The development of quantitative, real-time PCR (qPCR) combined with the mapping of the canine genome opens new possibilities in veterinary medicine. This method provides a quick and accurate quantification of the expression of a specific gene at a given point in time and thereby also information of how the gene expression for a certain protein is influenced by various conditions and diseases. One possible area of application is identifying bio markers for cancer. Recently the protein serglycin (the core protein of an intracellular proteoglycan) was found to act as a selective marker for the disease acute myeloid leukemia in humans (Niemann et al, 2007). Serglycin is produced by most hematopoietic cells, although mast cells account for the largest amount of serglycin.

Full-field flash electroretinography is an electrodiagnostic method used to examine the function of retinal cells. Light stimulation of the eye elicits electrical potentials in the retina. By aid of a corneal electrode and a reference electrode close to the back of the eye, the electrical potentials can be recorded and presented as an electroretinogram (ERG). ERGs driven by mainly one type of cones can be used to examine the function of a single cone class. In human beings, studies have shown the cone class sensitive to light of short wavelengths, the S-cones, to be more vulnerable to acquired damage than the other cone classes (Daley et al., 1987; Gouras et al., 1993; Greenstein et al., 1989). Dogs have two cone classes, S-cones, and M/L-cones (most sensitive to medium to long wavelengths).

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Jönköping Small Animal Hospital is today the only clinic in Sweden to offer radiation therapy as a treatment of tumours. The body contains of billions of cells that all have to obey the regulations that are established. If a cell is exposed to a harmful substance, for example a chemical, it can be transformed into a tumourcell. Normally the body has a good defence but the tumourcell can survive and start to divide unrestrained. A tumour is starting to develop.

The histiocytic diseases are generally rare in dogs and not much is known about the disease. The disease complex that includes both a reactive form and a tumour form, is however common in certain breeds, among them the Bernese Mountain Dog. As the literature is very limited on the subject of histiocytic diseases, my aim with this thesis has been to gather current knowledge of these diseases. I have also attempted to estimate the frequency of the diseases among the Swedish Bernese Mountain Dogs and investigate if they appear to be more common among certain families..

Working as a veterinary nurse includes advising animal owners, helping them to make discisions through well-based facts and experience. Preemptive spaying of the healthy bitch brings many advantages and disadvantages. It leads to cessation of gonadal hormone production, and how the exact extent the surgery affects the dog is not yet fully understood. The sex hormones mainly control the reproductive system, but receptors of these hormones are found in many tissues of the body, and have complex relationships with other hormone systems. Spaying decreases the metabolism although the bitch gets an increased appetite, which enhance the risk of obesity, unless the owner restricts food intake.

The aim of this study was to describe how body language of humans affects the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and how it can be implanted in the stressed situation that occur at an animal hospital. The subject is brought to notice because the author has experienced that dogs can get more stressed when a stressed and nervous owner is attending. Humans affect each other through posture, facial expression, voice and movement, and are often driven by their emotions, which can differentiate the verbal communication from the non-verbal communication. This occurs both consciously and unconsciously. Every human uses body language but not everyone knows how it is used or how to understand it.

This report describes the nutritional requirements of the dog and cat. You are also able to learn about the most common diseases in the dog and cat where food has an important role in both prevention and recovery of these diseases. We describe FLUTD, canine urolithiasis, heart- and kidney disease, gastrointestinal diseases and obesity. You have to know the right balance between different nutrients to decrease the stress on the body and to prevent the advancement of the diseases. Finally we discuss the differences between three manufacturers of veterinary prescribed diets and two commercial pet foods..

Electroretinography is an examination method where the function of the retina is objectively assessed. In 2002 the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO) published a proposition to a standard on how to perform ERG examinations, to facilitate comparison of results and to make it possible to repeat examinations. The purpose of this study was to validate parts of the canine ERG protocol suggested by the ECVO. Our principal aim was to study if there is any interference at the recommended stimulus intervals for dark-adapted rod- and combined rod-/cone responses. The results show that there is an effect on the a- and b-wave amplitudes when different stimulus intervals are employed. When all examined intervals are pooled, there is an increase in the median b-wave to each consecutive dim, white (rod) stimulus in a series of four.

Rabies kills about 55 000 people every year and more than 90% of infected humans are considered getting the disease from dog-bites. To control the disease and eventually eliminate human rabies, the most efficient and economic method is to keep the dog population vaccinated. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the situation of canine rabies in two urban areas in Lilongwe, Malawi, where canine rabies is enzootic. In each area 200 household-interviews were conducted in September and October 2013. Focal points were awareness of the disease, human incidence as well as vaccination coverage in the dog population.

The dog is unique in the way that the adult weight can vary 100 folds between the different breeds. Despite this, most of the breeds reach adult size before two years of age. For the large-breed dogs this means a very rapid growth when some of them can have a weight gain of up to 150 times their birth weight. The most rapid growth occurs when the puppies are between three to six months old and that kind of rapid growth during such a short period of time makes these large-breed puppies very sensitive to deficits and excesses of energy, nutrients and minerals. Some examples can be excess of energy, excess or deficit of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus or deficits of protein. The rapid growth can also make the large-breed puppies predisposed to some diseases affecting the skeletal and joints.

Canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) är det herpesvirus som är specifikt för hunddjur. I likhet med andra alfaherpesvirus ger det oftast upphov till en ofarlig infektion hos vuxna individer och en dödlig, systemisk infektion hos nyfödda. När den akuta infektionen är över går viruset in i en latent fas. I den latenta fasen finner man vilande virus främst i de lumbosakrala ganglierna, tonsillerna, öronspottkörtlarna och levern. Stress kan få infektionen att reaktiveras. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka hur viruset påverkar individer i olika åldrar, sjukdomens effekter på hundaveln och lämpliga åtgärder för att undvika sjukdom. Hos den vuxna individen ses oftast bara lättare luftvägsinfektion, ögoninflammation eller genitala förändringar.

Mastocytom är den vanligaste typen av kutana tumörer som ses hos hundar, och utgör 7-21 % av hundens alla hudtumörer. Majoriteten av alla mastocytom hos hundar uppstår i dermis eller i subkutan vävnad. Etiologin bakom uppkomsten av kutana mastocytom hos hundar är fortfarande inte helt klarlagd, och den är förmodligen multifaktoriell. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien är att diskutera olika mekanismer som kan ligga bakom utvecklingen av kutana mastocytom hos hund. Studien tar även upp frågan om det finns en genetisk predisponering hos vissa hundraser. Mastceller härstammar från hematopoetiska stamceller.

Canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) är ett virus som finns enzootiskt i Europas hundpopulation. Vid infektion hos vuxna hundar ses generellt inga eller milda symtom och viruset ligger sedan kvar latent i kroppen. Infektion av en dräktig tik kan dock resultera i abort eller dödfödsel av fostren och infektion av valpar yngre än tre veckor leder oftast till döden. Det finns ett antal faktorer som man funnit verkar predisponerande för en infektion med CHV-1, inklusive stress, kennelstorlek, kennelhosta samt bristande hygien. Det har föreslagits att en infektion skulle kunna förhindras genom isolering av tiken eller genom att höja valparnas temperatur. Det finns dock inga vetenskapliga stöd för att dessa två tillvägagångssätt skulle vara speciellt effektiva.

A lot of various substances can be detected by dogs, as oestrous in cows, endangered species or non-biological substances like accelerants, narcotics, explosives, mines and pollutions and biological substances like identity (suspects), cancer (breast, lung, colorectal and bladder cancer), human remains (cadaver), bacteria and mould in buildings. The dogs are trained using non-scientific methods and not much research in detection training exists. This is a review of different types of dog detection, with focus on new research..