Animals get cancer and living in the same environment as us human, we can learn a lot from them. In the last 20 years, dogs and cats have become a member of the family and the field of veterinary oncology has made a huge jump in this time and we can now offer the same treatment as humans. In this seminar, we will explore cancer in animals and what we can learn from them as well as how we stage the cancer and give an overview of the therapies that are available for our furry patients.

Why dogs bite is a complex issue yet the solution is often portrayed as being very simple. Behaviour is influenced by a very elegant interplay of genetic predisposition, learning from previous experiences and the environment in which the animal lives. All of these factors need to considered together but yet rarely are. The dog (or breed of the dog) is often blamed for the dog bite but it is not that straightforward.

Dog ownership provides so many benefits to humans, particularly children. And pet ownership is continually on the rise world-wide, especially since COVID-19 made us more available to accommodate a new pet. Yet with all good things in life, there are risks. Children in particular are most at risk of being injured by a dog and their injuries are more severe when compared to adults. The media provides biased accounts of a ‘savage’ attack, often directly or indirectly blaming the dog’s breed, and stating how it was seemingly ‘unprovoked’. Sadly, the real reason WHY is completely misunderstood. Only by correctly understanding the true ‘why’ can we prevent future similar disasters. But there’s another possibly greater benefit of understanding why. There is immense potential for enhancing the very rewarding human-animal bond which is the underlying reason that humans and dogs live together in the first place. It’s not only our children who will thank us but the dogs!