Snake Alert!
Rattlesnake sightings have been on the rise since extreme drought conditions settled over Northern California. Professional rattlesnake removers report that their businesses are booming.
Experts say the reptiles are seeking out food and water and sometimes following small rodents who enter houses. Since lawn watering has been curtailed, there is less runoff, which affects the habits of wildlife.
Needless to say, rattlesnakes pose a serious threat to humans and canines. Dogs are more likely than people to be bitten because they have their noses to the ground so much of the time, and bites are more likely to be fatal in dogs.
Supervise your dog closely when out in the world. At home, keep garage and house doors firmly closed. And, of course, immediately take your dog to a veterinary emergency room if a bite should occur.
Facial Recognition Technology Reunites Family with Lost Dog
There is a new way to locate lost pets, but it will be a while before the technology is widespread. A company called FindingRover.com has compiled a photo database of shelter dogs from three facilities in San Diego County that can be searched according to eight facial features.
Dogs have more facial distinctions than humans, according to the software developers. Their eyes and noses, in particular, are uniquely spaced and sized.
The technology was recently used to reunite a family with their Shiba Inu named Roxy, who had run away in a panic during a thunderstorm. A youngster in the family uploaded Roxy’s picture at the Finding Rover website and it was compared to photos in the database. Roxy had arrived at a local shelter just a few hours earlier and her photo had been quickly uploaded.
The company’s founder has other shelters set to sign up and is also working with rescue groups, veterinary clinics, and other organizations that work with dogs.
Jealousy in Dogs?
The results of a study carried out by two University of California researchers seem to suggest that dogs get jealous. Thirty-six dogs were videotaped in their homes while their owners ignored them and instead interacted with a series of objects, including a stuffed dog, a children’s musical pop-up book, and a plastic pumpkin.
Small dogs – including Corgis, Dachsunds, and terriers – were chosen for the study in case the situation elicited violent reactions from them.
When the people talked to and displayed affection toward the stuffed animal, the dogs were seemingly jealous, snapping and pushing to try to gain attention. Almost all of them sniffed the stuffed toy at some point during the experiment, presumably because they thought it might be a real dog. When the owners showered attention on the book and the pumpkin, there were far fewer reactions.
More research is needed, but some dog behavior experts see the study as an important step toward a better understanding of canine emotions.
New CHP Canines Graduate
Dogs are indispensible to law enforcement, particularly when it comes to the detection of narcotics and explosives and the apprehension of criminal suspects. In late July, eight more canines joined the ranks of the California Highway Patrol after rigorous preparation for their new jobs.
Each dog completed an intensive eleven-week course, spending a full 440 hours working with and learning from an experienced officer, or handler. The dog-and-human teams will work together throughout the dogs’ careers and are required to do eight hours a week of continued training.
The CHP Canine training program is funded with monies seized from criminal operations under government asset forfeiture laws.
Three of the eight new graduates are assigned to the CHP’s Golden Gate Division, which is responsible for the Bay Area’s nine counties.
FDA Update on Jerky Treats
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released an update on its continuing investigation into thousands of complaints of pet illnesses (mostly involving dogs, but including some cats) that it has received since 2007. Nearly 5,000 consumer complaints have been filed and more than 1,000 dogs have died.
Details in the complaints lead investigators to strongly suspect a connection with jerky treats, especially those imported from China that are made from chicken or duck.
The FDA update reminds pet owners that, “…manufacturers do not need to list the country of origin for each ingredient used in their products, so packages that do not state on the label that they are made in another country may still contain ingredients sourced from China or other countries that export to the U.S.”
The report states that “…about 60 percent [of consumer complaints] are for gastrointestinal illness (with or without elevated liver enzymes) and about 30 percent relate to kidney or urinary signs. The remaining 10 percent of cases involve a variety of other signs, including convulsions, tremors, hives, and skin irritation.”
The FDA has tested for various contaminants in the suspect jerky treats, including salmonella, heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics, mycotoxins, rodenticides, and other chemicals and toxins. Still, after seven years, not enough evidence has surfaced to justify a recall of the treats. Critics have accused the FDA for not taking stronger action to remove potentially contaminated products from pet store shelves.
To stay abreast of the investigation or to file your own complaint about products that may have poisoned your pet, search fda.gov for “jerky treats” and “consumer complaint coordinators.”
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Main article photo by: dogumentarian.com
