Header

Search

Following Canine Health for Life

  • 01

    Angela Lemberger has brought her dog to the Small Animal Hospital. Noomi came for her first visit at 12 weeks. After 6 months, she is here again. Vet Sophie Bachmann begins by weighing her and checking her growth. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 02

    Angela hands over the pet passport for Noomi, a flat-coated retriever, to vet Dajana Birk. Checking current vaccination status is an essential part of regular check-ups. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 03

    Noomi now moves to the treatment table. Small, non-slip steps help her get up. The idea is that she climbs them as voluntarily as possible. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 04

    The vets use the “fear-free” technique to examine Noomi in a way that minimizes her stress. She is rewarded with a treat after every successful step, and Angela is always close by. The message is that trips to the vet don’t have to be unpleasant. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 05

    After Sophie has applied a little numbing cream to Noomi’s left back leg, she can get down from the table. Meanwhile, Angela sits with Annegret Lucke, specialist in animal nutrition and dietetics. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 06

    They talk about all aspects of what and how much Noomi is eating, any change to her dietary plan, treats, and the effect of diet on animal health. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 07

    In a short discussion about Noomi’s history, owner Angela talks to Dajana about the bloodwork from Noomi’s first tests at the age of three months. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 08

    Noomi is back on the treatment table – carefully and under her own steam, as she learned before. As part of the clinical exam, Sophie checks her ears… (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 09

    …and then her eyes, while Angela offers Noomi another treat from a red-and-white tube. It’s a practical and hygienic way of giving animals positive reinforcement. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 10

    The last step is to check Noomi’s teeth. She is happy to go along with everything – a clear sign that she is relaxed. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

The Growing Dog Project at the University Animal Hospital Zurich is dedicated to healthcare provision for dogs. Veterinarians are following our four-legged friends from puppy age to the end of life, gathering extensive knowledge on canine health.

A unique project began at the Small Animal Hospital in August 2023. It tracks dogs medically and scientifically from puppy age throughout their lives. A team of experts from the University Animal Hospital Zurich wants to understand how genetics, lifestyle and environment affect the lives of our canine companions. It is the first long-term study of healthcare provision for dogs in the German-speaking world, with 86 signed up so far.

Applying successful human medicine to animals

The Growing Dog Project is led by Stefan Unterer, professor and Head of the Small Animal Hospital. He aims to translate well established documented successes in early detection and healthy living in human medicine into veterinary medicine, specifically for dogs. His approach is not yet widely shared in Switzerland, not least because of a lack of data.

  • 11

    Sophie now uses a cotton bud to take an oral mucosa sample. The swab will later be used to determine the oral microbiome, in other words all of the bacteria in Noomi’s mouth. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 12

    A second swab is taken from a patch of skin where there is no hair. The microbiome there will also be analyzed later on. It is also important to check the skin for tick bites. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 13

    The clinical examination continues: after Sophie has checked the teats, she listens to the heart and checks the lungs. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 14

    Just as Sophie praises Noomi for being so helpful, she turns her head and licks the vet’s face. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 15

    Dajana has to be careful with the next step, which is to take blood. The skin is first disinfected, and because the earlier numbing cream has worked, Noomi doesn’t feel the needle. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 16

    The blood sample is collected in two vials. Angela stands close to Noomi the whole time. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 17

    Finally, a snug dressing. The blood samples will undergo several tests, as the bloodwork is examined for the early signs of infection, parasites and inflammation. Various parameters are used to test organ function via the blood serum. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

Regular examinations and testing

The study is open to both younger and older puppies. They are ideally eight weeks old, and there is a 16-week cutoff for acceptance into the project. At their first appointment, they have a clinical examination, are vaccinated, and they have a first blood test to rule out any congenital conditions. The dogs’ owners also bring stool samples to be tested for parasites. There are further appointments at the ages of six months and one year. These are followed by annual recalls coordinated with regular vaccinations, dental and other checkups, and the dogs’ individual life phases.

Extensive knowledge of canine health

During each visit to the University Animal Hospital, vets take a full medical history, conduct a clinical examination, do stool and urine tests, and take samples of the dog’s hair and swabs of their skin and the inside of their mouth. With the owner’s permission, they also do a blood test. On each occasion they check the dog’s vaccination records and data on their individual health. Analysis of the online questionnaires that owners fill out at defined intervals is another important element of the study. All of this enables researchers to gather high-quality health-related data on an ongoing basis, and build an extensive body of knowledge on canine health and on the growth and ageing processes.

  • 18

    The next step is to check the samples that Angela has brought with her. She hands the vet a plastic container of fresh urine… (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 19

    … and a small plastic bag containing a recent stool sample from Noomi. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 20

    Some of the urine is put into test tubes as a sample. The standard tests cover a range of urine levels, the kidneys’ ability to concentrate urine, and a number of parameters such as glucose and bilirubin, as well as protein content. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 21

    Using a cotton bud, a sample of the stool is also taken and put into a plastic tube. It is then frozen and added to the biobank. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 22

    Nearly there: Angela arranges the next appointment with the vet. The medical history and tests will be repeated in six months’ time, and annually from then on. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 23

    A second stool sample is put into a pre-labelled tube and then frozen. The rest of the stool is then examined for parasites, i.e. worms and single-cell organisms that can cause illness. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 24

    Sophie hands the urine and stool samples to the lab technician. The analyses complete the picture of Noomi’s current health. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 25

    All of the samples collected as part of the Growing Dog Project are stored in the freezer at -80°C. Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 26

    The samples are labelled and sorted into boxes for future use. The main aim here is to use the biobank in combination with the medical histories, clinical examinations, lab tests and questionnaires to gather extensive knowledge about canine health. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

  • 27

    All done! Owner and dog alike are happy and relieved. Noomi has earned extra fuss, another form of positive reinforcement. (Image: Frank Brüderli, UZH)

Better prevention, diagnosis and treatment

The research team forms part of the infectious diseases research and healthcare department at the Animal Hospital. Its aim is to be better able to predict, prevent, diagnose and treat potential diseases in dogs. To achieve this, the project includes all small animal medical disciplines: gastroenterology, dermatology, animal nutrition, dietetics and endocrinology. Specialists in nephrology, cardiology and small animal reproduction may be brought in as necessary.

Early detection

Owners participating in the Growing Dog Project are doing more than ensuring their pet remains in the best possible health long term. They also benefit from ongoing regular health check-ups and individual care. Parasites are one example of a condition that can be detected and treated before symptoms appear. In six out of the 86 dogs studied, researchers diagnosed lungworm, which can lead to lung infections and blood-thinning disorders. If untreated, it can be fatal. The project can also identify and tackle congenital disorders such as a missing gallbladder, misaligned teeth or feeding problems at an early stage.

Biobank for future research work

At each check-up, researchers take a number of samples from the dogs participating in the study. In addition to urine, stool and hair, they take swabs of inside the mouth and the skin. If the owner consents, they also take blood each time. All of these samples are stored in a freezer at -80°C. With each new dog and new sample, the content of this biobank – and its scientific value – continues to grow.

Researchers are planning to assess the gut, mouth and skin microbiome regularly in the future. Over the years, they will then be able to track changes in the diversity and composition of these microbial communities. The type and quantity of bacteria, fungi and viruses that are present or absent has a major effect on canine health. Imbalances in the microbiome often indicated illness.

By combining data from the biobank with medical histories, clinical examinations, urine, stool and blood tests and the completed questionnaires, over this long-term study researchers will be able to generate an enormous breadth of knowledge about canine health.

Additional Information

Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine

Growing Dog Project, Clinical infectiology and preventive healthcare, University Animal Hospital, UZH (incl. video of the project in German)