Washington, DC is full of attractions like memorials, museums and other events. Today, I also came across a group of three professional dog walkers…
Each of the dogs is tethered to the handler with a hands-free clip
… and when we got to the front of the line, they happily posed for a picture. How many breeds can you identify? There’s one little dog wearing a dress and another wearing a thundershirt for anxiety. The German Shepherd was the largest in the group.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged dog walkers, german shepherd, professional dog walker, thundershirt, Washington DC
The Shake Shack is a chain of restaurants that originated in New York as a hot dog stand in Madison Square Park. Serving frozen custard, burgers and other drinks, the restaurants are currently found in six states and internationally.
What makes this restaurant chain very special is that they serve dog biscuits, too. Since the chain started as a mobile hot dog stand, doggy customers have been part of the history of the chain and the chain sells dog treats as a way of honouring that history.
When buying products at the Shake Shack, you can also buy:
A novel gene associated with canine atopic dermatitis has been identified by a team of researchers led by professors Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Uppsala University and Åke Hedhammar, SLU, Sweden. The gene encodes a protein called plakophilin 2, which is crucial for the formation and proper functioning of the skin structure, suggesting an aberrant skin barrier as a potential risk factor for atopic dermatitis.
Details appear in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Atopic dermatitis (or eczema) is an inflammatory, relapsing non-contagious skin disease affecting about 3-10 percent of dogs. The skin of a patient with atopic dermatitis becomes easily irritated by various allergens such as certain types of food, pollens or house mites. Such irritation causes very strong itching which leads to scratching, redness and flaky skin that becomes vulnerable to bacterial and yeast infections.
Despite many scientific efforts, little has been known about the genetics of the disease. In their study, researchers from Uppsala University, SLU and Broad Institute, compared DNA samples from a large group of German shepherd dogs affected by atopic dermatitis with DNA coming from healthy dogs to reveal the specific DNA segment associated with the disease.
“With the help of pet owners, we have managed to collect a unique set of DNA samples from sick and healthy dogs which allowed us to gain insight into atopic dermatitis genetics,” said first author Katarina Tengvall, Uppsala University.
Purebred dogs such as German shepherds have been selected for specific physical features for several generations. Selection led to an inadvertent enrichment for disease-risk genes in certain breeds. Moreover, the resulting architecture of canine DNA makes it easier to pinpoint segments that carry these disease risk-genes. This helped the researchers to reveal the genetics of atopic dermatitis. They found a region associated with the atopic dermatitis containing the gene PKP-2, which encodes Plakophilin-2, a protein involved in the formation and maintaining of the proper skin structure.
“The finding that certain variants of the PKP-2 gene may increase the risk of developing the disease opens new possibilities in understanding the disease mechanism leading to atopic dermatitis,” continues Katarina Tengvall.
These findings will not only lead to better understanding of the disease, which may lead to better treatment strategies long term. It also opens up the possibilities of development of a genetic test for the disease.
“Our study suggests that plakophilin-2 and an intact skin barrier is important to avoid atopic dermatitis”, says senior author, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, professor at Uppsala University and Director of SciLifeLab Uppsala. “Another gene involved in the skin barrier has recently been linked to human atopic dermatitis emphasizing the similarity between canine and human atopic dermatitis” said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.
Posted in research
Tagged atopic dermatitis, DNA, eczema, german shepherd, PLoS Genetics, Uppsala University
If you are visiting Washington, DC, one of the best memorials on the Mall is to commemorate the life and achievements of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR).
And one reason I liked this monument is that FDR’s dog, Fala, is also featured and this makes him unique – the only presidential dog that has been honoured in this way.
Fala, a Scottish Terrier, lived from 7th April 1940 to 5th April 1952. FDR renamed the dog referring to the name of his 15th century Scottish ancestor (John Murray), “Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, “ The name was then shortened to “Fala.”
Fala accompanied FDR everywhere; it was said that FDR fed Fala personally. Fala’s leather collar had a silver plate on it which read, “Fala, the White House.”
Fala was often present during FDR’s fireside chats (via radio) to the US public. So, it makes sense that Fala is seen at the FDR memorial sitting at his master’s side.
The Fala statue is quite large; this is me sitting next to it (for scale).
Posted in dog breeds, Dogs, special dogs and awards
Tagged Fala, FDR, fireside chats, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Scottish Terrier, Washington DC
One of the great things about visiting and working at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the range of dogs available for sleepovers. Since I am on my final night of sleepovers, it is time to pay tribute to all four of my sleepover dogs…
Timothy, a one-year old American Stafordshire Terrier. Beautiful boy with good manners. I’m sorry we fed you so many treats in training class that we caused your diarrhea! Timothy’s underbite makes this wee boy adorable.
Chester, a Boxer cross (I think Boxer/Mastiff cross because of his wrinkles and large head size), age 7. Chester is very bright and we practiced ‘sit’ during his stay. A snuggly boy who snores, I took Chester because he hadn’t been on a sleepover or outing for almost 2 months.
Madison, a young pit mix. A fairly new arrival at Best Friends, she’s not even on the website yet. Really intelligent, and happily slept the night through. Only drawback – she’s a covers hog who enjoys the middle of the bed.
Clover, another fairly new arrival from Texas and her photo isn’t on the website yet. A cattle dog mix, this young girl has good manners on leash and loves to disembowel toys. A rubber chicken and a small squeaky sheep were victims during our evening together. She also adores tummy rubs.
These dogs and many others can be viewed through the Best Friends website and so if you are thinking about adoption, this website is well worth a look.
Posted in animal welfare, dog adoption
Tagged adoption, Pit Bull, bull terrier, Best Friends, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, dog adoption, Timothy, sleepover, Chester, Madison, Clover, cattle dog
A sanctuary is a place of refuge or asylum. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah is a place of refuge for homeless animals; it is also a relaxing and peaceful place for the humans (like me) who visit and volunteer here. Think of it as a refuge from the rat race of everyday work and life.
If you would like a holiday where you can give back and help homeless dogs and other animals, I hope you will think about Best Friends!
Today was a sad day at the Old Friends kennels of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. When I went to sign in for the afternoon, I was told ‘Old Friends will be closing at 3 today; we’re crossing Eve.’
Crossing, as in the Rainbow Bridge. Eve was a paraplegic when I met her last year, but she had a spirit about her which said ‘don’t pick me up, I’ll get there by myself thank you.’ And her best friend was Dumpling, the little toothless mixed breed girl that I fell in love with.
Eve, in May 2012
Eve’s progress and care was documented as part of the Guardian Angels program, which profiles special animals from around the sanctuary and encourages monthly donations. Caregivers update the Guardian Angel journals on a regular basis.
From a distance, I monitored Eve’s progress through the journal; also hoping to catch a glimpse of Dumpling, which I did through this wonderful video:
Through Eve’s journal, I read about the donation of her mobility cart and options to keep it from chafing. When Dumpling got adopted in December 2012, I read about Eve’s grief at the loss of her friend and the efforts of caregivers to find her suitable companionship. And in March of this year, Eve exited the Guardian Angel program to give way to another special needs dog.
So when I arrived here last week, seeing Eve and other remaining Old Friends was a top priority. It is a comfort to know that I was here at Old Friends today to say goodbye to her.
Eve today, before crossing
A painting of Eve hangs in the foyer of her kennels at Old Friends
A final Guardian Angel entry is now live on the Best Friends website to mark Eve’s crossing. Read it here and perhaps go back in time to read more about this very special, special needs dog.
Eve will be laid to rest at Angels Overlook, the cemetery for sanctuary animals.
Eve’s mobility cart and stroller, which were used in happier days
