Blog about dogs

  On October 21 died Bobi, the world’s dog ever at the age 31 years and 165 days. He was the only known dog to exceed the age of 30. His death at an animal hospital on Friday was initially announced by veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker. She wrote on Facebook that “despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him.” There were many secrets to Bobi’s extraordinary old age, his owner Leonel Costa said that hr always roamed freely, without a leash or chain, lived in a “calm, peaceful” environment and ate human food soaked in water to remove seasonings. He spent his whole life in Conqueiros, a small Portuguese village about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of the capital Lisbon, often wandering around with cats. Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo – a breed of livestock guardian dog – according to his owner. Rafeiro do Alentejos have a life expectancy of about 12-14 years, according to the American Kennel Club. Info source...

Selective breeding has occurred for thousands of years in numerous domesticated species, not just dogs. Our canine friends first developed breeding for specific behavioral traits, not conformational traits. However, where and when certain types of dogs originated is still uncertain.  Most dog breeds we recognize today were developed in the last 150 years, thanks to The so-called the Victorian Explosion. During this time in Great Britain, dog breeding intensified and expanded, resulting in many of our most recognizable breeds of dogs. The Victorians, influenced by Darvin’s ideas, became passionate about breeding for the ideal of a certain breed. Many of the conformational traits that we consider classic for a certain type of dog have their origins in this era. Breeding for conformational traits continued through the 20th century. The end result is the 400+ types of dogs recognized as distinct breeds. As we approach the third decade of the 21st century, technological advances hav...

  In America in 1863, the American Veterinary Medical Association came into being as a way to promote the field. Its purpose was to oversee the advancement of veterinary medicine and its practitioners. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added a Veterinary Medical Branch in 1965 to oversee veterinary pharmaceuticals. It later became the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). The work of the CVM is still essential in that it oversees regulations relating to food, medicine, and other products for animals. During the last 30 years there has been a huge shift in veterinary medicine - from a focus on medical care only for livestock. Veterinarians opened thousands of animal hospitals devoted to the care of cats and dogs and other small pets. Using tools like digital radiology, advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment, and pharmaceuticals, we are better equipped to successfully treat them. We are able to manage pain and discomfort in our pets with new medications and alternative thera...

  The first known veterinary practice was in 9,000 BC in the Middle East. Sheep herders used primitive medical skills to treat their animals, which included the dogs that watched over their herds. Between 4,000 – 3,000 BC in Egypt, medical treatment of animals became more common, but was still largely undeveloped. Ancient humans began domesticating cats, fowl, and dogs, and their owners considered them as members of their household. In approximately 1,900 BC, someone captured the first written accounts of veterinary medicine in four sacred Hindu texts. Millennia later, in 1850, archaeologists discovered fragments of an ancient veterinary medical textbook made of papyrus. This text covers diseases relating to birds, cattle, dogs, and fish. Horses were the primary focus of ancient medical care as they were economically important for transportation, agriculture, and trade.  In the 1760s, Claude Bourgelat established the first school of veterinary medicine in Lyon, France. With th...

   Archaeological evidence and DNA analysis make the Bonn-Oberkassel dog the first undisputed example of a dog, which were discovered during basalt quarrying in Oberkassel, Germany in 1914. First mistakenly classified as a wolf, the Bonn-Oberkassel dog was buried with two humans. However, there are theories that suggest dogs may in fact be older. For example, many experts agree that dogs started to separate from wolves starting around 16,000 years before present in Southeastern Asia. The progenitors of the dogs may have first appeared in the regions of modern-day Nepal and Mongolia at a time when humans were still hunter-gatherers. The bond between humans and dogs have been extensively studied due to its unique nature. This relationship can be traced all the way back to when humans first started living in groups and moved into colder Eurasian regions. The weight standard for these dogs, 20 to 25 kg for optimum thermo-regulation, is found in the modern breed standard for the ...