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The bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica is responsible for serious respiratory disease in dogs, most often associated with ‘kennel cough’ (canine infectious tracheobronchitis). It is recommended that dogs are vaccinated against the bacterium every 6–12 months, either by oral or intranasal administration. Any impairment of dogs' olfactory capabilities due to medical treatments may impact their efficiency and accuracy in their jobs. This study examined (1) the effect of intranasal and oral vaccines on the olfactory capabilities of detection dogs; as well as (1) effects of the vaccines on canine behavior. Dogs that were vaccinated initially with the oral and 28 days later with intranasal B. bronchiseptica were generally slower to find the target odor than the dogs that were assigned intranasal then oral vaccine. This result prompted a second between-subjects study to further investigate any impact of intranasal administration of the B. bronchiseptica vaccine on the olfactory capabilities of dogs. The intranasal vaccine was of particular interest due to its prevalent use and potential for nasal inflammation leading to decreased olfactory capabilities. Neither odor threshold nor time spent searching for odor were affected by the intranasal vaccine. Behavioral analyses showed that behaviors associated with the dogs' positive and negative motivation affected their time spent finding the target odor; this suggests that behavior should be considered in future studies of olfactory performance.

ObjectiveSeptic peritonitis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of sepsis, 2-O, 3-O desulfated heparin (ODSH) reduces histones and platelet factor 4 (PF4) in mouse sepsis models. This pilot clinical trial evaluated the safety and effect of ODSH in client-owned dogs with septic peritonitis.InterventionsIn an IACUC-approved, open-label, prospective, dose-escalation clinical trial in 6 dogs with spontaneous septic peritonitis, ODSH administration was initiated following surgical explore to achieve source control. Acute patient physiology and laboratory evaluation (APPLEfast and APPLEfull) scores on admission, source of septic peritonitis, requirement for vasopressors, the administration of blood products, and survival to discharge were recorded. Platelet count, cell free DNA (cfDNA) concentration, and platelet factor 4 (PF4) concentrations were measured at the time of each ODSH dosage. A dose of ODSH was administered every 8 hs for a total of 4 doses (maximum total dosage 75 mg/kg) based on a pre-determined escalation protocol. Patients were monitored in the ICU following administration for evidence of clinical hemorrhage.Main ResultsThe mean APPLEfast and APPLEfull scores on admission were 22 +/- 6 and 32 +/-10, respectively. Four dogs received 4 total dosages of ODSH and 2 dogs received 3 total dosages of ODSH intravenously. The mean total dosage of ODSH administered during the study period was 48.3 +/- 21.6 mg/kg. No dog required dose de-escalation or had any evidence of bleeding. Four dogs survived to discharge.ConclusionsNo adverse effects of ODSH administration were documented in dogs with septic peritonitis. A randomized controlled trial is necessary to evaluate ODSH as a novel therapeutic in the treatment of septic peritonitis.

Currently, demand for US-bred and born detector dogs exceeds available supply, while reliance on foreign-bred sources introduces many unnecessary and unwanted risks. With proper management of a domestic supply line, U.S. breeders can improve both health and behavior by applying scientific principles to breeding and raising of detector dogs. A cooperative national detector dog breeding and development program will mitigate the current shortage of domestic-bred dogs that meet the health and behavior standards required by government, military, and law enforcement agencies. To coordinate such a cooperative, we propose a Detector Dog Center of Excellence (DDCoE) led by representatives of academic canine science programs guided by an advisory board of stakeholders. As a non-governmental organization, the DDCoE will oversee selective breeding of dogs owned by breeders, purchase the resulting puppies, and its members will supervise puppy raising until dogs are of a suitable age to be purchased by government agencies or other working dog organizations. The DDCoe will serve as an approved vendor to facilitate the procurement process. Breeding decisions will be based on proven quantitative genetic methods implemented by a specialized database. A national working dog semen bank will ensure conservation of diverse genetic material and enhance selection response by providing numerous potential sires. As a data collection and genetic evaluation center, the DDCoE will lead research to define quantitative traits involved in odor detection, to understand how these traits develop, and methods to optimize training of dogs endowed with enhanced odor detection ability.

This IACUC approved study was performed to evaluate the environmental, physiological, and hematological components that contribute to stamina following successive bouts of exercise that included searching (5-min), agility (5-min), and ball retrieve (