Mon Feb 08 21:47:00 EST 2016
Join the Conversation
Like this article? Have a point of view to share? Let us know!
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Right now – What effects does climate change have on the genetic diversity of living organisms? In a study led by Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, an international team of researchers studied the genome of the alpine marmot, an ice-age remnant that now lives in large numbers in the high altitude Alpine meadow. Results were unexpected: the species was found to be the least genetically diverse of any wild mammal studied to date. An explanation was found in the marmots genetic past. The alpine marmot has lost its genetic diversity during ice-age related climate events and been unable to recover its diversity since. Results from this study have been published in the journal Current Biology. A large rodent from the squirrel family, the alpine marmot lives in the high-altitude mountainous terrain found beyond the tree line. An international team of researchers has now successfully deciphered the animal’s genome and found the individual animals tested to be genetically very similar. In fact, the animal’s genetic diversity is lower than that of any other wild mammal whose genome has been genetically sequenced. “We were very surprised by this finding. Low genetic diversity is primarily found among highly endangered species such as, for instance, the mountain gorilla. Population numbers for the alpine marmot, however, are in the hundreds of thousands, which is why the species is not considered to be at risk,” explains Prof. Dr. Markus Ralser, the Director of Charité’s Institute of Biochemistry and the investigator with overall responsibility for the study, which was co-led by the Francis Crick Institute. As the alpine marmot’s low genetic diversity could not be explained by the animal’s current living and breeding habits, the researchers used computer-based analysis to reconstruct the marmot’s genetic past. After combining the results of comprehensive genetic analyses with data from fossil records, the researchers came to the conclusion that the alpine marmot lost its genetic diversity as a result of multiple climate-related adaptations during the last ice age. One of these adaptations occurred during the animal’s colonization of the Pleistocene steppe at the beginning of the last ice age (between 110,000 and 115,000 years ago). A second occurred when the Pleistocene steppe disappeared again towards the end of the ice age (between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago). Since then, marmots have inhabited the high-altitude grasslands of the Alps, where temperatures are similar to those of the Pleistocene steppe habitat. The researchers found evidence to suggest that the marmot’s adaptation to the colder temperatures of the Pleistocene steppe resulted in longer generation time and a decrease in the rate of genetic mutations. These developments meant that the animals were unable to effectively regenerate their genetic diversity. Overall results suggest that the rate of genome evolution is exceptionally low in alpine marmots. Commenting on the significance of their results, Prof. Ralser says: “Our study shows that climate change can have extremely long-term effects on the genetic diversity of a species. This had not previously been shown in such clear detail. When a species displays very little genetic diversity, this can be due to climate events which occurred many thousands of years ago,” He adds: “It is remarkable that the alpine marmot managed to survive for thousands of years despite its low genetic diversity.” After all, a lack of genetic variation can mean a reduced ability to adapt to change, rendering the affected species more susceptible to both diseases and altered environmental conditions — including changes in the local climate.” Summarizing the study’s findings, Prof. Ralser explains: “We should take the results of the study seriously, as we can see similar warnings from the past. In the 19th century, the passenger pigeon was one of the most abundant species of land birds in the Northern Hemisphere, yet, it was completely wiped out within just a few years. It is possible that low genetic diversity played a role in this.” Outlining his plans for further research, he adds: “An important next step would be to study other animals more closely which, like the alpine marmot, managed to survive the ice age. These animals might be trapped in a similar state of low genetic diversity. Currently, estimates of a particular species’ extinction risk are primarily based on the number of animals capable of breeding. We ought to reconsider whether this should be the only criterion we use.” Prof. Dr. Markus Ralser was appointed Einstein Professor for Biochemistry at Charité in May 2018. An expert in metabolism, Prof. Ralser came to Charité after spending time at the Francis Crick Institute in London and the University of Cambridge, where he led teams involved in this study. Other researchers involved in the research hailed from the University of Sheffield, Bielefeld University, the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and other institutions. The researchers originally set out to study the alpine marmot’s genome in order to gain a better understanding of the animal’s lipid metabolism. Story Source: Materials provided by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Sign Up In The Link Below.
via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends
0 Comments
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); best – The global spread of antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue and a priority for international microbiology research. In his paper to be published in the journal Science, Christian Lesterlin, Inserm researcher at Lyon’s “Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry” laboratory (CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), and his team were able to film the process of antibiotic resistance acquisition in real time, discovering a key but unexpected player in its maintenance and spread within bacterial populations. This spread of antibiotic resistance is for the most part due to the capacity of bacteria to exchange genetic material through a process known as bacterial conjugation. The systematic sequencing of pathogenic or environmental strains has identified a wide variety of genetic elements that can be transmitted by conjugation and that carry resistance to most — if not all — classes of antibiotics currently used in the clinical setting. However, the process of transferring genetic material from one bacterium to another in vivo, the time needed to acquire this resistance once the new genetic material is received and the effect of antibiotic molecules on this resistance remained unelucidated. Real-time visualization The researchers chose to study the acquisition of Escherichia coli resistance to tetracycline, a commonly used antibiotic, by placing a bacterium that is sensitive to tetracycline in the presence of one that is resistant. Previous studies have shown that such resistance involves the ability of the bacterium to expel the antibiotic before it can exert its destructive effect using “efflux pumps” found on its membrane. These specific efflux pumps are able to eject the antimicrobial molecules from the bacteria, thereby conferring on them a certain level of resistance. In this experiment, the transmission of the DNA from one specific “efflux pump” — the TetA pump — was observed between a resistant bacterium and a sensitive bacterium using fluorescent marking. Thanks to live-cell microscopy, the researchers just had to track the progression of the fluorescence to see how the DNA of the “pump” migrated from one bacterium to another and how it was expressed in the recipient bacterium. The researchers revealed that in just 1 to 2 hours, the single-stranded DNA fragment of the efflux pump was transformed into double-stranded DNA and then translated into functional protein, thereby conferring the tetracycline resistance on the recipient bacterium. In their video (see link below), the transfer of DNA from the donor bacteria (green) to the recipient bacteria (red) is revealed by the appearance of red localization foci. The rapid expression of the newly acquired genes is revealed by the production of green fluorescence in the recipient bacteria. How is resistance organized in the presence of an antibiotic? Tetracycline’s mode of action is well-known to scientists: it kills bacteria by binding to their translational machinery, thereby blocking any possibility of producing proteins. Following this line of reasoning, it would be expected that by adding the antibiotic to the previous culture medium, the TetA efflux pump would not be produced and the bacteria would die. However, the researchers observed that, paradoxically, the bacteria were able to survive and efficiently develop resistance, suggesting the implication of another factor essential to the process of acquiring resistance. The scientists discovered that this phenomenon can be explained by the existence of another efflux pump that is present in virtually all bacteria: AcrAB-TolC. While this generalist pump is less efficient than TetA, it is still able to expel a small amount of antibiotic from the cell, meaning that the bacteria can maintain minimal protein synthesis activity. Therefore, if the bacterium is lucky enough to have received a resistance gene through conjugation, then the TetA pump is produced and the bacteria becomes durably resistant. This study opens up new avenues in the search for similar mechanisms in bacteria other than E. coli, and for different antibiotics. “We could even consider a therapy combining an antibiotic and a molecule able to inhibit this generalist pump. While it is still too soon to envisage the therapeutic application of such an inhibitor, numerous studies are currently being performed in this area given the possibility of reducing antibiotic resistance and preventing its spread to the various bacterial species.” concludes Lesterlin. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Get Our Newslatter Straight To Your Inbox
via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); best – They’ve never seen animals like hippos and sharks but adults born blind have rich insight into what they look like, a new Johns Hopkins University study found. “First-person experience isn’t the only way to develop a rich understanding of the world around us,” says Judy Kim, a doctoral candidate at Johns Hopkins and corresponding author of the study published May 21 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Essentially, the question is, how do we know what we know?” While some previous research has shown that blind people do have knowledge of things like light and color, researchers still have little understanding of what blind people know about appearance and how such information is learned. Some studies suggest that people born blind remember verbal facts, like ‘flamingos are pink,’ so the research team wanted to investigate further. “People often have the intuition that we can’t know what we can’t see,” says Kim. The researchers presented 20 blind and 20 sighted adults with animal names and asked participants to: order animals by size (smallest to largest) and height (shortest to tallest); sort animals into groups based on shape, skin texture and color; pick which animal out of a group is unlike the others in shape, and choose from various texture options (“Does a hippo have feathers, fur, skin or scales?”). Overall, blind and sighted participants organized animals in similar ways and agreed on which physical features were most likely to be observed within animal groups. For example, blind and sighted participants judged that dolphins are similar in shape to sharks and sloths are similar in texture to grizzlies. 15 out of 20 blind and 19 out of 20 sighted participants judged elephants to be bigger than rhinos. But the groups also showed some differences. Contrary to the idea that blind people learn about animal appearance from sighted people’s descriptions of what animals look like, blind and sighted participants disagreed most about the dimension that was easiest for sighted people to describe in words: animal color. Sighted participants created groups for white, pink, black, black and white, brown and grey animals, and they easily labeled these groups according to their primary colors. By contrast, sighted people had a hard time verbally describing their shape groupings; they used many words and did not agree with each other. Nevertheless, blind people created similar shape groups to the sighted but did not make consistent color groups. The researchers found that to deduce what animals looked like, blind people relied on similar biological classifications that scientists use to group species. This strategy works very well for shape and texture: birds, for example, have feathers and a characteristic winged shape. Such inference works less well for color because many very different animals are white (e.g., swans, polar bears and sheep). The main conclusion is that blind people develop rich and accurate ideas about appearance based on inference. “It’s sometimes assumed that the senses and direct experience are the best way to learn about the world. What the findings show is that linguistic communication can give us rich and accurate knowledge, even knowledge that at first glance seems ‘visual.’” says Marina Bedny, Assistant Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins and another author on the paper. “Neither sighted nor blind people living in urban environments really need to know about wild animals. But we are fascinated by them. Knowing about lions and elephants is part of our culture and blind people who are members of the same culture infer animal appearance from linguistic communication.” Story Source: Materials provided by Johns Hopkins University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Sign Up In The Link Below. http://secretofpet.co.place/simple-how-do-blind-adults-learn-about-animal-appearance-sciencedaily/ via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Right now – Research carried out into the impact of changes to chimpanzee habitats found they have adapted to human developments in a number of ways — including learning how to cross roads safely and the best times to visit human habitats — but their survival is still threatened. A team of anthropologists from the University of Kent and universities in Spain, in collaboration with the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, made their discoveries from hidden cameras during an eight-month study in the African country. Although chimpanzees living in fragmented habitats cross roads to move from one area to another of their home range and may approach human settlements, any further road widening, tarmacking or expansion and urbanisation could significantly affect their distribution and abundance. Consequently, the research team suggests care with infrastructure development, as well as developing agreements with farmers to allow strategic fallow areas to regenerate into community-managed forest refuges providing corridors for wildlife and vital natural resources and ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. The research found that chimpanzees do not avoid areas frequented by people, possibly due to human tolerance and low levels of hunting in the study area — but they did not visit areas humans use at midday when human activity was more prevalent. Around settlements, farmers grow fruits that attract chimpanzees despite the risks of encounter with people. The cameras captured images of chimpanzees eating domesticated fruits like mangos and pineapples that were cultivated close to human settlements. The research team used 24 infra-red digital camera traps deployed between 2015 and 2016 for a total of 8 months across 27 1.25×1.25 km grids in the Moyamba district in south-western Sierra Leone. University of Kent expert in primate behaviour and one of the research team Dr Tatyana Humle said: ‘If we want to secure their long-term survival, it is crucial that successful protection measures should benefit people and chimpanzees alike. Conservation actions should focus on education and helping farmers to implement alternative agricultural methods to slash and burn farming and environmentally-friendly revenue generating activities to ensure coexistence between the two species.’ In a landscape heavily impacted by subsistence agriculture, with many swamps and minimal forest, the researchers found that chimpanzees can survive if habitat loss is gradual, key wild resources such as the native oil palm are abundant and if people are tolerant of their presence. However, chimpanzees in such landscapes tend to avoid roads, including untarmacked secondary roads, and prefer to range in close proximity to the swamps. Approximately 60% of all world’s non-human primates are threatened with extinction and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) face serious threats in West Africa, including death from disease, habitat loss, poaching, and retaliation as a result of competition with people for resources. West Africa has one of the most fragmented tropical forest landscapes in the world due to high levels of deforestation. Chimpanzees in the region are critically endangered with the majority living outside protected areas. Factors influencing wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) relative abundance in an agriculture-swamp matrix outside protected areas by Rosa Garriga, Ignasi Marco and Encarna Casas-Diaz, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Pelayo Acevedo, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Ciudad Real, Spain; Bala Amarasekaran Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone; and Luna Cuadrado and Tatyana Humle, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, is published in Plos One. Story Source: Materials provided by University of Kent. Original written by Sandy Fleming. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Whats New Get Started Cancel Anytime http://secretofpet.co.place/work-quickly-adapt-to-living-outside-protected-areas-sciencedaily/ via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Work quickly – Mon Feb 08 21:47:00 EST 2016 Join the ConversationLike this article? Have a point of view to share? Let us know! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Get Our Newslatter Straight To Your Inbox
via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Right now – Acupuncture as a medical therapy has been used in humans for many years as a way of relieving pain and improving human health.Recently,it has also become increasingly utilized to help animals.As interest in veterinary acupuncture has grown, more and more practitioners have sought the specialized training needed in order to learn the various acupuncture points and how they relate to animals. Today, well over 2,000 U.S. veterinarians practiceacupuncture in the United States. When pet owners bring their animals to a veterinarian who practices acupuncture, the therapy is often employed to help withpain management, digestive support, nerve functionandmuscle relaxation, among other issues. One of thequestions pet owners oftenask is whyveterinary acupuncturistschoose the points that they do. Let’s take a look at three frequently utilized points to find out what they do to enhance health and why they are located where they are. Finding the Right SpotChinese medicine explained acupuncture by using metaphors related to the climate and the world at large. However,modern science clearlyshowsthat acupuncture works through signals sent throughout the nervous system, no longer requiring a belief in imaginary energies and pseudoscience. Most Western physicians and veterinarians start by visualizing nerves, vessels and muscle tissue beneath the dots and lines of ancient acupuncture points and channels. That knowledge, coupled with an extensive background in anatomy and physiology, takes the guesswork out of acupuncture. In other words, whenever one inserts a needle at one of these important sites, the body responds in predictable ways that lessen pain, relax muscles, improve digestion and dissipate stress. This brief tour of a few popular acupuncture points shows the connection between precise anatomical locations and the nervous system, so that acupuncture can become less of a mystery. 1. The Relaxation PointThis picture shows my cat peacefully resting in a quasi-meditative trance. There is a point atop the head called “Hundred Convergences,” which promotes relaxation. The point’s descriptive name reflects the multiplicity of nerve branches found here. When activated, these nerves produce calming responses. They also improve brain oxygenation and blood flow. This photograph shows my cat resting comfortably in a quasi-meditative state while being needled at the Hundred Convergences site. When I lecture on the neurobiology of acupuncture to first-year veterinary students, they often ask if I will perform acupuncture on them right before an exam so they can feel calmer and sharper. I inform them that while putting a needle or applying pressure on this spot might improve brain function before an exam, its relaxing influences might also make them sleepy.I instead tell them to massage this point the night before so that they can get a good night’s sleep prior to the test! Where it is located on you: If you want to try your hand at massaging this acupuncture point on yourself, you can find the Hundred Convergences point an inch or two behind the highest point of your head on the midline. Some folks have a slight indentation here, which is natural. Most acupuncture sites occur in small depressions on the body. 2. A Rejuvenating and Soothing PointThere is a point along the back leg called “Leg Three Miles” that, along with an adjacent point, has received intensive research attention. Some claim that the name Leg Three Miles is due to the fact that needling this point may provide improved vigor and reduced fatigue, allowing an exhausted traveler in ancient times to carry on for three more miles. The dog in this image is receiving electroacupuncture. The versatility of this point shows itself in its ability to impact a host of medical disorders including abdominal pain, diarrhea, colic, stifle (knee) pain, immune dysfunction and weakness in the pelvic (hind) limb. The dog in this image is receiving electroacupuncture at this point and an adjacent point through needles attached to the red and black alligator clips, respectively. The needles then deliver a small electrical pulse to the acupuncture point. This patient suffered from chronic stifle pain for years after surgery as well as back pain and digestive disorders. Leg Three Miles connects to nerves that supply the stifle joint, hind limb, low back and gastrointestinal tract, explaining the point’s multiple effects. Where it is located on you: If you want to try your hand at massaging this acupuncture point on yourself, you can find it by first going to the outer lower leg beneath the patella, or kneecap. One hand-width below the patella, find your shinbone, or tibia. From here, move one finger-breadth to the outside of the leg over the muscle. Massage deeply. Do you feel a slight ache? If you do, you’re likely on the point. In addition to acupuncture, acupressure and massage, walking also activates the nerves located here, helping to explain the therapeutic benefits of exercise and movement on digestion, pain and well-being. 3. Points to Help Ease Pain and Improve MobilityThere are two sets of eight points that are needled to help treat nerve injury in the hands and feet, fight arthritic pain in the digits and improve circulation to the limb. These pointsare called the”Eight Evils” when referring to the hands or forelegs in animals, and “Eight Winds” when referring to the feet or hind limbs. Found in the webbed spaces between the fingers and toes, these points assist in recovering sensation and motor function in patients with spinal cord injury and peripheral neuropathy, including cats with diabetic neuropathy. After I perform acupuncture here, I ask my veterinary clients or human patients to continue stimulating these sites at home with massage at the web spaces and along the sides of the digits. The names of the points, Eight Evils and Eight Winds, harken back to ancient Chinese beliefs that demonic or evil climatic forces entered the hands and feet at these sites, leading to pain, weakness and joint deformation. The goal of needling back then was to release the evil winds and demons. We now know that the effects of acupuncture on these points is neurologic, not supernatural. Acupuncture is being used to stimulate nerves to help a dog walk again. This image illustrates needle placement on the Eight Winds points for a dog that had difficulty walking after a tumor compressed his spinal cord. Following thesurgeon’s removal of the mass, I stimulated the nerves at these sites in order to help him walk again. Where it is located on you: These points can be found by massagingthe thicker part of the webbed spaces in between your fingers and toes. If you think acupuncture might help your pet, talk with your veterinarian. Dr. Narda Robinson, who is both a veterinarian and a doctor of osteopathic medicine, is the country’s leadingauthority on scientific complementary and alternative medicine. She isthe director of Colorado State University’s Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Management.She is a frequent lecturer and the author ofnumerous scientific publications. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Subscribe To Our Newslatter In The Link Below. via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Simple – Thinkstock Think your pet is particularly naughty this time of year? You’re not the only one. We bet a lot of pet owners can relate to these holiday mishaps. We like to think that our pets are always on Santa’s nice list, but every now and then, they do something, ahem, a little naughty. The holiday season — with its sparkling trimmed trees, luminous lights and perfectly wrapped presents — seems to be an opportune time for dogs and cats to get into mischief (at our expense). It’s a good thing our four-legged friends are so cute, because at the end of the day, many of us can’t help but laugh at their antics. In that vein, we’ve asked our Facebook fans to share the worst “gifts” they’ve ever received from their pets during the holidays. Some of these antics could have ended badly for the pet, though, so be sure to consider how you can avoid having your pet get into this kind of trouble this season. Brace yourself for stories of downed Christmas trees, furry “surprises” and unwrapped, er, ripped-open presents. So Long, TreeReader Sonjalyn Dickson Rine’s cat, Figaro, was all about climbing the Christmas tree and sending it crashing down. “He would sit, walk a few feet away and sit and look back at it, as if to say, ‘Go ahead and put it back up. Make my day,’” Rinesays. Cats really know how to mock us, don’t they? Cats usually get the blame for knocking the Christmas tree over. But dogs do it, too, as evidenced by this story from Facebook fan Angelina King: “Our pups — a Heeler mix and a Siberian Husky — were playing the night after we got our tree up and ran right into it. Needless to say, it came tumbling down and now leans to one side. Ha-ha.” At least King can laugh about it, right? The Gift That Keeps On GivingCatching a squirrel is probably the No. 1 dream for most dogs. Well, reader Cindy Lynn Ostergard’s Weimaraner, Katie, made that impossible dream come true. The dog left a dead one at Ostergard’s feet while she was eating breakfast with her mom on Christmas Eve. “Katie was so proud,” Ostergard writes. Oh, we bet she was. Don’t Forget the DecorationsSparky the cat, who was owned by Facebook fan Nora Coombs (and lived more than 20 years), certainly lived up to his, well, electric name. Coombs says “he would pop the twinkle lights off the string and then play with them.” What a shocking habit! Surprise, I Ruined the Surprise!Who cares about unwrapping presents on Christmas morning? Reader Lisa Boone’s daughter’s mini dwarf rabbit took care of that holiday chore by tearing open all the presents under the tree. The rabbit also chewed the boxes open and left paper all over the place. Surprise! Not Always NaughtyIt turns out, our pets aren’t always so bad during the holiday season. Even with all the temptations, sometimes they — gasp — ignore them. (If your dog does get into trouble this time of year, brushing up on these commands can help.) With that in mind, we leave you with this nice message from Facebook fan Meagan Reardon, “So far the kids have been really good. I think they know it’s something special. And Santa always brings them something good.” We wish you and your pets a happy — and safe! — holiday season. Although we can laugh at the anecdotes above, if your dog or cat does something dangerous like chew on electric cords, scarf down chocolates or find his way to another holiday hazard, contact your veterinarian immediately. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories; if you’ve got one, please write it in the comments below. More on Vetstreet: //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Get Our Newslatter Straight To Your Inbox via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Simple – Thinkstock Cats usually become infected with Bartonella through exposure to fleas. While you may not be familiar with Bartonella, you’ve probably heard of cat scratch disease, a human condition caused by one form of this bacteria. As the name suggests, people can get this disease from the scratch or bite of an infected cat. But dogs and cats can get sick from these bacteria as well, often from exposure to infected fleas. A Risk to Your Family’s HealthAlthough many animals can carry different forms of the bacteria, including dogs, wild canines, cattle and pocket pets, cats appear to be the main source for human infections with Bartonella henselae, the cause of cat scratch disease (or cat scratch fever). While people usually become infected from the bite or scratch of an infected cat, they may also become infected when the cat licks an open wound. Symptoms in humansmay include a fever and enlarged lymph nodes, but young children or immunocompromised people may experience more severe complications. How Pets Become InfectedExposure to infected flea dirt, or droppings, from the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is believed to be the main way cats are infected withBartonella. Cats do not appear to become infected through cat bites, scratches, grooming, sharing litter boxes or food dishes. Dogs may acquire Bartonella though contact with fleas or a cat bite or scratch. The bacteria survive by living in red blood cells and the cells lining internal organs. In this way, the bacteria can hide from the body’s natural immune system and antibiotics directed against them. The bacteria can also infect other types of cells, such as those in the central nervous system and bone marrow as well as in certain types of white blood cells. Most Cats Show No Signs of IllnessThe signs of infection can vary depending on the different species of bacteria. While most cats show no signs of infection, some may have a transient fever, lethargy and decreased appetite. If a cat is positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and is also infected with Bartonella, he may experience inflamed gums and enlarged lymph nodes. Clinical signs associated with bartonellosis in dogs can include fever, weight loss, decreased appetite, lethargy, coughing, intermittent joint pain and lameness, weakness, skin lesions, enlarged lymph nodes and potentially jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Diagnosis Can Be DifficultInfected cats may show transient signs or no signs at all, and routine blood work may not reveal any hints to the infection. But when dogs or cats become ill, your veterinarian may recommend special blood tests for Bartonella. Pets that test positive for the infection are generally treated with a four- to six-week course of antibiotics. Flea Prevention is a MustMinimizing your pet’s exposure to fleas is the most important means of reducing transmission of Bartonella as well as other disease-causing organisms carried by these pests. Your veterinarian can recommend an effective product that’s right for your cat or dog. More on VetStreet: //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Get Closer To Your Pet via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Step-by-step – Thinkstock Ninety percent of a small-animal veterinarian’s job is preventive care. Learning in veterinary school is a lot like trying to take a sip of water from an open fire hydrant. With the sheer volume of coursework, covering everything from biochemistry, dermatology and ophthalmology to dentistry and neurology — not to mention learning all the parasite life cycles for chickens, goats, horses, cattle, dogs, cats and pigs, it’s no wonder some things may get lost along the way. I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, it took years in practice, working with pets and their owners, to learn some of the most essential lessons. Regular Preventive Care Is Incredibly ImportantIn veterinary school, it was all about surgical skills, complex medical cases and heart-stopping emergency room moments. Of course, we learned about infectious diseases, but I learned very little about the incredible importance of preventive care, because there simply wasn’t time. What I found after I started practicing is that a large percentage of a small-animal veterinarian’s job is preventive care. And with good reason: The long-term health and well-being of my patients depend on it. Unlike the experiences many vet students have in veterinary school, the pet owner relationships in general practice tend to be long-term: Many veterinarians will see patients from cradle to the grave. When you work with these pets year after year, your focus changes from treating a one-time disease to helping prevent health problems from occurring in the first place. I quickly realized that the way to create a lifetime of wellness is through regular exams and preventive care. Many pet owners are still under the mistaken assumption that the only reason to take a healthy pet to the veterinarian on a regular basis is for vaccines. While vaccines are a critical part of preventive care, there is so much more to the visit. Among other things, your veterinarian will evaluate your pet’s vital signs; look for any weight changes, signs of pain or mental health issues including aggression and anxiety; assess dental health, nutritional and parasite control needs; and so much more. A regular exam provides a WEALTH of information for the discerning pet owners who want their pets to live healthier lives. Regular exams help your veterinarian identify problems early, and course correct for the best quality of life, as well as reduce the risk of transmissible diseases between animals and people. Owners Want to Take an Active Role in Their Pets’ HealthInterestingly, I did less pet owner education when I first started in practice than I do now. Of course, that was before pet owners had access to the mountain of information available from a split-second Google search. Many times, pet owners have researched their pets’ signs on the internet before they come in and are able to ask informed questions, because they want to be more informed about their pets’ health. At the same time, astute pet owners realize that much of what is available on the internet can be questionable, and they rely on me to steer them true in an ocean of information. I had NO IDEA when I graduated that my clients would rely on me to separate the good from the bad internet information, so they could make more informed decisions about their pets. It Is a Privilege to Help with EuthanasiaIn veterinary school, I rarely witnessed euthanasias. The residents usually elected to perform them with the families alone. Obviously, this was not a time for veterinary students to observe, especially during a moment that can literally tear a pet owner’s heart in two. At the time, I could not have comprehended the privilege and responsibility of being part of a beloved pet’s last moments on earth. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Subscribe http://secretofpet.co.place/best-5-things-i-didnt-learn-in-vet-school/ via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Work quickly – Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. In this photo from 1962, President John F. Kennedy stands with John F. Kennedy, Jr., Caroline Kennedy and her Pony, Macaroni. While pets may not be into politics, it’s clear that politicians have long been into pets. The love of animals has been part of first families since George Washington — and is the one bridge that clearly crosses party affiliations. After all, Democratic president James Buchanan kept an elephant at the White House, a gift from a foreign dignitary before Congress suggested that all such wild gifts be kept at a zoo. Republican president Calvin Coolidge had a donkey named Ebeneezer. So much for aligning pets with party affiliations. With Election Day on the horizon, we know there’s one thing we can all agree on — whether you’re voting for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or a third-party candidate — the White House has certainly had some adorable and fascinating dogs, cats and well, other “pets.” Animal Antics and EscapadesPresidential pets have come in all shapes, sizes and species, as evidenced by the following stories: The Pony Healer: Quentin Roosevelt thought his brother, Archie, would recover from the measles faster if he could only see Algonquin, his favorite pony. With the help of a White House footman, Quentin sneaked the pony into an elevator and brought him to his brother’s room. While Archie did smile, the boys’ father, President Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909), did not. Ponies were strictly forbidden in White House bedrooms from then on. A Ram-Charged Pickup: President Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) had a pet goat named His Whiskers, who his grandchildren liked to hitch to a small cart to ride around the White House lawn. On one such occasion, His Whiskers spotted an open gate and accelerated through it, charging down Pennsylvania Avenue with the children. The president caught up with them a few blocks later to lead them all home. Have Dog, Will Howl: President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) welcomed a stray mutt, found by his daughter Luci, to the White House. Yuki was a small, white dog with a talent for singing. In fact, when the first lady traveled to Texas, the president and Yuki would sing to her over the phone. Dog Goes Missing: His Scottish Terrier, Fala, often accompanied President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) on official White House business. Returning via battleship from a trip to the Aleutian Islands, near Alaska, the president noticed that Fala was not on the ship! The battleship returned to retrieve the missing dog, much to the chagrin of some taxpayers. A Foul-Mouthed Fowl: President Andrew Jackson’s parrot, Poll, reportedly was kicked out of the president’s own funeral for swearing. Jackson (1829–1837) bought the bird for his wife before he was elected president. The bird outlived both of them and couldn’t resist having the last word, so to speak. Famous Pet PresentsPresenting presidents and their families with pets was a proud tradition for many years. Some of the more famous pet presents include the following: Caroline Kennedy’s beloved pony, Macaroni, was a gift from Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Macaroni delighted the child and the nation alike as the pony was seen pulling children in a sleigh around the White House and frolicking around the White House grounds. A Golden Retriever named Liberty was a gift from the White House photographer to President Gerald Ford (1974–1977). A beloved first pet, Liberty received cards and letters from across the country when she gave birth to a litter of puppies. When citizens’ requests for a picture of Liberty and her pups came pouring in, Liberty autographed the photos with a special rubber-stamp paw print. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Get Closer To Your Pet via Secret Of Pet Secret Of Pet All Goods For Our Friends |
AuthorSecret Of Pet - All Goods For Our Friends Home All About Pet , Pets , Animals , dog , dogs , cat , cats , fish , bird , birds , bird-feeder Information https://www.secretofpet.com ArchivesCategories |