September 10, 2007

I was listening to NPR today as I headed to the bookstore and heard that Alex, the African Grey parrot died.  He was owned by Dr. Irene Pepperburg who helped with research in cognition.  Here's the NPR article on All Things Considered today.  You can hear the clip by going to the NPR link.

I thought his last words to her was so touching.  It amazes me what animals can do, think, and feel.

Alex the Parrot, an Apt Student, Passes Away

 

All Things Considered, September 10, 2007 · Alex the famous African gray parrot, renowned for the landmark cognition research conducted by owner Dr. Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., has died at the age of 31. By learning elements of the English language to identify shapes, colors and sizes, Alex shattered the notion that parrots are only capable of mimicking words.

According to Pepperberg who is a faculty member at Brandeis University, Alex was able to identify 50 different objects, seven colors and shapes, and quantities of up to six. Alex also understood the concept of bigger and smaller and same and different. Pepperberg says they were in the midst of learning basic mathematics skills.

"This was a very amazing creature," she says.

Alex also had the emotional level of a 2-year-old child, Pepperberg says. After repeating some learning trials dozens of times, Alex would become tired and throw objects off the trays with his beak. When visiting the veterinarian, Alex would go back in his cage and slam the door.

How would Alex say goodbye? Pepperberg says that she imagines it would sound something like what Alex would say to her every night before going to bed: "You be good. I love you. See you tomorrow."

I recently was given a very nice digital camera.  This weekend I've been playing around with it taking photos of the dogs.  Here are a few.

August 12, 2007

I know it's been forever since I've updated on here.  My online courses are now done.  It was definitely a new experience but one I'd do again.  Anyway, on Sundays, I always visit postsecret.com  This time Frank did a mini movie of the secrets for this week.  I found it really moving.  It's amazing how much music can add to words and pictures.  The song playing in the background ("Breathe Me" by Sia) is one of my favorites.  I originally heard it on the final episode of "Six Feet Under."  Every time I hear it, I still see Claire driving on the highway with flashes of the future of each character.  Go to the link and see for yourself.

The average yawn lasts six seconds

Rather than being a precursor to sleep, yawning is designed to keep us awake, say US researchers. But why does seeing someone else yawn make you to do the same?

Yawning is an involuntary action that everyone does. We start before we are born and most creatures on the planet do it - even snakes and fish.

New research suggests rather than being a precursor to sleep, the purpose of yawning is to cool the brain so it operates more efficiently and keeps you awake.

The theory could explain a puzzling question about subconscious human behaviour - why many of us yawn when we see or hear another person doing it, or even read about it or even just think about it?

THE ANSWER It is a protective mechanism to make a group more alert Or, it's a form of herding behaviour Or it's a means of communicating sleeping times

The brain cooling theory says that when we contagiously yawn we are participating in an ancient, hardwired ritual that evolved to help groups stay alert and detect danger.

'Herding behaviour'

It's not copying another person's sleepiness, say scientists at the University of Albany in New York, who are behind the latest research.

"We think contagious yawning is triggered by empathic mechanisms which function to maintain group vigilance," says Dr Gordon Gallup, a leading researcher at the university.

The belief is further supported by the observation of University of Maryland's Robert Provine that paratroopers report yawning before jumping.

But there are other theories. It's been suggested contagious yawning could be a result of an unconscious herding behaviour - a subtle way to communicate to those around us, similar to when flocks of birds take flight at the same time.

Another theory suggests contagious yawning might have helped early humans communicate their alertness levels and coordinate sleeping times.

Basically, if one decided it was time to sleep they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed.

Chimpanzees also suffer from contagious yawning, according to researchers at Kyoto University in Japan. They are thought to be the only other creatures, apart from humans, who do so.

The rest of the animal kingdom - including birds, snakes and hippos - yawn for other reasons. Dogs yawn to stay calm in certain situations, says Turid Rugaas, author of On talking Terms with Dogs.

Anyone who gets to the end of this article without yawning may wish to think of themselves as a medical apparition. In fact, only about half of adult humans are prone to contagious yawning.

July 8, 2007

Within the last few years, the AVMA has changed its guidelines regarding rabies vaccinations in dogs moving towards a 3-year protocol versus the annual.  Many states have adopted this, although there are still vets out there who do an annual Rabies shot.  One thing is that the annual Rabies shot is really the 3-year Rabies shot labeled as a one  year.  Therefore, more money is being made by both vets and pharmaceutical companies making these vaccinations.

For awhile now, the Rabies Challenge Funs had been getting donations in order to do some controlled trials to find out what the duration of immunity is for Rabies vaccines.  Some vets have reported at least 5-7 years.  Finally, enough money has been raise to start these trials.  I think it's pretty exciting if you ask me.  Though I still believe in vaccinations (minimal), I have seen many pets have bad reactions and behavioral changes due to vaccinations.  So it's important to become as informed as you can, so you can make the best decision possible for your beloved pets.

http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-lspets5278482jul02,0,6559208.column

Pets: Rabies vaccine research may save some pain

July 2, 2007

Score one - a big one - for the underdogs.

I've written before about Kris Christine, who is a prime example of what one woman with equal parts outrage and focus can achieve: She pretty much forced the state of Maine to change its annual rabies revaccination requirement from annually to every three years.

So when she called last week with news so exciting she could barely keep her voice from squeaking, I perked up.

"We did it!" she said. "The rabies trials are on!"

Maybe you have no idea what that means. If so, maybe you should read on.

While in recent years many vets have embraced progressive attitudes about vaccination, many still cling to outdated ideas. Among them: giving "annual shots" for core canine diseases such as distemper and parvovirus when three years is considered to be the minimum interval between boosters, or giving vaccines that are not recommended at all, such as coronavirus. (If this sound like your vet, consult the American Animal Hospital Association's newly updated canine vaccination guidelines at aahanet.org, and consider switching to a veterinary professional who is not still in the Pleistocene era.)

Of all the vaccines veterinarians administer, rabies is the most sacrosanct, largely because the disease is zoonotic, a fancy word that means transmissible to humans. Rabies in the only vaccine mandated by law for dogs and cats; New York, like many states, requires revaccination at three-year intervals, which is the longest. (A handful of states, including Alabama, still mandate annual boosters.)

But some veterinary immunologists believe the rabies vaccine confers a duration of immunity that exceeds three years - in fact, as much as five or seven years. Problem is, there have been no clinical trials - in which dogs are vaccinated and then exposed to the disease - to prove that. And vaccine companies, which normally conduct the trials, have a strong economic incentive not to. After all, how much sense does it make to spend a ton of money to be told consumers need less of your product than you are selling?

Which brings us to Christine. In her research on overvaccination, she came across two veterinarians who have made it their life's work to nudge their peers toward a less-can-be-more approach to vaccination: Jean Dodds of Hemopet in Garden Grove, Calif., and Ronald Schultz at University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, who incidentally helped formulate the American Animal Hospital Association's guidelines.

Dodds has lectured endlessly on adverse reactions associated with the rabies vaccine. They include autoimmune diseases of the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites, especially in cats.

For his part, Schultz has performed serological studies that documented rabies antibody titer counts at levels known to confer immunity seven years after vaccination.

But what they needed to do was to formally prove the rabies vaccine's long-term duration of immunity, so state-mandated intervals for boosters could be extended.

So, two years ago, Christine teamed up with Dodds to create the Rabies Challenge Fund, which needed $177,000 to fund the studies' first-year budget.

Which brings us to Christine's euphoric phone call: Thanks to the contributions of many dog clubs, veterinarians and concerned owners, they now have the money to start.

The concurrent 5- and 7-year challenge studies trials will begin next month under the supervision of Schultz, who is volunteering his time as principal investigator. The University of Wisconsin will donate all the overhead costs.

"I've been an activist for a long time," Dodds says, "and this is the first time I've seen the public mount a grass-roots effort because the veterinary profession and the vaccine industry haven't done anything."

Five years from now, Schultz will likely have the proof of what he has known all along: That the rabies vaccine provides long-term immunity. In the face of that, the government can lengthen the mandated revaccination intervals.

This is too late to benefit my 7-year-old dog, who went for her rabies booster this weekend. But not for her 1-year-old daughter, who might be spared several unnecessary revaccinations over her lifetime.

Until then, the Rabies Challenge Fund needs more donations: Looming on the horizon each year is a $150,000 annual budget that must still be met.

The Rabies Challenge Fund is as grass roots as you can get. Individuals can and do make a difference.

Send donations to The Rabies Challenge fund at Rabies Challenge Fund, c/o Hemopet, 11330 Markon Drive, Garden Grove, CA 92841. For more information on The Rabies Challenge Fund, visit RabiesChallengeFund.org.

Email: denise.flaim@newsday.com

July 8, 2007

Within the last few years, the AVMA has changed its guidelines regarding rabies vaccinations in dogs moving towards a 3-year protocol versus the annual.  Many states have adopted this, although there are still vets out there who do an annual Rabies shot.  One thing is that the annual Rabies shot is really the 3-year Rabies shot labeled as a one  year.  Therefore, more money is being made by both vets and pharmaceutical companies making these vaccinations.

For awhile now, the Rabies Challenge Funs had been getting donations in order to do some controlled trials to find out what the duration of immunity is for Rabies vaccines.  Some vets have reported at least 5-7 years.  Finally, enough money has been raise to start these trials.  I think it's pretty exciting if you ask me.  Though I still believe in vaccinations (minimal), I have seen many pets have bad reactions and behavioral changes due to vaccinations.  So it's important to become as informed as you can, so you can make the best decision possible for your beloved pets.

http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-lspets5278482jul02,0,6559208.column

Pets: Rabies vaccine research may save some pain

July 2, 2007

Score one - a big one - for the underdogs.

I've written before about Kris Christine, who is a prime example of what one woman with equal parts outrage and focus can achieve: She pretty much forced the state of Maine to change its annual rabies revaccination requirement from annually to every three years.

So when she called last week with news so exciting she could barely keep her voice from squeaking, I perked up.

"We did it!" she said. "The rabies trials are on!"

Maybe you have no idea what that means. If so, maybe you should read on.

While in recent years many vets have embraced progressive attitudes about vaccination, many still cling to outdated ideas. Among them: giving "annual shots" for core canine diseases such as distemper and parvovirus when three years is considered to be the minimum interval between boosters, or giving vaccines that are not recommended at all, such as coronavirus. (If this sound like your vet, consult the American Animal Hospital Association's newly updated canine vaccination guidelines at aahanet.org, and consider switching to a veterinary professional who is not still in the Pleistocene era.)

Of all the vaccines veterinarians administer, rabies is the most sacrosanct, largely because the disease is zoonotic, a fancy word that means transmissible to humans. Rabies in the only vaccine mandated by law for dogs and cats; New York, like many states, requires revaccination at three-year intervals, which is the longest. (A handful of states, including Alabama, still mandate annual boosters.)

But some veterinary immunologists believe the rabies vaccine confers a duration of immunity that exceeds three years - in fact, as much as five or seven years. Problem is, there have been no clinical trials - in which dogs are vaccinated and then exposed to the disease - to prove that. And vaccine companies, which normally conduct the trials, have a strong economic incentive not to. After all, how much sense does it make to spend a ton of money to be told consumers need less of your product than you are selling?

Which brings us to Christine. In her research on overvaccination, she came across two veterinarians who have made it their life's work to nudge their peers toward a less-can-be-more approach to vaccination: Jean Dodds of Hemopet in Garden Grove, Calif., and Ronald Schultz at University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, who incidentally helped formulate the American Animal Hospital Association's guidelines.

Dodds has lectured endlessly on adverse reactions associated with the rabies vaccine. They include autoimmune diseases of the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites, especially in cats.

For his part, Schultz has performed serological studies that documented rabies antibody titer counts at levels known to confer immunity seven years after vaccination.

But what they needed to do was to formally prove the rabies vaccine's long-term duration of immunity, so state-mandated intervals for boosters could be extended.

So, two years ago, Christine teamed up with Dodds to create the Rabies Challenge Fund, which needed $177,000 to fund the studies' first-year budget.

Which brings us to Christine's euphoric phone call: Thanks to the contributions of many dog clubs, veterinarians and concerned owners, they now have the money to start.

The concurrent 5- and 7-year challenge studies trials will begin next month under the supervision of Schultz, who is volunteering his time as principal investigator. The University of Wisconsin will donate all the overhead costs.

"I've been an activist for a long time," Dodds says, "and this is the first time I've seen the public mount a grass-roots effort because the veterinary profession and the vaccine industry haven't done anything."

Five years from now, Schultz will likely have the proof of what he has known all along: That the rabies vaccine provides long-term immunity. In the face of that, the government can lengthen the mandated revaccination intervals.

This is too late to benefit my 7-year-old dog, who went for her rabies booster this weekend. But not for her 1-year-old daughter, who might be spared several unnecessary revaccinations over her lifetime.

Until then, the Rabies Challenge Fund needs more donations: Looming on the horizon each year is a $150,000 annual budget that must still be met.

The Rabies Challenge Fund is as grass roots as you can get. Individuals can and do make a difference.

Send donations to The Rabies Challenge fund at Rabies Challenge Fund, c/o Hemopet, 11330 Markon Drive, Garden Grove, CA 92841. For more information on The Rabies Challenge Fund, visit RabiesChallengeFund.org.

Email: denise.flaim@newsday.com

June 13, 2007

I have been away for awhile.  First, I started some online classes in May.  About three das before the class started, my satellite decided to die on me.  A week later, I had a guy come look at it verifying this.  Then there was a bunch of hoopla in getting a new upgraded satellite modem.  Then the satellite company screwed up and sent my name to the wrong satellite installer which happened to be in another state.  Finally, after three weeks of no satellite, I was able to get the installer whom I wanted to come out and fix it.  It's been a few weeks now that I've been back up and running which makes things a whole heck of a lot easier.  I think the library people were beginning to know me by name.  It's definitely much easier to do online classes when you have a working satellite.

Right now, I've mostly been doing that and a bit stressed at the moment.  I'm just about finished with one class and my other class has already started.  I really hate the overlap.  It makes this coming week very difficult, but hopefully, I'll be able to get it all completed.  After this week, things should be better hopefully. 

Other news going on.  Baxter celebrated his

8th birthday on June 4th.  Hank will celebrate his on  June 18th.  I think he is something like 6 1/2 to 7 years old.  Normally, I make them something special, but I just really haven't had time.  I'm hoping to make something next week or the week after.  They both love peanut butter, so it becomes a "doggie peanut butter" cake.

Yesterday, I signed the documents needed to finally finish this dog bite law suit.  I hope it is not dragged out any further. 

I think that's about it going on.  The kennel is busy since it is summer.  That with the classes and everything else is keeping me pretty busy.

May 8, 2007

For all you pets lovers, this week is National Pet week!  It was first designated in 1981 by the AVMA and the auxilliary of the AVMA.  It's a week to promote responsible dog ownership, veterinary medicine, and the wonderful human-animal bond.  Let's face it, our pets mean a lot to us.  They provide us with fun, entertainment, companionship, and unconditional love.  Plus, studies have shown they reduce blood pressure and have an overall calming affect on many people.

So give your pets some extra hugs and love this week!

May 8, 2007

The first week of May is National Herb Week.  Herbs are something I've really gotten into the last five or so years.  I have basic knowledge of herbs and primarily use them with my dogs (well myself sometimes too).  It's a field that is quite interesting and can be helpful when used correctly.

According to the International Herb Association, Lemon Bam (Melissa Officinalis) is this year's herb.  Lemon balm's uses can be anywhere from culinary to medicinal to just decorative.  It's a non-toxic herb, so it is also pet friendly.  I'm quite amazed at all its potential uses, especially medicinally.  Apparently, it has antiviral and analgesic properties as well as helps with Alzheimer's and the herpes simplex virus in treating cold sores.

From what I've read, it can help with digestion, stress, anxiety, flatulence, insomnia, hyperthyroidism, and more.  It's also something that can be used topically for wounds, disinfecting rinses, and as a topical treatment for ringworm.  I'm hoping to find some to grow and use with my dogs and myself. 

2008's herb of the year is calendula which is one personally one of my favorites.  Stay tuned for that update.

May 2, 2007

This week, the "Today" show is doing their annual "where in the world is Matt Lauer" special.  Matt goes to five different places and one is featured every day.  Monday was Everett, WA where they make Boeing airplanes, Tuesday, he was in Ireland, and today, he was in Bhutan.  Wow, what a beautiful place.  I love the "Tiger's Nest."  It just looks absolutely peaceful being stuck right in the mountains like that.  The majority of people there are Buddhists, so there is a lot devoted to that with monasteries, prayer wheels, etc. 

The one thing that was really interesting to me was that Bhutan has only been "modernized/westernized" in the last eight years or so with roads built, electricity, televisions, etc.  Their ruler made sense in the fact that he knew in order for his country to survive and thrive, it needed to be more open to the outside world.  I guess I worry with modernization and westernization.  The change is already evident there, but what will happen in five or ten years?  I remember a study back in the mid-90s by a researcher at Harvard who looked at the island of Fiji and the introduction to television.  The researcher wanted to see if there would be changes in body image, eating disorders, and weight problems.  After five or so years, everything had doubled, tripled, and I think some were even five-fold.  It was really amazing how their perceptions had changed due to this new media.  I guess I fear that with countries that were once so serene, simplistic, and just in their own worlds.  Granted, to truly survive, it is very hard to remain isolated, but still so many other vices become introduced.  I wonder if this will happen to Bhutan or if their faith and spiritualism will keep them at bay.