Pet Monologues

We have often heard, and probably experienced, that a human bite can be more infectious than an animal’s bite. Well, what about your pet hamster as a deadly-germ machine? What’s a parent to do?

chicago tribune

The American Academy of Pediatrics, just published that pets pose serious health threats to young children.

Here’s the lineup of no-no pets:
• Reptiles. Small turtles were banished from pet stores decades ago because they harbor salmonella, which causes intestinal problems that can be deadly in children. But other reptiles, including iguanas, lizards, and snakes, also carry salmonella that doesn’t sicken them but could land your kid in the hospital.

• Hamsters. These small, furry rodents are not just cute. They’re carriers of salmonella and have sparked outbreaks of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, a virus that causes brain inflammation and can lead to permanent nerve damage.

• Hedgehogs. These adorable nocturnal critters are increasingly popular in the United States, despite the fact that they can spread salmonella, yersinia pseudotuberculosis (which causes appendicitis-like abdominal pain), and rabies. Hedgehogs’ prickly spines also make it more likely that they will transmit fungal skin infection.

• Monkeys and other primates. Macaques spread herpes B virus, which can cause fatal meningitis in humans, and primates spread a host of other nasty germs, including tuberculosis. A more likely risk is injury, since even “tame” primates have seriously injured trained handlers. Read the rest of this entry »

Stumbled upon.

Aquarium toilet
Add a little life to your bathroom with this live aquarium. The fully functioning tank fits American Standard bowls. Custom bowl installation is available.

3/8″ acrylic tank
1.6 gpf. (federal standard)
22″ x 14″ x 9″ deep

Designer: Oliver Beckert

email us for ordering information: obeckert (at) yahoo (dot) com

8 weeks for shipping
Fish and aquarium components sold separately.

Rocking horse toilet.
A little of topic but think of saddle, i.e., riding a horse.

This concept challenges the traditional form of the toilet or “throne” by toying with the nostalgic familiarity of the rocking horse. However, the inclusion of foot pegs provides real health benefits by raising the knees above the waist, which facilitates a thorough expulsion of waste.

Designer: Perry Dixon email: desdix (at) yahoo (dot) com

After spending a week in Bend Oregon, fishing, fishing, and more fishing, here comes a fish story…

Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.

Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

“This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet,” Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they’re sanitary.

Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.

But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn’t know if customers would like the idea.

“I know people were a little intimidated at first,” Ho said. “But I just said, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’ ” Read the rest of this entry »

Australian pokes shark in eye to survive mauling.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP)—An Australian swimmer says he survived a mauling by a 16-foot shark by wrestling with the beast, finally getting free by poking it in the eye. Read the rest of this entry »

This is #1 in a series of nature photography. The images are winners in the prestigious 2007 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

The competition includes the Grand Prize and winners in 15 categories. More than 17,000 entries were submitted from photographers from 26 countries around the world to document the beauty, variety, and importance of Earth’s wildlife and wild places.

About Windland Smith Rice

This exhibition has been named in memory of Windland Smith Rice for her unyielding support of emerging photographers worldwide. Windland’s love for nature and photography was second only to her love for people and her legacy will fuel the passion of these artists for generations to come.

2008
The categories for the 2008 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards: Read the rest of this entry »

This photo/text borrowed from our friend at Animals as Friends…

polyodon spathula—OMG!

NG has a Gallery of world’s gigant freshwater fishes and there I found this incredible creature you see on this photo. If it was not NG, I would never believe it’s a real fish. I would think it’s or pre-historic animal or maybe computer-invention. But NG writes it’s Mississippi paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) 221 centimeters long with population about 1,353, based on a 2001 study.

A sequay from art to…endangered. What are the products below made of?

Fish skin! The jacket from salmon and found at the Textile Museum of Canada. The shoes by Puma are from the wolf fish. The bikini by Mio Destino from talapia.

The pros: waterproof, odorless (they are not fish sandwiches but cured hide), interesting patterns. The cons: not elastic like spandex, more like canvas. Yes, they are still animal products. But it does start one thinking about all the other materials available other than animal products.

Inspiration: Fishalicious

Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus
Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, Botia macrocanthus
Common Name: Clown Loach

Clown loaches are very popular aquarium fish; however they are not always easy to keep successfully since they easily succumb to ick and are sensitive to poor water conditions. This article is intended to help new clown loach owners provide a good home for their loaches. Clown loaches are found in Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), and almost all clown loaches in aquariums are wild caught and distributed around the world before being sold. This can put considerable stress on the fish, and a vital step in getting a healthy clown loach school in your aquarium is choosing healthy fish. But how to make sure that you get healthy fish?

Image from Dorling Kindersley

- Check the general conditions in the fish store. Are there dead fish in the aquariums? Is the water clean? If some tanks are mistreated there is a good chance that there might be unfavourable conditions in others too. Only buy fish from stores that take good care of their aquariums.

- How do the clown loaches look? Clown loaches can give you an indication of their condition based on their coloration. A healthy clown loach shows clear distinct colours, while a stressed one loses its colours and becomes whiter. Only buy loaches that show their correct colours.

- Are the clown loaches well fed? Those that haven’t been fed correctly are hard to nurse back to health, and it is more than likely you will end up with a dead fish if you buy one. Look at their bodies and see if they look well fed, and ask the shopkeepers how often and what the loaches are fed.

- Are the clown loaches active? Healthy clown loaches are very active and full of energy. A healthy clown loach should be hard to catch. Read the rest of this entry »

Scientists amazed at fish tag journey.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—In 2005, a 2.9-inch steelhead left a Washington state hatchery in 2005 with a tiny implanted electronic tag. Read the rest of this entry »

Creativity: the amazing fish highway.

What is a Fish Highway? Read the rest of this entry »