2011 List of Household Items Ingested By Pets!

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It isn’t unusual- if you have a pet- that at one point or another you’ve pulled an object out of their mouth! Every year, a list is generated by Veterinary Pet Insurance that announces all the objects that were ingested by pets. In the 2010 list, there were 2000 claims for events in which a pet consumed something they weren’t supposed to and needed veterinary care. This cost pet owners about $3 million!

 

The number of claims made by pet owners in 2011 shot to 6500 and the cost of care climbed to $5.2 million! The 2011 list contained many household items along with some unusual ones including a dead porcupine, a rat swallowed whole, two foot wire hangers, 100 rocks, fish hook and line, three needles, a package of fluorescent light bulbs, a box of razor blades, deer antlers and a dental retainer!

When pets swallow these items, it becomes a huge risk for them. A majority of these items cannot be digested or passed thru the intestines and therefore results in obstruction.

It is important for pet owners to “pet-proof” their homes and outdoor property. Any items that can be a risk to your pet should be kept out of their reach and especially off the floor.

Has your pet ever ingested anything harmful? Let us know on All Pet’s Facebook page linked here!

What Kind of Pet Would Best Fit Your Family?

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Pets are amongst one of the many things that children want. However, many parents are apprehensive about letting their child get one, no matter what the type. Several parents have a hard time deciding what kind of pet would be the best fit for their family.

Recently, a number of people who have been infected by salmonella are linking this issue to their pet turtles! The number of cases has increased from 66 in March to 127 in May, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Amongst these cases, two-thirds of those infected were under the age of ten. 

Who knew that a small little turtle could bring about so many health issues? Many parents think sticking with a cat or dog is always a safe bet, however, not all breeds are kid-friendly and possess many potential risks for children. Parents also think about smaller pets like hamsters or rabbits because they seem to be easier for a child to care for. Although, when it comes to cleaning the hamster or rabbit cage, these tiny animals quickly become extremely troublesome.

Do you have any tips about what pet best suites a family? Let us know!

Paging the Tiger Doctor: Malayan Tiger Needs a Root Canal

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Recently, Kumar, a 13 year old, 235 pound Malayan tiger needed a root canal! Dentist, Bert Gaddis made the house call to the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. 

Kumar was sedated during the procedure and intubated on a gurney while the root canal was performed.  A number of zookeepers alongwith veterinarians were present during the procedure and monitored Kumar’s vital signs and various other health checks while the tiger was unconscious.

According to the zoo’s veterinarians, dental problems aren’t uncommon amongst zoo animals. Routine complete dental exams are performed at the zoo, and that is how Kumar’s broken lower canine tooth was discovered.  When the zoo discovered Kumar’s issue, they called in Gaddis to perform the root canal. Gaddis has also performed root canals on a white handed gibbon, a westernlowland gorilla, a river otter and a white tiger. He has also performed extractions on a California sea lion, red fronted lemur, and assisted a Nile hippopotamus when it needed an impacted baby tooth pulled!

Species with Larger Eyes Typically Have Higher Visual Activity...

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It is presumed that species with larger eyes typically have higher visual activity. Mammals such as cheetahs or horses are guaranteed to have larger eyes that give them better vision to avoid collisions with obstacles in their environment when they are moving at a rapid pace. 

What are some of the ecological factors that cause mammal’s eye size to differ? It was once thought that the time of day that the mammal is active, whether nocturnal or diurnal, would be a main factor in the evolution of eye size. Conversely, research found that the anatomy of the eye has shown that although nocturnal and diurnal species differ in eye shape, they have similar eye sizes. Nocturnal species appear to have bigger eyes because more of the cornea is exposed to let in the maximum amount of light.

Amongst mammals,body mass plus maximum running speed can account for 89% of the variation in eye size. Researchers also add that body size is always going to influence eye size.

Researches Working to Deveop a Device That Can Detect Odors as Sensitively as a Dog's Nose!

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It is a well-known fact that dogs have an amazing sense of smell. In the past, police officers have used canine sniffing dogs to find lost people, illegal drugs or smuggled food. Scientists have also used this special skill that dogs have to track pythons in the Everglades or find whales in the ocean.

Researchers in South Korea are working to develop a device that can detect odors as sensitively as a dog’s nose. The senor will work like a dog’s nose, without using canine sniffing cells. The device combines a simplified version of the cells in a dog’s nose with tiny transistors, which are similar to those in our computers. The device can sense hexanal, which is a chemical commonly released in rotting food. 

Tai Hyun Park and Seunghun Hong of Seoul National University recreated a simpler version of detecting cells in a dog’s nose using tiny bubbles made from cell membranes. Park and Hung along with their colleagues, engineered human kidney cells to produce canine receptor protein for hexanal. The sensor was able to detect the 6-carbon hexanal chain even when it was combined with similar chemicals 5-, 7- and 8-carbons long. It even detected when covered with diluted spoiled milk!

Shanti the Elephant Plays the Harmonica!

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Shanthi, a rather intelligent, 36 year old Asian elephant who resides at the Smithsonian National Zoo is not your average elephant.  Shanthi can play the harmonica, along with composing her own tunes!

Shanthi plays the harmonica at her own free will and definitely possesses her own signature style. Each of Shanthi’s tunes ends with a long and dramatic crescendo that everyone waits for, knowing that she’s reached the end of her tune. Once Shanthi hears the applause of the crowd, she seems to come back for more!

Pet Food Recall- Is Your Pet Safe?

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Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has administered a national recall on Diamond Pet Foods dog food manufactured between the dates of December 9^th and April 7^th 2012 from the company’s manufacturing plant in Gaston, South Carolina.

The recall was put into full effect last month after salmonella was found in some batches of the company’s dry dog food.

There has been no illness to be found in any dogs, but 14 cases of salmonella have been reported in humans from either handling the dog food or from cross contamination of utensils.

Thus far, the Diamond recall has been the biggest pet food recall of 2012 and has effected Puerto Rico, parts of Canada, Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

How Did Tigers Get Their Stripes? A New Theory Emerges...

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For years, researchers have relied on the same theory on how tigers got their stripes. However, science is not so certain anymore that these theories are correct.   

The morphogen theory states that proteins controlling traits are arranged as gradients, with different amounts of proteins activating genes to create specified physical features.

This theory first evolved in the 1950’s by World War II mathematician and was refined in the 1960’s. Ever since, it has been the theory that has been used to explain why tigers have their stripes and where they come from. 

Now, some biologists are raising questions about the theory and believe that physical features are necessarily tied to absolute concentrations of proteins within the morphogen gradient.

Contrary to the theory’s surfacing in the 1950’s and 60’s, researchers have recently found that a single gradient lf proteins does not have sufficient power to from the same body plan in each member of a species. Nevertheless, if there are multiple gradients working against each other, then the system becomes robust enough for normal development.

So, the question still remains: How Did Tigers Get Their Stripes? What theory do you believe? Let us know on the AllPet Facebook Wall, linked HERE.

Check Out AllPet.Com's New Video!

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Allpet.com is a privately owned company based in Long Island, New York. We offer over 5,000 pet supply products for your aquarium, birds, cats, dogs, reptiles and small pets. All orders are fulfilled from our large 83,000 square foot warehouse. Having such a large facility allows us to sell quality pet supplies at even greater discounted prices! Most orders ship the same day they are ordered.

Check out our new AllPet.com video below! Let us know what you think on the AllPet.com Facebook Page, linked HERE.  

Bret Michaels Releases Designer Pet Products!

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Poison singer and reality television star Bret Michaels has released his own line of pet accessories, with over 50 themed pet items to choose from that are sure to rock your pet’s world!

The collection ranges from studded plush beds, to cross-and-skull accented pleather vests and squishy toys in bandanas.  All of the items in the line have a kick of rock star and Bret Michaels wrapped into it.

Kick the summer off with giving your pet a rock star makeover!

Iceberg Straight Ahead! --An All White Killer Whale

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Russian scientists are set out to embark on a journey to find out more information on the only all-white, adult killer whale ever spotted in the North Pacific. They have named the whale Iceberg!

Researchers from the university of Moscow and Saint Petersburg first spotted the approximately 6 foot dorsal fin back in August. 

The researchers have chosen to hold back on releasing photos of Iceberg until they are able to better study the whale!