Dogs suffering from an inherited form of night blindness have had their visions restored after treatment with genes from healthy dogs. The research was conducted at Cornell University's James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health in Ithaca, NY.

"We have shown that gene therapy can restore vision in dogs with one of the most clinically severe retinal degenerations," says Acland, a research veterinarian at the Institute. The achievement was reported in the May 2001 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

Previous experiments had used gene therapy to slow degeneration of retinas in mice, but this is believed to be the first cure for retinal degenerative disease in a "large animal." Institute researchers believe the treatment may also offer hope for humans with a similar condition.

Food science students at Kansas State University have created an award-winning new snack that's part kid treat, part dog treat. "BoneHedz," is a nutritious, shelf-stable snack that looks like a scoop of ice cream plopped on a dog biscuit.

The product won the "Most Creative" new food award in the 2001 competition sponsored by Dairy Management Inc. and was showcased at the Institute of Food Technologists Food Expo in New Orleans in June.

The product combines crisp rice and dried fruits, has low sugar content in the confectionary coating and is a dairy source. The "dog bone" handle is molded from whey protein concentrate, a dairy by-product, which is nutritious for humans and dogs. There are plans to develop the product commercially.