Ellen’s Dog – Do Right by Iggy

This Ellen dog debacle has blown up and there are a lot of issues at play. The issues of dog adoptions, contracts, reading the contracts, and being right are all being thrown around. But isn’t the goal of a shelter to find a good home for a dog? Shouldn’t the dog come first?

Unfortunately, in this case, it seems being right is more important then doing right. Yes, Ellen should have read the contract and should have known that the dog gets returned to the shelter, or at least notify them, if it wasn’t compatible. But, Ellen had the best interest of the dog at heart when she gave it to her hairdresser. Plus, the hairdresser already had a dog, so it’s not like she doesn’t know how to care for one.

Ellen’s wrong doesn’t make the shelter right. This shelter is worried about the wrong things, and their practices of not placing the dog in the forefront makes me wonder about dealing with shelters as a whole.

The other thing that irks me with the shelter is their rule of not adopting to anyone with kids under the age of 14. The hairdresser’s children, of course, are both under this age. What kind of rule is that? So you’re telling me that families with younger children can’t handle a dog? The shelter’s reasoning is that it is for the protection of the dog. I can understand certain dogs aren’t good to have around children, but that should be a case by case basis; not a blanket rule.

I saw a brief interview with the lady that owns the shelter. She came across as arrogant and heartless. She was more worried about following her so-called rules, rather then what’s best for the dog and for the family who is loving the dog; wanting to care for the dog, and wanting to be a good home for the dog. Isn’t that supposed to be the goal of the shelter- finding a good home?

This story also touches my life in that our second dog, Kelso, had sort of a similar story. He started in a home that couldn’t care for him, went to a second home where he wasn’t compatible with the other pets, and finally came to us (not including the time spent at the breeder’s and the store where he was originally purchased). Because of his bouncing around from place to place, he had a hard time adjusting to us, his third family. I’m sure the same is true for Iggy, and bouncing him around from place to place like a toy can’t be in the best interest of the dog.

If the shelter wants to enforce their rule that they need to be informed when an adopted dog changes hands, then at the very least, give this new family a chance to keep the dog. Bend your meaningless “under the age of 14” rule for the sake of doing right by the Iggy.

Fish Get Insomnia Too

Interesting article through Reuters new service about a study of a certain tropical fish that gets has sleeping problems. I guess I'm not the only one :-)


By Jill Serjeant Mon Oct 15, 9:25 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fish might not have eyelids, but they do sleep, and some suffer from insomnia, scientists reported on Monday.

California scientists studying sleep disorders in humans found that some zebrafish, a common aquarium pet, have a mutant gene that disrupts their sleep patterns in a way similar to insomnia in humans.

Zebrafish with the mutant gene slept 30 percent less than fish without the mutation. When they finally drifted off they remained asleep half as long as the normal fish, the researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine said.

The mutant fish lacked a working receptor for hypocretin, a neuropeptide that is secreted in normal fish by neurons in the region of the brain that controls hunger, sex and other basic behaviours.

Zebrafish, also known as zebra danio, have become popular research subjects because they are cheaper to breed than mice and they have a backbone that better represents the human nervous system than fruit flies.

The researchers, led by Emmanuel Mignot, said they would look for fish that have a mutation that causes them to oversleep or never sleep in the hope of discovering if sleep-regulating molecules and brain networks developed through evolution.

"Many people ask the questions, 'Why are we sleeping?' and, 'What is the function of sleep?'" Mignot said. "I think it is more important to figure out first how the brain produces and regulates sleep. This will likely give us important clues on how and maybe why sleep has been selected by natural evolution and is so universal."

The study was published in Tuesday's edition of the Public Library of Science-Biology.

Rocco's Hot Dog Costume

Rocco enjoyed wearing his hotdog costume last year for Halloween. His face says it all!

By the way, check out the Halloween costume contest at http://http://islandlife808.com/holidays/2007-halloween-costume-contest/

Connecticut Pet Expo

There is a yearly pet expo coming up that I would recommend to anyone who is near CT to check out. I've attended in the past and it was well worth my time.

It's The 16th Annual CT Pet Show & TICA Cat Show, which takes place in Hartford. It features The AKC Parade of Purebred Dogs, with over 150 purebred dog breeds, The (TICA) International Cat Association Cat Show, with over 100 breeds of exotic and domestic purebred cats, The Rarities Rare and Ancient Dog Breed Show, featuring rare & AKC registered breeds in a live dog show competition, plus over 125 vendors offering unique, one-of-a-kind pet products & services.

Here is the link for more info. http://www.osbornejenks.com/ctpet.html

The Iguana as a Pet

I'm always drawn to the reptile section of my local pet store. Apparently I'm not the only one! Iguanas are becoming more popular as pets.

Before getting an iguana, however, there are several things you need to seriously think about:
As with any pet, proper feeding, housing, and caring for your iguana is going to take time and money. Many diseases in iguanas are due to improper nutrition and environment. Do you know how to supply their basic needs?

Even with proper nutrition and housing, iguanas may develop health problems or become injured. You need to be willing to provide the necessary health care for your iguana?

Iguanas grow. An iguana might look cute when they are first hatched, but, what are you going to do when the iguana reaches several feet in length, and needs a cage the size of a small room?

It's also important to recognize the temperature needs of an iguana before taking one home. Iguanas are cold-blooded and require supplemental heat for proper digestion. They prefer 84-90ºF during the day and 70-77º at night. If a reptile is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is more likely to become ill. Lizards like a temperature gradient so if they are cold, they can move to a warmer part of the cage and vice versa. Place a good quality thermometer in the cage at the level the iguana spends most of its time so you can monitor the temperature.

As with any pet, you have to watch out for the potential that animal has of bringing bacteria and diseases into your household. Many iguanas harbor the salmonella bacteria, so great care needs to be taken when handling your pet, including proper and thorough hand-washing.

As I always ask on this blog, please do your research before taking any new pet into your home.

The Practicalities of Dog Clothes

I've written about this in the past, and yet I still don't have a conclusion to my internal debate of whether or not dog clothes are worth purchasing. I admit, we treat our dog like a person some times. Most of the clothes we buy are good quality and design, but I often wonder if I'm buying it just for our sake, or does a sweater really help the dog in the winter. Other clothes, like his polo shirt, help dress him up and give him a personality. But, it only gives him a personality in the human sake. Does another dog come up to my pup and think, "what a great dresser. I love the outfit!?" Somehow I highly doubt it!

But if dressing the dog in clothes doesn't do any harm, and in the people sense it bring joy to our lives, then I guess, why the heck not put on a shirt? Besides of course the costs of such items.

So, here we have the shirt. Then comes the whole problem of size. I have enough problems buying clothes that fit me properly, and now here I am trying to decide if my dog needs a medium or a large. Another problem with the clothing is how it is cut. We bought a sweater made for a dog, but it covered his privates...which of course I realized the hard way, when my dog lifted his leg and essentially peed his pants.

Another issue is where, or even if, there is a hole cut out so that we can put the sweater/shirt on him over his harness, and still be able to clip his leash on through the cut out in the shirt. Some don't have the cut out, some are just in places that don't work out too well.

A lot of whether it is practical for a dog to wear clothing depends on the type of dog, and if the pet is patient enough to let you put the clothing on him in the first place.I'm also amazed at how the market for pet clothes continues to grow. A big retail clothing chain meant for humans has a little section for dog clothes. There are pet boutiques and specialty stores. I was in Atlantic City and saw specialty pet shops in the casino. It's a huge market which keeps growing. And, I'm guilty of participating in the market!

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, , Leaning Straight Up, Cao's Blog, and The Bullwinkle Blog, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Fish as Pets

As a life-long fish keeper, the question oftens come up as to whether or not fish are high maintanence pets. The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. First, there are the differences between fresh-water set-ups versus salt-water. Having a salt-water tank is much more time consuming and high maintenance then fresh water set-ups.

For those looking for less maintenance, fresh water is by far the choice to make. The advantages to a fresh water set-up is that once the initial set-up is completed, the daily maintenance of the fish are basically just feeding and checking to see if there are any problems with the fish.

By looking for problems, I am referring to checking for unusual behavior, looking for any damaged fins, and checking for any signs of disease or fungus. By observing your fish for a few minutes everyday, you'll start to see what their "normal" behavior is, so that you can spot abnormal behavior.

Another thing to look at is the tank itself. Are there any water marks on the outside of the tank? Is water seeping out somewhere or splashing too much? Is the water level of the tank low? It is common for water to evaporate out of the tank, but if there are streams of water marks on the side of the tank, you could have a bigger problem.

Freshwater Fish also need weekly and monthly maintenance choirs. Once the tank is established (i.e., been running for more then a couple of months), you still need to stay on top of checking the water quality of the aquarium. By water quality, you should check the PH level weekly (the amount of PH varies based on what type of fish you have) and the ammonia level (ammonia, even in small amounts, can be fatal to fish). Water softness/harness can also be a factor is you are keeping fish that are sensitive to the amount of harness (dissolved minerals) that are in the water.

As for monthly chores, the tank filter media should be cleaned or replaced at least once a month. Partial water changes are also of importance. An aquarium is an enclosed environment. Fish are excreting waste in the same water they are living and breathing. There is also decaying food in the tank producing ammonia. It is for this reason the tank water must be changed approximately every two weeks. When changing the water, a water conditioner must be added in order to remove any chlorine and other items in tap water that are harmful to fish. These conditioners can be found in most pet stores where fish are sold.

The good news is that once the tank is established, this type of maintenance routine is much lower in comparison to having other pets. If you enjoy a crisp, clean aquarium, then it is worth it to take these steps. If not, it could cause more problems down for your tank, making it higher maintenance.

Trackposted to Blue Star Chronicles, Rosemary's Thoughts, The Amboy Times, High Desert Wanderer, and The Populist, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Pet Costume - Lobster Paws

This is one of my favorites. I'm not sure why, but there is something fun about this costume. It's easy to put and comes in a variety of sizes.

Diagnosis of Pet Food Allergies

Although the best way to be sure is to check with a vet, peteducation.com has some good tips on diagnosing food allergies in pets.

The diagnosis for food allergies is very straightforward. But due to the fact that many other problems can cause similar symptoms and that many times animals are suffering from more problems than just food allergies, it is very important that all other problems are properly identified and treated prior to undergoing diagnosis for food allergies. Once all other causes have been ruled out or treated, then it is time to perform a food trial.

A food trial consists of feeding a cat a novel food source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks. A novel food source would be a protein and carbohydrate that the animal had never eaten before. An example would be duck and potato, or venison and potato. These diets are available commercially, or could be homemade. This must be the only thing the animal eats for 12 weeks. No treats and nothing from the table. Young growing pets have special dietary needs and a homemade diet that only contains one protein and one carbohydrate with no multivitamin or fatty acid may not be suitable even for only twelve weeks. For kittens undergoing a food trial, a balanced commercial diet like the ones listed above is recommended.

Veterinarians used to recommend that a pet only needed to be placed on a special diet for 3 weeks but new studies show that in dogs, only 26% of those with food allergies responded by day 21. However, the vast majority of the animals responded by 12 weeks. The same may be true in cats, therefore, it is very important to keep the cat on the diet for the entire 12 weeks. If the cat shows a marked reduction or elimination of the symptoms, then the animal is placed back on the original food. This is called 'provocative testing' and is essential to confirm the diagnosis. If the symptoms return after going back on the original diet, the diagnosis of a food allergy is confirmed. If there has been no change in symptoms but a food allergy is still strongly suspected, then another food trial using a different novel food source could be tried.
The only way to accurately diagnose food allergies is with a food trial.

Blood Testing: Many owners and veterinarians attempt to look to other tests to diagnose food allergies. Blood tests can be performed to screen for food allergies. In addition, intradermal skin testing could also be performed. Despite the fact that these tests are routinely performed and used as a diagnostic aid, there is no evidence that blood tests are accurate for the diagnosis of food allergies. The best way to diagnose and treat food allergies you must do a food trial.