Tag Archives: DNA

What do Blood Tests Tell Your Veterinarian?

Vials full of blood

Veterinarians at The Animal Medical Center must say “Let’s send some blood to the lab” about 100 times a day. But what are we looking for in all those tubes of blood with the colorful stoppers? CBC = Complete Blood Count Your dog’s or cat’s blood contains at least four types of white blood cells,

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ABC’s of Feline DNA

Nearly everything about us and our cats is determined by a molecule called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Due to the wonders of molecular genetics, DNA has been harnessed as a method of diagnosing diseases in our feline companions. Because members of a breed are closely related, genetically based diseases are often first identified in a family

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Everything Old is New Again: Plague and Leprosy

An armadillo

Last week there were two very interesting stories in the news about the intersection between people and animals. Both reported on diseases we rarely hear about anymore: plague and leprosy. Leprosy is the older disease and has been reported since Biblical times. The first reported epidemic of plague occurred somewhat later, in the 6th or

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