The chow-chow breed is considered to have a low fertility and this report is an in depth study of the reproductive functions of this breed in Sweden. Only 53 % of the Chow-chow matings results in litters. Previous studies of other breeds in commercial kennels shows mating results around 85-90 %, but this has not been investigated in hobby kennels and most Chow-chows which are bred from in Sweden, are kept as family pets. Contrary to most other breeds, Chow-chows show a seasonal reproductive pattern and most litters are born in the autumn. The influence of the month of mating on pregnancy rate and litter size was found to be not significant, but can be considered a trend. Thirty-nine females with previous known fertility problems where studied. Some of them had reached puberty extremely early, at an age between 4-5 months, and many of the bitches showed great fluctuations in intervals between oestrus cycles. Some of the females showed abnormalities such as very short oestrus intervals of only 2-3 months, probably without ovulating.

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is an intracellular enzyme involved in ?the salvage pathway? where the uncomplete parts of DNA are transformed into DNA precursors. The expression of TK1 is cell cykle specific, with the highest level during S-phase when DNA-synthesis is most active. One kind of TK1 is present in serum and an increase in TK1 activity in serum is due to either the level of DNA synthesis in the body or the number of cells dying in a state of replication. This can be used and is used as a marker for prognosis and evaluation of treatment in human patients with leukemia and lymphoma.

Artificial insemination (AI) has had a great influence on the development of pig production and is today widely practiced (Gerrit et al., 2005). With AI, genetic progress can at a short period of time be spread worldwide compared with using natural service and the best boars can be intensively used. This is also one of the biggest risks with AI; the impact of semen containing a genetic disease or contamination of pathogens can be enormous. Fortunately, it is a small risk of disease transmission due to many tests of the boars and the semen before use (Maes et al, 2008). It is important that the boars used for insemination have good breeding values along with good reproduction features and have good fertility results (Robinson et al., 2005).

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.

Artificial insemination (AI) has had a great influence on the development of pig production and is today widely practiced (Gerrit et al., 2005). With AI, genetic progress can at a short period of time be spread worldwide compared with using natural service and the best boars can be intensively used. This is also one of the biggest risks with AI; the impact of semen containing a genetic disease or contamination of pathogens can be enormous. Fortunately, it is a small risk of disease transmission due to many tests of the boars and the semen before use (Maes et al, 2008). It is important that the boars used for insemination have good breeding values along with good reproduction features and have good fertility results (Robinson et al., 2005).

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.

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..

Measurement of plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been suggested to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in canine cardiac disease. In several previous canine studies, however, a considerable overlap between investigated groups has been identified. A reliable natriuretic peptide test for use in clinical practice requires establishment of reference values for natriuretic peptides in healthy dogs and cut-off values for subclinical disease as well as for clinical signs of congestive heart failure. Numerous physiological, pathological and pharmacological factors, aside heart function, may influence concentration of natriuretic peptides. A potential effect of dog breed on natriuretic peptide concentration has been suggested but has, to our knowledge, not previously been specifically studied.

There are about 700 000 dogs in Sweden. Roughly 70 % of the dogs are purebred and registered in the database at the Swedish Kennel Club (SKC). The database includes records of birth date, pedigree, offspring and results from e.g. veterinary examinations related to genetic health programs.Every year approximately 10% of the dogs die; most are euthanized by a veterinarian. Dog mortality data is stored as digital medical records at animal clinics and in insurance databases.Dog owners tend to register their puppy in the SKC, but they rarely report that the dog has passed away.

This student report is about canine atopic dermatitis It includes a description of the immunologic mechanisms and how the reaction affects the body. The symptoms are various, most common is pruritus, erythema and alopecia and directly associated with the immunologic reaction. The diagnostic process includes symptoms, physical findings, differential diagnosis, intradermal test and serological test. The options of treatment are several and vary for each patient. The report includes hyposensitization, medical treatment such as corticosteroids, antihistamin and cyclosporine, topical treatment, fatty acid supplements and environmental treatment. The prognosis is individual for each patient due to their different response to the treatment. It may take a while to find the right combination of treatments to achieve satisfactory control of the disease..