January/February 2013

What's your New Year's resolution? At the AKC Canine Health Foundation we are resolving to fight bloat.  The devastating nature of bloat is of foremost concern to the AKC Canine Health Foundation and will require a major research effort to identify the underlying mechanisms of this condition. CHF recently released a Bloat Initiative Request for Proposals (RFP) to the research community.

Learn more from the recent news release about our Bloat Initiative and please consider donating to help fight bloat.

Health Tracks: The Role of Oxidative Stress in IMHA
Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys oxygen-carrying red blood cells (RBC), leading to symptoms including exhaustion, weakness, and panting. Although scientists have known for years that the immune system destroys the RBCs in dogs with IMHA, they still have no idea what prompts it to attack. That’s why researchers from the University of Guelph set out to compare the antibodies found on the RBCs of dogs with IMHA to those found on the RBCs of healthy dogs and dogs with other forms of anemia. Learn more about the study results.

Urinary incontinence affects more than 20% of spayed female dogs. In most cases urinary incontinence is caused by dysfunction of the muscles controlling the urethral sphincter. Researchers at North Carolina State University are examining the usefulness of cultured muscle cells for the restoration of function of the urethral sphincter in dogs with naturally occurring urinary incontinence.  Learn more about this grant.

---

Health Tips: Ear Inflammation and Infection
As a dog owner, you want your best friend to be stress-free and relaxed, not rubbing his ears on the living room rug, shaking his head or pawing his ears to stop the itching. You know he is uncomfortable, and you want to relieve his distress as quickly as possible. Read more about ear care.