MARBACH ROAD ANIMAL HOSPITAL

06/22/2024

05/28/2024

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05/21/2024

Dogs match actions of their owners on video screen
Dogs match actions of their owners on video screenResearchers at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest trained two dogs to imitate the actions of their owner while in the same room and then on a video screen. The dogs subsequently imitated actions they had not been trained to do, such as knocking over a water bottle, and they were able to imitate actions shown from front and side angles, but not from an overhead angle, researchers reported in Biologia Futura.

Dogs have a remarkable ability to imitate human actions, a skill that's deeply rooted in their history of domestication.

05/16/2024

Dogs have been trained to sniff drugs and bombs, but their most impressive olfactory feat might be their ability to smell when people are stressed. Though this likely comes as little surprise to dog owners, who are often well acquainted with their canines’ emotional intelligence, it’s still an impressive skill. A recent study showed that acute psychological stress produces changes in the odor profile of human sweat and breath, which dogs can detect with 93.75% accuracy. This was determined over the course of 720 trials in which samples were taken before and after people performed a high-stress task that increased their blood pressure and heart rate. The most skilled pup in the trials was able to detect the difference between samples at 96.88% accuracy. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220929133419.htm?

The physiological processes associated with an acute psychological stress response produce changes in human breath and sweat that dogs can detect with an accuracy of 93.75%, according to a new study.

04/27/2024

Oh, how I wish more would listen...

04/10/2024

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexico-19-feral-cats-can-officially-roam-presidential-palace-fur-ever-rcna146827?ck_subscriber_id=2504369477

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's government have declared the cats roaming the National Palace as “living fixed assets" for as long as the felines live.

04/05/2024

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/solar-eclipse-animals-pets-zoo.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20240405&instance_id=119392&nl=the-morning®i_id=86227095&segment_id=162665&te=1&user_id=64b587b2f7d7ff999db7009e7210168f

When the total solar eclipse happens on Monday, animals at homes, farms and zoos may act strangely. Researchers can’t wait to see what happens when day quickly turns to night.

03/27/2024

Dogs show a pattern of neural activity that seems to indicate they can differentiate between words for different objects, and are even surprised when presented with words and objects that don’t match up, according to a study published March 22 in the journal Current Biology. A team of neuroscientists and animal behavior researchers used non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) testing to measure the electrical pulses inside 27 pet dogs’ brains during an experiment involving the dogs’ owners and some well-loved toys. They found an electrical impulse pattern similar to a known signal in humans. The findings shed light on canine noggins and also add to our knowledge of the origins of complex language.

Scientists measured canine brain waves to shed light on language learning.

03/13/2024

One in four Labrador retrievers carries a gene that tricks their brain into thinking they’re starving.

One in four Labrador retrievers carries a gene that tricks their brain into thinking they’re starving

03/08/2024

Raw food puts pets at risk of illness, vets say
Despite a spike in social media videos hyping raw-food pet diets, including ground beef and chicken heads, veterinarian Gracelynn Morrow doesn't recommend raw food and says pet owners should look for food made by companies that have veterinary nutritionists on staff. AVMA Immediate Past President Lori Teller says raw food increases pets' and people's risks for foodborne illnesses, including Salmonella, E. coli and other infections.

Here are a few things to consider as you start researching the benefits and drawbacks of a potentially costly raw diet.

03/01/2024

Raw food puts pets at risk of illness, vets say
Despite a spike in social media videos hyping raw-food pet diets, including ground beef and chicken heads, veterinarian Gracelynn Morrow doesn't recommend raw food and says pet owners should look for food made by companies that have veterinary nutritionists on staff. AVMA Immediate Past President Lori Teller says raw food increases pets' and people's risks for foodborne illnesses, including Salmonella, E. coli and other infections.
Full Story: Houston Chronicle (tiered subscription model)

02/28/2024

Ginger cats, tabby cats, cow cats, calico cats — the Shanghai streets are home to them all. Now animal advocates are getting creative to curb feral populations.