VetSci - Latest Comments

Re: Comparative Nitrogen Excretion

tee girl — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:01:07 -0000

kip d info on .tnx a lot it has help me in my assignment

Re: Leptospirosis

Neil Oviatt — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:27:14 -0000

Hi James,
where is there a breakdown or map of the cases of Leptospirosis in the UK. We live in South Gloucestershire and my dog has this year had Neospora which we have resolved but and immune response to Phenobarb (thought he had epilepsy before neospora was diagnosed) He is great now, all better but the last thing i want to do is boost Lepto vaccine if it will cause immune response harm or awaken neospora!
PS - hes due his vaccine tomorrow!! a quick response would help my thoughts

regards Neil

Re: Comparative Digestion

Camille Vaillant — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:24:55 -0000

James,
As a budding writer, I really feel that you should reread the form you signed when a student confirming that
1. you understood the term plagiarism,
2. you understood that it was not acceptable,
3. you would not do it
4. and you understood the penalities that committing plagiarism carried!

Dr Camille Vaillant

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

Wendy — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:31:54 -0000

I've used Telizen last year, that just contains l-theanine, and am very happy with the result. The dog was a bit happier overall, less worried. Off course I've also done some training where every bang was a sign that treats were coming.
And with newyearseve a bit more than two monthes away I've started giving him l-theanine already.

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

Neil the Dog Trainer — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:32:56 -0000

‘Counter conditioning' is an example of classical conditioning. The process used to teach a dog tricks such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ is
operant conditioning.

Re: Strategies of Diving Mammals

David Williams — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 20:51:54 -0000

Believe it or not, the answer to the mystery of whales beach themselves can stated in only one

word: BAROSINUSITIS

Barosinusitis in diving sea mammals is a pressure-related injury in the sinuses and air sacs

located inside their heads.

It is well-known that rapid and excessive changes in the surrounding water pressure can cause

physical trauma in all diving mammals, including man.

Severe oscillations in pressure are common above the epicenter of certain shallow-focused

undersea earthquakes, especially those located in the rift valley of mid-ocean ridges. Scientists

called these seismoacoustic waves seaquakes until the 1950s when the name was changed to

T-Phase Waves.

But not all earthquakes generate whale-dangerous T-Phase Waves (aka: seaquakes). Only

events that occur in specific places and in a specific manner generate T-Phases that are

dangerous to diving whales and dolphins.

Navy sonar, oil industry airguns, and underwater explosives also induce rapid and excessive

changes in pressures surrounding the diving whales and dolphins. These man-made devices

cause the exact same barosinusitis injury as caused by seismoacoustic waves generated by

undersea earthquakes.

In toothed whales, the sinuses and air sacs serve as acoustic mirrors reflecting sound inside their

heads in such a fashion to enable their echo-navigation system to function properly. An injury in

this critical part of their biosonar system naturally disrupts echo-navigation, causing the animals

to lose their normally excellent sense of direction. It also prevents them from diving and feeding

themselves.

Lost at sea, the flow of the surface currents direct the injured whales/dolphins downstream from

the point of injury. This control over the swim path of the injured sea mammals happens

because water is 800 times denser than air. The increased density induces a powerful drag

(resistance) to swimming in any direction except downstream with the flow. Thus, surface

currents quickly point lost whales and dolphins headfirst into the path of least resistance or least

drag.

The whales/dolphins will recover from a slight barotraumatic injury within a week or so. On the

other hand, surface currents are likely to deposit those that do not recover on a sandy beach

because current just happens to be the same energy that carries each grain of sand to build the

beach in the first place. In general, whales/dolphins are directed to beaches that are building

sand; not to beaches that are eroding.

Hungry sharks sense the whales/dolphins are in trouble. They move in close and wait for an

opportunity to snatch any weakened pod member that falls behind.

Unable to navigate or dive and terrified by the pack of starving predators trailing them, the

wounded whales/dolphins huddle together in a tight group for protection against sharks and

killer whales. They swim downstream with the flow of the surface currents. The idea that

individuals will follow a pod leader to the beach, or be drawn in by the distress calls of a

beached member out of some sort of strong social bond is an over-glamorized false concept.

Rather, individuals are highly-stressed and have no idea which way to swim to safety. They will

follow any whale that ventures out in hopes that this individual knows the way to open water.

They abide by a herd instinct, remaining close to their pod mates because they are in dreadful

fear of becoming the next shark attack victim if they swim away from the herd. It appears as if

the Pod has close social ties but in fact the action of each individual is focused on self

preservation.

Said differently, it is the whale with the least fear that appears to human observers as a pod

leader when in fact this individual is just as lost and confused as the rest of the pod.

Landmasses that extend out to sea opposing the flow of the surface currents, serve to trap sand,

flotsam, seaweed, and lost sea mammals swimming with the flow. Cape Cod is the best

example of such a natural trap in the United States. Cape Sorrel in Tasmania and Golden Bay

in New Zealand are also natural traps for non-navigating whales/dolphins.

The reason for the increased strandings in Cape Cod during the 2011/2012 stranding season

was the drastic increase in oil survey activity off the coast of Canada and West Greenland.

Normally the dolphins swim away from the oil survey boats long before they are injured;

however, the rocky coast of northeast Canada and western Greenland consist mainly of one

small cove after the next. The dolphins dart into these coves to avoid the loud booms. The

survey vessel blocks their escape route when it tows the airguns along the openings of the

coves.

The survey crews could prevent these deaths if they would simply reduce the volume of air

supplied to the airguns as they cross the mouth of the coves.

I do not advocate the halt of oil exploration; however, I only ask that the oil industry and the US

Navy stop denying the existence of barosinusitis and start listening to ways to prevent it. We

can solve the problem by owning up to the truth and using simple precautions in the operations

of oil survey vessels and sonar ships.

The reason the Navy and the oil industry will not admit barotrauma involves the numerous “best

available scientific information” clauses in the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This

law mandates that our governments protect marine mammals to the limits of the “best available

scientific information.”

However, the control over developing “best available scientific information” is now solely in the

hands of the US Navy and the oil industry since these two organizations fund 98% of all marina

mammal research worldwide.

It's like putting the tobacco industry in charge of lung cancer research.

The Navy and oil industry are not going to fund a study into barosinusitis since they are afraid

they will shoot themselves in the foot. Instead, they fund research that covers up barotrauma in

whales/dolphins.

As long as they can muddy the waters on the “best available scientific information,” they can

skirt around the laws and do as they please. On the other hand, if they would fund research on

preventing barotrauma and barosinusitis in marine mammals, simple procedures could be put in

place that would allow the oil industry to extract offshore oil and the Navy to practice using

sonar and still save the lives of the thousands of whales and dolphins that are killed every month.

Capt. David Williams, Chairman
Deafwhale Society, Inc.
http://www.deafwhale.com
(a 501-c non-profit whale research corporation devoted solely
to understanding why marine mammals beach themselves.)

Re: Opioid Analgesics (Morphine) & Equine Colic (Butorphanol)

Shauna — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 08:49:46 -0000

OMG!!!! Thankyou This is the 1st place I have actually foubd straiht eorward info on drugs. I am a vet nurse student with a rubbish pharmacology teaher

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

James Watts — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:34:43 -0000

That's interesting what breed of dog do you have and how much did you use?
Have you tried pheromones such as adaptil?

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

Sallygoddard — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:29:42 -0000

Calmex had no effect whatsoever could have given him smarties!

Re: The Importance of Colostrum for New-Born Lambs

Nicole_gamble — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:30:18 -0000

Thank you for this (and everything else you share with us). Love your blog!

Re: Canine Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Rumpydog — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:43:15 -0000

Great post! I'm sure glad I'm neutered!!!

Re: Canine Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Whenigrowup — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:20:07 -0000

Very well explained! Among the great reasons to have your pup neutered.

Re: Canine Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Cherie K. Miller — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:05:10 -0000

Great information. I'd dropping by on the pet blogger hop today - glad
to know the signs of prostate cancer in my dogs - thankfully, two of
them are girls!

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

James Watts — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:25:51 -0000

That's unfortunate to hear, out of all the products listed above Calmex is probably second in potency following the pharmaceuticals.

The best solution here is going to be some form of behavioural management; you could try slowly building up your dog's confidence in travelling again by getting them to sit in the car for short periods (whilst not travelling) and then slowly building up to short journeys over a period of a few weeks.

If this doesn't work and travelling is essential, then it is probably going to be worth visiting your vet to see if they can recommend any animal behaviouralists they could help.

It's amazing how easy it is for phobias to develop in dogs - especially after they have enjoyed 11 years of travel!

I think by combining Calmex, pheromones or some of the non-sedative pharmaceuticals with behavioural management a positive outcome would be more likely.

I hope you and your dog progress well and please do let us know how it goes!

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

jenny — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:45:28 -0000

I have an 11 year old dog which has suddenly started showing severe anxiety when left in the car after a lifetime of loving travel.

I have used Calmex but sadly it had no effect at all.

I am at a loss as to how to tackle this problem

Re: Dealing With Canine Anxiety and Phobias

Ved1961 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:30:45 -0000

With the first firework night now passed and the sale of Calmex introduced during 2011, it would be interested to see what effects - good or bad - this product has had.

Re: Bacteria Basics

James Watts — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:09:06 -0000

Aha! Good spot, the image has been corrected - rather foolish error on my part, is it too late to blame photoshop?..

Re: Bacteria Basics

Tweetkissz — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:17:56 -0000

The illustration of the gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria is labeled backwards. Other than that, great job!

Re: [Guest]: Dog Behaviour

Wooden Dog Kennels — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:42:23 -0000

I definitely Agree with you, thanks for this nice post. keep it up ;)

Re: Bacteria Basics

James Watts — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 06:38:35 -0000

Hi, just wondering which part of the image you believe is wrong? Admittedly it is a simplistic overview, but it shows all the major components of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. For example, a quick search on google will yield many images similar to this one; http://www.slic2.wsu.edu:82/hurlbert/micro101/pages/Chap3.html

Re: Bacteria Basics

Anamarys_73 — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:04:15 -0000

The image is wrong...