Foundation Awards $1.2 Million in Support of Canine Health Research
The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to announce the approval of 17 new grants to support research into canine health concerns in the amount of more than $1.2 million. This brings the total amount funded by the Foundation to more than $25 million since its inception in 1995.
Projects approved in this cycle include pyoderma, cleft palate and lip, epilepsy, necrotizing meningoencephalitis, leptospirosis, allergies and cancers such as oral melanoma, mast cell tumors, hemangiosarcoma, histiocytosis/histiocytic sarcoma, and lymphoma.
Breed specific projects include granulomatous colitis in the Boxer, laryngeal paralysis polyneuropathy in the Labrador Retriever, protein-losing enteropathy and protein-losing nephropathy in the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and Scottie Cramp in the Scottish Terrier.
"This year we’ve funded a wide range of projects – not just a variety of diseases, but also a great variety in how the diseases are studied. The projects explore the causes of disease, better characterization of disease, improved treatment options and more accurate diagnosis techonologies.," stated Dr. Christine Haakenson, Director of Research for the Foundation. "Most of these projects address health concerns reported to the Foundation in a 2009 poll of breed clubs and foundations."
Funded research institutions include Colorado State University, Cornell University, Michigan State University the National Human Genome Research Institute/NIH, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University, University of California – Davis, University of Georgia, University of Helsinki, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, University of Rennes, University of Tennessee, and the University of Texas.
Breed clubs and organizations have already stepped up and committed nearly $60,000 in support of these important research projects. To make a donation to a newly funded research project click here.
Help Future Generations of Dogs
Participate in canine health research by providing samples or by enrolling in a clinical trial. Samples are needed from healthy dogs and dogs affected by specific diseases.