Pets,food and your wallet.

Keeping pet trim is good for pet's health and owners' money. Feeding pets indiscriminately with food high in sugar, fat and certain additives not only puts the pets at risk but also the owner will have to pay more for veterinary services to keep pet healthy and if there is no insurance cover ,more funds will have to go to pet care. Pets usually are over pampered by owners while other pets device means of snacking leading to weight gain and associated health issues. Keezley, a 5-year-old Samoyed dog, is always searching for food in her house - stealing loaves of bread off counters and even getting into her cat sibling's litter box.bKeezley's habits have added 20 pounds to her 50-pound frame, and serious weight to owner Susi Sweeny's wallet. Even just 10 pounds overweight would have put Keezley at risk for joint issues and diabetes, which are costly to treat because they require frequent vet visits, medications, special diets and exercise regimes. Treatment for diabetes averaged $1,000 per claim in 2015, according to Adam Dell, spokesperson for Nationwide pet insurance.continue

Puppy survives after swallowing 8-inch kitchen knife.

Puppy survives after swallowing 8-inch kitchen knife.Veterinarians are calling a 12-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Macie “extremely lucky” after she survived swallowing an eight-inch kitchen knife. Owner Irene Paisley said she thought Macie had swallowed part of a toy when she heard the dog squeaking and making strange noises late December. Still on edge after losing her previous dog two months earlier to cancer, Paisley said she was “terrified.” It was only after taking her to the emergency room that the X-rays revealed the true obstruction. The knife had passed through Macie to the point where the handle had entered her intestines.continue

Rabies viruses reveal wiring in transparent brains.

Rabies viruses reveal wiring in transparent brains.Researchers use a new method for assessing neural transplant integration .Scientists have harnessed rabies viruses for assessing the connectivity of nerve cell transplants. The virus coupled with a green fluorescent protein, show where replacement cells engrafted into mouse brains have connected to the host neural network. A clearing procedure which turns the brain into a 'glass-like state' and light sheet fluorescence microscopy are used to visualize host-graft connections in a whole-brain preparation are used to visualize host-graft connections in a whole-brain preparation. The approach opens exciting prospects for predicting and optimizing the ability of neural transplants to functionally integrate into a host nervous system. The results published in the specialist journal Nature Communications.

Researchers use weather radar to track migrating waterfowl, avian influenza.

Researchers use weather radar to track migrating waterfowl, avian influenza.Researchers are part of an effort that will use weather radar to identify wetland hotspots used by waterfowl during the winter, which in turn can alert poultry growers about the potential risk of avian influenza. The lab involved in the study is one of the only labs anywhere using weather radar data to map bird distributions at the ground level.The researchers are able to identify the birds' location based on their well synchronized take-off movements. In the case of waterfowl, they engage in feeding flights in the winter. They'll roost in the wetlands during the day and they fly out to agricultural fields -- primarily flooded rice fields in California -- at night. When they take off and fly into the radar, we get an instant snapshot of where they were on the ground.continue

5 Dogs Die After Ingesting Skin Cancer Cream.

5 Dogs Die After Ingesting Skin Cancer Cream. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cautioning pet owners to keep fluorouracil,a cream used to treat and prevent skin cancer that is sold under the brand names Carac, Efudex, and Fluoroplex—away from pets after five dogs died after accidentally eating the medication. Fluorouracil destroys fast-growing cells, including skin cancer cells and pre-cancerous lesions. Pet owners should keep the cream away from pets and when accidental exposure occurs, visit your vet immediately.The risk of exposure in cats have not be classified,but caution is key. Keep all drugs,lotion and creams away from pets. continue

How to watch inauguration events, with or without TV.

The lack of a TV set shouldn't prevent you from following Friday's presidential inauguration ceremony, the pomp and circumstance surrounding it, and the many protests and marches planned around the country. Television channels carrying the inauguration live include ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, C-SPAN and Fox News, as well as Telemundo in Spanish. Without a TV, you can check their websites, apps or YouTube channels to watch the events and commentary. Switch among them to compare and contrast coverage. continue

Head pressing in pets.

Head pressing in pets is the compulsive pushing of the top of the head against a stationary object such as a wall, couch, a corner or another hard surface. The pet presses her head very intently against the object for an extended period of time, or repeatedly. A pet who is head pressing will often push continuously, moving along the item against which she’s pressing until she reaches a corner and gets “stuck” there with her head pressed against it. A pet exhibiting this sign shows a problem with the pet’s brain or central nervous system. There are a number of causes of head pressing, they include:1) brain tumor. 2)encephalitis 3)acute head trauma 4)stroke 5)toxicosis. Head pressing is quite different from the playful head butting of dogs and cats where they butt into you playfully or just kidding around with other pets. Head pressing is quite distinct as the pets presses the top of the head against an object this is usually accompanied by vocalization , pacing and running around aimlessly. The underlying cause will set the tone for treatment,whatever the cause its a medical emergency that needs to be accessed immediately.