Archive for June, 2010

Meet Oscar the Bionic Cat. Oscar lost both his hind paws in a farming accident in England. And he might have been subjected to getting around with a wheeled attachment or worse. But Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic veterinary surgeon came to his rescue. He developed weight-bearing bone implants which gave Oscar a new lease on life.

The metal implants are custom designed and fastened directly to Oscar’s ankle bones, inside his fuzzy little legs. They jut out directly through the skin and fur with prosthetic paws attached to the ends of the implants.

“The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone,” Fitzpatrick told BBC News.

“We have managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an ‘exoprosthesis’ that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal’s limbs to give him effectively normal gait.”

When I first read about Oscar and his new hind paws late last week I thought science was really pushing the envelope. How could a cat or any animal for that matter have the right quality of life? But after viewing this video Oscar seems to be getting along just fine. Hip, hip hoorah to Dr. Fitzpatrick and congrats to Oscar! May you live another nine lives…..

ICE CREAM, ICE CREAM, WE ALL SCREAM/MEOW for ICE CREAM! It isn’t the dog days of summer yet, but it certainly felt like it yesterday…SIGH! Don’t think this is shameless promotion by creamery in California just smart really. Heck anything with a kitten will melt your heart, even that ice cream. For now anyway it seems like the KITTEN days of SUMMER. CHEERS!

There has been much focus and deservedly so on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But there are other communities that are being impacted by weather with hurricanes, tornados, wildfires and floods. Most recently the flooding in Nashville, Tennessee. Countless animals have been displaced being found wandering the streets, and in desperate need of homes. A spate of urgent requests for pet adoptions have been the end result.

To lessen the trauma of losing a pet and likelihood of pets seeking new homes BEFORE a DISASTER:

• Prepare. Get a pet emergency supply kit, including food, water, medicines and medical records, first aid kit, collar with ID tag, leash or harness, crate or pet carrier and sanitation items.
• Microchip: Make sure your pet is micro-chipped so that it may be easily identified. Keep registration up to date, and include emergency number of friend or relative that does not live in the immediate area.
• Plan: What will you do in an emergency? Create a plan to get away and develop a buddy system.
• Stay informed: Know about the types of emergencies.

DURING a DISASTER:

• Make sure your pet is inside well before storm begins. And do not leave a pet chained outside.
• Keep pet by your side to reassure them.
• Never tranquilize a pet. It will be inhibited from using it’s natural survival instincts.
• If you are instructed to evacuate do not leave pets behind.
• Have pet emergency kit ready to take with you.

AFTER a DISASTER:

• Re-orient dog to home by walking it on a leash. For both cats and dogs familiar scents may no longer exist.
• Be aware of downed power lines, debris and reptiles.
• Contact your local animal control office if a pet is missing to find out where lost animals can be recovered. Bring a recent picture of your pet, tattoo number or microchip number.
• Do not let your pet eat food or drink water that might have been contaminated.
• Pet behavior might change after the trauma of a disaster. Report any changes in behavior to your veterinarian.

DISASTER AFTERMATH:

• After a natural disaster, displaced people and companion animals face many dangers. There are many hazardous, life-threatening situations for helpless strays and displaced pets.
• Disorientation, panic and stress, and leads dogs and cats seeking refuge into hazardous situations when there are no longer familiar landmarks or scents.
• Floodwaters contaminated with waste and bacteria can cause intestinal parasites and gastroenteritis.
• Animals trying to swim in floodwaters can quickly become exhausted and drown.
• Displaced dogs and cats are frightened, lost, thirsty and very hungry and do not understand that they should steer clear of standing water and any food they may find.

Some of you folks might remember the good fortune of this dog being rescued from river earlier in the year. He was certainly fortunate but there are so many animals around the country struggling to survive after being displaced from their families. Please do take preventative measures and plan in advance for not only your safety and well being but your pets as well.

Resources:

Animal disaster plans and resources by state

American Kennel Club

ASPCA

FEMA for Kids

Humane Society

Red Cross

The animal kingdom is truly remarkable!

Those cats are at it again! Nothing like a reality check or some truth serum to set things straight.  I went home to visit with my sisters’ this past weekend in beautiful Pioneer Valley. And of course discussion of oil spill came up. It really does not matter what your politics are, I think most people have similar sentiments. Why did BP or any oil company for that matter not have a contingency plan if something catastrophic happens? All these years of drilling and no back up plan? Hard to comprehend.

But should we not all be accountable? That is what Tom Friedman wrote in his most recent column in the New York Times. Is this yet another wake up call for us all to heed and start making constructive changes? Regardless, think these cats have encapsulated the events pretty well don’t you? Ah yes, the things that make you go MEOW!

So very grateful for it being Friday, alas! It has been a challenging week personally. Having said that nothing like a nice diversion of watching a cat romp in a bathtub of beanbag filling. I know I might be dating myself, but perhaps I need to get some Calgon…

Happy Friday everyone!

Nice to see that someone came to the aide of this poor cat stuck in a window. Lord only knows how long he would have been there otherwise.  Surprised to see passersby just gawking at the poor kitty…sigh. At least it was a happy ending.

Today, June 8th World Ocean Day is annual date to pay homage to the world’s ocean. In 1992 Canada proposed World Ocean Day at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United Nations made it official just last year in 2009.  The Ocean Project along with World Ocean Network have worked together promoting World Ocean Day since 2003.

The ocean is a vital and integral part of all our lives regardless of where you live:

• Ocean plants produce half of the world’s oxygen & absorb nearly one-third of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.
• Ocean ingredients, like algae and kelp, are used in making peanut butter beer, soymilk and frozen foods.
• Ingredients from the ocean are used to make shampoos and cosmetics, and medicines that help fight cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, viruses and other diseases.
• One in six jobs in the United States is marine-related and more than $128 billion in GDP annually results from ocean tourism, recreation and living resources.

Source: The Nature Conservancy

Think most of you remember Puglet the recycling pug from previous post. Well now he and his pals have gathered again to bring added recognition to the world’s ocean not only this day, but every day.  It is important for us humans to respect the ocean and it’s inhabitants by helping keep it healthy and clean. Cheers once again to Puglet and his pals!

Sometimes one loses their faith with all the dreadful news out there today. In particular the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  I spoke with a friend last night who asked me if I had seen video of the dolphins affected by the oil spill. And I told her I just could not bare to watch anymore footage of animals and wildlife trying to survive. It just breaks your heart.

But in this video along comes a police officer who just happens to love animals, and dogs in particular. I won’t give away the ending but it is worth watching for sure. Cheers to both Officer Nick and the dog!