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West Nile Virus Blamed for Death of Bald Eagles in Utah   By Laura Zuckerman (Reuters) – An unprecedented wintertime outbreak of West Nile virus has killed more than two dozen bald eagles in Utah and thousands of water birds around the Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said on Tuesday. At least 27 bald eagles have died this month in the northern and central parts of Utah from the blood-borne virus, and state biologists reported that five more ailing eagles were responding to treatment at rehabilitation centers. The eagles, whose symptoms included leg paralysis and tremors, are believed to…

  Study finds that short dogs are more prone to behavior problems by NEWStat That small dog mounting your leg is more likely than a larger one to behave badly, according to new research from the University of Sydney. The researchers found that “across the breeds, behavior becomes more problematic as height decreases.” According to the university, the researchers used owners’ reports on the behavior of over 8,000 dogs from across 80 breeds and related them to the shape of 960 dogs of those breeds, revealing strong relationships between height, body weight, cephalic index (the ratio of skull width to…

How to Protect Your Pet in Cold Weather Peter S. Sakas DVM Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center 7278 N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, IL 60714 (847)-647-9325  FAX (847)-647-8498 www.nilesanimalhospital.com Protecting Your Pet from the Winter Weather Most people believe since dogs and cats have a coat of fur they can tolerate winter cold very well and that they also possess the necessary instincts to protect themselves from the cold. Unfortunately these beliefs are not true. Dogs and cats are subject to the scourges of cold, wind and snow/rain during the winter as we are. Their haircoat does serve as…

American Kennel Club 2012 Dog Registration Statistics Historical Comparisons & Notable Trends   RANKING BREED 2012 2011 2007 2002 Labrador Retrievers 1 1 1 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 2 3 3 Golden Retrievers 3 4 4 2 Beagles 4 3 5 4 Bulldogs 5 6 10 18 Yorkshire Terriers 6 5 2 6 Boxers 7 7 6 7 Poodles 8 8 8 8 Rottweilers 9 10 15 13 Dachshunds 10 9 7 5 Shih Tzu 11 11 9 10 Doberman Pinschers 12 13 21 23 Miniature Schnauzers 13 12 11 11 French Bulldogs 14 18 34 58 German Shorthaired Pointers 15 15 18 22 Siberian Huskies 16 16…

Does Your Pet Have Dental Disease?   February is Dental Health Month. Since we had an overwhelming response in February over the past few years we expanded our Dental Special to go from December, January, and February. Bring your pet in for an evaluation of their dental condition, as dental disease can lead to serious problems, as outlined in the article from the AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief below. Our dental special at Niles Animal Hospital is a $50.00 discount off the cost of a standard dentistry (extractions are an additional fee). Before any procedure requiring anesthesia, we also recommend presurgical…

The Origins of Domestic Dogs “Evolution of dog” is explored in two scientific articles that emerged just recently. We thought you might enjoy seeing the evidence that traces the evolution of domestic dogs back to the wild wolf, starting more than 18,000 years ago. Today’s domestic dogs are more closely related to ancient and now-extinct European wolves than today’s wolves, according to UCLA scientists who have completed genetic analyses and reported their findings in the November issue of Science. The website Phys.org. covered this groundbreaking news in an extensive article this month. The article quoted Robert Wayne, a professor of…

Veterinary Technicians Share Thoughts About Their Work VTC-Web The Vet Tech Connections Facebook page has more than 15,300 “Likes” (page followers), and it’s a very lively group! We often see questions about career advancement and how to grow their skills, along with entertaining photo posts, funny comments, helpful tips and overall support. The other day, someone asked the community for advice about becoming a Veterinary Technician as a total “newbie” who has a couple of business degrees. She received 63 (and counting) comments ranging from “do job shadowing first” to “become a practice manager.” Many of the comments were quite…

Blacklisted dog breeds at center of homeowners insurance dilemma Thursday, November 07, 2013 EMBED Chuck Goudie By: Chuck Goudie and Christine Tressel November 7, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — The ABC 7 I-Team unleashes findings on an insurance trend that has dog owners howling mad. They’re presented an ultimatum: choose between a beloved pet dog or insuring their home. Typically, the liability part of your home or renters insurance covers the actions of your pet, but dog bite claims are up and insurance companies are making changes. If you own a dog, you may be facing higher rates, or worse– your…

Dr. Sakas on National Catholic Radio Friday, November 22nd. Dr. Sakas will be on the nationally broadcast radio show, “On Call” hosted by Wendy Wiese, on Relevant Radio, Friday, November 22nd from 1-2 PM CST. This was just scheduled today (11/21/13) as the host needed to fill the guest slot on short notice. The broadcast can be heard on 950 AM, 930 AM, 1270 AM or accessed through your computer at www.relevantradio.com and listened to online. It is a call in show and Dr. Sakas has been a regular guest on the show. Their phone number for call ins is…

As a service to our clients and pet owners everywhere we have added a link (actually a widget) on our hospital website home page (www.nilesanimalhospital.com) in the lower left corner. Click on the link and it has an up to the minute listing of all the pet food recalls. (Pet Food/Treat Recalls See Latest Recalls). The information is provided by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).