animal health

In an anonymous online survey of dog owners in Denmark, 38% of respondents said they administered cannabinoid products - such as cannabidiol drops - to their pets without a prescription, even though their use is not legal in animals. Reasons given included pain, behavioural problems and allergies in their dogs. Some 2,000 people responded to the survey, the results of which are published in the journal PLoS ONE.

The vast majority of mammals remain fertile until the end of their lives. Humans and some species of whales deviate from that norm and do go through menopause. Now, research published in Science reveals that menopause exists in female chimpanzees, too, and that it lasts for a fifth of their adult lifespan. To reach these conclusions, the research team observed 185 female chimpanzees between 1995 and 2016 in Uganda's Kibale National Park and measured hormone levels in urine samples from specimens of various ages.

A review examines the role of domestic and semi-domestic animals, such as cats, in the emergence of potential zoonoses due to their close contact with humans. The paper, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, concludes that companion animal health risks will become increasingly problematic with climate change and rapid urbanisation.

Since the first case of epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) in Spain was detected in cattle in November 2022, it has spread among farms in several autonomous communities in dozens of outbreaks. The mosquito-borne disease does not affect humans, but has the potential to cause economic losses.

The EMA's annual European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) report shows that sales of antibiotics for animal use have decreased by 47% between 2011 and 2021. In addition, sales of antibiotics considered "critically important" for use in humans have also decreased.