always caused by tapeworm infection.
  • On average, more than 54 percent of horses in the United States have been exposed to tapeworms, including 96 percent of horses in the upper Midwest, more than 80 percent of horses in some Southern regions, and 56 percent of horses in the northern Plains and Mountain regions. Even in the lowest-risk areas of the West Coast, at least one out of every 10 horses has tapeworm exposure.


    Why didn’t we know about this before?

    Tapeworms Uncovered
    “Tapeworms are intestinal parasites that infect horses, as well as other species, throughout the world,” explains Brady J. Bergin, DVM, assistant professor, Oregon State University. “They belong to the class of parasites known as cestodes. The three types of tapeworms that can infect horses are Anoplocephala perfoliata, Anoplocephala magna and Paranoplocephala mamillana, with A. perfoliata being by far the most common.”

    Unlike other worms, horse tapeworms need an intermediate host to complete their life cycles. That host, the forage mite, becomes infective by ingesting tapeworm eggs; the horse swallows the infective mites while grazing, and the tapeworms mature in the horse’s intestine within six to 10 weeks. Although much is unknown aboutthe mite’s biology, they’re widespread, living in pastures, lawns and vegetation, says Craig R. Reinemeyer, DVM, Ph.D., immediate past president of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, and president of East Tennessee Clinical Research Inc., the research group that identified tapeworm prevalence in the United States. The mite also seems to favor temperate climates. “They live in the humus, the organic layer of the soil,” says Robert H. Dressler, DVM, manager of Equine Veterinary Operations at Pfizer Animal Health. “In the arid desert areas of the Southwest, there isn’t a whole lot of humus, and that’s where there is a much lower incidence of tapeworms.”

    Bottom line: Any horse that grazes on pasture is at risk for ingesting infected mites.
    Although studies now demonstrate that tapeworms are everywhere in the United States (albeit in varying numbers), experts had been unaware of their prevalence because of the inability to accurately diagnose tapeworm infection in the horse. “Traditionally, we looked for tapeworm eggs in fecal exams, but that’s been very ineffective,” Dr. Reinemeyer says. “With most other parasites in horses the females stay in the gut and pass out eggs, and the eggs leave the horse in the manure. With tapeworms, the eggs develop in a lower segment of the worm’s body, which separates and passes out in the fecal matter into the environment, but it’s not an ongoing process. The tapeworm body is like a freight train with a bunch of boxcars, one chained to the other. The end of the tapeworm matures faster than the rest of it, so every once in a while the caboose (which is like a bag of eggs) drops off. That bag may not rupture until it gets outside the horse or gets farther down the track, we don’t know.” Consequently, detecting tapeworm eggs in the manure is a hit-or-mostly-miss procedure. And because veterinarians weren’t seeing tapeworm eggs in fecal exams, they assumed there was no tapeworm problem.

    Further, although tapeworms were detected during surgery or postmortem, they weren’t associated with any disease process.

    That all changed in the mid-1990s when a British researcher developed a test that could detect an immune response to a specific protein exuded by tapeworms into the horse’s blood. Although this test only determines exposure to tapeworms as opposed to an active infection (much like horses that have been exposed to equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, or EPM, don’t necessarily have the active disease), it was a step in the right direction and enabled researchers to discover just how widespread tapeworms are.

    Since then, researchers learned that tapeworms cause degrees of intestinal damage and disease. Dr. Bergin says, “This damage occurs when large numbers of tapeworms firmly attach to certain areas of the digestive tract, such as the small intestine or, more specifically, the ileocecal junction (the common opening of the ileum, colon and cecum). Their attachment can lead to inflammation, irritation and ulceration at this site, impairing normal function. This intestinal malfunction can also adversely affect the digestive tract, leading to three common types of colic associated with tapeworm infestation: ileocecal intussusception, ileocecal impaction and spasmodic colic.”

    Those are the recognized problems caused by tapeworms. Undetermined are the problems a “typical” or low-grade tapeworm infection causes. “Does it cause low-grade diarrhea, low-grade colic, weight loss?” Dr. Reinemeyer ponders. “We don’t know. But anecdotal evidence suggests tapeworms may cause low-grade colic after intense exercise.”

    Dealing With It
    Even though prevention of tapeworms isn’t truly possible, you can successfully treat these parasites in a horse and prevent the onset of colic and other complications that may be related to tapeworm infection, notes Tom Kennedy, Ph.D., vice president of research and development, Farnam Companies Inc.

    In the past, equine tapeworms were controlled with double or triple doses of pyrantel pamoate. “That did a fairly good job but was not 100 percent effective,” says Kevin Hankins, DVM, field veterinary consultant for Fort Dodge Animal Health. “It was costly plus it was sometimes a nightmare to get two or three tubes of dewormer into a horse.”

    But the recent development of praziquantel in paste and gel formulations for horses offers an affordable, easier, and, to date, more effective alternative. “Praziquantel has been around for a long time, and has been used extensively in dogs and cats,” Dr. Hankins states. “It kills the tapeworms in the horse by destroying the worm’s protective, tough outer layer, thus making the parasite vulnerable to the horse’s immune system, which takes care of it from there.”

    Explains Frank Hurtig, DVM, manager, Veterinary Professional Services at Merial Inc., “The addition of praziquantel to horse parasite control medicines containing macrocyclic lactone drugs (i.e. moxidectin and ivermectin) has been an advance in treatment and control of tapeworms in horses. Praziquantel has a wide margin of safety in horses.” Thus with one dose, praziquantel/macrocyclic lactone formulations offer treatment of tapeworms as well as broad-spectrum activity against strongyles, ascarids, pinworms, bots and other common horse parasites.

    Currently, there are four praziquantel/macrocyclic lactone products available: ComboCare (Farnam), Equimax (Pfizer), Quest Plus (Fort Dodge) and Zimectrin Gold (Merial).

    The only precaution is treating a horse infected with a lot of parasites or one that is clinically ill, Dr. Hankins says. “If they have a very high parasite load, you could end up causing an impaction from all of the parasites killed off in the gut. Also, when parasites die off, they can produce a toxin, and that can make your horse sick. If your horse is already ill or heavily parasitized, his immune system is likely suppressed and would react differently to a normal deworming schedule; that is why dewormers are labeled as only for use in healthy animals.” Some veterinarians treat at-risk horses by either administering a reduced dose and/or administering mineral oil 24 hours prior to deworming to help with the passage of the dead parasites.

    Currently, praziquantel is labeled only for treatment, not prevention. But Dr. Hurtig notes, “Since tapeworms are extremely difficult to definitively diagnose in the live horse, it is best to simply treat for tapeworms on a frequent basis.” This will benefit horses, since using praziquantel products routinely at labeled dosage recommendations removes tapeworms before they become a problem instead of after a problem (i.e. colic) is apparent.

    Work with your veterinarian to develop a program that’s specific for your horse and climate. Dr. Bergin says that there is not a single catch-all recipe for controlling parasites that works for every horse in every area—it’s based on a number of factors that need to be evaluated, and from there your veterinarian can create a plan.

    Although praziquantel is safe, don’t overuse it as parasites likely will build resistance to it. Dr. Reinemeyer explains, “Frequent use of dewormers puts tremendous pressure on the parasites to adapt to survive this continuous onslaught, so they select for resistance. We’re seeing that now with ascarids and ivermectin.”

    Include management techniques in your deworming program. “Good pasture hygiene is a critical management technique for the control of tapeworms as well as other parasites,” Dr. Bergin says. To reduce the spread of parasites, remove manure from stalls daily, dispose of fecal material away from pastures and feed/water supplies, and chain drag or harrow pastures to break up manure piles. Don’t feed your horses directly on the ground; this increases the risk of ingesting forage mites since it is where they typically reside. Avoid overcrowding or overgrazing pastures (rotate if possible). Finally, quarantine all new additions to the herd and perform fecal exams to determine parasite status in general and to avoid the introduction of parasites.

    Down the LineWhile differentiating between tapeworm exposure and an active infection is still a guessing game, researchers hope to soon change that. Stephen Kania, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, has developed a test, with the support of the American Quarter Horse Association, that detects proteins released by the tapeworm parasite into fecal material. “This test differs from antibody detection in that a positive result is likely to indicate an active parasite infection,” Dr. Kania says. “We are currently at the stage of validating the test with samples from a large number of horses.” If all goes well, it’s possible this diagnostic test will be available in two or three years and could be a great aid in advancing knowledge on tapeworm infection.

    Fortunately, you have the tools now to avoid tapeworm problems in your horse. Discuss the risks of infection in your area with your veterinarian and work out a responsible deworming program appropriate for your horse.