Can Dogs Detect Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Deer?

Dogs have been used in wildlife conservation efforts for years and they may soon be able to help with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). A proof-of-concept study conducted by Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center has shown that dogs can differentiate feces of CWD-positive white-tailed deer from those that are negative. Members of the Wildlife Futures Program’s Conservation K9 Team are currently field testing this research and assessing the dog’s detection success rates. Work is in progress to evaluate the abilities of the dogs in the field, and they are not currently being used in any management decisions regarding CWD. But with more research and proven field tests, they could become a useful tool in the fight against CWD!

Launched in 2019, the Wildlife Futures Program is a novel partnership between the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission aimed at strengthening the resilience of the Commonwealth's 480 species of birds and mammals. The Wildlife Futures Program is committed to discovering innovative and proactive solutions to a variety of complex wildlife health challenges. You can find out more by visiting the Wildlife Futures Program website: https://www.vet.upenn.edu/wildlife-fu...