“We all know that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are among the most common conditions humans can encounter as they age,” said Stephanie McGrath, associate professor of neurology at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “What people don’t realize is that our pets — dogs and cats — can get it, too, and it’s probably also very common.”
Launched in 2019, the 5-year Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study (VACCS) successfully enrolled 800 dogs in less than three years, allowing for a fully enrolled double-blind study of the Calviri vaccine. During clinical trials, scientists found that the vaccine was doing two things: as expected, it’s protecting patients from cancer, but surprisingly, it’s also protecting them from non-cancer diseases.
Adam Schuller, an environmental toxicologist at CSU, has described three ways pollutants might reach the brain: particles travel in oxygenated blood from the lungs directly to the brain; particles directly enter the brain along the olfactory tract; or inflammatory factors triggered by an inflammatory response in the lungs invade the brain. Just as you might check the weather before heading out for a hike or other activity, “it’s getting people in the mindset that they should look at the air quality before they go outside to know whether they should be outside at all,” CSU environmental toxicologist Luke Montrose says.
Nadia Saklou first heard the term “clinician-scientist” while attending veterinary school at Colorado State. Now, with experience as both a clinician and scientist at Virginia Tech, she has become a clinician-scientist herself with a fellowship in hand that completes the circle back to Colorado State.
Ask the experts: Jessica Rubin, J.D., professor of animal law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and Jane Shaw, D.V.M. and Ph.D., professor of veterinary medicine at the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. They were college roommates three decades ago and have had parallel careers serving animals in animal law and veterinary medicine, respectively.
“Many people have the misperception that food which is good for humans is also good for dogs, but that is not necessarily the case. Dogs eating a grain-free diet experiencing symptoms of lethargy, cough or difficulty breathing should be examined by a veterinarian.” -Dr. Bruna Del Nero
Wildlife officer Brock McArdle took the 65-pound dog to a specialist at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for further evaluation. Dr. Bruna Del Nero conducted an ultrasound and other tests that led to diagnosing Cash with an enlarged heart caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart’s muscles to weaken and can be fatal if left untreated.
“We are incredibly grateful for the dedicated veterinary specialists at CSU who helped us navigate Cash’s health issues,” said CPW Wildlife Officer and Cash’s handler Brock McArdle. “Cash plays a critical role in our wildlife field operations and it's our priority to give him a long, happy and healthy life.”
“This virus is very easy to transmit, so the outbreak has been really, really challenging. We can’t remove the virus from wild birds, so there’s always a risk for spillover of the virus to commercial and backyard poultry and occasionally to mammals." -Dr. Kristy Pablionia
PODCAST: Dr. Maureen Griffin, Dr. Bernard Seguin, and Dr. Brandan Wustefeld-Janssens, authors of "Grade shifts in recurrent canine soft tissue sarcomas and mast cell tumors in: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - Ahead of print (avma.org)" discuss grade shift for recurrent canine STS and MCT.