Today therapy dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) service people more than ever and different categories of work places use therapy dogs to help their caretakers. Many studies have been made on the positive effects in patients when they are given contact with a dog, but very little have been done on how the dog experience its situation and what kind of behaviour a therapy dog shows during its working days. This work was made to investigate the behaviours that educated therapy dogs in Sweden showed when they were in contact with a caretaker and to find out if the dogs showed any signs of stress or some other kind of discomfort. To do this a survey was sent out to 17 educated therapy dog handlers in Sweden that together had 18 educated therapy dogs. The survey contained 39 questions about the daily work of the therapy dogs when they were together with caretakers and some questions about the therapy dogs spare time. A question about what kind of dog breed the therapy dog handlers had were also in the survey to investigate if some breeds were more usual as therapy dogs.

Diseases associated with monocytosis in Swedish dogs - a retrospective study. The purpuse of this retrospective study is to determine which diseases are associated with pronounced monocytosis in Swedish dogs. Records of 153 dogs with monocytosis were evaluated. The most common cause was infectious diseases (49%) of which pyometra was seen in 23% of the cases, cystitis and fever of unknown origin each in 13% and gastroenteritis in 12%. Cortison treatment was the second most common cause with 29%. A sixth of the dogs had non inflammatory diseases such as neoplasia, renal- and heartfailure.

Acute bacterial prostatitis is a common disease in older male dogs. It gives symptoms such as fever, pain, tiredness, infertility, unwillingness to mate and sometimes symptoms from the urinary tract. It is common that you do an ultrasound exam on dogs when you suspect prostatic changes. In this study 15 dogs diagnosed with acute prostatitis at the small animal clinic at SLU in Uppsala were examined. The clinical signs and the ultrasound pictures were put together in retrospect.

There is no clear connection between cutaneous adverse reactions and atopic dermatitis in dogs, however, reports show a prevalence of cutaneous adverse reactions in 2-30% of atopic dogs. The purpose of this study was to record how many atopic dogs that also were diagnosed with cutaneous adverse reactions. Journals of atopic dogs in two Swedish animal hospitals, diagnosed between 1995 and June 2003, were examined. In the two animal hospitals, 188 journals were selected to match the criteria of atopic dermatitis according to this study. Of these dogs, 86 were put on a strict food elimination dietary trial.

I the year of 2008 there were more than 60 000 purebred dogs newly registered in theSwedish Kennel Club. In addition there are a lot of mixed breed dogs and in the year of2006 it was estimated that there were over 700 000 dogs in Sweden. In today?s society it isnot unusual that people change their life situation by moving, getting a new job or startinga family. Because of this there is a risk of rehoming for dogs owned by these people.In Sweden dogs are among others rehomed by advertising or by rehoming organisations.

In this essay dog as a compatible model were put against human. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes were compared between dogs, human, cat and mouse. To evaluate dog as a model and study similarities and differences was the aim with this review. Dog as a model contributes to understand mechanisms behind autoimmune diseases and showed clearly histological similarities between human and dogs concerning the skin disease mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP)/cicatricial pemphgioid (CP). Further genetic evidence motivated the choice of using dog as a comprehensive model when the MHC-complex correlated with hypothyroiditis in Doberman dog as it does in human. Physiological similarities with low levels of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) together with high level of thyroid releasing hormone (TSH) were found in the same way as in human.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the second most common heart disease in dogs. Since the disease is seen more frequently in certain breeds, among them Newfoundland dogs, a genetic factor is suspected. This study was partly undertaken to investigate whether there is a significant sex predilection regarding DCM. Moreover, the difference in mean age of death between male dogs and females with DCM was investigated, as well as males and females dying from DCM compared to dying from other reasons (i.e. without DCM).

This paper deals with variations in the osteological material of dog (Canis familiaris L.) from the Mesolithic Scania, southern Sweden. The general aim is to discuss the use and specialisation of dog during the period, and differences or relations between cultures and traditions within the Mesolithic period. The study is based on a analysis of the bone material from the sites; Ageröd I:A-D, Ageröd I:H-C, Bredasten, Bökeberg III, Hög, Löddesborg, Ringsjöholm, Segebro, Sjöholmen, Skateholm I-II and Tågerup, phase 1-3, with datings from Late Maglemose Culture to Early Ertebølle Culture. The seminar paper also includes descriptive statistics of the osteometrical data of Denmark, from several studies of Degerbøhl (1927) and Noe-Nygaard (1995, 2003). The study is focused on the relation between size, robusticity, muscle grooves and ligaments of mandibula, tibia, radius, humerus, femur and metacarpalia/metatarsalia.

This study is a follow up of a pilot study made 2004, that evaluated feeding, exercise and weight as possible risk factors for developing any kind of diabetes in dogs. We have selected our material for a certain kind of DM that exists among Norwegian and Swedish elkhounds. These breeds are among the most common breeds affected by diabetes and this kind of DM almost exclusively affects intact bitches. We performed a case- control study where the owners were interviewed over the phone. The owners of a total of 48 case dogs and 58 control dogs were contacted. The questions for the cases focused on the time before the diagnosis and the questions for the control dogs focused on the dog´s adult life.

Every year many dogs in Sweden are bitten by the adder, a venomous snake (Vipera berus). Despite the fact that adder bites are so common in dogs there have been few investigations made that study the effects of treatment with glucocorticoids, a drug that is commonly used. We have carried out a literature study concerning adder bites in dogs and a prospective study where case history, clinical signs and treatment have been recorded in dogs that were presented at two veterinary hospitals after a confirmed or suspected adder bite. Fifty three dogs were included in the study out of which 22 were treated with glucocorticoids. In our study, the group of dogs treated with glucocorticoids was compared with the group of dogs that did not receive glucocorticoid treatment by the owner or on arrival at the clinic.

This project was initiated by a desire to improve our knowledge about animal welfare. It is a part of a series of projects involving the way dogs are kept in today?s society. The aim of this project was to investigate the dog?s behaviour when left alone in a parked car.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a relatively common endocrine disease in dogs and is more common in certain breeds than others, e.g. Nordic spitz breeds. Within the Swedish and Norwegian Elkhound population, female dogs are almost exclusively affected. The hypothesis in this study is that Swedish- and Norwegian Elkhounds develop DM during the progesterone phase of estrous (diestrous or pregnancy). Medical records from 51 female dogs of the breeds Swedish and Norwegian Elkhound were studied.

A range of public health and animal welfare problems has been shown to be associated with free-roaming dogs. With a high density of free-roaming dogs and with a major tourism industry, Samoan tourists are likely to be influenced by the presence of the dogs. The tourists are mainly from the Oceanic region; with New Zealand and Australia as the biggest contributors. The aim of this study was to examine the potential impacts of dogs on visitors to Samoa. A questionnaire was handed out to 281 visitors all over Samoa, collecting opinions and information on visitors? experiences and behaviour regarding the Samoan dogs.

The aim of present study was to evaluate the prevalences of Sarcoptes scabiei in Thai stray dogs. The study was performed in Pattaya, Thailand, and included 62 stray dogs, all cross-breeds. Degree and type of skin lesions, and presence of macroscopic ectoparasites were recorded for each individual. Blood samples were collected to determine the seroprevalences of IgG-antibodies against S. scabiei with ELISA.

The aim of this study was to investigate the intraoperative surgical stress response in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy and to compare acepromazine and medetomidine as premedications. 15 dogs diagnosed with pyometra were used in this study. Blood pressure and heart rate were used as parameters to measure surgical stress response. The surgery was divided into four phases. Phase 0 was the period 10 minutes before the skin incision, phase 1 was skin incision and opening of abdomen, phase 2 was manipulation of uterine horns, ligation and transection of mesovarium and phase 3 was ligation of cervix, removal of organs and closing the abdomen. The results showed that phase 2 was the most intense phase of surgical stress, regardless of which premedication the dogs received. When acepromazine and medetomidine were compared the results showed that within phase 3, all dogs that were given medetomidine had higher blood pressure compared to dogs that were given acepromazine. The dogs that were given acepromazine had higher heart rate than the dogs that were given medetomidine in phase 0, phase 2 and phase 3. .