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Three fourths of dogs are angst-ridden—and owners may be partly to blame
Scientific American

Three fourths of dogs are angst-ridden—and owners may be partly to blame

James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine said an uptick in dog anxiety stems in part from owners failing to properly socialize their pets. “It’s a sort of helicopter-parenting concept applied to dogs,” he said. “Animals are not getting enough exposure to normal social interactions, play behavior and roughhousing with other dogs. That’s asking for trouble.”

For improved profit margins, the dairy doctor is in
Dairy cows in a field of grass

For improved profit margins, the dairy doctor is in

Penn Vet’s Joe Bender integrated approach to dairy cow herd health can pay off in productivity, focusing on the health of the entire farm rather than individual cows.

Penn Today Staff

Demystifying feline behavior
closeup of cat with mouth open wide

The behavior of cats can perplex even their staunchest fans. 

  • Q&A

    • Demystifying feline behavior

    Carlo Siracusa and James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine contextualize recent findings in cat behavior science, debunk some cat-related myths, and explain why our kitties are not just “low-maintenance dogs.”

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    Answers to microbiome mysteries in the gills of rainbow trout
    Dozens of rainbow trout swimming

    Rainbow trout are the model organism of choice for immunologist Oriol Sunyer of the School of Veterinary Medicine. In a new report, Sunyer and colleagues shed light on the dual roles of a type of antibody in trout—to both defend against pathogens and sustain a healthy microbiome.

    nocred

    Answers to microbiome mysteries in the gills of rainbow trout

    In trout, the School of Veterinary Medicine’s J. Oriol Sunyer and colleagues discovered that a particular type of primitive antibody is essential for fighting microbes that cause disease while preserving others that make up a healthy microbiome.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    Westminster and work: Some show dogs serve, search or soothe
    The New York Times

    Westminster and work: Some show dogs serve, search or soothe

    Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine said that a working dog’s appearance is not nearly as important as its drive to seek scents. “They’re not what most would want as your average house pet,” she said.

    Treatment in a FLASH
    St. Bernard dog with three legs sits outside near a pile of firewood

    Milo, a 4-year-old Saint Bernard, participated in the FLASH trial. “I think that we greatly underestimate the excitement of pet owners to be involved in research and to be able to contribute to a project like this,” says Penn Vet surgeon Jennifer Huck, who is co-leading the effort with Penn Medicine’s Keith Cengel, a radiation oncologist. (Image: Courtesy of the Gordon family)

    Treatment in a FLASH

    A clinical trial in dogs with cancer, co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine, is testing the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of delivering a full dose of radiation therapy in a split second.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    With a protein ‘delivery,’ parasite can suppress its host’s immune response
    Fluorescent microscopic image shows Toxoplasma parasite infecting immune cells

    The Toxoplasma parasite (in red) doesn’t need to infect an immune cell to alter its behavior, according to new Penn Vet research. Simply being injected with a package of proteins by the parasite (indicated by cells turning green) is enough to change the host cells’ activity. (Video: Courtesy of Hunter laboratory)

    With a protein ‘delivery,’ parasite can suppress its host’s immune response

    The parasite Toxoplasma gondii need not infect a host immune cell to alter its behavior, according to a new study from the School of Veterinary Medicine.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    In partnership with the state, a comprehensive focus on wildlife health
    deer standing in snowy field

    In partnership with the state, a comprehensive focus on wildlife health

    The Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program, a collaboration between the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, will leverage Penn Vet’s expertise to address wildlife health problems.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    A roadblock for disease-causing parasites
    Mosquitoes float in pink liquid in laboratory test tubes

    Activating the immune system of mosquitoes prevents the parasite that causes canine heartworm from developing, according to new research from Penn Vet. The same approach also thwarted the parasite responsible for lymphatic filariasis, a disease that affects humans. (Image: Povelones laboratory)

    A roadblock for disease-causing parasites

    Activating a mosquito’s immune system can prevent it from transmitting the parasites that cause canine heartworm and human lymphatic filariasis, according to new research from the School of Veterinary Medicine.

    Katherine Unger Baillie