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IMAGE: A new UBC Okanagan study finds children reap the benefits of working with therapy dogs view more
Credit: UBC Okanagan
A new UBC Okanagan study finds children not only reap the benefits of working with therapy dogs-they enjoy it too. Dog lovers often have an assumption that canine-assisted interventions are going to be effective because other people are going to love dogs, says Nicole Harris, who conducted this research while a master s student in the School of Education. While we do frequently see children improve in therapy dog programs, we didn t have data to support that they enjoyed the time as well.
Credit: Lisa George
Domestic cats hunt wildlife less if owners play with them daily and feed them a meat-rich food, new research shows.
Hunting by cats is a conservation and welfare concern, but methods to reduce this are controversial and often rely on restricting cat behaviour in ways many owners find unacceptable.
The new study - by the University of Exeter - found that introducing a premium commercial food where proteins came from meat reduced the number of prey animals cats brought home by 36%, and also that five to ten minutes of daily play with an owner resulted in a 25% reduction.
Domestic cats are a major threat to wild species, including birds and small mammals. But researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on February 11, 2021 now have evidence that some simple strategies can help to reduce cats environmental impact without restricting their freedom. Their studies show that domestic cats hunt less when owners feed them a diet including plenty of meat proteins. Equally, it helps to play with them each day in ways that allow cats to mimic hunting.
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A treatment, known as KEDRAB (Rabies Immune Globulin [Human]), currently used in the prevention of rabies has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for patients age 17 and under.
Results published today in
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics report the first and only pediatric trial of any human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) currently available in the US. Findings have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for review.
In the United States, someone is treated for possible exposure to rabies every 10 minutes. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that rabies causes 59,000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia - however they concede it is likely a gross underestimate of the true burden of disease.
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Animal owners frequently report concerns and worries relating to caring for their animal during the pandemic, new research suggests.
The study, by the University of York, also revealed owners had increased their appreciation of their animals during the first lockdown phase. The notion that people could not live without their animals and that they were a godsend or a lifeline in the pandemic was frequently expressed.
The study has been investigating the role of animals as sources of emotional and physical support during the pandemic. More than 40 per cent of UK households are estimated to own at least one animal.