Can dogs sniff out cancer?
In the People magazine issue for the week of August 24, 2009, there is an article on dogs detecting cancer. Do you think they can?
According to the article, entitled “These Dogs Might Save Your Life” (page 113), Michael McCulloch of the Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo CA, has been studying this phenomenon for the past 10 years. Several years ago, his research team trained a group of canines to sniff out lung and breast cancer. The dogs were able to detect breast cancer 88% of the time, and lung cancer 99% of the time. McCulloch is now working with the University of Maine to train a new group of dogs to detect ovarian cancer.
McCulloch doesn’t work with just any dogs. The canines have to properly pick out a cancerous lab sample 30 times before making the team. Five samples are placed in specimen boxes and lined up in a row. One box contains a breath sample from a woman with ovarian cancer, while the other four boxes contain breath samples from healthy adults.
According to the article, while cancer may not necessarily have a smell, McCulloch believes the dogs detect the metabolic waste of tumor cells, which have a different chemical make-up from normal cells. This waste travels through the bloodstream and is exhaled through the lungs.
The dogs used in the study do not live at the laboratory. They are family pets whose owners have volunteered to be part of this important study.
Photo credit: Mark Watson (kalimistuk) via flickr
August 24th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Training | Comments (0)
Do you love dogs but aren’t in a position to have one of your own due to space or landlord restrictions? If you have the time, volunteer at a local shelter.
Most local animal shelters will welcome new volunteers with open arms. Shelters generally run on volunteer support, having few, if any, full or part time staff members.
There are a variety of activities that the volunteers can assist with. Feeding, grooming, and kennel cleaning are just a few of the things that volunteers help with. Dogs need to be walked and played with. You might be able to assist with trips to the vet, or help out at adoption events. Many shelters also have fund-raising events throughout the year to raise money to feed and house the animals.
If you have the space and the time, fostering dogs might be for you. Dogs often live in foster homes instead of kennels until they are adopted. Foster parents assist in getting the dogs acclimated to being around people, especially children, and other dogs and cats.
You can also check with local veterinarians to see if they have volunteer opportunities available. Often, vets that provide boarding services need people to tend to the animals in the off-hours. Many vets also take in unwanted animals and try to find them good homes. They may need volunteers to help foster these animals.
If you are unable to give your time to help out at a local shelter, there are still other ways you can help. Shelters are always in need of food, toys, newspaper, leashes, beds and other pet supplies.
Photo credit: Ben VanHoose
July 15th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
K-9 Units Usually Employ German Shepherds for Service Dogs.
I love this. There is a program called Vest-A-Dog, which provides bullet-proof vests for police dogs. The police officers get bullet-proof vests, so why shouldn’t their K-9 partners?
This program was started 10 years ago by an 11-year-old California girl who had read about a police dog in New Jersey who had been killed in the line of duty. Upon reading this news, young Stephanie Taylor saw a need and started looking for a way to fill it.
She started small, making it her goal to obtain a protective vest for an Oceanside, California K-9 named Tiko. Stephanie made donation boxes and distributed them at local pet stores and in veterinarians’ offices. Once the word spread about her project, Stephanie had collected enough money to purchase a vest not only for Tiko, but for five additional dogs in the Oceanside K-9 department. With this, the Vest-A-Dog Foundation was born. There are now Vest-A-Dog programs across the United States and Canada.
The official dog vest of the Vest-A-Dog program is the K-9 One Vest. Just one of these vests can cost around $600 or more, depending on the level of protection provided. Because of the cost of these vests, many K-9 units rely on donations from the public. The Vest-A-Dog Network itself does not take donations, but there are numerous non-profit organizations who will gladly accept monetary donations and use them to purchase K-9 vests. You can also purchase vests directly and donate them to local K-9 units.
Photo credit: Ameliorate! at en.wikipedia
June 24th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
Anyone who has ever had a new puppy in the house knows that accidents are common. To keep wet spots off your carpet and in your yard, you’ll need to housebreak your puppy. Here are a few tips.
When housebreaking your puppy, try the following:
Don’t punish a dog for going in the house. This could lead him to believe that relieving himself at all is bad. Instead of punishing him for going in the house, reward him for going outside. If your dog does go inside the house, walk over to him and say, “No.” Then take your dog outside.When housebreaking, always go outside when your dog goes outside. This way you will be able to reward him each time he uses the bathroom outside.
Keep an eye on your puppy at all times. This will allow you to notice when he needs to go to the bathroom. If you see your puppy looking for a spot to go, walk him to the door and usher him outside. Once he finished his business outdoors, praise him and offer him a treat.
Have any other tips on housebreaking a dog? Share them here.
(photo credit: aasgier)
April 11th, 2009 by Pet Guy | Posted in Dog Training | Comments (0)
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