pet connection

Ever wonder why Chinese Shar-Pei have all those wrinkles? A group of Spanish scientists have come up with the answer.

Like so many canine characteristics–such as the achondroplasia associated with Basset Hounds, Dachshunds and some other breeds–the wrinkles are related to a hereditary disorder. Known as mucinosis, the condition is a genetic alteration that multiplies the activity of a particular enzyme. When it goes into overdrive, it produces excessive amounts of hyaluronic acid, which gathers under the skin and produces wrinkles.

The researchers hope that knowledge of the genetic basis of mucinosis will permit better breeding programs aimed at improving the health of the breed, as well as provide a better understanding of the biology of tissues surrounding cells and the processes of cell recognition and aging.

In other news, Dr. Sinisa Grozdanic at Iowa State University is experimenting with a new method of delivering medication into the eye. Traditional eye drops dissipate quickly and are active for only a limited period. Dr. Grozdanic is working to develop a way to place a biodegradable pellet into the tissue surrounding the eye. The pellet would release the medication–in this case for autoimmune corneal diseases–gradually for an entire year. So far, six dogs have tried the new technique.

“In all the dogs we saw positive results,” Grozdanic said. “In some dogs the results were spectacular. In some the results were decent. That’s very good considering that they were non-responsive to treatment using other eye medication before receiving the implants.”

Read more here.

A bionic dog? You knew it was bound to happen some day. Jake, 11 years old, received a new cementless elbow prosthesis at Michigan State University last April. Six months later, the yellow Lab is pain-free, works out on an underwater treadmill and generally behaves like a younger dog. He was only the eleventh dog in the world to receive the elbow prosthesis, which has the benefits of reduced risk of infection and reduced rate of implant wear as well as being a minimally invasive procedure.

Gratuitous wine blogging: Well, why not, when it’s about a dogcentric winery. More often than not, I’m disappointed by wines with dogs or cats on the labels, but not when it comes to those produced by Mutt Lynch. Their Canis Major Zinfandel, which I first tasted at Westminster one year, is one of my favorites. Besides, how can you not love winemakers who have a 10-year-old Greyhound named Patch (yes, I’m a sucker for Greyhounds; what’s it to ya?) and support lots of dog-friendly causes? Like most of us these days, the Lynches are concerned about the economy, but they’ve decided to follow Patch’s example and live for the moment. In their holiday newsletter they write:

Our dog Patch doesn’t know when the stock market declines or rebounds; he sleeps on the couch equally well through either. The sheer pleasure for the moment that Patch has each and every day, and us with him, may seem like ‘la la land’ to some, but maybe it is the ultimate life philosophy: living for the moment. To us, it has always been the secret essence of all things dog.

Maybe I’ll go for their Leader of the Pack special with a custom label featuring the girls. A good bottle of wine is always a great gift, and the way the economy is going, sitting around drinking wine may be all we can afford for a while.

Cheers!

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