I just read a great paper by a sociologist about gender shifts in Veterinary Medicine. It's no secret that our profession is becoming dominated by women. There have been more women students than men since 1984, more women graduates than men since 1988, and as of 2009 there are equal numbers of practitioners. 

The question is why?

Is there really a difference between human medicine and veterinary medicine? Except for the species involved it's really the same medicine and as the health of animals and humans become increasingly intertwined, the lines blur even more. That's the idea behind the One Health philosophy at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

"The concept has been around for a long time. There is no dividing line between human and veterinary medicine. It should be viewed as one medicine, one health" says Deborah Kochevar, Dean of The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

What causes separation anxiety in dogs ? Is it some traumatic event early in life ? Is it the result of poor socialization? Could it be due to being left at a shelter ? Could it simply be due to aberrant brain chemistry? How about genetics affecting brain chemistry? 

I don't think anyone really knows for sure. In all likelihood it could be a combination of genetic alterations in brain chemistry and some form of learned behavior. Not all poorly socialized dogs or dogs with early life trauma develop separation anxiety. Not even close. That leads credence to the presence of some underlying brain problem. 

An interesting new paper on the subject does seem to provide some new clues.

Whether you love'em or hate'em, you've got to admire the Coyote. This very close relative of the domestic dog is the ultimate survivor and one of the most successful critters on the face of the earth.

There's a great article on the NYTimes web site this week dealing with Canis latrans and it is full of new and interesting information. I thought I knew most everything about Coyotes, but I never knew that the Eastern variety had interbred with Timber Wolves on its way east. Apparently, this is why this variety is larger than his Western cousin and has much greater variation in coat color.