WEBVTT - The Latest Advances in Doggy Science 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:06.439 You're listening to part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:14.040 and iHeartRadio. Guess what, mango? What's that? Will? All right? 0:00:14.080 --> 0:00:19.279 When I say the words cutting edge science and dogs, Okay, 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:21.439 you got those two together, what's the first thing you 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:23.040 think of? Uh? 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:27.840 Maybe that dog from the Jetsons, like like a robot dog. 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.600 I know Donald Trump has those around tomorrow logo now 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:32.960 and those just creepy out. 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.000 Yeah, they add some dystopian nightmare fuel for sure, But 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:39.920 don't worry. Today's episode is about actual dogs, like the cute, 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.040 furry kind good dogs, the ones that we're very big 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.360 fans of. So, for instance, did you know that student 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:48.839 researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a wearable computer that 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:52.320 can help prevent injuries in sled dogs and other dogs 0:00:52.320 --> 0:00:54.320 who do different types of physical activity. 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:57.160 You know, I never really thought of that as a problem, 0:00:57.200 --> 0:00:59.200 but I guess it makes sense. I mean, pulling a 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:00.440 sled is probably hard. 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.040 Work, makes a lot of sense when you think about 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:04.480 athletes and others. The dogs are doing the same kind 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:08.039 of thing, so orthopedic injuries are actually very common, and 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:11.120 dogs that are doing certain types of work like this 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:14.639 and these things can cause permanent damage and forced dogs 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.640 to drop out of these long haul races like the Iditarod. 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.440 Usually mushers have to rely on visual observation to tele 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:24.000 if a dog is starting to suffer. But these days, 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:27.760 commercial canine exercise monitors like the fit bark, which is 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:31.800 a thing, can actually track basic activity, but you don't 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:35.560 get detailed information about gait characteristics. So the folks that 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:38.320 Georgia Tech created a smart harness, and what it does 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:40.959 is it sends this alert to the dog's human when 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:43.839 it detects gate changes, like if the dog is starting 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.559 to favor one side just the tiniest bit, it starts 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:48.920 to detect this and then the musher can give the 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:51.600 puppet break or you know, seek veterinary care. 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:54.640 That is amazing. I also love that they've got like 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.120 a monitor called fit bark. Me too, Me too, I'm 0:01:57.160 --> 0:02:00.600 a fan. Does this new harness have an in I. 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.680 Was hoping you would ask this question, Mango. It's called 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.840 the Wearable Activity and Gate Detection Monitor. Now you might 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:08.000 think that sounds boring, but if you make it the 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:10.560 acronym wagged pretty good. 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:15.760 There is so dog science and dog science puns. I 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:33.560 love this episode already, so let's get to it. 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:42.560 Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:44.680 Will Pearson and as always, I'm here with my good 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:47.520 friend mangesh Hot ticket there and over there, sitting in 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:50.440 a literal pile of puppies. And I thought this was 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:53.520 going to be at Mango, But there's a combination of 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:55.800 work that's been done here from our good friend and 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:58.320 producer Dylan Fagan. You know he likes to knit, right, 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:03.720 he has knitted weds for each one of these nine dogs, 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:07.239 and they say fact number one, Fact number two, Fact 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:09.560 number three. He's named the dogs this, so I think 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.320 what's gonna happen. I'm predicting he's gonna hold up a 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:14.359 different dog each time we hit one of our nine 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.320 facts here. But that is pretty no idea where these 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.919 puppies came from. But if you hear barking in the background, 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:20.880 that's what's going on. 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:25.959 Well, speaking of barking, that's obviously how dogs communicate, right, 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:29.320 So to some extent it's okay or even helpful, like 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:31.679 if your dog barks to alert you to a package 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:33.640 being delivered at the door or something like that. But 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:37.000 obviously with some dogs, like an old office dog, we 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:38.760 had it can get out of control. 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:42.960 It was a nightmare. And my dog now, who is 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:48.320 named Paul, as you know, very creative name. Paul, loses 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:52.440 his mind anytime someone comes within fifty feet of the house. 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.840 And we're we have tried the training. We're obviously really 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:57.880 bad at it. It's quite frustrating, but we. 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:02.480 Still love him too. Can't help it. Well. Ve's actually 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:06.320 called this extra barking nuisance barking. And you might have 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.320 heard about these callers that deliver mild shocks when a 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.800 dog starts barking. But animal welfare experts, as you might 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.320 have guessed, say these are not good for dogs. And 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:18.600 it's not just about the physical discomfort causes. It can 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:22.000 also exacerbate things like anxiety. It can make the dogs 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:25.400 more loud or aggressive over time. Then obviously you want 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.880 to avoid that. So there is a technology that can help. 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:30.520 It's called a calming collar. 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:33.080 A calming collar that actually sounds like something I could 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:34.680 use on long days. I don't know if they make 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:36.880 these for humans yet, but we should look into that. 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:38.520 Yeah, I mean, I feel like we all could. But 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:42.039 the way it works is these callers are infused with 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:47.159 DAP or dog appeasing pheromones. This is a synthetic version 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:49.880 of the pheromone mama dogs give off when they're nursing 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:53.039 puppies early in their life and even in adulthood, dogs 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:56.560 associated with a sense of well being. It is completely 0:04:56.640 --> 0:05:00.080 undetectable to humans, so you or I we wouldn't smell anything, 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:02.120 but your dog will pick up on it right away. 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.880 And studies have shown that DAP can help dogs calm 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.600 down when they're agitated, and it can make them quiet 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:11.359 down as well. Most dogs do respond to it, a 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:14.880 few don't, but since common callers don't have any negative impact, 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:17.800 they really might be worth a try. That's super interesting. 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:19.960 It actually ties in nicely with one of the most 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.960 fascinating facts I've found while I was researching this topic. 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:27.400 So it turns out that dogs can experience quote emotional 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:30.880 contagion from the smell of human stress, which is super 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:32.920 interesting that this can happen. And this is a study 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:36.000 that came out just last year from the University of Bristol. 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.080 So researchers taught a group of pet dogs that a 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:42.520 bowl in one location contained a treat and a bowl 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:45.640 placed in a different spot was empty. So pretty soon 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.520 the dogs would just run straight to the treat location, 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.840 no surprise there. Then the researchers added a bowl in 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:54.599 between the two points, and if a dog went for 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:58.320 the new bowl quickly, that was considered an optimistic choice 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:00.640 and the dog believed that there would be a treat. 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.760 So if the dog hesitated, that was considered a sign 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.800 of pessimism, like the dog was thinking, well, just my luck, 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:08.520 there probably won't be a treat in there, you know 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:09.440 that that sort of thing. 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.440 That's really interesting. So how did they figure out that 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:13.640 human stress affects this behavior? 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:14.080 All? 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:14.320 Right? 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:17.159 So they made the dog owners take a math test 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:21.480 and collected sweat and breath samples while they were doing it. 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:24.839 This sounds like torture. This was considered stressful. I guess 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.440 none of these people were mathematicians or something like that. 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:30.640 Then they had the humans listen to relaxing soundscapes and 0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:34.320 collected samples again, and the dogs exposed to the stress 0:06:34.360 --> 0:06:37.760 sense were slow to approach the unfamiliar bowl, but the 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.600 relaxed sense didn't affect them in the same way like. 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:44.520 The researchers hypothesized that the scent of human stress conferred 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.680 a negative emotional state on the dogs. And they were 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:50.880 trying to avoid the disappointment of confronting an empty treat bowl. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:52.800 Isn't that interesting? That is really not so. I mean, 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.200 a math test is almost the most surprising thing. Yeah, 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.720 but it's great. So if you need to learn how 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:04.840 to relax and manager stress for Paul's sake, well maybe 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:06.719 you and Paul could start going to the gym together 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:10.120 as a stress reliever. That's not gonna happen. But do 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:11.800 you ever run with the Uh? 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:16.560 No, Paul's pretty good at walking, but Paul's Paul's a 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:18.760 pretty chill dog. I don't think he wants to. I 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:20.680 don't think he wants When he runs, he's running much 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:23.160 faster than me. Then that happens in quick spurts. 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:26.840 Got it. So these days dogs aren't just getting exercised 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:29.320 by going for walks and fetching sticks. They're actually doing 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:31.960 strength training. And it turns out the science is pretty 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.680 much the same as it is for humans. Like cardio 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:37.120 is fine, but to stay healthy as we age, we 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:39.680 need to maintain muscle mass. And if you're trying to 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:43.400 rehab an injury, building strength and stability is super important. 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.120 You know, It's funny this gave Dylan an idea, because 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.720 now he's holding up a sign that he's drawn. It's 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:52.120 picture of dogs pumping iron and matching tracksuits. I think 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.119 you gave him some idea. 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:57.520 Station Well, I can't wait for the fully knit tracksuits 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.760 next season. But instead of track suits, you might want 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:03.480 to consider getting your pup a weighted dog vest to 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:06.360 make a romp in the park much more strenuous. So 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:10.080 these buckle onto the dog's back and have pockets that 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.680 owners fill with different weights of different sizes, and you 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:16.600 shouldn't exceed ten to twenty percent of your dog's total weight, 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:19.440 like you want to do less than that, and it's 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:21.720 only safe to do with fully grown adult dogs. But 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:26.080 this almost like mimics the exercise pattern of rucking that 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.680 people are doing today. But some people actually also teach 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.960 their dogs to do weight pulling exercises, and these involve 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:35.200 a long harness that you attached to a heavy object, 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:37.240 like a gallon of water, and you kind of let 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:39.959 the dog drag it around. Or if pilates is more 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:43.320 your dog speed, you can pick up specialized canine resistance 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.720 bands that emphasize proper leg and foot alignment. 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:48.959 God, that's such a funny image there is. 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:52.240 A company called an Emotion that makes these, and the 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:54.760 way it works is the resistant band clips to a 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.559 harness at the dog's shoulders and then it has cuffs 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.160 that slip over the hind feet, so they're hind legs 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:02.679 get a real workout as they walk. These bands are 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.920 actually designed as therapeutic tools for dogs with certain illnesses 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:09.240 and injuries, but they're also helpful for overweight dogs who 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:11.120 just kind of need to get back in shape. 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:13.280 That is amazing, and the fact that these dogs are 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:15.880 doing more sophisticated workouts. 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:17.440 Than we're doing is pretty wild. All right. 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:19.640 Well, if we're talking about weight training, you know, we 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:21.559 have to talk about protein, right, If we're going to 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:24.800 get jackamanga, we got to talk about protein. And you 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:28.280 might think dogs are carnivores, right, like you would assume that, right, 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:32.000 But apparently this is a common misperception. It stems from 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:35.560 the fact that dogs came into our lives as domesticated wolves. 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:39.520 And wolves aren't just carnivores, they're obligate carnivores, and that 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:42.520 means that their bodies are meant to run purely on 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:45.880 animal protein. They can't get what they need from plants. 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:49.760 But dogs are actually different. Their genetics diverged from wolves 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.760 about twenty to forty thousand years ago, so it's not 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:55.960 the same thing. And why did that happen Exactly, It's 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:58.880 all because of us. So when dogs began living in 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.719 close proximity to hear humans, they began eating our leftovers, 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:05.600 and so over time their bodies adapted to a more 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:06.480 diverse diet. 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.120 Today, dogs are really omnivores. 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:12.560 In fact, whole grains, vegetables, and fiber can help balance 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:16.800 their gi systems and avoid those messy poop situations. But 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.520 if your dog wants to get swoll, like I know 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:22.840 your dog probably does, or if he's recovering from illness 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:27.120 or an injury, then yes, science has invented doggie protein 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:30.160 supplements and this is just fantastic. And so they come 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:34.199 in different forms like powders, tablets, treats, and many of 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:36.720 them are made with the same core ingredients you'll find 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.480 than protein powders for humans. This does not mean you 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:42.079 should share your morning protein shake with your dog, though. 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:45.880 Our protein powders are full of flavorings and additives and 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:48.200 this can actually be quite dangerous for dogs. 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:51.560 That's a good tip, So no athletic greens for spots. No, 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:55.080 no athletic greens. I actually thought you were going to say, 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:58.679 like you should give your dog creative right. So this 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:02.559 is a really inspiring story that I love, dogs like humans, 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:05.360 can suffer hearing loss and that can have a serious 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.000 impact on their quality of life. So back in the 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.840 nineteen eighties, an audiologist named Curtis Smith took his dog 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:14.880 to the vet for a checkup, and while he was there, 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:18.160 he asked if the vet ever saw dogs with hearing problems, 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:21.120 just kind of out of professional curiosity, right, And the 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:23.680 vet said yes, but you know, there's nothing you could 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.840 do to treat hearing loss and dogs. So Smith actually 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.240 decides to take this as a challenge, and after a 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:32.960 few tries, he modifies a human hearing aid to fit 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:38.359 dog's ears, and today an Animal Hearing and Bioacoustics Laboratory 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:41.520 at the University of Cincinnati has actually become the center 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:44.960 of canine audiology treatment. Is that amazing? I love that 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:47.080 it is the only place in the world where people 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:50.920 can get certified as animal audiologists and the only clinic 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:54.720 that does complete hearing assessments and hearing aid fittings for dogs. 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:56.720 You know, one of the things I love most about 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:59.319 the research that the team does and that we do 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:02.840 as we think about these episodes, is you find these 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:06.240 universities and colleges and places just all around the country, 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:09.920 and it feels like each one has its own super 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:12.760 unique specialty, Like I wouldn't have ever thought about a 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:16.520 premier place for this specialty to exist, But University of Cincinnati. 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:17.240 That's pretty cool. 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:20.840 And are they still using modified human hearing aids? Yeah, 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.360 for now they are, which means they're actually pretty pricey. 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:26.120 They can cost as much as three thousand dollars and 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:29.200 it is not an overnight fix. You kind of need 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:32.480 these tests to check your dog's cock clear function because 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.679 dogs have to have a certain level of remaining hearing 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:37.720 in order to be able to use these hearing aids. 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:40.360 But if your dog is a good candidate, the next 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:43.760 step is making molds of their ears, and finally you 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.320 have to get the aids custom fitted and tuned, and 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:47.800 from there it could take a while for your dog 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:51.079 to adjust. But you know, the team in Cincinnati is 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.440 working on developing a more affordable hearing aid designed specifically 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:57.480 for dogs, and if all of this goes well, that'll 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:00.800 make canine hearing loss treatment, A lot more are accessible. 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:03.640 Aren't you curious what this doggy hearing lab is called? 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.680 Oh? I wasn't thinking about that, but yes, I want 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:06.840 to know. 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.319 Now what is it called. It is called the Facility 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:14.800 for Education and Testing of Canine Hearing and Laboratory for 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:16.480 Animal Bioacoustics. 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:18.839 I was trying to keep up with that latch last 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:20.559 fetch las Okay, I knew. 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:22.280 It had to be an acronym. That's pretty great. 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:26.520 Well, wordplay is clearly an important part of dog science here. 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:29.160 But you know, hearing aids for dogs are. 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:32.040 Cool, But you know what else is cool? Mango lasers. 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:35.520 Lasers are also cool. And laser therapy isn't an emerging 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:40.360 treatment for several common canine conditions, including joint paint, ligament strains, 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:44.120 wound healing, even things like skin lesions that are caused 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.840 by repetitive licking, which I think we've all had dogs 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.920 that were guilty of that, and it's not super common 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:53.520 and more studies are needed, but there's been some promising 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:56.280 research that's showing that it can reduce pain and dogs 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:00.920 with arthritis, and unlike oral medications or inject it's an 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:02.320 easy treatment to give. 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:05.040 The dog just has to lie there while it gets zapped. 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:07.559 So it's a super easy way to try to treat. 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:08.880 This and it's not painful. 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:12.040 This is a low level or cold laser therapy as 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.480 they call it, meaning it's not high powered kind of 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:18.920 laser treatment that can destroy tissue. However, any type of 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:22.320 laser treatment can damage vision if you're not careful with this. 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:25.640 So if you look up pictures of dogs getting laser therapy, 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.240 which I urge you to do this, you'll see that 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:32.080 they're all wearing goggles or sunglasses, which is pretty terrific 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:34.160 and adorable at the same time. 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:38.200 Yeah, I feel like extra cute medical treatments make it 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:41.560 easier to send your dog to medical treatments. That's right. 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:44.120 So how does all of this actually help them? 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:47.000 Well, it's kind of complicated, but the short version of 0:14:47.040 --> 0:14:49.720 it is it's believed that the healing effects of the 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:54.320 laser happen because it causes lymphatic vessels to expand, which 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:58.440 helps reduce tissue swelling. It also decreases the release of 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:02.320 chemicals that cause inflamma and increases blood flow to the 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:05.600 lasered area, which can promote the healing. Now, it usually 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:08.640 takes multiple treatments to have an effect, but for dogs, 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:10.960 each session can be as short as you like, fifteen 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:11.560 minutes or so. 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:15.160 That's really interesting. So I see Dylan is holding up 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:17.880 a puppy with fact number eight on it. But Dylan, 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:19.360 you're gonna have to keep holding that because we've got 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:21.440 an ad break. We've got to take move back right 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:38.640 after this message, Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:43.160 we're counting down nine facts about modern dog science. You know, well, 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:46.080 before we talk about this, I did want to say 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:49.480 I found an article today and this isn't modern dog science, 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:52.960 but it's amazing how much research is out there about dogs. 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:56.800 And one of the papers that I guess came out 0:15:56.920 --> 0:16:01.440 somewhat recently is about a list of medieval English dog names. 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:06.480 That's pretty great. It's amazing. It's everything from Charlemage the 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:12.840 dog to find well Plotter, Achilles, Geester, best of all 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:16.640 with B Steve because it's felled in older English. Pretty boy, 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.520 there's all one word with a pr e t I 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:23.840 boy and have good day was Apparently Kelly Paul is 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:29.120 not on that list, unfortunately. That's pretty great. So I 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:31.760 am amazed at how much research is going into keeping 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:35.520 dogs healthy and treating their illnesses. You know, I feel 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:37.920 like we grew up as dog lovers, but it's amazing 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:41.040 how people have become even more obsessive over time and 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:42.720 then really treat dogs like family. 0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:45.320 I think it just speaks to the importance of dogs 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:47.800 in our life, how they become like family members. I mean, 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:50.520 as you know, our daughter's off at college and when 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.000 she calls to check in, the first thing she wants 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.800 to do is get on FaceTime with Paul. Of course, 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:58.240 Paul has no idea what's going on. I mean, hears 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:00.160 her voice and everything, and then when she gets home, 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:01.080 she can't wait. 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:02.320 To see Paul first. 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:04.840 But it's it really is amazing, like they do become, 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:06.080 as you said, part of the family. 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:08.760 That's incredible. So, you know, one of the hardest things 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:12.040 about having a dog or any pet really is knowing 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:15.440 that they'll eventually pass away. And I found this amazing 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:18.600 New York Times article about dog longevity, and there's a 0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:21.080 quote from a dog owner that, you know, just feels 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:24.280 pretty poignant. She said, when you adopt a dog, you're 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:28.479 adopting future heartbreak. But there is a new drug that 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.120 may be able to extend dogs lives now. Of course, 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:34.199 you can't make your dog immortal, and this isn't a 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:37.240 product that's on the market yet, but it is being 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:40.720 developed by a biotech company called Loyal and it's still 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:43.920 in the clinical study phase, but Loyle says they've completed 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:47.399 pre clinical trials and a pilot study and they expect 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:51.200 to get FDA conditional approval later this year. The drug 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:53.640 is so new it doesn't even have a real name yet. 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:57.000 It's just known by the identifier lois res or two. 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:01.439 It's a daily pill for senior dogs and according to Loyle, 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:06.120 it targets metabolic processes that break down over time, and 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:08.879 this kind of metabolic dysfunction can drive a lot of 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:12.399 the ailments we associate with aging, things like coronary artery 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:17.280 disease or arthritis, or you know, even cancer or cognitive decline. 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.760 Yeah, I mean, all pretty complicated stuff. 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.879 Yeah it is, but the effects of metabolic aging are 0:18:22.920 --> 0:18:26.119 pretty familiar now. Aging dogs tend to lose muscle and 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:31.080 gain fat, especially around their organs. They can develop insulin resistance, 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:34.560 which is less likely to lead to doggy diabetes than 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.879 in humans, but it still has negative health effects, And 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.680 of course you can alleviate some of this by making 0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:43.400 sure your dog eats healthy and gets plenty of exercise. 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:47.560 But Loyal's drug actually inhibits a growth hormone. It's called 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:52.160 igf one, and this hormone is linked to aging, and 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:55.440 by reducing the impact of that hormone, loyl actually says 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:58.160 that you can slow down the progression of metabolic dysfunction. 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:01.399 Apparently levels of this hormone by size, so Loyal is 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.679 working on different versions of the drug for very large dogs. 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.359 Well, you mentioned large dogs, and we've always heard that 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.560 large dogs don't live as long as small dogs, and 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:13.000 I feel like we've just seen that anecdotally. 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:16.919 But is this related to that, Yeah, exactly. So larger 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:20.080 breeds tend to have very high levels of IGF one, 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:23.719 up to twenty eight times higher than small dogs. But 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:27.200 on average, a really big dog like a Great Dane, 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:30.280 only lives about seven or ten years, but a tiny 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.560 Chihuahua lives fourteen to sixteen years on average, And so 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:37.000 Loyal says it's drug could increase dogs' lifespans by at 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:40.639 least a year, and more importantly, it prolongs healthy life, 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:42.800 so you don't just get more time with your dog. 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.280 Your dog gets more quality time and good health. 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:48.080 That is amazing, and you have to wonder, like if 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:51.240 there are implications for human health here too. You know, 0:19:51.240 --> 0:19:53.240 it's a perfect lead than to our final fact of 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:55.840 the day. Hold it up, Dylan, all right, last back 0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:59.840 number nine. A roomatology professor at Yale School of Medicine 0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:03.720 has developed a cancer vaccine for dogs. His name is 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:08.000 doctor Mark Mamula, and he spent years studying autoimmune diseases 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:12.200 like lupus, where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, 0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:16.439 and eventually he shifted this expertise into cancer research, and 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:18.960 there's been a ton of interest in Immunotherapy is a 0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:22.000 cancer treatment, as you well know, and the idea is 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:25.199 that certain drugs can stimulate the immune system to attack 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:26.400 these cancer cells. 0:20:26.880 --> 0:20:29.320 Yeah, I've definitely heard about that and it's fascinating. But 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:31.720 how do dogs get involved in all of this? 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:36.679 So in twenty fifteen, Mamula met a veterinary oncologist named 0:20:36.720 --> 0:20:39.760 Gary Post at a party and they start talking about 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:41.639 cancer and animals. You know, when you're a party and 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:44.000 you want to talk about uplifting things like cancer and animals. 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:46.960 But apparently one in four dogs will get cancer at 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:50.000 some point in their lives. So Mamula had a first 0:20:50.040 --> 0:20:53.440 hand experience of this his own dog had tragically died 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:57.200 from cancer, and in their conversation, he and Post realize 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:00.679