Page 24 - Demo

ASHGI News
AKC Canine Health Foundation News Alert
Research Approved to Improve Current Canine Cancer Therapies
The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to announce funding for two ACORN grants that are expected to improve therapies to treat canine lymphomas. Lymphoma is the most commonly seen cancer in dogs.Typically, animal treatment protocols are not based on scientific research; rather, information from human studies are extrapolated to veterinary medicine.Veterinarians often determine what protocol to use based on their past experiences and the experiences of their colleagues.The two studies listed below look to generate scientific evidence on how the drugs of current standards of care actually affect lymphoma cells, thereby providing evidence- based recommendations for canine lymphoma treatments.
ACORN 1226-A: Evalution of Multidrug Resistance Genes in Primary Canine Lymphoma Cells Exposed to Enrofoxacin and Prednisolone was recently approved for $7,190 to Dr.Annette N. Smith at Auburn University in Alabama.This research seeks to evaluate the expression of the drug resistance gene, MDR1, in lymphoma cells in response to exposure to treatment with an antibiotic or corticosteroid. Overexpression of this gene has been associated with a poor prognosis and a decreased survival time due to the lack of response to treatment. If these two treatments (the antiobiotic and cortisosteroid) do in fact trigger the expression of MDR1, the management (treatment) of clinical patients with lymphoma should change.
ACORN 1344-A: Comparison of Percentage of T Regulatory Cells in Dogs with Spontaneoudsly Occurring Lymphoma Following Oral Versus Intravenous Cyclophosphamide was approved for $12,852 to Dr. Kimberly A. Selting at the University of Missouri, Columbia. A subset of immune cells calledT regulatory cells (Tregs) determines what cells belong in your body.Tregs can prevent other immune cells from attacking cancer in the body, and are therefore thought to
be detrimental to the body’s ability to fight off cancer.This study will characterize the population of Tregs in dogs with lymphoma before they are treated, and then after they receive cyclophosphamide. Researchers will also compare injected
to oral cyclophosphamide. No study has ever appropriately compared these two ways to give cyclophosphamide to decide which is better. By considering the effects on Tregs, the side effects and the efficacy, researchers will be able to recommend the best way to use this drug.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation has funded 27 grants valued at more than $1.7 million dealing with more effective treatments and the genetics of lymphoma.Through this research there may one day be a way to prevent or cure this cancer that affects the entire canine community.
Contact:
Erika Werne
Director of Education & Communications AKC Canine Health Foundation 919-334-4010
888-682-9696
www.akcchf.org
serve to emphasize a command you’re giving if he’s acting a little sluggish about it. Patting your leg can be used to improve position on fronts and finishes, or to encourage your dog to stay close on exercises like the spirals or offset figure 8. Once again though, be wary of becoming dependent on these signals for a solid perfor- mance. While they are very handy tools to fall back on if you need them, your goal should be to never have to use them. First try to go through the exercise without the extra cues, and if it doesn’t work, then add them in. Again this is something you will mostly need to work on in practice, but stick to it even at trials. You may end up with a few scores a little lower than you could have gotten using the extra cues the whole way through, but in the long run it will be worth it.
Even if you aren’t interested in moving on to formal obedience, at the Excellent level in rally you are no longer allowed to clap or pat your leg. Snapping your fingers is included, though if you are like me and can’t snap that rule isn’t much of an issue! You can still use “silent” hand signals to guide your dog, but any audible ones will be penalized. If you are unsure about whether one of your signals is okay, ask the judge about it dur- ing the briefing or walk through. Some judges have pet peeves, and asking beforehand is always better than finding out afterward.
All your cues and commands, both verbal and non- verbal, are like a toolbox full of tools. Even though you probably have a bunch of tools, you don’t go around fixing things for no reason. By the same token, only use commands as you need them. Throw in some extra praise to keep your dog happy, but still ask for high- quality performance. This will allow you to work up to the precision required in formal obedience while hav- ing the option to fix things that go wrong and still be successful.
IT’S TIME!! Renew your membership by December 31!
Pay by check or pay online with a credit card: www.australianshepherds.org
22 The Australian Shepherd Journal November/December 2009