Medical Detection Dogs: The Future Of COVID 19 Testing?

They’ve successfully sniffed out different forms of cancers and sniffed out those affected by malaria for years, but are medical detection dogs the future of COVID 19 testing and detection?

By: Ringp Bones

Three months ago, specifically trained medical detection dogs have shown promising results in being able to detect COVID 19 in suspected patients even before the patients tested positive with existing COVID 19 test procedures, thus establishing their potential for use in new non-invasive, early warning measure to detect coronavirus in the future. After promising results by the world leading researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and collaboration with the charity Medical Detection Dogs and Durham University, dogs that can sniff out COVID 19 will soon be working as an early detection system in a public space near you.

Given that dogs have been successfully sniffing out certain cancers and even malaria infected individuals for a number of years now, COVID 19 detection could represent the new frontier for these medical detection dogs. More than 10 years of research gathered by Medical Detection Dogs has shown that the dogs, which could screen up to 250 people per hour, can be trained to detect the odor of specific diseases at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in 2-Olympic sized swimming pools of water.

Trials in Helsinki, Finland’s airports are already planned to use medical detection dogs to “sniff-out” newly arrived plane passengers for COVID 19. And given the promising results by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine trials of these dogs, the medical detection dogs can also perform mass screenings of COVID 19 at a faster time compared to existing mass testing methods with even better accuracy. This could make the disconcerting cotton swab through the nose testing for COVID 19 a thing of the past.

Can We Give Our Pets COVID 19?

Given the zoonotic nature of the coronavirus, can we inadvertently give our pets the COVID 19 despite of observing stay-at-home guidelines?

By: Ringo Bones

Zoonotic diseases – also known as zoonoses – are diseases caused by bacteria and viruses that spread between animals and people. Unfortunately, the COVID 19 virus has mutated into something that became a global pandemic back in March 2020 – and sadder still, it seems that pet owners can give their pets COVID 19 despite strict adherence to stay at home guidelines, not to mention it can virtually be impossible to social distance from your cherished pet during a pandemic lockdown.

The possibility of people making their cherished pets sick with COVID 19 arose when a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID 19 and likely got the disease from the zoo’s animal handlers. Testing your pets if they got the COVID 19 virus has been a contentious issue since the WHO declared the disease a global pandemic due to the shortage of test and – currently – the tests are prioritized to essential and at risk personnel – i.e. front-line doctors and supporting healthcare workers. There has even been an outcry when that tiger from the Bronx Zoo got a COVID 19 test became headline news given that some doctors and nurses still await to be tested due to possible exposure due to lack of adequate personal protective equipment like masks and face shields.

When a pug from Chapel Hill, North Carolina became patient-zero of COVID 19 in dogs in the United States after that tiger in the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID 19 has raised concerns given that it is virtually impossible to social distance from your pets during a lockdown. Not to mention that some towns and cities have ordered veterinary clinics to close during the ongoing COVID 19 lockdown because they are not considered as “essential businesses”.

Spotify For Your Pets, Anyone?

Aimed by the Swedish audio streaming site for their subscribers who felt guilty leaving their pets alone at home, does a Spotify playlist and podcast list for your pets actually offer positive benefits for your pets?

By: Ringo Bones

The Swedish audio streaming site has pitched the scheme specifically for those who felt guilty leaving their pet(s) alone at home Spotify is now making curated playlists specifically tailored for your pets to enjoy. Often referred to as “Spotify For Pets”, it’s been around for over two weeks now and many subscribers swear by it given that the app’s algorithm generates a music playlist that is more or less “liked” by their pets.  But for pet owners with a semblance of knowledge on how the science behind their pet’s auditory system works compared to theirs, are the “Spotify Pet Playlists and tailored podcasts are really backed by science that they offer positive benefits to your pets, never mind if they can even hear them at all given the physiological differences between the human auditory system and your pet’s?

Well, there was a study published by Australian researchers a few years ago that dog breeds used for sheepherding prefer to listen to acoustic guitar based campfire music and even seem to feel relaxed while listening to such repertoire. But what about the more exotic pets mentioned in Spotify’s pet playlists, like iguanas and probably snakes whose auditory system are more sensitive in the low frequency or bass region compared to humans? Would such pets prefer electronic dance music with a surfeit of bass – maybe Meghan Trainor’s All About the Bass perhaps?

Larry The Cat Versus President Trump?

Even though he served as the “Chief Mouser” of Number 10 Downing Street since 2011, did Larry the Cat managed to successfully put a damper to Trump plans where London protesters failed?

By: Ringo Bones

Ever since serving as Number 10 Downing Street’s “Chief Mouser” after being recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for his exceptional mouse hunting skills since 2011, Larry the Cat has kept the official residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain free from furniture and document destroying mice for almost a decade now. And yet, back in June 4, 2019 - the intrepid feline has managed to do what thousands of London based protesters has set out to do – to put a damper on the U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s packed itinerary during his official U.K. state visit.  

By hiding under the underside of “The Beast” – the president’s official armored limousine, it seems like Larry the Cat is not shy at expressing his disdain against President Trump. Maybe Larry the Cat is no fan of white supremacists who do not give a rat’s ass on the less fortunate. Given that President Trump is too fat to reach down under The Beast to shoo the cat away by himself, it looks like Trump finally met a pussy that he can’t grab by himself.

The Passing Of “Grumpy Cat”: A Sad Day For Cat Lovers?

Described as having the face that has launched a thousand memes, does the passing of “Grumpy Cat” spell a sad day for cat lovers everywhere?

By: Ringo Bones   

                                                                    

During the early days of social media, cats had become the world’s most liked animal and back in September 2012, the internet’s “greatest cat” became a viral success. Sadly, after seven years of living in the internet limelight, her death was announced on Twitter back in Friday, May 17, 2019. Tabatha Bundesen, Grumpy Cat’s owner said “We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat.” “Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome.” She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at the home in the arms of her mother Tabatha.

Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, was born with feline dwarfism which, her owners said, probably accounted for her distinctive facial features and small size. During Grumpy Cat’s heyday, even the then US President Barack Obama was not immune to the charms of Grumpy Cat.

3D Organ On A Chip: The Future Of Cruelty Free Drug Testing?

Primarily developed to increase the accuracy of drug research in the lab, could a 3D Organ On A Chip also point to the future of cruelty-free drug testing by reducing the use of lab animals?

By: Ringo Bones

The newfangled device, which incorporates cells inside a 3D transistor made from a soft sponge-like material inspired by how cells in nature are structured, now allows scientists the ability to study cells and tissues in new ways. By enabling cells to grow in three dimensions, the device more accurately mimics the way that cells grow in the body. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge say their device could be modified to generate multiple types of organs – a liver on a chip or a heart on a chip, for example – ultimately leading to a body on a chip which would simulate how various treatments affect the body as a whole. Their results are reported in the journal Science Advances.

Traditionally, biological studies were – and still are – done in petri dishes, where specific types of cells are grown on a flat surface. While many of the medical advances made since the 1950s, including the polio vaccine, have originated in petri dishes, these two-dimensional environments do not accurately represent the native three-dimensional environments of human cells and can, in fact, leas to misleading information and failures of drugs in clinical trials. “Two-dimensional cell models have served the scientific community well, but we now need to move to three-dimensional cell models in order to develop the next generation of therapies,” says Dr. Roisin Owens from 

Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and the study’s senior author.

Cambridge University’s 3D Organ On A Chip could also spell good news on the reduction of the use of lab animals which could eventually lead to cruelty-free drug testing. Remember how Canadian scientists Fredrick G. Banting and his team discovered insulin back in 1921? They extensively used dogs in their lab to find out how insulin works and how it could be used to treat Type-1 diabetes in humans and unfortunately, it resulted in the deaths of many dogs.

A Museum That’s Going to The Dogs?

Is the American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog a museum that’s actually “going to the dogs”?

By: Ringo Bones

The American Kennel Club officially opened its Museum of the Dog back in February 8, 2019. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the newly designed space will house art from famous dog artists such as Sir Edwin Landseer, Maud Earl, Arthur Wardle and many more. It also has a two story glass vitrine that encases rare porcelains and bronzes, in addition to a library where users can learn about their favorite breeds. The museum’s first exhibition will be entitled “For The Love Of All Things Dog” and contains select works from the AKC’s own collection and that of the museum.

There is also a “Meet the Breeds®” touchscreen table that allows visitors to explore breeds features, traits, history and representations in the collection although this only involves the 193 officially recognized breeds by the American Kennel Club. There are also several other digital experiences that bring audiences into the history of the Museum and its mission. The Museum also has an app where users can interact with the exhibits with “Arty” a virtual dog / tour guide throughout the museum. This creates a new user experience for kids and kids at heart.

The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog was founded in 1982 and was originally housed in The New York Life Building located at 51 Madison Avenue as part of the AKC Headquarters. In 1987, the Museum was moved to West St. Louis County, MO. The AKC was instrumental in founding the Museum and believes in its mission to protect and to share the amazing works of art donated by participants in the dog sport over the last 35 years. The new Museum is now housed at the Kalikow Building at 101 Park Avenue.