Our dogs’ noses are much more sensitive than they appear: an on-going research study suggests that dogs can smell the early and late stages of lung and breast cancer. Their sensitive noses pick up on the scent of toxins and could be a great asset in the medical feild.
In this study which will be published in the March 2006 issue of the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies published by SAGE Publications, researchers reveal scientific evidence that a dog’s extraordinary scenting ability can distinguish people with both early and late stage lung and breast cancers from healthy controls. The research, which was performed in California, was recently documented by the BBC in the United Kingdom, and is soon to be aired in the United States.
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Last Friday a US dog lover asked my recommendations on the energy requirements of a rather obese dog. Below you find an excerpt of my response to them.

A six year old chihuahua/dachshund mix had been gaining weight from 7.5 to 10 pounds. Assuming the 7.5 pound is the ideal weight, this dog suffers from 33% overweight… which is just too much! A dog that is 10% above its ideal weight, is overweight.

She is on Hills I/D because of a sensitive stomach and for health reasons she now needs to loose weight. The owners have reduced the feeding amount from 1/3 can in the morning + 1/3 can in the evening + 1/8 can as a late snack to 1/4 can already. So from a 80% filled can, she is now on 25% of a can daily.

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There are many theories as to the origin of the breed known today as the Labrador Retriever. One point on which all historians seem to agree is that the Labrador originally came from Newfoundland. They were known by several names like the St. John’s Water Dog, the Little Newfoundlander and the Black Water Dog, before officially being dubbed the Labrador Retriever.

Some believe that the Labrador was developed by the fishermen off the coast of Newfoundland and that he was the result of an attempt to scale down the Newfoundland dog. In other words, they wanted to produce a somewhat smaller dog because the Newfoundlands were a bit cumbersome.

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Congrats to The Poodle and Dog Blog… their human won the copy of Ask Now The Beasts. Be sure to head over to her blog, she always has great stories, including a very important story about PETA. Here is a quote to peak your curiosity:

According to PETA’s own records that they recently submitted nine months after a Virginia government agency deadline, PETA killed 97% of the companion animals it took in for adoption in 2006.

Congrats on the win, and keep up the great work on your blog!

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