The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has the most interesting statistics.  In this issue from about 6 months ago (which I just uncovered in a fit of office cleaning over the weekend) is an analysis of "Nonfatal Fall-Related Injuries Associated with Dogs and Cats -- United States, 2001-2006."  Note that these are injuries do to a fall, not due to bite or clawing wounds.

First I knew that such statistics were tracked.

There are many nuggets in here and so the whole report is worth a look.  Table 2 has the bottom line for estimates of rate of injury.  Some of the notable findings (notable to me at least) are that people are injured by pet-caused falls at a rate of 26 per 100,000 population.  The estimated total of injuries is more than 76,000 annually.  Women are more than twice as likely to be injured (or report injuries?) than men.  Although the absolute number of injuries is smaller, the highest rate of injury is in people greater than 75 years of age (more than twice the total average rate of injury).  The most common injury is a fracture, with an estimated annual total of more than 26,500 pet-induced fractures due to falls (31% of total).

Most of these injuries were the dog-induced.  As you might guess, most injuries were caused by tripping over the pet, but a significant number reported being pulled or pushed by their pet.  Only 20 people are estimated to be injured each year in an attack by a cat, whereas nearly 15 times that number are injured by dog attack.  Almost 1,000 people are estimated to be injured while "running from" a dog, but only 43 "running from" a cat.

Finally, a significant number of injuries are estimated in the category of "fell over pet item".

As a cat owner this gives me comfort, but tongue-in-cheekness aside, this is the first published thorough analysis of injuries due to pet-induced falls and is worthy of your attention.

I recently came across a very interesting analysis of the history of the domestication of dogs in the NY Times a week ago.

Two things struck me about this story.  First, although there are dissenting opinions, the conclusion of the recent study that motivated this story was that all modern domestic dogs arose from a single domestication of wolves in Southern China.  The second thing that struck me is that the state of life science research is such that it is possible to seek and find the answers to such complicated questions about the development of human cultures...amazing.

The conclusion of this study was based on the analysis of mitochondrial DNA from dogs around the world.  Although it is speculative -- and very far outside of how we view dogs in our society -- the authors of the study go on to suggest that the domestication of dogs was for the same reason as humans domesticated other species: food and fiber.  They further speculated that their rapid spread from their origin suggests that domestic dogs became useful for other reasons not related to eating them -- certainly most cultures have not, and do not now, use dogs for food.  Also interesting is the idea that dogs "domesticated themselves" by starting to hang out on the fringes of early human communities.  See this NOVA transcript for a bit more on this notion by Dr. Coppinger, who is noted in the Times article. 

Kali (clever name, huh?) is our old cat; sixteen and still a spitfire. 

In the fall of 1993 she showed up in the McCoy 203 classroom (no longer in use -- but that's for another post) as a kitten looking for a home.  I believe it was Kevin Sheehy, Class of 1996, who brought her in; she was from a litter that had been abandoned on their doorstep.  I immediately called Kathy to ask if I could bring her home.  Our daughter was not quite 3 at the time, so Kali became her "baby".  We took Sarah off to college last week, so now Kali just has the two of us to fuss over her. 

These days she's helping to keep our veterinary teaching hospital afloat as she has been in for a series of checks and re-checks.  Interestingly, as sometimes happens with diabetic cats receiving insulin, one day a few weeks ago she simply no longer needed insulin after about 2 years of twice-daily injections.  That has simplified things at home immensely (also, no special diet to segregate from the other cats).  She's substituted a mild hyperthyroidism, but that's OK.   

She doesn't range far from home now -- that spot on the deck in the picture above is about it for outside activity.  She's still got attitude, even if she is a bit slower to get around; she can still hiss with the best of them at Dr. Mickas as he ministers to her.

Another blog, another acronym...in this case the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years act, known officially as HR 3501, recently introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. McCotter of Michigan.  This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Service code to allow up to $3,500 in deduction for expenses "paid in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a qualified pet".  I have not explored the bill in depth to discover what "care" other than veterinary care would be allowed, but I presume this would mean such things as "doggie day care", grooming, and so on.

More details, including a link to the text of the bill, can be found here.  I will mostly let this pass without comment, although in spite of the importance of our cats to my family, my recognition of the changing role of companion animals in society, and my involvement in this profession, I am still taking a bit of a sideways glance at this.

I am very curious as to what you might think.  Is this a good idea in general?  What about the proposed deduction in relation to the structure of the deduction to your own health care costs?  Do you think this would, in fact, increase pet care utilization, for the benefit of the pet?

On Monday, Gino, a Tukwila police dog was stabbed in the neck by an alleged shoplifter who the police were trying to arrest.

This video clip from KING5 in Seattle stars none other than Dr. Paul Chauvin, a 2004 graduate of our college.  One of the things about this profession ... you just never know what is going to come through the door.

Gino is doing fine, much to the relief of his police handler who, as you might imagine, is very close to his dog.

And, Paul is looking good!

I've mentioned previously that, although I have nothing against dogs, I am mostly a cat person, with only four of them at home right now (#5 is the perfect apartment cat and so she's off in Seattle with our son to keep him company).

This is Agate -- she's from the "rock" litter -- who came to us from the shelter in Moscow about three and one-half years ago, along with her brother Obsidian (you've guessed it, there'll be more cat pictures!).  She's a sort-of-seal-point (note the white feet).  Aggie, as we more commonly know her, is my constant little helper, always around when I'm reading, cooking, or hanging out in the den at home.  The printer is warm, I guess, making it an ideal napping spot for her in the winter.

(thanks to daughter Sarah for providing the pictures) 

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Boxer cardiomyopathy is one of numerous genetically based heart diseases that affect companion animals.  More correctly, this disease is  Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, which usually leads to poor heart function and ventricular tachyarrhythmias (rapidly occurring abnormal heart beats) that can lead to sudden death.

Our College of Veterinary Medicine is fortunate to have on its faculty Dr. Kate Meurs, who leads the Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Laboratory (VCGL).  The focus of this laboratory is on uncovering the genetic basis for heart disease in cats and dogs.  Recently, Dr. Meurs and her colleagues determined the gene mutation responsible for Boxer cardiomyopathy.  Her strategy was insightful -- she hypothesized that the causative gene would be similar to the ones associated with a parallel disease in humans.  In humans, this disease is thought to be due to mutations in proteins associated with a cellular structure known as desmosomes, which are important for holding cells together in tissues and, in tissues like the heart, electrical conduction.

Dr. Meurs' studies led her to discover that the mutation that causes this disease in Boxers is in a protein known as striatin.  Not much is known about this protein, which means that Dr. Meurs not only is in a position to help Boxers and their owners by testing for this disease, but she also is now in a position to pursue basic studies of this protein and its role in cardiac function and disease.

This was elegant clinical (or to use the more modern term, translational) science, and it is a great example of what can happen when a dedicated veterinary clinician also becomes a dedicated veterinary biomedical scientist.  But as cool as the science was, at the end of the day, this is all about helping prevent a fatal disease in Boxers.

One of the fun things about having an exotics ward in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is, well, that you get to see exotic animals.  It seems that one of our local fraternities found themselves an alligator on the Internet.  When the local authorities then relieved said fraternity of their illegal boarder we, as is often the case, became the sanctuary until the critter can be placed.  The most entertaining account of the acquisition of the 'gator can be found here; but this is also a reminder that, all too often, impulses involving living things don't always work out as planned. 

Cute little bugger...about 12 inches long.  Dr. Finch tells us that in the wild they could grow on up to 16 feet.

Many forms of heart disease in both animals and people result from a defect in some gene that is important for the function of heart muscle.  Hundreds of different gene defects have been identified in people, but fewer have been identified in animals.  Unfortunately, many breeds are predisposed to certain forms of heart disease and much research is needed if we are to decrease the incidence of these diseases.

The College of Veterinary Medicine is fortunate to be home to Kate Meurs, the Richard L. Ott Chair of Small Animal Medicine and Research.  Dr. Meurs is a cardiologist whose research passion is to figure out the genetic basis for some of the common heart diseases, most prominently cardiomyopathies, in dogs and cats.  Her work as the leader of the Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Laboratory (VCGL) exemplifies the special connection between clinical care and the basic and applied research needed to improve animal lives.  This connection was also Dick Ott's passion, and it is fitting that Kate carries on his tradition, thanks to the gifts that made this endowed chair position possible.

Rather than place a long post here about the different facets of her work, I'll point you to the VCGL blog, where Kate will periodically provide thoughts about heart disease diagnosis and treatment, and also update you about her research to improve the ability to detect and treat heart disease.