Preface

Canine Genetics, Health and Medicine combines clinical and basic scientific research to present work being undertaken in fields including cardiovascular health, genetics, infectious and parasitic studies, and oncology. With nearly 1 billion dogs co-existing with us in the world, some living as companion animals and others free-roaming, understanding their needs and health is essential. Technology, research, and the availability and development of resources are expanding both what we know and what we understand about our canine friends. Therefore, we can push boundaries in clinical diagnosis and surgical methods, develop more pharmaceutical and surgical interventions, and better understand anatomy, physiology, pathology, and genetics. This enhanced information and innovation, alongside many other factors, enhance our diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options and also expands our preventative medicine and general health and care opportunities.

The first section of this book is titled 'Cardiovascular Disease and Genetics.' Chapter 1 'Canine Genetics and Genomics' gives a general overview of how and why genetics is used in canine health, the advances being made, techniques being employed, and where the future lies for this field. It also explores areas in which genetics has an impact, ranging from hair color and breeding characteristics to heart disease and cancer. With increasing numbers of genetic tests becoming available commercially, both owners and veterinary professionals are often interested in not just genetic disorders but also in the vast array of information the canine genome holds such as breeding lines and phenotypic attributes and even delving into ancestry. This chapter introduces a wide range of uses for genetics, explains the background behind many of the techniques presently used, and looks at future directions of canine genomics. Chapter 2 'Diagnosis, Prognosis, Management, Treatment, Research and Advances in Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy' shows an example of how genetic investigations have benefitted cardiovascular research. It highlights the latest advances in canine cardiomyopathy from pharmaceutical treatments to surgical procedures and healthy living advice. The chapter gives an overview of canine cardiomyopathy and discusses all the different techniques and standards presently used for diagnosis and prognosis, and the different treatment and management options available. It then continues with an in-depth look at the genetics of cardiomyopathy and its associations with other conditions. Finally, the chapter compares the genetic knowledge related to human cardiomyopathy with the information presently discovered in dogs and looks towards the future of both cardiomyopathy and advancements in technology in this area.

The second section, 'One Health,' concentrates on parasitic and yeast infections in canines Chapter 3 'The State of Knowledge on Intestinal Helminths in Free-Roaming Dogs in Southern South America', looks at the latest research undertaken on helminths. It covers issues such as the differences between urban and rural dogs, and how zoonotic diseases pose risks beyond the species of interest, and therefore

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**Chapter 7 141**

**Chapter 8 155**

Canine Detection of the Volatile Organic Compounds Related to Cervical

*by Miriam Rodríguez-Esquivel, José Alejandro Sánchez-Pérez, Héctor Guerrero-Flores, Emmanuel Salcedo, Teresa Apresa-García, Ricardo López-Romero, Alejandra Valdivia-Flores, Florinda Jiménez-Vega,* 

Canine Hepatic Carcinoma: Diagnoses and Treatments Via Global State-of-the-Art Approach and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine *by Chih-Feng Chen, Shao-Wen Chiu, Lung-Kwang Pan and Chao-Hsun Chuang*

*Rodrigo Aldariz and Mauricio Salcedo*

Cancer Cells

also addresses some One Health issues. This chapter also covers important economic issues faced by people worldwide in relation to the effects of parasitic infections on canine health and medicine. Chapter 4 'Incrimination of Dog Vector of Cystic Echinococcosis and Impact of the Appropriate Dogs' Treatment', also investigates parasitic diseases from a One Health approach, concentrating on the latest knowledge on hydatidosis. This disease is not only an issue for dogs but is also a serious public health problem that can cause human morbidity and mortality as well as socio-economic impacts such as economic burden on the global livestock industry, therefore also affecting food security. Chapter 5 'Importance of Yeasts in Oral Canine Mucosa' covers areas such as the ecology and sources of yeast infection, how extrinsic and intrinsic changes in microorganisms can have serious implications for other diseases and disorders, and why oral health is important. Veterinary professionals are constantly seeking new ways to improve overall canine health and reduce disease and dentistry care provides an ideal opportunity to accomplish this. The chapter also goes into detail about several microorganisms, testing and identification methods, and treatment options.

The third section 'Oncology' begins with Chapter 6 'Small Animals Gut Microbiome and Its Relationship with Cancer,' which discusses the canine gut microbiome and its relationship with cancer. The chapter also explores the role of dogs as a model for studying humans. With 4 million new cancer cases a year, and an incidence rate similar to that in humans, oncology is an essential area of research. Chapter 7 'Canine Detection of the Volatile Organic Compounds Related to Cervical Cancer Cells' asks not what you can do for your dog but what your dog can do for you. Cervical cancer is a fundamental cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide with rates in humans greater than 20 per 100,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted that HPV vaccination, screening programs, and appropriate treatment services are required, and thus the focus of this chapter is on screening. It investigates the possibility of using dogs to recognise different volatile biomarkers emitted by cancer cells as a new diagnostic test that is low-risk, rapid, and non-invasive. Dogs have long been involved in diagnostic techniques, in addition to a vast number of other working roles, and this chapter explores their use not only in cervical cancer, but also in long-established diseases through to their latest employment in COVID-19 detection. Chapter 8 'Canine Hepatic Carcinoma: Diagnoses and Treatments Via Global State-of-the-Art Approach and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine' looks at more modern medicine in addition to alternative medicines. The challenge with many alternative medicines is the lack of clinical trials and scientific testing. This chapter acknowledges these issues and brings together some of the research to date around hepatic carcinoma treatment in dogs. The chapter outlines the present diagnostic and treatment methods used for hepatic carcinoma and touches on the use of Chinese medicines, their use today, and their potential for tomorrow.

The common themes running throughout this book are gathering knowledge to help understand canine medicine and health, the subsequent impacts on human health and disease, and advances in technology and knowledge. Medicine has always been a constantly evolving field, yet we are also always working within differing socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the world. Research is constantly required to enhance diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes, to protect public health, economics, and food security, and most importantly to enhance animal welfare.

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The editor would like to thank the authors, who are from several countries worldwide, for writing their chapters and sharing their expertise. She would also like to thank the team at IntechOpen, especially Karmen Daleta, Dolores Kuzelj, Mateo Pulko, Lucija Tomicic-Dromgool, Andrea Koric, and everyone else who

**Catrin Rutland**

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

School of Veterinary Medicine and Science,

works so hard to create these open-access books and resources.

The editor would like to thank the authors, who are from several countries worldwide, for writing their chapters and sharing their expertise. She would also like to thank the team at IntechOpen, especially Karmen Daleta, Dolores Kuzelj, Mateo Pulko, Lucija Tomicic-Dromgool, Andrea Koric, and everyone else who works so hard to create these open-access books and resources.
