New studies aim to help shelter cats, dogs with spinal cord injuries, and more - Dr. Marty Becker

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New studies aim to help shelter cats, dogs with spinal cord injuries, and more

Tuesday, Dec 3rd, 2019 | By Dr. Marty Becker

Morris Animal Foundation is awarding more than $1 million in grants for 16 canine and feline research projects.

Among the studies being funded are one to evaluate the potential of treating aggressive cancers with a new drug derived from a medicinal plant called feverfew; development of an oral vaccine for use in shelters and other multicat environments against feline enteric coronavirus, which can mutate to the deadly disease feline infectious peritonitis; and an inexpensive prognostic test to enable more rapid and appropriate treatment for canine neural injuries, such as strokes and acute spinal cord injuries.

There’s more in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet feature I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker.