This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Chad Reese, Assistant Brand Manager for Veterinary Diets with Nestle Purina PetCare Company.  Mr. Reese outlines several therapeutic diets from Purina available exclusively through your veterinarian, including diets for joint mobility, allergies and gastrointestinal issues.  Mr. Reese also discusses some of the science behind the diets, and talks about the different research facilities.

This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr. Cynthia O’Connor.  Dr. O’Connor is currently pursuing advanced specialty training in the area of veterinary medical genetics, pediatrics, and reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. 

In this podcast, Dr. O’Connor discusses the importance of knowing what is “normal” in parturition and whelping as well as recognizing the signs of a female in whelp and determining the whelping date.

This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr. N. Sydney Moise, a certified veterinary cardiologist and professor of medicine at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Moise's research interests include cardiac arrhythmias and mitral valve disease.  In this podcast, Dr. Moise discusses the symptoms of heart disease, what cardiac tests should be performed and the treatments available for cardiac disease.

This week we welcome Dr. Vicki Meyers-Wallen, a certified theriogenologist at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  Recorded at the recent Breeders’ Symposium hosted by Cornell University’s Baker Institute for Animal Health, Dr. Meyers-Wallen discusses the finer points of choosing a sire and dam as well as timing the breeding, various insemination techniques and signs of labor and distress.

Vicki Meyers-Wallen received both her V.M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and is board certified in Theriogenology (veterinary reproduction, American College of Theriogenologists). She received clinical residency training in Genetics, Reproduction and Pediatrics in the Section of Medical Genetics at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, then had a dual faculty appointment there in the Sections of Medical Genetics and Reproduction until 1989.  She then became a faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, where she created and was Chief of the Small Animal Fertility and Infertility Service (SAFIS). That service provided fertility evaluations, breeding services, urological services and genetic counseling for purebred dogs and cats. In 2003 she left clinical service to devote more time to her research program. She is presently an Associate Professor in Genetics and Reproduction at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, and is an active member of the University Faculty Senate.

This week on Genome Barks we welcome Dr. David Brewer, a resident in neurology at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Brewer discusses the various genetic tests that are available for neurologic diseases, and explains epilepsy - what it is, how it gets diagnosed and what treatment options are available.

This week on Genome Barks we welcome Dr. Gail Czarnecki-Mauldin, Senior Research Nutritionist with Nestle Purina.  Dr. Czarnecki-Mauldin received her PhD in Nutrition from the University of Illinois.  She discusses the use of probiotics in dogs, including explaining the difference between beneficial and harmful bacteria, differences among microflora, and indications for the use of probiotics.

This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr. David Vail of University of Wisconsin, Madison.  A certified veterinary oncologist, Dr. Vail's research focuses on novel cancer therapeutics.  In this podcast, Dr. Vail discusses various forms of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy delivery, as well as the translational nature of the research he performs, and its effectiveness in helping both dogs and humans live longer, healthier lives.

This week on the Genome Barks Podcast series, we welcome Mike Allway, the Manager of Breeder Enthusiast Services for the Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, based in St. Louis, Missouri.  Mike discusses the Purina Parent Club Partnership (PPCP) Program, which is an alliance between Purina, approved national breed clubs, or Parent Clubs, and the Canine Health Foundation.  The PPCP program was established to promote canine health and well-being, and since its inception in 2002, has raised more than $3.0 million in support of health research, education and rescue.

This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Ann Viklund, Director of Marketing for the Breeder Enthusiast Group of Nestle Purina PetCare Company.  Ann explains Purina's Pro Club program and how it can save you money, help your puppy buyers, provide access to informational resources, support your Parent Club and support canine health research for your breed through the Canine Health Foundation.