Veterinary Medicine | Penn Today

Novel canine scent detection program may help battle spotted lanternfly

The launch of Penn Vet's training program comes at a critical time for spotted lanternfly management in Pennsylvania. Beyond causing severe damage to trees and the insect poses a significant threat to state agriculture.

UPenn releases surprising report on 9/11 rescue dogs and their causes of death

Research from the School of Veterinary Medicine tracked the causes of death for 95 search-and-rescue dogs deployed on 9/11 and showed that most of the dogs died of typical age-related conditions and outlived others of their breeds. “Dogs have a really good filtering system,” said Cynthia Otto. “Their lungs are different—they don’t get asthma, for example.”

Veterinarians and handlers with their search-and-rescue dogs

Tracking the working dogs of 9/11

A study of search and rescue dogs led by the School of Veterinary Medicine showed little difference in longevity or cause of death between dogs at the disaster site and dogs in a control group.

Jennifer Punt stands with three students in a lab setting discussing a paper.

Penn Vet expands timely dual degree during COVID-19 pandemic

The interdisciplinary “One Health in Practice” curriculum positions veterinarians for new career pathways in human, environmental health.

Sequence of 8 MRI images showing treated versus untreated brains from 16 to 52 weeks

Progress toward a treatment for Krabbe disease

The inherited disease, which typically kills children before their second birthday, has no cure, but a School of Veterinary Medicine study in a canine model offers hope for an effective gene therapy with lasting results.

Billy the Philly hero dog wins state vet award for bravery

Rachel Williams and Martin Hackett of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about Billy, a local dog that survived multiple gunshots sustained while protecting his owners from armed robbers. “He’s really almost a miracle,” said Williams.

hen in a coop with two eggs on hay on the ground

Poultry in a pandemic: Getting the facts on keeping backyard flocks

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Penn Vet’s Sherrill Davison has seen an increase in phone calls from new flock owners looking for general management resources for their birds. Here, she offers health and safety advice for keeping flocks healthy.

What does the COVID-19 summer surge mean for your cats and dogs?

Shelley Rankin of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about pets and COVID-19 transmission. “If you are not taking precautions … you are putting both yourself and your animal at risk,” she said. “If you are a responsible pet owner, then it is probably safe to say that your animal’s risk [of infection] is lower than yours.”

Tired of the people in your family? Some are teaching their dogs to talk

Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine weighed in on teaching dogs to communicate by pressing buttons assigned to human words. “People can do it, it’s fun, but I think it’s much more important from the dog welfare standpoint that we make an effort to understand the dog’s language,” he said.

Illustration of brain with DNA double helix

Getting gene therapy to the brain

Using a large animal model of genetic brain disease, researchers led by John H. Wolfe of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia delivered an effective treatment across the blood-brain barrier to correct the whole brain.

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