Objective-To share my animal experiences, photos,
information about pets/animals, and neat science news.
Previous Blog is HERE
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10/27/2024
Carbon Monoxide (CO) keeps killing........
Two people died after Hurricane Milton when they lost power and ran
a generator in a shed connected to their house--HERE
This site tracks most US CO cases (deaths and non-deaths)
CO deaths do not occur because of a lack of oxygen in the ambient air. Even when people
die in a house, there is a normal amount of oxygen in the house air (about 21%).
Yes, most air that you encounter is 21% oxygen (inside and outside).
People die from a lack of oxygen in their body tissues (cells).
How does this happen? When inhaled, CO binds to hemoglobin (Hb) with
250X the affinity of oxygen. So Hb binding sites fill up with CO
and that blocks oxygen from binding to those same sites. And CO won't let go.
Meaning oxygen is not carried from the lungs to all body tissues.
So with every breath, more and more sites fill with CO,
and oxygen can't bind to its normal spot on the Hb. And if there is enough CO,
the person or animal dies from an acute lack of oxygen.
Since CO binds 250X better that oxygen (I call this a fluke of nature), it doesn't take
much CO to kill a person. In fact the lethal concentration of CO in the air is not even measured in %,
it's measured in ppm. A lethal concentration of CO in the air is way less than 1%.
Although CO charts vary, some indicate that 400 ppm is lethal in one hour of exposure.
Lets see what 400 ppm is when expressed as %.
400 ppm = 0.04%
Take home message, A little CO goes a long way.
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10/26/2024
Many times, tragic events that involve pets do not get national headlines.
Therefore, many people do not hear about them and don't learn from them.
Here are some recent tragic events involving pets that you probably didn't hear about:
40 dogs killed in fire (10/24)
25 puppies killed by fire (1/24)
4 people, 3 dogs killed (7/24)
About a dozen cats dead (4/24)
10 dogs die in Washington DC doggy daycare flood (8/23)
9 GSDs die in Indiana of heat stroke in box truck (summer 2023)
12 dogs die after AC fails (summer 2023)
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8/28/2024
WHAT??????
No working smoke detectors in a $8K/week short-term rental house?????
One night when a family of 5 were sleeping in the rental house, a fire started because
of improper electrical wiring installed by the owner.
The 2 young women on the right side of the below picture died that night.
Washington Post article about fire.
Jillian Wiener's Obit
Lindsay Wiener's Obit
Lewis Wiener's Obit
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8/16/2024
Taking remote working too far.
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5/26/2024
Another tasty dog meal. Contains cod, chicken, potassium chloride, seaweed, sweet potato and fresh cilantro.
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1/5/2024
Tonight's soup for family and dogs. Ingredients: celery, onions (very little), garlic (very little), carrots, zucchini, fresh cilantro,
red garnet sweet potato, brussel sprouts, black beans, cooked squares of hamburger, bean sprouts, several bay leaves and vegetable broth.
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12/14/2023
Pack Mentality of Dogs (illustrated)
.
It's not often that you can find a video that shows dogs attacking a person with the video
starting before the attack occurs (so you can see initial events).
4 dogs attack a 9 year old girl in Russia. These are stray dogs and the girl was initially trying to make friends with 3 dogs that are
out of sight of the view (lower left). Notice the dog in the right part of the screen............he was not going to do anything..........until
the pack of 3 dogs attacked the girl...........then he joined in.............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZ11CFmPLE
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10/30/2023
Several students have wanted to see my tree-lined driveway that I fight with...............
Here
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10/20/2023
One meal today for my dogs (out of 4-5 meals)
Contents
CousCous
Sweet Potato Skins
Olive Oil
Bacon
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9/2/2023
The meal just eaten by my dogs.
Contents:
Seaweed
Pumpkin seeds
Sweet Potato
Albacore Tuna
Tomato
Here is Diesel eating that meal.
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8/8/2023
The meal just eaten by my dogs.
Contents-----
Asparagus
Seaweed
Blueberries
Cranberries
Sweet potato
Left-over beef steak
Pinch of porcine bone meal
One teaspoon of fluid from pan used to fry bison burger (see below; I would not do this if my dogs were overweight)
6/15/2023
CO deaths occur all year around. I will link to several articles about the
same couple because links often go inactive.
Carbon Monoxide Deaths of couple in Mexico
California Couple Dead
Solution----Always travel with 2 CO detectors. You cannot count upon others
to be aware of the dangers of CO. Some days, I believe that I should change jobs
and travel the U.S. and warn everyone of the dangers of CO. I would also hand out free
CO detectors.
See this video for some good CO detectors:
CO Video
Here is a website that tracks most of the CO deaths:
HERE
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5/14/2023
Sheriff's deputy killed by dog while dog sitting--Indianapolis, IN.......HERE
I don't do much dog sitting at my home, but I do remember one time when a
120# Police Dog type GSD I was watching growled at my Monique (160# Pyrenees Mountain Dog) at the beginning of the stay..
The police officer and I were able to keep the dogs apart. For the following 2 weeks,
I kept the GSD and Monique out of sight of each other. Watching/sitting large or aggressive dogs
takes a special talent and excellent buildings/fences. This story of the deputy is very sad. RIP Tamieka......
I bet she was attempting to protect her son from a dog attack. And this happened so close to Mother's Day!!!!!
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5/13/2023
Say Happy Birthday to the oldest dog in the world.
HERE
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5/13/2023
A very good article on the value of Heat Pumps (vs Air Conditioners).
HERE
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4/8/2023
One dog meal today--out of about 4 meals. Contains canned turkey, canned tuna, canned black beans
and one teaspoon of porcine bone meal. I always use all the juice from canned products (usually I pick the low sodium products)--there are nutrients
in that liquid. I never pay full price for any ingredients. I only buy food at sale time. The canned food was BOGO.
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4/5/2023
One dog meal today--out of about 4. Contains chicken hearts, hamburger, cranberries, KCl, string beans,
cheese, brussel sprouts and a pinch of garlic.
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3/19/2023
Dogs will be fed left-over fish and all scrapings (and liquid) from the bottom of the baking dish. Many nutrients
are contained wihin the scrapings/liquid. I will then place some water in dish, rinse and add that water to the dog bowls.
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2/25/2023
Today's Dog Soup (all fresh ingredients).....Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,
asparagus, cilantro, pork, black beans, white potatoes, water, KCl and pinch of garlic.
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1/16/2023
A good article about the discovery of RU-486
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1/14/2023
It was not long ago that the euthanasia drug pentobarbital was found in dog food-Read Here
The FDA Report---Risk from Pentobarbital in Dog Food
A recent article about Pentobarbital
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1/12/2023
And another example of my cooked, home-made dog food. This bowl contains chicken, KCl, cranberries, cilantro, parsley, white potatoes,
celery, broccoli and brussels sprouts. I will take a kitchen scissor and cut the cranberries into halves.
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1/11/2023
An example of my cooked, home-made dog food. This bowl contains broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery,
hamburger, white potatoes, carrots, iodized salt, parsley and cilantro.
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11/10/2022
A list of some 2022 Carbon Monoxide (CO) victims
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10/7/2022
Finding Substance X: The Team that Created Cortisone (A Movie by Mayo Clinic)
MOVIE
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8/26/2022
Intradermal Injection (for Monkeypox vaccine)
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8/25/2022
Northern Michigan had dog deaths/illness that were unexplained. It turned out to be Parvovirus.
The story is interesting........
Parvovirus
Mail Carrier killed by 5 dogs. In some of my classes this week, we discussed
possible solutions that could be instigated before such an event occurs.
Mail Carrier killed in Florida
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8/2/2022
Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
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8/1/2022
A great article about CO in the New York Times
Please be careful..............
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6/23/2022
"We will now install CO detectors............(after 3 tourist deaths).........."
Too little, too late..........
Keep in mind that the final determination of death is still pending, but--No CO detectors??????????
.........Inexcusable...............
See most current article on this situation:
Here
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4/8/2022
I was invited to the dedication for the new Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex today.
The below videos provide a view of today's events.
The video entitled "My Tour" was made by me as I went through the various buildings.
I would highly recommend you going to the tours held tomorrow, April, 9, 2022.
Formal Dedication Ceremony
My Tour
A Virtual Tour (made one year ago)
Drone View of Construction
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3/20/2022
"Fear-Free" Pets Make for Happier Pets, and Owners
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3/19/2022
And yet another CO story..............
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3/3/2022
What??????? No CO detectors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inexcusable.....................
UW-Milwaukee CO Scare
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2/24/2022
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1/15/2022
Grief flows at funeral for Moorhead family of 7 killed by carbon monoxide:
'It breaks your heart'
Moorhead is my hometown!!!!!!
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1/14/2022
Magawa, the 'hero rat' who sniffed out landmines, has died
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1/10/2022
US had 5 rabies deaths last year, highest total in a decade
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8/19/2021
The Swiss Cheese Model of Pandemic Defense
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8/8/2021
The woman who discovered Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).
Incredible story: She lost her job at a University, but continued her research
in her bedroom. Was awarded the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1986) for her discovery!!
Rita Levi-Montalcini
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8/1/2021
If you are interested in the Domestic Cat Genome read these links.
The Unappreciated Importance of Cats (to Medical Science)
Precision medicine in cats
Feline genomic medicine
A new Domestic Cat genome assembly
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7/31/2021
If you have never heard of HeLa cells (or don't know their back-story) you should read the 3 links below.
I am glad I decided to research/post this, since I had never seen a picture of Henrietta before (but I had heard of her cells for decades).
She was a young black woman, with 5 children, who died way too young. And her cells live on......, contributing to science!!!!!!
HeLa
HeLa
HeLa
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7/26/2021
Indospicine Toxicity in Dogs
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7/24/2021
It is time to learn about wet-bulb temperature.
Wet-bulb temperature is important, climate experts say. So what is it?
Dry Bulb, Wet Bulb and Dew Point Temperatures
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7/24/2021
Surprise--more dog soup. This time it is Beef and Barley, with celery, zucchini (Thanks to Dot), sweet potato, broccoli,
rosemary, thyme, garlic (3 pinches), tomato, Himaalayan Pink Salt, and of course water QS. After I fed the dogs 3 portions of
the soup (over a 6 hour span), I added split peas and wild rice. It will now simmer overnight. I may freeze some, but my wife, me and the dogs may just finish
it off in the next day or two. And we all love putting croutons in this soup. By the way, croutons make good dog treats that are very reasonable, price wise.
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6/1/2021
For some reason, I am stuck on making dog soup (which we all eat here on the ranch). When you cook a 20 lb. frozen turkey ($7.00 total cost when no one wants turkey),
soup seems like a natural way to go. The ingredients for the below soup: turkey, wild rice (from my native MN), raw cranberries, carrots, a few peas,
Salvadorean red beans, thyme, rosemary, NaCl, granulated garlic (4 pinches), and water.
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5/30/2021
Several of my recent home-made dog food feedings.
This is home-made turkey soup that I made for my wife and me, and the Border Collies.
Ingredients: brown rice, turkey, peas, tomatoes, elbow pasta, carrots, KCl, pinch of granulated garlic, and red kidney beans.
Ingredients: brown and wild rice, turkey, carrots, tomatoes, and sardines in olive oil.
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4/1/2021
I will always remember Phil Dziuk:
Incredible Researcher
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2/13/2021
I have posted several very good articles and images on Covid-19
How do mRNA vaccines work? This article also names all current vaccines approved by FDA (for all diseases)
A short video on the Covid-19 vaccine
https://www.spirotherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Himalyan-salt-mineral-concentrations.pdf******************************************************
2/2/2021
National CO Awareness Association
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1/21/2021
This young poet has rekindled my love for poetry. Bravo
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1/16/2021
You should be familiar with "Fear Free" certification
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1/15/2021
Current Pet Food Recall (Aflatoxin strikes again)
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11/30/2020
This Dog Video will bring a smile to your face (don't skip anything)
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10/30/2020
I always tell my students to watch out for medical errors. I recently ran into this very sad story
that took place late last year (2019) in Indianapolis.
David Boothman...R.I.P.
And a few general articles on medical mistakes:
Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death
Jaw-dropping medical mix-ups
A Doctor Confronts Medical Errors
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9/24/2020
Stories like this just break your heart.
(A dog that likes pizza, even as a last meal)
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8/18/2020
If you are connected to Purdue, you should "like" our recent alumnus, Hannah.
She just started a dog training business in Dallas, TX.
(Hannah is pushing her dogs in the cart (below picture)).
Wild at Heart Canine Academy
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8/18/2020
I make my own dog food. Here are pictures (below) of today's offering.
The 2 Border Collies are fed 3-5 times each day (so stomach doesn't get stretched).
Diesel had a blood panel determined today-look at all the normal values!!!
Blood Panel
And Annie (Diesel's sister, same litter) just had her blood panel determined later this same week.
Again, look at all the normal blood values!!!
Blood Panel
The first picture below shows broccoli, peas, beef roast, hamburger, sardines and pasta sauce before mixing.
Some of this is from leftovers. The second picture shows the ingredients mixed together.
I never balance their daily diet. But I know over a 7-day week, they eat all the various nutrients they need.
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8/17/2020
An excellent website for Animal Drug and Food Recalls
The New England Journal of Medicine has removed their paywall from all of their Covid-19 information!!
A free magazine on the Petfood Industry-you will need to download a copy after you click on a cover.
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8/11/2020
Contest 3 has now ended. Caption submissions were accepted until noon on 8/17.
Winning caption is posted.
Send your caption(s) (more than 1 is fine) to: contest3@rodallrich.com
Winning Caption: "That's the last time I adopt a cat from "Lazy Acres Cattery""
(submitted by BAB, judge--the husband of my dog loving courntry neighbor)
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8/5/2020
Contest 2 is now finished. Winning caption is posted.
Captions were accepted until noon on 8/10 at contest2@rodallrich.com
(feel free to submit more than one caption)
View this video to see what prizes the caption winners can select from: Here
Winning Caption: "Hey you're cheating! Meow isn't an actual word!"
(submitted by AAK, judge-my dog loving country neighbor)
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Contest 1 is finished. Submitted captions were accepted until noon on 8/3.
Winning caption: "How long do you think it will take her to realize you ate her mouse?"
(submitted by MLT, judge-my wife)
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7/2/2020
Coronavirus autopsies: A story of 38 brains, 87 lungs and 42 hearts
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7/1/2020
Rt Covid-19 values for every state in the USA
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6/20/2020
Incubation periods of some infectious diseases
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6/19/2020
Dog breeds most affected by summer heat......
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1/14/2020
Hay tainted by toxic beetles kills 14 horses in Wisconsin
Blister Beetle Poisoning
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11/09/2019
We went to the Great INDY Pet Expo today!!!!!!
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10/25/2019
Maisy was a great puppy visitor this week. We observed normal puppy behavior.
She was very laser positive. She enjoyed the bull pizzle I gave her.
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10/14/2019
I have been so busy this semester that I have not made weekly posts (like I usually do)
of all the great pets that we have observed in my classes. So I made a
compiled video that includes most of them from the past 60 days.. I am missing a few because of blurry pictures.
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9/3/2019
I just discovered this site. It appears to keep track of dog attacks.
I always try to read about dog attacks and learn about the specific details.
19-year-old woman dies days after being mauled by pack of dogs (8/30/2019)
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8/30/2019
Heparin shortage around the corner??
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8/11/2019
Toxic algae kills 3 dogs soon after exposure.
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7/16/2019
My work van set a new record--147 degrees F.
Please keep kids and pets out of vacant cars in the summer.
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7/11/2019
A well-written article about taurine (no endorsement of the company intended)
The Importance of Taurine for Dogs and Cats
I think we are going to find out that feeding "Grain-Free Dog Foods"
actually leads to poor GI absorption of taurine: Therefore a relative tissue deficiency
in the face of recommended dietary levels.
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7/10/2019
Florida health officials warn of rabies in
Disney World's Epcot theme park
A good review of Rabies
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7/9/2019
My work van set a new in-vehicle record for me.
144 degrees F on a sunny afternoon.
This is a deadly temperature for kids and pets.
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7/9/2019
In my Environmental Physiology course we spend about 1 week on CO.
Look at what can happen......
CO Trouble Here
I always carry a sensitive CO detector with me when I am traveling.
This is it:
It even detects 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 ppm. It lets you know anything above zero.
Some detectors don't alarm until 100 ppm or above--too late for accurate readings.
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7/6/2019
More FDA info on Grain-Free Diets/Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs
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7/5/2019
The pig ear situation has now turned into a multi-state recall.
Pig Ear Recall
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7/3/2019
Today, Michigan issued a consumer warning about bulk pig ears-Salmonella was found and at
least 12 people have been hospitalized.
Article 1
Article 2
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7/2/2019
Outside today the high was about 90 F.
The image below shows what temps were found inside my work van during the past 24 hours.
The low was 70 F (probably late last night)
The high was 142 F (probably late this afternoon-it was sunny)
The current temp was 90 F (at 9 p.m. when I took the picture)
So this thermometer records low and high from past 24 hours
and also displays the current temperature.
It also records those 3 numbers for humidity.
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7/2/2019
I wish I knew the solution to this problem:
One-year-old girl dies in hot car
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7/2/2019
Another article that does a good job of presenting the facts as we know them.
There are still many unknows.
Grain-free dog foods linked to fatal heart condition (Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM)
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6/29/2019
This story has been developing over the past year and now it seems more certain something bad is happening.
Click on the article title to read it.
FDA warns--16 dog food brands may cause heart disease in pets (dogs)
My opinion-peas, lentils, legume seeds, and potatoes should never be the main ingredients in any dog food.
I make my own dog food and I use peas to a small extent (with meat by far the main ingredient-always).
See the below picture to see what I fed yesterday for one of the 4 daily feedings my Border Collies got. I feed 4 times daily so the stomach
doesn't get stretched out. The other 3 meals would not contain peas. Do you know that regular dog kibble expands 100%
when it gets to the canine stomach. You can do a little experiment to verify my statement. The below meal
contained chicken (from drumsticks that were 79 cents a pound), peas and carrots. The peas and carrots were uncooked.
I believe that this problem with certain dog foods involves the "Web of Causation" disease model. Where many factors interact to bring about the DCM. If enough factors are not present, then the disease does not develop.
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6/23/2019
The hand-held infrared thermometer is reading 169 degrees F. Is this dog (my Onyx, 180# Newfie) in danger of developing hyperthermia? The answer: not at all-not possible.
Take home lesson---unless you know about thermoregulation and thermodynamics, stay on the porch and keep your mouth shut.
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6/22/2019
In the U.S., about 3-4 people per year die from rabies. But worldwide, that figure is about 60,000 deaths.
Many of the worldwide deaths (about 99%) are due to feral dog bites. Almost all human deaths
caused by rabies occur in Asia and Africa.
The below link goes to a recent, good article in the Washington Post.
"I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal."
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6/21/2019
During my Spring course-Environmental Physiology of Domestic Animals, we spend about
one week on carbon monoxide (CO). I always suggest having one or two CO detectors
in every home, even if the house does not use fossil fuels. The detectors should have
a digital readout (in ppm) so you can see realtime levels. When I travel, I always carry an
industrial grade CO detector with me because I know some motels/hotels have no idea of the danger.
Recently, my detector read 15 ppm in a motel (usually the reading should be between 0 and 10).
That level is not an "alarm" level, but it made me question the source. Most household CO detectors will
not make an alarm sound until 50 or 100 ppm. Too high for my comfort.
This recent article motivated me to make this post:
This Article
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4/8/2019
Clifford was a great classroom guest........
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3/15/2019
Broccoli is good for dogs. I have heard this from several
sources (including from someone working with pets who have cancer).
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1/23/2019
Vitamin C Production in Goats vs Humans
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1/18/2019
Suicides among veterinarians become a growing problem
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1/12/2019
Any surgeon worth their ilk would know all about ectopic organs/structures.
This surgeon did not.
Surgeon fined $3K for removing kidney he thought was tumor
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1/11/2019
90 year old cyclist tested positive for a banned drug.
But it's not his fault........
It could happen to any one of us.
The Story
The drug (hormone)
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