First Commercially Cloned Dog Delivered To Florida Family

BioArts International announced that they have delivered the world's first commercially cloned dog, a 10-week old Labrador named Lancey, to Florida residents Edgar and Nina Otto.

"We can't believe this day is finally here," said Nina Otto, "We are so happy to have little Lancey in our family. His predecessor was a very special dog. We are thrilled beyond words!"

Lancey was hand delivered to the Ottos on Monday, January 26th by BioArts Chairman Lou Hawthorne. "This is a very special milestone for our company - and great fun for me too," said Hawthorne, who delivered Lancey personally.

The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win an auction held by BioArts International in July for a chance to clone their family dog. Lancey's genetic donor, Sir Lancelot, died in January, 2008, and the Ottos had his DNA stored. By October, samples from the original dog were on their way to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, which provides cloning services to BioArts.

Lancey was born on November 18th, 2008, and brought to the US on January 25th, 2009 after being weaned from his surrogate mother.

The Ottos, longtime residents of Boca Raton, have had many beloved dogs over the years, but Lancey's genetic donor was unique. "Sir Lancelot was the most human of any dog we've ever had," said Otto, "He was a prince among dogs."

Said Hawthorne, "One minute with Lancey and you know he's special. He's both extremely aware and very sweet. The Ottos are the first of six current clients to receive their clone. The next 6 months will be very exciting both for our clients and our staff."

Additional information about the Best Friends Again program and dog cloning is available at http://www.bestfriendsagain.com. More information about BioArts is available at http://www.bioarts.com.

BioArts International is a biotech company focused on unique, untapped markets in the global companion animal, stem cell and human genomics industries. The Best Friends Again program is a collaboration between BioArts and the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea, home to the best and most experienced dog cloning team in the world.

BioArts has been granted the sole, worldwide license for the cloning of dogs, cats and endangered species. The license was granted by Start Licensing, Inc. and applies to the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning patents developed at the Roslin Institute for the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

BioArts

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137021.php

Main News Category: Veterinary

Dog Owners More Likely To Share Germs With Pets By Not Washing Hands Than By Sleeping With Dog

Dog owners who sleep with their pet or permit licks on the face are in good company. Surveys show that more than half of owners bond with their pets in these ways.

Research done by a veterinarian at Kansas State University found that these dog owners are no more likely to share the same strains of E. coli bacteria with their pets than are other dog owners.

Dr. Kate Stenske, a clinical assistant professor at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, studied this association as part of her doctoral research at the University of Tennessee. The research is scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

Stenske said the finding that these human-animal bonding behaviors aren't more likely to spread germs is good news because there are physical and psychological benefits of pet ownership.

"I became interested in the topic because there is such a strong bond between dogs and their owners," Stenske said. "If you look at one study, 84 percent of people say their dog is like a child to them."

Stenske said surveys also show that nearly half of all dog owners share food with their dogs, and more than half allow the dog to sleep in the bed and lick them on the face.

"We also know diseases can be shared between dogs and people," Stenske said. "About 75 percent of emerging diseases are zoonotic, meaning they are transferrable between humans and other animals. With these two pieces of knowledge, I wanted to examine the public health aspects of such activities."

Stenske's study centered on E. coli bacteria, which is common in the gastrointestinal tracts of both dogs and humans.

"People have it, dogs have it, and it normally doesn't cause any problems," she said. "But it can acquire genes to make it antibiotic resistant."

The study examined fecal samples from dogs and their owners and looked at the bacteria's DNA fingerprints. Stenske found that 10 percent of dog-human pairs shared the same E. coli strains. She also found that the E. coli had more resistance to common antibiotics than expected, although the owners had more multiple-drug resistant strains than their pets.

"This make us think that dogs are not likely to spread multiple drug-resistant E. coli to their owners, but perhaps owners may spread them to their dogs," Stenske said. "What we learn from this is that antibiotics really do affect the bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract, and we should only take them when we really need to -- and always finish the entire prescription as directed."

The research showed that bonding behaviors like sharing the bed or allowing licks on the face had no association to an increase in shared E. coli. However, Stenske said the research did show an association between antibiotic-resistant E. coli and owners who didn't wash their hands after petting their dogs or before cooking meals.

"We should use common sense and practice good general hygiene," she said.

Stenske said future research might focus on the relationship between shared E. coli and the behaviors of cat owners. Not only is cat ownership higher than dog ownership in the United States, but cats also interact with people in different ways than dogs, she said.

"We have a lot to learn," Stenske said. "In the meantime, we should continue to own and love our pets because they provide a source of companionship. We also need to make sure we are washing our hands often."

Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan
KS 66506-0117
United States
http://www.k-state.edu

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136895.php

Main News Category: Public Health

Also Appears In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses, Veterinary,

Lou Gehrig's Disease In Humans Genetically Linked To Dog Disease

22 Jan 2009

An incurable, paralyzing disease in humans is now genetically linked to a similar disease in dogs. Researchers from the University of Missouri and the Broad Institute have found that the genetic mutation responsible for degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs is the same mutation that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the human disease also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. As a result of the discovery, which will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, researchers can now use dogs with DM as animal models to help identify therapeutic interventions for curing the human disease, ALS.

"We uncovered the genetic mutation of degenerative myelopathy, which has been unknown for 30 years, and linked it to ALS, a human disease that has no cure," said Joan Coates, a veterinary neurologist and associate professor of veterinary medicine and surgery in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. "Dogs with DM are likely to provide scientists with a more reliable animal model for ALS. Also, this discovery will pave the way for DNA tests that will aid dog breeders in avoiding DM in the future."

Previously, ALS research has relied heavily on transgenic rodents that expressed the mutant human gene SOD1, which causes ALS. Researchers found that dogs with DM also had mutations in their SOD1 gene. Many rodent models possess very high levels of the SOD1 protein that can produce pathologic processes distinct from those occurring in ALS patients. Since the SOD1 mutation is spontaneous in dogs, the clinical spectrum in dogs may represent more accurately that of human ALS.

"Compared with the rodent models for ALS, dogs with DM are more similar to people in size, structure and complexity of their nervous systems, and duration of the disease," said Gary Johnson, associate professor of veterinary pathobiology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. "The results from clinical trials conducted with DM-affected dogs may better predict the efficacies of therapeutic interventions for treating ALS in humans."

ALS causes progressive neurodegeneration, affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The disease leads to advancing weakness and muscle atrophy, and culminates in paralysis and death. DM has been recognized for more than 35 years as a spontaneously occurring, spinal cord disorder in dogs. DM is reported most commonly in German Shepherds but also exists in other breeds, such as Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Boxers. There are no treatments for ALS and DM that clearly have been shown to stop or slow progression of the diseases. Owners of dogs with DM usually elect euthanasia six months to a year after diagnosis when the dogs can no longer support their weight with their pelvic limbs, whereas people with ALS typically progress to the state of complete paralysis and succumb to respiratory failure.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The study, "Genome-wide association analysis reveals a SOD1 mutation in canine degenerative myelopathy which resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. This study was a collaborative project with MU researchers and Kerstin Lindbld-Toh and Claire Wade, researchers at the Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The study was funded by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation and participating breed clubs.

Source: Kelsey Jackson
University of Missouri-Columbia

Pet Insurance

Have you considered pet insurance for you dog? I get a lot of questions from clients and my eCourse students about pet insurance. Is it right for you? What do you need to consider?

The word "insurance" often evokes feelings of stress in many of us. Insurance companies seem to have confusing policies with a variety of rates and sometimes it is difficult to determine if we need it, what we need and if it is a good value. I'll try to help you determine if pet insurance is right for you.

First, let's step back and consider..."what is insurance?" Insurance is a form of risk management used to minimize the risk of financial loss. Pet insurance pays costs if your dog needs veterinary care.

The purpose of pet insurance is to ensure you can properly care for and treat your dog when an unexpected medical problem occurs. Pet insurance offers you the security of knowing that you can do the best you can for you dog without the burden of financial considerations. Financial concerns often cause dog owners to make a decision to euthanize their dogs when unexpected and unaffordable expenses take place.

So...how do you decide if pet insurance is right for you and your dog?

It really comes down to a financial decision. If your dog was unexpectedly hit by a car and required emergency veterinary care estimated at...say $2000.00, could you do it? If you could without a problem, then you probably don't need pet insurance.

If the $2000.00 expense (or more) would be a big burden or you would need to consider euthanasia because you could not afford the care, then I'd strongly consider pet insurance.

I find dog owners with pet insurance often feel relieved when something does happen. They don't have to make tough life-or-death decision about what happens to their dog.

They can try to do the best thing by treating their dog without the pressure of financial considerations. I actually find it a relief as well because I know I can do the best for their dog without compromising care.

There are different types of policies. What are some of the differences in policies?

Some policies pay only for medical problems or accidents; others will also pay for preventative health care such as spays, neuters, parasite control and vaccinations.

The amount of benefits you receive will affect the premium.

Some policies will cap the total sum they pay out in a year or have a cap on a particular disease or accident/event.

Most companies will require that you pay the bill and then they reimburse you.

The number of dog owners with pet insurance is growing. The number of companies offering insurance is also growing. In the U.S., approximately 2 to 3 % of pets now have health insurance, which is up from just 1% a few years ago. Pet insurance is very popular in other
countries such as the U.K. where more than half of all pets have pet insurance.

The largest pet insurance company in the U.S is Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). For more information and a free quote, go to: Veterinary Pet Insurance.

My experiences with VPI have been very good and my clients have been very happy with their service.

The VPI website will give you basic information as well as estimates of your premiums for what you want and your specific pet. Policies are generally less expensive for puppies and premiums may increase for older dogs.

I hope this gives you a little more information about pet insurance and help you determine if it is right for you. Being able to afford medical care when they need it is critical to maintaining a healthy dog.

Caution To Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products - FDA, USA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers about a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products. The products - also called chicken tenders, strips, or treats - are imported from China. FDA continues to receive complaints of sick dogs that their owners or veterinarians associate with eating chicken jerky products. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

Australian news organizations report that the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the product was manufactured in China.

What is FDA Doing?

-- FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the United States, is working to find out why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a precise cause for the reported illnesses.

-- FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.

-- FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky.

Tips for Consumers

-- Do not substitute chicken jerky products for a balanced diet. The products are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.

-- If you choose to feed your dog chicken jerky products, watch the dog closely. Stop feeding the product if your dog shows any of the following signs, which may occur within hours to days after feeding the product:
- decreased appetite, although some dogs may continue to eat the treats instead of other foods
- decreased activity
- vomiting
- diarrhea, sometimes with blood
- increased water drinking or increased urination

-- Call your veterinarian if signs are severe or last for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to FDA have involved dogs that have died.

-- Consumers and veterinarians should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods or treats to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator listed for their area at www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.