**Chapter 8 155**

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* 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

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

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

health and care opportunities.

in this area.
