Tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) is believed to be the most common heart disease in Labrador Retreivers. A congential condition, TVD involves malformation of the triscuspid valve, potentially leading to congestive heart failure. A new study is investigating the genetics behind TVD in Labrador Retrievers with a goal of identifying a genetic marker.

Chagas disease, a potentially fatal illness caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is estimated to affect from 5 to 13 million dogs in the U.S. Transmitted via a bite or from feces of the kissing bug, which can be found in 28 states, the disease can cause an acute or chronic infection. Puppies born to infected bitches may be infected as well. Although Chagas disease is not well known or recognized, treatment is available to help affected dogs, with a new, more affordable treatment soon to be available.

One in eight Golden Retrievers develops lymphoma, a cancer of lymphocytes, which are a type of immune cell. A recently completed study, supported by the Golden Retreiver Foundation, looked at biomarkers of B-cell lymphomas of Golden Retrievers to help detect risk of disease and outcome for affected dogs. The ability to detect risk may lead to more effective treatment, with promising research into drug therapy to improve chemotherapy results currently underway.

Hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer of the cells lining the blood vessels that has nearly always metastasized when it is discovered. Sadly, there have been no advances in treating this cancer over the past 30 years. A new study focuses on detering cancer growth using inhibitors to turn off the molecular pathway linked to pathogenesis of hemangiosarcoma. The American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation is helping to fund the study.

Gearing up for fall means being prepared for fall allergies. Dogs, just like people, can suffer from the pollen, mold and dust mites released into the air during the fall, though they show allergic signs in different ways. Recognizing signs of an allergy and treating the condition will make the fall season more enjoyable for both you and your dog.

The second most common canine heart disease is dilated cardiomypathy, a condition affecting 25 to 50 percent of Doberman Pinschers in which the heart muscle loses its ability to contract normally, eventually leading to congestive heart failure. Some dogs die suddenly before developing congestive heart failure. A new longitudinal study is looking at genetics, testing results and the impact of diet, supplements and exercise to better understand why some dogs develop the disease and not others.

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“Benelli,” or “Benny” for short, was 5 years old in 2007 when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right front leg. The gregarious Rottweiler, titled in conformation, obedience, carting, and as a therapy dog, seemed to have a bum leg from the start. At 18 months old, Benny, painfully lame, had surgery for elbow dysplasia.

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Terrier breeders who have had dogs that suffer from primary lens luxation (PLL), a painful, genetic eye disorder that often leads to blindness, shared relief when the gene mutation was discovered last fall by researchers at the University of Missouri, and the Animal Health Trust and the University of Cambridge, both in the United Kingdom. By mid-September a DNA test was available for PLL, allowing breeders to test dogs to determine which ones are carriers, affected and normal.

A new therapy for canine lymphoma that was first used in human medicine offers promise in treating the one in four Boxers affected by the cancer. The therapy, bone marrow transplantation, uses a dog’s own stem cells to stimulate bone marrow function and immune system recovery following radiation to kill cancer cells.

Chihuahua breeder Frieda Kane found her 5-year-old female, CH Guichon's Tika Toy ("Tika"), shaking out of control. Kane felt her heart beating fast as she ran to the dog. "I had just let the dogs inside, and she was missing. When I found her, I thought she was choking, so I picked her up. Then, all of a sudden, she went limp in my arms. I thought she had died," recalls Kane of Durham, N.C.