Celebrating the Breakthroughs Shaping the Future of Canine Health. Meet the 2025 Canine Health Discovery Award Finalists.

02353-A: Characterization of Naturally-Occurring Neuropathic Pain in Dogs

Clinical experience demonstrates that canine patients commonly suffer from neuropathic pain and little is known to address this issue. The researchers will investigate different tools for the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain using a multidisciplinary approach. A two-phased study will include client-owned healthy dogs as controls and dogs with naturally-occurring neuropathic pain (Neuropathic […]

03143: Causative Role of Xenobiotic Exposures in Canine Gallbladder Mucocele Formation

Mucocele formation is the most common gallbladder disease to afflict dogs. Despite the best surgical care, 17% will not survive. Retrospective studies alone report numbers of affected dogs in the thousands and over 80 publications have now addressed this specific disease. We don’t know what causes mucocele formation and have no way to predict, prevent, […]

02366-A: Individualization of Pharmacological Interventions in Diabetic Dogs

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of middle-aged to older dogs which means many affected dogs will develop other diseases such as arthritis, infections, and behavior disorders, all requiring drug therapy. Poor control of glucose levels in diabetic dogs can alter how drugs behave in the body, which can result in drug toxicities. This is an […]

02661: Investigation into Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs

Co-investigators: Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD and John Rush, DVM, MS, Tufts University; Rebecca Stepien, DVM, MS, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Amara Estrada, DVM and Margaret Sleeper, VMD, University of Florida; Joshua Stern, DVM, PhD, University of California, Davis Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious disease of the heart muscle whereby the heart becomes enlarged with […]

01354-A: Heritability of Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis in Miniature Schnauzers

The study on heritability of calcium oxalate urinary stones in Miniature Schnauzers met with great success. We met our goal with over 100 dogs enrolled in the study; half were affected by calcium oxalate stones while the other half were older stone-free dogs. Through pedigree analysis, we determined that the most likely mode of inheritance […]

02245-MOU: Genetic Predisposition to Avian Tuberculosis in Miniature Schnauzers and Bassets Hounds

While people and dogs are generally resistant to Mycobacterium avium infections, there are certain individuals that lack proper host defense against these intracellular organisms. The precise molecular basis is still unknown, but there is much interest because of the major morbidity and mortality in susceptible patients. We have recognized that many young adult Miniature Schnauzers […]

02955: Towards Precision Medicine for Canine Cardiac Disease: A Genomic and Machine-Learning Approach to Prediction of Risk and Outcomes in Canine Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cause of heart disease in adult dogs, affecting millions of dogs worldwide. Small- and medium-sized dogs, especially Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Dachshunds, Poodles, and Yorkshire Terriers, are predisposed to MMVD, suggesting that the disease has a genetic basis. MMVD typically progresses slowly, over several years, eventually […]

02637-A: Reducing Misdiagnosis of Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia

Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is a common life-threatening disease requiring intensive and expensive therapy. Veterinarians often diagnose IMHA using a saline agglutination test. This test aims to distinguish red cell aggregates induced by antibodies from non-immune-mediated red cell interactions. However, this test can produce up to 20% false positives, thus requiring an improved test. One […]