Portuguese Water Dog Foundation, Inc.

12/01/2025

Cyber Monday Deal: Better Health for PWDs.
No promo codes. No countdown clock. Just research that saves lives.
🐾 Donate today and make a real impact.
https://www.pwdfoundation.org/donate/donate-options/

11/28/2025

🖤 Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday. As the shopping slows down, let’s give back to what really matters — the health and future of Portuguese Water Dogs. 💙🐾
Every gift makes a difference.

11/27/2025

We’re thankful for your support in our mission to improve the quality of life and health of the Portuguese Water Dogs. May your day be filled with family, friends, and furry companions. Happy Thanksgiving! (Image AI generated for fun!)

11/25/2025

Final report on work to block mosquito transmission of heartwom using a bacteria to influence the mosquitos biological processes. Unfortunately the project was not completed due to difficulty obtaining the needed bacteria species.

SUMMARY: Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating how infection by certain bacteria decreases the ability of mosquitoes to transmit infectious larvae of Dirofilaria immitis, the agent of heartworm disease. THE PROBLEM: Mosquitoes are required fo...

11/23/2025

The PWD Foundation congratulates Dr. Poellmann. We are proud to have Drs. Poellmann and Aicher as our partners in our study to determine the prevalence of Heterobilharzia americana in the PWD. This freshwater parasite can cause serious illness in dogs. PWDs range wide across the U.S. freshwaters.

Sharing a story that tugged at the heartstrings and sparked research that will save the lives of pets, Lea Poellmann delivered the top presentation in Texas A&M University Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) final. Poellmann’s “Mapping the Hidden Threat to Man’s Best Friend: Heterobilharzia americana ...

11/20/2025

Here’s another look at what we’re learning from the Foundation’s PWD Health Survey! This snapshot shows cancer diagnoses reported by owners for more than 3,100 Portuguese Water Dogs — plus a word cloud of the most common “Other” responses.

📅 Don’t forget — the Health Survey closes December 1, 2025! If you haven’t participated yet, there’s still time to add your dog’s story and help shape a healthier future for PWDs.

https://www.pwdfoundation.org/2025-health-survey/

11/18/2025

Science confirms it: dogs love peanut butter — and we love science that helps keep them healthy! 🧬🐶🥜

The reason dogs beg, sit, stay, and shake for peanut butter could be both evolutionarily wired and learned behavior.

11/16/2025

Working on your gift list? Share the joy of life with a PWD by giving the 2026 Nutmeg Portuguese Water Dog monthly calendar. Chock full of award winning photos of PWDs living their best lives. Nutmeg generously donates calendar proceeds to the Foundation to protect the future health of all PWDs.

11/12/2025

Learn more about veterinary clinical trials underway across the country. You can also find a link to the clinical trial registry under Resources on our PWDFoundation.org website.

More than a dozen veterinary clinical studies have been added to the AVMA Veterinary Clinical Trials Registry, formerly the AVMA Animal Health Studies Database.

11/11/2025

November is National Pet Cancer Awareness month and includes National Lymphoma Awareness Day. Make a plan to conduct a 30-second lymph node check on your PWD—gently feel under your dog’s jaw, in front of their shoulders, and behind their back legs for any unusual swelling. Normal lymph nodes are small and barely detectable, while enlarged ones feel like grapes under the skin.

Approximately 1 in 4 dogs will develop cancer at some point during their life, and this risk increases to 1 in 2 for dogs 10 years or older. Learn more in the article linked below.
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Pets today have a better chance of being successfully treated for cancer than ever before, thanks to major advances in early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. Understanding what cancer is—and what signs to look for—can help you act quickly and make informed choices.

11/09/2025

Together, we can give every Portuguese Water Dog the healthy, joyful life they deserve. Please consider making a gift today.

11/06/2025

Canine oncology drug featured in Emmy-nominated documentary | dvm360

dvm360 connects veterinarians to essential medical news, veterinary expertise, and insights on pet care products and regulations.