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Have you ever wondered why small dogs live longer? Although still a debated topic, new research suggests life expectancy is determined during the early stages of development. Smaller dog breeds outliving larger breeds seems to go against the rest of the mammalian kingdom. For example, mice live for only a few years whereas elephants can live for up to 70 years! …

Minitablets for cats could improve the compliance of feline patients in the future. All cat owners know that giving their pet a pill is no simple task. Cats are stubborn enough to resist taking a tablet and clever enough to avoid them if mixed in with food. Minitablets are much smaller, compressed pills only a few millimetres in size and …

A gene potentially linked to epilepsy has been discovered in dogs. A study investigated juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in Rhodesian Ridgebacks in search of its genetic cause. The genome wide association study (GWAS) revealed DIRAS1 to be a strong candidate gene. The gene has previously been linked to neurotransmission, making it a good entry point for future research into myoclonic epilepsies. DNA testing …

Researchers at the University of  Glasgow explored how different music genres affected the behaviour of kennelled dogs. In the study ‘The effect of different genres of music on the stress levels of kennelled dogs’ soft rock and reggae had the most beneficial effect on behaviour. The study follows on from previous research that investigated the impact of classical music on …

A recent study compared the relationships children have with pets to those with their siblings. The findings revealed that kids got greater satisfaction from relationships with their pets. The study also provided further evidence that pets are important in the social development of children and early adolescents. It’s no surprise that pets are considered a fully-fledged addition to the family. We …

Cats can get a bad rep for being finicky eaters, but research by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition suggests otherwise. A study looking at the flavour, aroma and nutrition of cat foods found that even unappealing flavours can be a cat’s preferred choice if the nutritional content is right. The study by Mars Petcare showed that cats are able to …

The genetic diversity of the English Bulldog is now so limited it could be difficult to improve the health problems associated with the breed. Selective breeding of the English Bulldog for specific traits has been carried out by humans for many years. This has caused large changes in the genome of the Bulldog, which now put it at the top …