Marbach Road Animal Hospital

Homemade diets among veterinarians' pet peeves Homemade diets among veterinarians' pet peeves (Pixabay) Letting pets graze all day, allowing them to share bowls and feeding them homemade diets, frequent treats or table scraps are among the most problematic mistakes pet owners make when it comes to feeding pets, veterinarians say. These and other common practices can lead to obesity or malnutrition, and veterinarian Ann Eliopulos also cautions against giving dogs cooked bones, which can splinter and perforate the gastrointestinal tract.

Doggie DNA tests are fun, but experts warn of downsides
Many people who have adopted a dog turn to DNA test kits to discover what breeds their dog comprises and to at least partially explain behavior, but experts warn against making veterinary care decisions based on the results. Moreover, tests that show certain breeds thought to be dangerous could result in discrimination, regardless of whether the tests are accurate, says veterinarian Lisa Moses, a researcher at Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.

Experts say think twice about bringing pets aboard planes

Animal health experts say air travel is stressful for pets and urge people to think twice before taking their pet along when their travel plans include an airplane. "If you suspect that your pet will be uncomfortable while flying, have a trusted friend or family member look after them instead or choose a pet boarding facility that suits your pet's needs and personality," said Aimee Gilbreath, executive director at Michelson Found Animals.

Canine distemper -- an easily preventable, awful disease

The incidence of canine distemper in the San Antonio area appears to be rising because people are not getting their dogs vaccinated, says Lisa Norwood, the public information officer for the Texas city's Animal Care Services. "What we can do as pet owners to alleviate contagious viruses like distemper or parvo is to get our pets vaccinated," Norwood said. "Shots are cheap and easy to get, so there is no excuse for people [not] to provide that for their pets."

People aren't born with ability to read dogs' faces
Children generally can't identify emotions in dogs' facial expressions, but they did recognize responses like anger and happiness in dogs better than in chimpanzees' faces, regardless of their exposure to dogs or a dog-positive culture, while adults who grew up in or have been exposed to a dog-positive culture are better at interpreting dogs' facial expressions than other adults. Future research on how people learn to read dogs' expressions could be used to reduce negative interactions between people and dogs, says researcher Juliane Brauer.

What do great white sharks fear?

Great white sharks abandon a prime feeding area around California's Southeast Farallon Island for the entire season when orcas swim nearby, even if the orcas don't stay in the area, resulting in a four- to sevenfold drop in the number of elephant seal deaths related to great white depredation, according to a study that combined shark-tagging data with a nearly 30-year survey of wildlife abundance. Sharks left the area and did not return for nearly a year even when orcas had simply passed through or were beyond the sharks' sight or hearing ranges, researchers said.

Zoonotic diseases may threaten snow leopards

Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira and Toxoplasma gondii are present in endangered wild snow leopards and may threaten not only the wild cats but also humans and other animals near the leopards' habitats, researchers reported in Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. "Raising awareness in local communities about the possibility of illness in their animals and themselves could lead to improvements to herd health, boosting their productivity and income," study leader Carol Esson said.

There is No Such Thing as an Alpha Wolf
Many of us believe that a group of wolves are lead by the top male who’s known as an alpha wolf. But that’s not the case. io9 confirms that while there are a lead male and female in each group, there is no alpha male as we’ve come to know it. According to the Canadian Journal of Zoology, a wolf pack operates more like a family, “with the adult parents guiding the activities of the group in a division-of-labor system.”Splitting up their responsibilities—just like your family might split up chores and errands—sees the females take over the pup care and defense while the males forage for food and lead the pack in its travels.

Pumas, Panthers, Cougars, and Mountain Lions Are All the Same Animal
Despite having different names, pumas, panthers, cougars, and mountain lions are all the same animal. The various monikers merely exist because people in different parts of the world gave these cats different names. The creature is also known as the Katalgar in Cree and Ko-Icto in the Chickasaw language. Early Americans commonly called them catamounts or carcajou.

An extinct bird species has evolved back into existence, study says
A previously extinct species of bird has re-evolved back into existence, according to a new study. The Aldabra rail first went extinct around 136,000 years ago. Now, it's reclaimed its home island.

Raccoons taking up residence in cities, driven by a taste for pizza
Raccoons are highly intelligent, dexterous and have a taste for human foods, and their populations are exploding in cities across North America, where they damage homes and spread parasites and rabies. Toronto spent $31 million in 2016 to reduce the raccoon population, but the population has rebounded.

Technology is no match for dolphins, sea lions
The US Navy has been training bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions since the Vietnam War to patrol harbors and restricted waters to detect mines and find lost military equipment. The Navy began phasing out the Marine Mammal Program in 2012, aiming to replace the animals with robots by 2017, "but for now technology is no match for the animals," according to the program's website.

Emperor penguin colony on the verge of collapsing Nearly every emperor penguin chick in the Halley Bay colony drowned three winters in a row, and the colony -- once the world's second largest -- is in danger of collapsing, researchers report in Antarctic Science. Unusually stormy weather in Antarctica destroyed the colony's sea-ice platform and pitched the babies into the sea, and in 2018 the colony was down to about 2% of the original population, though some birds appear to have relocated.

Researchers discover ancient giant lion in Kenya.

Threatened wildlife find solace beside LAX

The 302 beachside acres that once held the community of Surfridge are now a nature preserve that is home to 900 species of animals and plants, including threatened, endangered and elusive species such as burrowing owls, El Segundo blue butterflies, California gnatcatchers, Blainville's horned lizards and legless lizards. Volunteers clear invasive plants from the land, which is adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, and scientists are considering introducing other endangered species. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/17)

Researchers discover ancient giant 'lion' in Kenya

Manatees found dead in Everglades National Park

Innovative care allows badly burned bobcat to return to the wild
A severely burned, emaciated bobcat discovered walking on bloody paws after the Camp Fire in California burned out was set free Sunday in Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Veterinarian Jaime Peyton led the big cat's treatment team, applying tilapia-skin bandages to his burns and using cold laser therapy to prevent infections as well as pulse electromagnetic therapy for pain.
The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (tiered subscription model) (2/11)

The Hummingbird as Warrior:
Evolution of a Fierce and Furious Beak

Chernobyl exclusion zone teeming with wildlife
No people live in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but the area is home to mice, weasels, mink, otters, martens, raccoons, foxes, wolves, dogs, fish, corvids and raptors, researchers reported in Food Webs.Newsweek (2/7)

marbach road animal hospital

CLICK ON text TAKES YOU TO ORIGINAL STORY

Beyond the tail wag: How dogs show affection

AVMA issues warning about THC toxicity in pets

Dogs may naturally understand human gestures

Do you want to sleep on the cold ground? Neither does your pet.

Safe handling of pet foods prevents illness

rescuers rely on dogs' noses

Veterinarians can help set achievable weight-loss goals

Marijuana makes pets sick, not high

Cannibalistic ants, stoned cicadas top list of weird animal stories

Cat's obsession with pizza may have saved his life

Ontario's little brown bats might be rebounding

Presidential pets range from alligators to sheep

Did you give your pet the gift of technology this season?

How to keep dogs safe on road trips

Dogs clean rivers, protect art, find earthquake survivors

Chewing gum a common cause of xylitol poisoning in dogs

Bill would help veterans with PTSD get service dogs

Are Dogs Smarter Than Cats? Science Finally Has a Clue

Report sounds alarm on invasive species in national parks
Rats, feral hogs and other non-native animals are making themselves at home in America's national parks to the detriment of native wildlife and plants, according to research published in Biological Invasions.

If your dog puts his paw on you, it can be his way of saying “I love you.”

White rhinos are “functionally extinct”—there are only two left, and they’re both female. But science might still save the species (Bloomberg).

CLICK ON BOX TAKES YOU TO ORIGINAL STORY

ANIMAL NEWS