Natures Corner: June 2006 Archives

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June 30, 2006

Natural Toxins in Sprouted Seeds: Separating Myth from Reality

Us folks that own Companion Parrots, feed sprouts. You as a human, may also eat sprouts! lol.. this is some good information. (sue)

By Warren Peary and William Peavy, Ph.D.

Natural toxins in food has become a hot and controversial subject recently.

In the last few years, some popular writers have attacked sprouts (particularly alfalfa and legume sprouts) as containing natural toxins. These writers may have heard something about a lathyrogen toxin, saponins, canavanine, and maybe other nasty-sounding toxins, and concluded that the sprouts of legumes are toxic in the raw state and so should not be eaten. These statements are taken out of context.

LATHYROGEN TOXIN
One of the natural toxins that has been mentioned comes from peas of the genus Lathyrus. It is blamed for causing a disease known as lathyrism. Lathyrism causes paralysis in the legs in susceptible individuals and is believed to be caused by a toxic amino acid. This sounds scary, but it's not, because peas of the genus Lathyrus are NOT edible peas. The toxin is found only in the seeds of certain Lathyrus species (L. sativus, L. cicera, L. clymenum). Edible peas and beans are of the genera Cicer, Glycine, Phaseolus, Pisum, and Vigna. They DO NOT contain any such toxin.

Non-edible peas of the genus Lathyrus include sweet peas, which are ornamentals grown for their scented flowers. In India, where food is often scarce, some people have resorted to eating a non-edible pea known as Lathyrus sativus. It is often called "chickpea" but is NOT the same chickpea eaten in this country or any other developed country. The edible chickpea is of the genus Cicer and in botany is known as Cicer arieti-num.

Outbreaks of lathyrism in India have been blamed on eating large amounts of the non-edible chickpea without proper cooking. Well-cooked, it is safe to eat. But it shouldn't matter to us at all because it is considered an inedible species.

There are at least 1,500 species of legumes within one of three subfamilies of the family Leguminosae (Latin for legume). Of these 1,500 species, only a few dozen are regularly used as human food. Of course there are toxins in many of the raw legumes not usually used for human food; that's why humans have learned not to eat them. This is the first mistake sometimes made in warning about natural toxins - talking about a toxin that's found in some non-edible species people don't or shouldn't eat to begin with! ...

SAPONINS
The second mistake often made in talking about natural toxins is to call something toxic that, in the body, is not toxic at all but rather, is beneficial. Such is the case with saponins.

Saponins are a compound found in legumes and legume sprouts. They are toxic to red blood cells only in vitro (outside of the body in a test tube) but harmless when ingested.

In fact, Saponins appear to be beneficial, being responsible for a major part of the cholesterol- lowering effect of legumes. Perhaps it is more than coincidence that the increase in the incidence of heart disease in the 20th century in the Western countries coincides with a decline in the consumption of saponin-rich legumes. Saponins also seem to be anticarcinogens; in one study they inhibited colon cancer.

Even some of the most beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin C, can be shown to be toxic under certain laboratory conditions. Vitamin C is considered an important antioxidant, and substantial evidence shows that it is involved in cancer prevention.

Yet under the right experimental conditions, in the presence of iron (Fe III) or copper (Cu II) ions, ascorbic acid can actually cause the formation of harmful free radicals.6 Does this mean you should try to avoid vitamin C? Absolutely not! These experimental conditions do not appear to be relevant to what goes on in our bodies.

CANAVANINE
The third mistake made in warning about some natural toxins is failing to say that the amount encountered in a food is so minuscule that it is completely insignificant. Such is the case with a toxin called canavanine, which is found in alfalfa seeds. While some writers may make canavanine sound like a dangerous carcinogen - it isn't. Canavanine is a non-protein amino acid that's toxic in high amounts. In the dry seed it serves as a storage protein, a growth inhibitor, and a defense against natural predators. As you might guess, as the sprout grows, canavanine falls rapidly to insignificant levels. The text, Seed Physiology, clearly states that "Canavanine... is non-toxic to mammals at low concentration."

Canavanine is so irrelevant that the 1980 text, Toxic Constituents of Plant Foodstuffs, doesn't even mention it. A 150-pound human would have to consume 14,000 milligrams of canavanine all at once for it to be toxic at the same level it is toxic in mice. This is an incredible amount! It is doubtful that with a generous helping of alfalfa sprouts, you would get more than a few milligrams. There is NO canavanine at all in other legumes that are commonly used as human food.

Even in toxic amounts, canavanine has nothing to do with cancer. In very high, toxic amounts it can cause a lupus-like anemia in susceptible animals due to an alteration in the red blood cells. These studies are not relevant to the human diet. The minute doses found in the diet are completely irrelevant and harmless.

Just remember that most substances can show some kind of toxic effect at a high enough dose. Vitamin A, selenium, copper, zinc, and iron will all kill you at a high enough dose. So don't stop eating alfalfa sprouts any more than you would any other food because of some minute toxin that may be present. They are a good source of vitamin C, folic acid, and other protective compounds.

ANTI-NUTRIENTS IN SPROUTED LEGUMES
As far as the sprouts of other edible legumes go, the only other toxins for which any concern has been raised is for a class known as anti- nutrients. These are sub-stances that bind enzymes or nutrients and inhibit the absorption of the nutrients. The commonly alleged anti- nutrients are protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors- , phytic acid, and polyphenolic compounds such as tannins. With proper soaking and germination, none of these is anything to worry about.

Around the world, studies have been and are being conducted on the use of germinated seeds as a low-cost, highly nutritive source of human food. It is well-established that when legumes are properly soaked and germinated, their nutritive value increases greatly, usually to levels equal to or exceeding those of the cooked bean. (Nutritive value is the ability of food to provide a usable form of nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals). This has been shown for mung bean, lentil, chickpea (garbanzo bean), cowpea (blackeye pea), pigeon pea, fava bean, fenugreek seeds (a member of the pea family), green And black gram, kidney bean, moth bean, rice bean, soybean, and legumes in general.

The increase in nutritive value in the raw sprouted seed is due to an explosion of enzyme activity, which breaks down the storage-protein and starch in the seed into amino acids, peptides, and simpler carbohydrates needed for the seed to grow. The seed is literally digesting its own protein and starch and creating amino acids in the process. Because of this process, sprouted seeds are essentially a predigested food. At the same time, the anti-nutritional factors such as enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients are greatly decreased to insignificant levels or to nothing.

Soaking alone causes a significant decrease in anti-nutrients, as the antinutrients are leached into the soak water. Soaking for 18 hours removed 65% of hemag-glutinin activity in peas.66 Soaking for 24 hours at room temperature removed 66% of the trypsin (protease) inhibitor activity in mung bean, 93% in lentil, 59% in chickpea, and 100% in broad bean. Then as germination proceeds, anti-nutrients are degraded further to lower levels or nothing. Soaking for 12 hours and 3-4 days of germination completely removed all hemagglutinating activity in mung bean and lentil. Soaking for 10 hours and germination for 3 days completely eliminated amylase inhibitor in lentils. Normal cooking removes most or all of the anti-nutrients.

ANTI-NUTRIENTS AS PROTECTORS
Some of the substances commonly referred to as anti-nutrients are actually powerful cancer-protecting phyto-chemicals. These include protease inhibitors and tannins. The problem in most diets is that we don't get enough of these substances.

Substantial research shows that protease inhibitors are one of the most powerful anti-carcinogens we have in our arsenal. They have proven to be particularly protective against cancer of the colon, breast, and prostate.

Tannins have also been shown to give substantial protection against cancer (including cancer of the stomach and lungs) when ingested orally. Tannins and other polyphenols may play a role in fighting tooth decay. Evidence shows that some tannins inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. Phytates, like tannins, may also interact with digestive processes in a beneficial way. Small amounts in food slow down the absorption of sugars and regulate insulin levels. This is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and hyperlipidemia (high blood fats). Small amounts of protease inhibitors, tannins, and phytates are beneficial and can be considered to be a normal part of our nutritional ecology.

Posted by sue at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2006

Something neat after all the stormy weather...

Another wonder of nature.. mammatus clouds! I've never heard of them.. have you? Is it raining where you live? After the storm, go outside and look up. You might spot a strange and beautiful formation of "mammatus clouds," which often herald the end of severe weather. They are jaw-dropping.

mammatus clouds.jpg

They form in turbulent air on the undersides of thunderstorms. Although mammatus clouds are popularly thought to signal the approach of severe weather, new research shows the opposite is true. These lumpy clouds are most often seen when storms are breaking up.

So after the next storm, go take a peek for mammatus clouds!

Posted by sue at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2006

test

stuff got moved around! gack......

Posted by sue at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)

Cat? in a Bottle

oh my! Who thinks to try these things? Or was it simply a behavior the cat had demonstrated before?

June 26, 2006

Baby parrots rescued from pile of debris headed for a woodchipper

Michael Bartucci shops at the Sarasota Albertsons in the Landings Shopping Center at least 3 or 4 times a week. Bartucci says they have the cheapest food for his pet parrot, Sam. He also likes going there because of the view. He says there’s been a huge bird's nest in a palm tree there for years.

Last Friday Bartucci says a landscaping crew had cut down the nest. He says there was a wood chipper on site and when he walked up a worker was sifting through a pile of debris with a pitchfork. In that pile of debris were 6 baby parrots. Bartucci says he’s upset because no attempt was made to relocate the nest first.

Michael Bartucci, Rescued Baby Parrots:
“It’s been there for a long time, we’re talking 10 years plus that I know of and that plaza has been there a lot longer. And my guess is that nest has been there that long. This thing was as big as a small car.”

Three of the baby birds were too young for Bartucci to care for. He says he took them to a nearby Petsmart. Bartucci is nursing the others back to health. They have to eat with a syringe. Bartucci also rescued his other parrot, Sam, last year during a storm.

June 23, 2006

Fright means Flight...

With the advent of summer comes the loss of many pet parrots, people come in and out more often, and many people have a false sense that their pet birds are safe on their shoulders.

A group of bird owners decided to make a poster/flyer that can be passed out at vets offices, bird marts, clubs etc and/or linked to from your website....Here is the link to the poster.

Should you decide to help just click on the Submit button after filling out your information. You will be added to the list of supporters of our project and the flyer will be sent to you as a word document.

June 22, 2006

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words..

June 21, 2006

A Special Day

Today is the long awaited day, my family will go pick up a baby Parrotlet for my Daughter Meaghan (8 yrs old).

Sweet Pixel, now at Rainbow Bridge
Now if you are not an 8 year old, nor a bird person, then you may not understand how much loosing your Companion Parrot makes you feel. As a mom, my heart broke for her the night Pixel went to The Bridge. All I could do, was hold and rock her and wipe away her tears. Of course the next morning, I immediately put out the word for local breeders..

Miss Meaghan has waited through clear eggs, parents going off the nest, and just waiting for eggs to be laid! It's only been a few months.. but when you are 8, it's a lifetime.

We are getting our baby from a good friend of mine Suz from Sunshine Aviary in Springfield. She breeds many different parrots, is very reputable and has healthy babies. I highly recommend her.

Meaghan has NO idea we are going today. As a matter of fact, she asked me yesterday to write to the breeder ladies, to see if there were eggs yet. I lied, and told her.. no eggs yet sweety.
It's been KILLING me not to tell her. I just know that today is going to be one of those days, when the look on your childs face, makes all your other worries disappear.
~sue

June 20, 2006

YOU Can Make A Difference, Geese of Scotia NY

We are continuing to follow this story for our readers. A website has been set up, for continuous updates: SAVE THE GEESE

~The town, wants to KILL the Geese.
~The townspeople have non-lethal means of keeping the Geese away.
~The Town says, well the Geese, and or others will just return.
~ Sue scratches head and thinks.. won't that thing happen if they KILL them?

If you are really fired up, and a resident of NY:
Call Mayor Michael McLaughlin at 518-374-3195 and 518-346-8330. Tell him killing is wrong! Fax him at 518-374-0542.

For all the rest of us, that feel it's our duty to DO SOMETHING, there is a petition here.

Please take a minute to add your support. It is just cruel and well, stupid, to KILL these Geese, when there are alternatives.

June 19, 2006

Monday Moment of Zen...

and just that for today. Maggie told me of a neat Story.. A macaw was granted as much rights to free speech as the rest of us! A story, from CNN. Can I find it on their site? NO! grrrr. SO just a fun pic today.. until I can find the Macaw story!

June 16, 2006

The World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

President Bush created the world's largest marine sanctuary Thursday, designating nearly 140,000 square miles (360,000 square km) of sea and land as the United States' newest national monument. The area covers the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an archipelago that stretches some 1,400 miles (2,250 km) across the Pacific Ocean--roughly the distance from Boston to the Florida Everglades.

"It's the single-largest act of ocean conservation in history," says Conrad Lautenbacher, head of America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). That may well be true. The sanctuary is slightly larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef and covers nearly as much area as Japan.

Don't picture the big, beachy Hawaiian islands you've been longing to visit. Unlike the eight main (or "Windward") Hawaiian Islands, the Northwestern (or "Leeward") Hawaiian Islands have almost no human inhabitants. Instead, the string of tiny islands, atolls, coral reefs, and underwater mountains plays home to more than 7,000 other species, around a quarter of which are endemic--found nowhere else in the world.

Some species are endemic to a single island or reef. Nihoa Island covers just 171 acres (less than 1 square km), but it's home to two unique bird species--the Nihoa finch and the Nihoa millerbird. It's also the nearest of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to the main islands. Around 150 miles (240 km) of ocean separate Nihoa from Kauai, one of the big eight. Near the other end of the protected archipelago stands Midway Atoll, site of one of World War II's most important naval battles.

Beneath the islands and atolls lie some of the planet's last large coral reef ecosystems, underwater worlds in which apex predators--the fish on top of the food chain, like sharks and jacks--still rule the roost. Such predators currently account for more than half of the total fish biomass in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, compared to less than 3 percent in the rest of Hawaii. Scientists hope the sanctuary will help keep it that way.

Other species should enjoy the sanctuary, too. Endangered Hawaiian monk seals rely on the islands for breeding and the coral reefs for food. And around 90 percent of Hawaii's green sea turtles make their nests in the region, as do millions of tropical seabirds.

June 14, 2006

Red Dye Killing the Hummingbirds?

Long story short:, there is no definitive evidence that red dye is killing hummingbirds, or that it makes the shells of their eggs soft.
The Good News: There is no need to worry, make your own, just mix sugar and water.

If you are on any of the Email Groups lists.. you've seen these kinds of posts all the time. Many times these emails are not sourced very well, but somehow, they become *fact* in peoples minds.

This morning, it was: Red Dye is killing Hummingbirds. I'll post the info below. The battle can rage, manufacturers of "ready made" mixes
stand firmly in the belief that Red Dye is OK. Rehabbers etc, will stand firm in the fact that a lot of these dyes, are petroleum based, and dangerous to feed.

My solution is to just make your own! It's not rocket science, it's sugar and water! More Specifically it's: 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. There is no need to add color to the water, the feeder color attracts them.

You may be surprised, even shocked, to learn that there are no legal
standards whatsoever for safety or quality in products for wildlife
(terrestrial or avian), including those designed for hummingbirds.
Indeed, many "reputable" nectar products have proved poisonous to
hummingbirds--in some cases they have killed all the birds in a zoo or rehabilitation setting because quality control is so poor.

In safety trials, the evidence that red dyes are dangerous is
circumstantial to definite. Unless the label says otherwise, these
dyes are petroleum-based. Depending on the specific dye, it may, or it definitely does, cause cancer in rodents. I don't eat red dyes myself, I don't give them to my pets, and I wouldn't feed them to animals in my yard, either.

The amount of dye that hummingbirds can consume from a feeder is
staggering. Imagine, each day, eating four times your own weight in
sugar water dyed a deep red. How much of a "body burden" might that be?

As a wildlife rehabilitator, the results I've seen in birds fed
dyed hummingbird products are appalling. Their droppings are blood-red, both feces and urine. After being returned to a healthful, dye-free diet, it takes at least three days for the droppings to return to their normal color.
Think about what that implies for an animal with the metabolic rate
of hummingbirds, which ordinarily burn extremely quickly everything that goes into their bodies. It means that the diet is fat-soluble and is being accumulated in vast amounts in the body most likely in the liver, and possibly in other organs and tissues too.
In the case of a female whose liver is synthesizing all the protein,
fat, and other nutrients for the eggs on which her young will depend
until they hatch, these dyes could be disastrous. If the mother's liver isn't damaged outright (which it well may be), imagine what those eggs look like,
and what the fetuses suffer. Petroleum dyes famously dissolve into DNA, so the fathers' sperm may be affected too.
It would be at all surprising if fecundity plummets in hummingbird
populations fed dyes, and if birds "fortunate" enough to hatch are born with congenital defects. How and when would we know that we're causing death and deformity because of what we're feeding? The answer is that we wouldn't, until the situation became terribly serious.
There is never any reason to use dyes in hummingbird food, and
there is every reason not to do so. Remember, dyed today may be dead tomorrow.

************
Published in NetLines (Newsletter of the Hummer Bird Study Group,
www.hummingbirdsplus.org), Volume 11 Issue 3 (Fall 2005). Janine
Perlman is
a rehabilitator in Arkansas who specializes in hummingbirds.

June 13, 2006

Goldfish have feelings too, say fish researchers

CONTRARY to popular belief, goldfish have long memories and can experience complex feelings, new research claims.

A study by Australian vets says the idea of goldfish having a three-second memory is an outdated myth.

The research found the popular pet fish can feel pain, remember past events and even miss their owners when they are away.

Vet Richmond Loh, of Launceston, Tasmania, looked at several studies into the pet fish.

In one study carried out by British scientists, goldfish learned to push levers at particular times of the day to gain access to food.

For a long time afterwards, the observer avoided swimming too close to the fish that won the fight.

The studies also discovered that fish can feel pain and are able to avoid dangers which may hurt them...

Loh and colleague Matt Landos published the research in apaper, Ornamental Fish: Making Fish Smile, Sing and Dance .

They wrote: "Experiments on fish have examined the capacity of the fish to retain learnt information and be aware of consequences of certain responses.

Loh said that many university committees were now looking more closely at the ethics of experimenting on fish.

He added: "The public probably think it's a bit quirky but owners and all veterinary surgeons need to take fish seriously."

When the Animal Welfare Bill becomes law, funfairs in Britain will no longer be able to give goldfish as prizes.

Monday Moment of Zen..

I think, someone was over zealous in making this doghouse. Maybe he'll grow into it!

June 12, 2006

Goose people' flock to lake to keep birds alive

Federal officials will move to round up the flock of Canada geese at Collins Lake sometime in the next two weeks. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture workers may find their nets empty, if the efforts of volunteers with kayaks, dogs and air horns continue to succeed.

The group has been patrolling the water and nearby Collins Park for a week to warn away the birds.

The coalition of animal activists, retirees, and average people said they will do anything legal to save the birds. They want the village of Scotia to change its decision to round up and suffocate as many as 150 geese.

The village said even though killing animals with carbon dioxide gas is unpleasant, too many birds live at the popular recreation site and leave their droppings behind. Officials say a federally sanctioned ``cull'' is the only answer.

And yet, after a week of clapping, yelling and paddling by the humans, the birds seem to have moved on.

``Where are the geese?'' Scotia resident Laura Brown said this week, smiling on the shore of the lake as her husband, Matt, paddled around in a white kayak. He chased a single bird, which took off the moment Brown slid his kayak into the water at dusk.

``See that? They know. They're scared of the boats already,'' said Ward Stone, senior wildlife biologist for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Stone was at the lake on his own time to watch.

The group, which has numbered up to 30, began its campaign last weekend, when several dozen geese were scared away. Some people walked the shore with leashed dogs, others clapped and waved their arms yelling ``go! go!'' and others paddled after the birds on the water.

The scores of geese usually seen at dusk were gone by the end of this week. The narrow beach was empty, and the shallows near a parking lot showed no signs of goose droppings, which had been plentiful.

The ``goose people,'' as they are called by village officials weary of them, said they want to show the village was wrong when it said nonlethal means to control the geese would fail.

``If something's in your way, destroy it. That just seems so backward and barbaric. There has to be another way,'' said Beryl Dickson, a yoga instructor who has been going to the lake with her husband, Paul.

The Schenectady resident rejects the criticism that ``outsiders,'' even those from neighboring communities, have no business intervening in a village matter. Scotia Mayor Michael McLaughlin has said as much and insists that ``most'' Scotia residents support killing the geese.

``We do business here, we work here, we come to the park and we enjoy this place. Of course it's our concern,'' Dickson said.

And while no one has conducted an opinion poll, Scotia residents are clearly divided on the issue, even within households.

Michelle Turner, 36, and husband Greg, 37, both agree that too many geese have left too many droppings. As they watched their son's T-ball game off Schonowee Avenue, the couple disagreed on how to solve the problem.

``They shouldn't kill them. Why do they have to do that?'' asked Michelle, who stays at home with the couple's two children. Greg, an estimator for a construction company, said he had no problem with the village's plans.

Stone, who is respected for his expertise on wildlife and his outspoken nature, said he supports the volunteer effort to shoo away the geese. And while he had offered lukewarm support for the culling plan months ago, he openly criticized the scheme this week, calling it ``appalling.''

``What kind of a world do we live in that when animals get in our way, we can kill them and throw them in the garbage?'' asked Stone, noting that volunteers' early success shows killing the birds is unnecessary.

If the geese molt, or shed their flight feathers, somewhere else, they won't come back this summer, he said.

``But (the volunteers) have to keep it up,'' or other geese will slowly come back.

McLaughlin said this week he has been besieged by phone calls and letters from across the country, exhorting him to change his mind. He read off recent postmarks on the goose-related mail: ``Here's one from Kansas, Texas, California.''

But, he said, the outcry will not sway him. It is a local issue decided by a local board of trustees that acted publicly and in good faith, he said. The meetings were sparsely attended. And no one opposed the decision until long after it had been made.

McLaughlin said the village will make no effort to stop the volunteers, so long as they continue to obey local laws.

He even acknowledged few geese may be left for the ``harvest.'' But that doesn't mean victory for the volunteers, which he called ``the human border collies,'' in reference to the breed of dog used by some communities to scare away nuisance geese.

``If the harvest is unsuccessful, we'll have the same problem next spring and we'll have to just try again next year,'' he said.

June 09, 2006

Photo Contest VOTE VOTE VOTE!

More fun that casting votes in Senate Primaries!!
Vote for your favotie Photo in one of 4 catagories
Please VOTE here

Only one vote allowed per Person, so be sure to look at them all before casting your Vote!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This can be a beauty shot of your animal companion or one where your animal is interacting with a member of your family.

DYNAMIC NATURE SHOT

Take a walk. Observe Nature. Take a photo of a beautiful scene, a gorgeous bird, a loving squirrel interaction with a mate, or of anything in Nature that captures your eye.

Take your child on a nature walk. Take a beautiful photo of your child in Nature or with your animal companion

June 07, 2006

Maggie on Animal Talk Naturally PODCAST

(PRWEB) June 5, 2006 -- Many who have pets have experienced the frustration of differing attitudes and ideas when facing issues with our pets' physical and behavioral health. Everyone seems to have an opinion of what we should or shouldn't do, and few have the credentials and experience to back their theories and ideas. Many pet owners feel overwhelmed as though there is a dark cloud of information lurking over their beloved pets' welfare. Fortunately, there is a new sun on the pet care horizon.

Animal Talk Naturally is one of the newest internet radio shows to hit the air. The show is hosted by Kim Bloomer and Jeannie Thomason, who have over sixty years of combined experience in the animal health industry. They bring a fresh and honest approach to educating the average pet owner on the pros and cons of raising healthy and well adjusted animals.

"Both Jeannie and I had become frustrated with the misinformation our clients would come to us with," says Bloomer who is the co-author of Whole Health for Happy Dogs. "We knew we had to take a stand and make sure the public got the straight poop to ensure the health of their animals."

"We knew we could either sit back and complain or do something to make a difference," says Thomason who breeds champion Boston Terriers and has over 30 years experience in veterinary care and study.

And stand up they did. Their reputation in the industry has many like minded experts clamoring to be guests on their show. People like internationally renowned dog trainer and behaviorist Christopher Aust, veterinarians Dr. John Symes (Dogtor J) and Dr. Stephen Blake (The Pet Whisperer), world renown animal accupressurists and authors Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis, to name only a few.

"For the last few years, Jeannie and Kim have been the only advisors I will refer with when it comes to health issues with my clients," relates Aust. "They know the facts; they know the myths and have done nothing but provide me and my clients the very best. There's no one I trust more."

Thomason and Bloomer aren't afraid to take on the "hot" issues that others avoid. "What's the point?" says Thomason. "It is often the hot issues that can mislead public opinion and the way they care for their animals. If we avoid the hot issues, we are doing our listeners an injustice."

Animal Talk Naturally is streamed daily online at Cool Cast radio (http://www.CoolCastRadio.com), All Pets Radio weekly (http://www.AllPetsRadio.com ) and from the website www.AnimalTalkNaturally.com . Additionally, they welcome the audience to join them when they record their shows on Wednesdays at 11:30 A.M. PST at http://www.Holistic-Pet-Audio.com . Never has a radio show given more about animal health to its listeners than Animal Talk Naturally.

Have a tail waggin' day!
Kim Bloomer, co-author of Whole Health for Happy Dogs
Our website: http://www.AspenbloomPetCare.com
Our Pet Health News Blog: http://www.Bark-N-Blog.com
Our Pet Products Blog: http://www.ADogsView.com
Aspenbloom company products site: http://www.TheBloomingdogs.com
Our online radio show blog: http://www.AnimalTalkNaturally.com
Join our weekly show live on Wednesdays at 2:30 PM EST at
http://www.Holistic-Pet-Audio.com

June 06, 2006

Where a Dog Has Its Day and a Night Out, Too

CHOW is one of the few bars where "You're a dog" is less a rebuke than a mere statement of fact.

That's because of Yappy Hour, held each Wednesday evening in the warmer months, when dogs are invited to frolic, sniff and loll on the terrace at this alley-tucked downtown restaurant off Chapel Street while their owners sip sangria and swap veterinary and chew-toy stories.

"I love him," said Ali Parmelee, a graphic designer whose husband sat across the courtyard from her, nibbling on a dumpling. Ms. Parmelee was actually referring to Simon, a boxer-pit bull mix who was straining at his leash. "He's my little baby. I bring him everywhere just to help socialize him."

But the dogs socialize their owners, too — bringing your dog out for dinner or a drink provides an instant ice breaker or, depending on your need, a cuddly diversion from an unwanted suitor...

Anna Drejer-Teel, a Yale graduate student in genetics, brought along Lucy, a placid 4-month-old English cocker spaniel, because she can't bear to be apart from her.

"She also goes to Puppy Social in North Haven," Ms. Drejer-Teel told Gabriela Tejada, who owns a miniature pinscher named Chiquita. "It's where you let your puppies off leash and they can learn how to get along. We pretty much look for places we can bring the dog."

That was the inspiration for a dog night out at the aptly named Chow, a dim sum and wine bar with a view of a parking garage with a Guggenheim-like spiral exterior behind the Shubert Theater, said Donna Curran, the restaurant owner.

"Everyone I know has pets, and they take their pets everywhere they go," said Ms. Curran, who also owns Zinc, a restaurant behind Chow that in its previous incarnation was — gasp — a fur vault.

On this particular Wednesday, there was a raffle of rubber bones and squeaky balls, eliciting a cacophony of barks and giggles.

On the terrace, a couple whispered to each other, touching fingertips tenderly across the table, while all around them dogs yelped and squirmed. Did the dogless couple mind the canine interruption?

Across the terrace, Chiquita quivered between Ms. Tejada's knees as the bigger dogs frolicked.

June 05, 2006

Cape Parrot starting to thrive again in SA

Preliminary results from the annual national census of the endangered Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus), the only parrot endemic to South Africa, are positive, suggesting more birds have been seen than in previous years.

A member of the Cape Parrot Working Group and the co-ordinator of the research, Professor Colleen Downs of the Pietermaritzburg campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said that during this year's count over the first weekend in May, some flocks of juvenile parrots were seen, which was very encouraging.

Historically, the birds were more common and had a greater range, but their numbers have declined greatly and it is estimated that about 1 000 remain in the wild and only in three of the country's provinces.

During last year's census, most of the endangered birds were recorded in the Eastern Cape, particularly in the Amatola region and inland from Umtata.

KZN had the next highest population, with most seen in the Creighton-Bulwer area.

Downs said the survival of the birds was being threatened because, as a result of being prized for their rarity, they were being illegally captured and caged...

The working group, and other interested parties, are keeping a studbook for all Cape Parrots in captivity to discourage poaching.

Downs said that meant that if people were not part of the studbook it would be difficult for them to swap or trade the birds.

They have a loud squawk and are very vocal
"Occasionally people buy a bird off someone at the side of the road rather than leave it.

"This is a problem, but they can contact their local conservation body, or they can contact the Cape Parrot studbook keeper, Shaun Wilkinson at Umgeni River Bird Park in Durban, for assistance," she said.

Downs said that historically the Cape Parrot was found from the Alice-Hogsback area right through to Magoebaskloof in Limpopo Province right up into Zimbabwe.

"Genetically and also ecologically, the two subspecies have now been separated into two separate species, namely the Cape Parrot and the Grey-headed Parrot," she said.

The Cape Parrot's distribution is only in South Africa, whereas the Grey-headed Parrot extends into Zimbabwe and other African countries.

Cape Parrots have become extinct in many areas of their former range with the main populations found from the southern area of the Eastern Cape through to the Karkloof in KZN. There is a relic population of less than 50 birds in Magoebaskloof.

Downs said that aside from poaching, habitat destruction and degradation, and disease were the main reasons for the decline in numbers.

The Cape Parrots' preferred habitat is mountainous forest regions, and they move between forest patches feeding on fruit. Consequently, a lack of forest fruit might cause problems as well.

The birds are very fussy about the food they feed on, and particularly like the fruit of yellowwood trees and would occasionally forage in other habitats with fruit trees.

They have a strong bill that enables them to break open fruit and remove the kernel.

This year, many observers involved in the Cape Parrot count saw the birds feeding outside of the forest, some on green pecan nuts and acorns.

"Normally they are quite nervous to go on to the ground, and this behaviour is a bit scary as they are easy to catch.

Forest destruction and degradation as well as disturbance by local communities, has led to nest-site shortages and poor breeding success.

"The birds breed when they are five to six years old, and so the removal of adults will cause the greatest decline in their numbers," said Downs.

The Cape Parrot has a distinctive olive green crown and neck and an adult bird is the same size as the African Grey, a cousin.

They are a very social species and congregate on leafless trees on sunny days in winter before breaking off and flying out in groups.

Downs said that the national Cape Parrot big birding day was initiated nine years ago to determine their numbers. Much more research was needed on the birds, especially on their movement between forests, and their food sources in the forests.

Downs said she was encouraged by the growing interest shown in the conservation of the Cape Parrot.

"This year we had more than 350 people involved in the census. In the Creighton area alone, we had 30 localities where the parrots were observed.

"Many farmers in the KZN Midlands have also become involved and it is tremendous that they are taking care of something in their own backyard," she said.

June 02, 2006

Japanese aquarium gets into World Cup spirit

Hakkejima Sea Paradise in Yokohama is putting on two matches a day using different species of fish to represent all four teams in Group F.

Here Palett Surgeonfish in the blue of Japan take on defending champions, Brazil, appropriately a group of Yellow Tang. We started this event hoping the fish would play soccer, and everyone talks about it now," said Daisuke Morita, keeper of fish at Yokohama Hakkejima Sea Paradise.

Asked if it's popular among the visitor Morita says yes because soccer, right now is everyone's favourite topic. So this event has been pretty successful.

So some light-hearted fun, but these Japanese fans will be taking things a lot more seriously when the real team's campaign gets underway on June the 12th.

June 01, 2006

Canine Influenza Facts

What is Canine Influenza?
Canine Influenza is an emerging infectious upper respiratory viral disease in dogs that is thought to have first evolved from a strain of horse influenza. It was first documented in Florida in 2004 and likely first “jumped species” from horses to dogs in early 2000.

How is Canine Influenza transmitted?
This disease is transmitted by aerosolized respiratory droplets. Direct contact is not thought to be required. There is a 2-5 day incubation period. After the onset of clinical signs, animals actively secrete the virus for 7-10 days.

Canine Influenza is very contagious, because it a virus that dogs have no natural immunity to and there is no vaccine available at this time. All dogs, regardless of age or breed, are susceptible. Virtually 100% of dogs exposed will become infected. 80% will have clinical signs.

There are two clinical syndromes – a mild form and a more severe form. 20% of dogs will be asymptomatic and never show signs, although they can spread virus to other dogs…

80% of clinical dogs show the milder form. Dogs often have a soft, moist cough that mimics “kennel cough”. A mild fever and nasal discharge may also be present. Coughs often persist for 2-3 weeks despite antibiotic therapy.

A smaller percentage of clinical dogs (1-10%) develop a more severe form with clinical signs of pneumonia. These dogs may have high fevers and secondary bacterial infections...

The actual mortality (death rate) associated with this disease is very low; less than 8%.

There is not a reliable rapid screening test yet available in a live dog. Veterinarians must draw serum (blood) samples and evaluate the titer levels of antibody to the virus. Generally, paired samples from a dog during the acute phase of illness are compared to samples post recovery two weeks later. More rapid results can be obtained from tissue samples taken if dogs die or are euthanized using other test methods. There are only a handful of laboratories equipped to accurately diagnose Canine Influenza. Cornell Animal Health Center is one of the leading experts.

Cases of Canine Influenza have been documented across the United States, in the United Kingdom, and in Canada. Canine Influenza is present in Colorado, and cases of Canine Influenza have been seen in Larimer County recently as well as in surrounding areas.

What precautions are being taken to protect animals at the Larimer Humane Society from this disease?

There is no vaccine available for Canine Influenza at this time. The virus is spread much like any other infectious virus (through aerosol droplets, on inanimate objects, and by people). It is killed by most routine disinfectants. The Larimer Humane Society closely monitors all animals for signs of respiratory disease and uses contagious disease isolation protocols to keep ill animals separate from the general population. Stringent cleaning protocols also help to reduce the likelihood of transmission, but the reality is that this virus is present in our communities, and animal shelters receive animals with many infectious diseases, and thus must be prepared to effectively make diagnostic, treatment, and isolation decisions when infectious outbreaks occur.

Isolating any dog with a cough is one of the most important steps to controlling canine influenza. The disease is viral, and supportive care may be the only needed therapy in the milder form. Prevention/treatment of secondary bacterial infections with appropriate antibiotic selection can be needed. The more severe form requires hospitalization and therapy for pneumonia. A small percentage of dogs may die despite appropriate therapy, or before therapy can be instituted.

There are no known cases of canine influenza in humans, and no reason to suspect this disease poses a risk to human health.

Should I continue to take my dog to public places like the dog park, pet supply store, day care etc…? Should I have a concern about adopting from a shelter?

It is always good to be sure your own dog is current on vaccinations recommended by a veterinarian. Although there is no vaccine for canine influenza, there are vaccines that decrease the severity of other upper respiratory disease in dogs. As long as good infectious disease control protocols are in place, pet owners and adopters should not be overly concerned. Canine influenza is a disease that will likely continue to spread, but does not appear to be cause for panic or alarm.

Natures Corner

Intelligence in animals in nature, our backyards, and our homes!