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Research papers
Please browse our printable research papers - listed in date order:
The Use of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Canine Reproduction - May 1991
Ultrasonic imaging is a new diagnostic method which is being increasingly used in veterinary practice. Its great advantages over other techniques are that it is non-invasive and is safe both for the operator and the patient. Frequently a diagnosis may be made during an examination. In certain cases ultrasound may be used to guide a biopsy needle into a specific site, thus avoiding the requirement for a large surgical incision to be made.
In this review, Dr Gary England, BVet Med, PhD, CertVR, MRCVS, of the Royal Veterinary College, highlights some of the uses of ultrasound for the investigation of the reproductive tract, and clarifies some misconceptions. Ultrasound is now being used extensively by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to help improve the care of its breeding stock. In the late 1960s diagnostic ultrasound was launched to the medical profession. It was thought that the technique would be especially useful in the field of obstetrics and reproduction. This method of examining the internal structures of the body has dramatically grown to encompass most organs within the abdomen as well as the heart. Nowadays the majority of pregnant women will be examined using ultrasound and measurements of the baby are often used to predict the timing of birth. The use of ultrasound in the veterinary field has, in most species, kept pace with the developments in human ultrasonography. Indeed in some areas veterinary ultrasonography has provided information which is useful to the medical profession.
The use of ultrasound to image the reproductive tract in the dog and bitch has until recently lagged behind the developments in other species. It is only within the past few years that ultrasound has become more frequently used in this field. It is now not unusual for owners to have their bitches examined ('scanned') to confirm pregnancy. Ultrasound does however serve a much wider variety of purposes within small animal reproduction, and the aim of this article is to review some of these.
Click here to download the report, 'The Use of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Canine Reproduction'
Stress in Working Dogs - September 1991
To what extent, if at all, does stress affect working dogs? Since 1988, a research project at the Royal Veterinary College, funded by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, has been developing ways of finding answers to this hitherto unexplored question. In this review, Dr A R Michell, BSc, BVetMed, PhD, MRCVS and Dr Isobel C Vincent, BSc, PhD give a progress report on their work.
We can easily imagine how stress might be a problem for working dogs; all that chasing after armed criminals, or trying to sniff out dangerous explosives, searching for people in the rubble of collapsed buildings, let alone jumping through flaming hoops. But the fact that we think it might be stressful, that we can imagine how we would feel, if we were the dog, does not necessarily mean that the dog is actually stressed. Its behaviour patterns, experience and expectations are quite different from ours and pursuit, herding, tracking and combat are all part of the natural experience of the species. Not necessarily of the individual, however, any more than the making of pottery or tools is part of ours.
So it is debatable whether the things that working dogs do are actually as stressful as they may sometimes appear. No-one would be likely to deny that some aspects of the training or performance of working dogs. are, at least potentially, stressful. The same, however, can be said of many aspects of school life for children. Or commuting, or driving, or hang-gliding. The questions are which aspects, and how stressful, and does it matter?
Yet before we examine these questions, surely we should consider not just working dogs in general but guide dogs in particular. The job that they do is so different from army dogs, police dogs, guard dogs, sheepdogs, etc; the work of guide dogs (and more recently, hearing dogs for the deaf and dogs for the disabled) is widely admired and full of companionship and satisfaction for both dog and owner. They are doing something they love to do, which makes them favourites with the general public, even those not usually keen on dogs; it's a wonderful life for a dog, isn't it? Where is the stress?
Click here to download the report, 'Stress in Working Dogs'
Semen Evaluation and Artificial Insemination in the Dog - January 1992
Artificial insemination is the technique of collecting semen from a male animal, and placing it into the reproductive tract of the female. There are many advantages of using the technique for the breeding of all animal species, including the dog. Artificial insemination may involve the use of freshly collected semen, semen that has been diluted, chilled and stored or semen which has been frozen and then thawed. In this review, Dr Gary England BVetMed PhD MRCVS CertVR CertVA, of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, discusses the techniques that are available and suggests how they may be useful in the dog. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is actively involved, both in this country and internationally, with techniques of artificial insemination. These improve the management of its breeding programme and make genetic material available to the UK and to other countries, without the requirement for transportation and quarantine of animals.
It is commonly thought that artificial insemination (Al) only involves the use of semen which has been frozen and then thawed. This is not the case; insemination may be performed with fresh semen, with semen that has been diluted (extended) and chilled, or with semen that has been frozen and then thawed. There have been many recent developments involving these techniques, although probably the most significant has been that of the American Kennel Club allowing registration of litters resulting from insemination with frozen semen. The Kennel Club in the UK does not allow registration of litters which are the result of artificial insemination, unless prior permission has been given.* The reasoning behind this is unclear. It is obviously undesirable to allow animals to reproduce by Al if they are prevented from natural mating by inherited defects
However, the reluctance to accept artificial insemination is difficult to understand. It is not possible to use a single ejaculate to inseminate many bitches as is the case in the cow. The ejaculate collected from a dog is often only sufficient in sperm numbers to allow the insemination of one bitch. It is therefore highly unlikely that one dog will be excessively used within a breed as a result of Al and there is no concern that a narrow genetic pool will result.
The potential for corruption with Al is no greater than at natural mating, indeed it is less likely when the expense in terms of time and financial commitment are considered. With modern techniques of DNA fingerprinting, the concern of proving an animal's parentage has now been removed.
Artificial insemination has several advantages. It reduces the requirement to transport animals both within a country and internationally. This is an acceptable way of overcoming, to some extent, the quarantine restrictions that prevent the movement of animals from one country to another. It also increases the genetic pool available to an individual breed within a country.
Artificial insemination reduces the disease risk which is always present when unknown animals enter a kennel for mating. In some countries the use of Al may reduce the spread of infectious diseases. In certain circumstances, artificial insemination may be useful when natural mating is difficult. For example bitches, which ovulate when they are not in standing oestrus, or bitches that have hyperplasia of the vaginal floor may be inseminated when natural mating is difficult. Semen may also be collected from male animals which due to age, debility. back pain or premature ejaculation are unable to achieve a natural mating. Probably the greatest area of interest is, however, the storage of genetic material by freezing semen for insemination at a future date. This may be necessary in male animals that are likely to become infertile due to castration or to medical treatments with certain hormones.
The more common reason is, however, the preservation of semen from superior animals for use in future generations. The study of methods for artificial insemination has led to the development of techniques that are now used to evaluate for the quality of semen.
*Kennel Club permission for puppy registration has been granted in the case of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Click here to download the report, 'Semen Evaluation and Artificial Insemination in the Dog'
The End of a Partnership - April 1992
A Study of the reactions of guide dog owners to the end of a working partnership with their guide dog
The success of the working partnership between a guide dog owner and a guide dog depends crucially on the strength of the bond between them. Great care is taken to establish the bond during the dog's working life. What happens when this bond is broken? A study undertaken at Reading University on behalf of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association attempted to answer this question.
All guide dog owners attending regional training centres for training with a replacement guide dog during the first three months of 1991 were invited to participate in a survey designed to try to understand the end of a working partnership from the guide dog owner's point of view.
In this paper, Jill Nicholson BA, MSc, who conducted the survey, reports on the findings of the project.
Click here to download the report, 'The End of a Partnership: A Study of the reactions of guide dog owners to the end of a working partnership with their guide dog'
Canine Elbow Osteochondrosis - July 1992
Osteochondrosis is an important cause of lameness in the large and giant breeds of dog and becomes clinically apparent in puppyhood, during the period of rapid growth. It may, in some cases, affect the animal's suitability as a working dog. Since 1987, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has funded a research project into the condition, and in this review Dr Sue Guthrie BVetMed PhD MRCVS, of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, who has been conducting the research programme, discusses the management of affected dogs. Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition are highlighted.
Click here to download the report, 'Canine Elbow Osteochondrosis' (Word file)
Caring for Brood Bitches at Home - November 1992
The success of the Association's breeding and puppy-walking programme depends heavily on the dedicated group of individuals who care for the brood bitches in their homes. Miss Paddy Wansbrough was a puppy-walker before she moved to the country in 1970 and concentrated on breeding future guide dogs. She is one of the Association's most experienced brood bitch holders, and in this paper, which is a shortened version of a talk given to an international audience in April 1992, she describes the care needed by the bitch before and during whelping, and the raising of the pups during the first six weeks of their lives.
Click here to download the report, 'Caring for Brood Bitches at Home' (Word file)
A programme for puppy-rearing - March 1993
Since its tentative start in the 1950s the Association's puppy-walking scheme has acquired a huge fund of knowledge and experience of the best way to rear puppies destined to become guide dogs. This expertise has been gathered with the help of the devoted body of voluntary puppy-walkers who provide the caring homes in which the future guide dogs grow up. Brian Moody was Director of Operations until he retired in 1992 and in this paper, which is based on a talk given to an international audience in April 1992, he describes how the Association's puppies are socialised and conditioned for the lives they will lead as adults.
Click here to download the report, 'A programme for puppy-rearing' (Word file)
Cross-Breeding to Improve Temperament - August 1993
Click here to download the report, 'Cross-Breeding to Improve Temperament' (Word file)
Guarding Against Giardia - April 1995
Early last year, the kennel population of more than 100 dogs at the Association centre at Leamington Spa was hit by an unusually severe outbreak of diarrhoea. The cause turned out to be an infection of the intestine by a commonly-occurring, single-celled organism - or protozoan - known as Giardia. A combined treatment and disinfection strategy was then introduced that brought the infection under control. Maggie Fisher, a veterinary surgeon with a special interest in parasitology, was called in to help deal with the Giardia outbreak, and in the following paper she describes the infection and how it can be treated and controlled.
Click here to download the report, 'Guarding Against Giardia' (Word file)
Atopic Dermatitis in the Dog - December 1995
In 1976, a survey of skin disease in guide dogs failed to mention atopic dermatitis. Since then, there has been an increased awareness of canine allergic skin disease, both within The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and more generally, and this has been accompanied by an improved understanding of the causes and complicating factors involved.
This article aims to describe atopic dermatitis and its treatment in the 1990's, and draws attention to some of the important questions yet to be answered. The author, Stephen Shaw, is Dermatology Research Fellow at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, Suffolk, which involves him in clinical and research work with The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Atopic dermatitis is an allergic skin disease of dogs which is caused by immunological hypersensitivity to common substances in the environment such as house dust mites.
Click here to download the report, 'Atopic Dermatitis in the Dog' (Word file)
Bacteria and Intestinal Disease in Dogs - March 1997
Click here to download the report, 'Bacteria and Intestinal Disease in Dogs' (Word file)
Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy isn't anymore - June 1999
By Professor Peter G C Bedford, B VetMed, PhD, FRCVS, DvOphthal, DipECVO Guide Dogs Chair of Canine Medicine and Surgery, Royal Veterinary College, University of London
Click here to download the report, 'Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy isn't anymore' (Word file)
