The Ebola Virus and Pets

DogTime recently reported on officials in Spain euthanizing a dog for being exposed to Ebola. This week in the U.S., a dog living with a Texas nurse who became infected with Ebola was placed in quarantine.

The nurse, Nina Pham, 26, was identified as the first person to contract the Ebola virus in the U.S. Pham, who was caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian Ebola victim who died of the disease, got infected through what’s been called a breach in protocol at her hospital while she cared for Duncan.

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Giant 50ft Crab Seen on Coast of Whitstable? Hoax

An image of what appears to be a giant 50ft crab on the coast of British town Whitstable is flying across the Internet, spread largely through tabloid online news sites.

The crab was apparently spotted on satellite imagery by one Quinton Winter, owner of a blog called Weird Whistable which details other oddities in the Whistable area. Winter also claimed to have seen the giant crustacean himself in “the flesh”, so to speak.

To read more on this story, click here: Giant 50ft Crab Seen on Coast of Whitstable? Hoax

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How to Raise a Piranha

Piranhas can make interesting pets with their full sets of sharp teeth and their fast and furious attack skills. Keeping piranhas is a bigger commitment than keeping other fish as pets -- they require lots of space, and they can live more than 20 years in captivity. Meanwhile, their food and water temperature needs are rather simple to accommodate.

Room to Move
Piranhas can seem cute when they're small and hiding among tank decorations much of the day, but they don't stay small. Depending on the species, adult piranha can be 12 to 16 inches long.

They come from river environments and live best in large tanks -- a 100-gallon tank suits a single adult piranha; add 20 gallons for each additional piranha. Red-bellied piranhas tend to school in the wild, so you can likely keep a few in the same tank, although they might attack each other at some point. If you're keeping a black piranha as a pet, house him alone -- he's just as likely to eat another piranha as the dinner you provide him.

Ringing the Dinner Bell
Piranhas aren't strictly carnivores, although meat is definitely their meal of choice. If you have aquatic plants in your tank, you might see your fish take a few bites here and there. They also eat fish pellets and flakes occasionally, and they can benefit from the vitamin boost these foods provide. But for most of their meals, plan on feeding protein such as krill, mealworms, earthworms or feeder fish. Unless you raise your own under controlled conditions, thaw frozen versions of these foods or buy live ones from reputable fish food suppliers. Avoid grabbing insects and worms from your yard -- they might have ingested chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, which they can transfer to your piranha.

Juvenile fish need to be fed up to four times per day, while sub-adults usually need food about twice a day. Feed mature adults about once every two days.

Home Sweet Tank
Piranhas can survive in a variety of tank conditions, but they prefer a water temperature of between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a sandy substrate. Juveniles are especially fond of aquatic plants. In the wild, they spend much of their time hiding from predators until they reach their adult sizes. However, adults enjoy swimming among the plants as well. They also like large pieces of driftwood that offer secluded places to rest.

Keeping It on the Up and Up
Before buying a piranha for a pet, check with your local and state regulations. Many states ban piranhas because people sometimes release them into the wild; introducing non-native species can wreak havoc on your local environment. Non-native species can compete with indigenous ones for food, sometimes endangering the other species' survival. Also, state governments often don't want to risk local fisherman catching piranhas unexpectedly and potentially becoming injured. Even if you have no intention of releasing a pet piranha, always follow local regulations.

Safety First
Owning a piranha means taking a few precautions to ensure he doesn't decide your hand looks tasty for dinner. Even small, a piranha has razor-sharp teeth that can easily bite through your skin; as an adult, he can bite through bone to remove entire fingers. To prevent injury to yourself, never dip your hand in the water to feed a piranha. Also, don't place a hand with a wound, even a small scratch, in or near the top of the water -- the blood might attract the piranha, who swims powerfully enough to jump out of the water.

Clean the tank with long tools instead of putting your arm inside, and use a net to catch your fish when it's necessary to move him. He can bite through the net, so don't stabilize him with your hand. Instead, hold a second net under the first to catch the fish if he bites a hole in the first net and falls through.

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"He's a Little Stressed": 37-Pound Biggie the Cat Gets Medical Help

A troublingly overweight cat joined his thinner counterparts at the Riverside Cat Hospital as doctors hope to alleviate his constipation and potentially reduce his immense size.

The cat, aptly named Biggie, weighs a whopping 37 pounds.

"He’s a little stressed, but he’s a very gentle, nice kitty," Dr. Nichole Agarwal told NBC4 on Monday.

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Jumbo Squids Attack Greenpeace Submarine

A pair of Greenpeace submariners have had their own "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" experience on an expedition in the Bering Sea -- in a scaled down sort of way. Rather than the Nautilus and a giant squid, the pair were in a Dual Deep Worker submersible when the encounter occurred.

To read more on this story, click here: Jumbo Squids Attack Greenpeace Submarine

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Zoonotic Diseases & Dogs

A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed from animals to humans. Following are some related to dogs.

One of the best ways to prevent zoonotic diseases is to promptly clean up pet waste. Many parasites or bacteria are not infectious in fresh pet waste, but become infectious over time and can contaminate the soil, sand or grass if allowed to sit.

Wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water after playing with your dog or handling its waste.

To read more on this story, click here: Zoonotic Diseases & Dogs

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Have You Heard of Zoonotic Disease? - Diseases that are Transmissible from Living Animals to People

A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed between animals and humans. Zoonotic diseases can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. These diseases are very common. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals.

To read more on this story, click here:  Have You Heard of Zoonotic Disease? 

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Could a Monster-Size Crab Spotted in UK be Real? (Video)

The crabs human see or eat are usually only six or so inches across their shells. An aerial image taken in the UK captured a massive crab, and is now garnering a lot of attention online.

The aerial shot enables viewers to see the full body of the crab, including its pinchers and legs. It’s estimated that the beast measures 50 feet long.


To read more on this story, click here: Could a Monster-Size Crab Spotted in UK be Real?

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World's Angriest Cat Greets You In Bollywood Style

Seems, Grumpy Cat has some serious competition! Garfi, a plump orange Persian cat has become an internet sensation thanks to his menacing appearance and a rather intimidating stare.

Garfi lives in Turkey with his owner Hulya Ozkok and has earned quite a number of fans on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms.

We picked a few iconic dialogues from popular Bollywood movies to match Garfi's villainous expressions and the results are as follows:

To read more on this story, click here: World's Angriest Cat Greets You In Bollywood Style

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The Discovery of a Terrifying Sea Monster? No, This Writhing Mass Of tentacles is a Bizarre Relative of the Starfish

The discovery of a terrifying sea monster? No, this writhing mass of tentacles caught off the Singapore coast is just a bizarre relative of the starfish

It may look like an alien, or even a monstrous moving plant, but this incredibly complex-looking creature is a relative of the starfish.

The basket star (Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae) was caught off the coast of Singapore and continues to wave its arms after it is pulled out of water in this video.
It actually has five arms, which are each split into more dexterous 'branchlets', which it uses to catch prey underwater.

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Fitzgerald Auto Mall "Fall In Love" Adoption Event - Washington Animal Rescue League - October 18th

Washington, DC  -- Fitzgerald AutoMall in North Bethesda and the Washington Animal Rescue League will team up once again for a special “Fall in Love” pet adoption event on Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  Adoptable dogs, cats, puppies and kittens will be on-site, hoping to go home with a new forever family.
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“This is the season when we gather as family and friends, and we want our four legged friends to be included” said Dottie Fitzgerald, President at Fitzgerald Auto Malls.  “At Fitzgerald, we are proud to partner with WARL to continue to find excellent homes for our furry friends.”

The Washington Animal Rescue League will have adoptions counselors on site to help adopters meet their perfect match.  All available pets have been spayed/neutered, microchipped and are up-to-date on vaccines.

The event is open to the public and all are invited to come out and meet the animals.  In addition, the public is encourages to bring pet food and pet supplies for the Washington Animal Rescue League’s “Rescuer’s Food Bank.”  The food bank helps families facing financial difficulty hold on to and care for their pets

“We’re thrilled to once again partner with our friends at Fitzgerald Auto Mall on a great adoption event,” said Bob Ramin, CEO of the Washington Animal Rescue League.  “Our shelter is absolutely full of great dogs and cats who desperately need homes, and we’re once again thankful to Dottie Fitzgerald and her fantastic staff for providing the opportunity to showcase our animals and collect food for our pet food bank.  We hope everyone comes out to ‘Fall in Love’ with a new furry friend.”
                                                   
Fitzgerald Auto Mall is located in North Bethesda at 11411 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Md.  For more information, visit www.warl.org.  All currently available animals can be seen on the website.

About the Washington Animal Rescue League
Celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2014, the Washington Animal Rescue League is the oldest animal shelter in the District of Columbia.  Its mission continues to evolve as conditions change and animals face new and different challenges, but the core of that mission remains unchanged:  to honor and strengthen the human-animal bond by providing the best quality care for homeless dogs and cats, and supporting companion animals in their homes through affordable veterinary care, community outreach, and education.

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Study Results: Adopt or Purchase a Pet?

A new study from PetSmart Charities found that two-thirds of those surveyed said they would adopt a pet rather than purchase one from a pet store or breed.

Almost 3,000 people who live with cats and dogs participated in PetSmart Charities’ 2014 Shelter Pet survey. Among the findings, 81 percent of those surveyed said they own a dog and/or a cat. That percent is significantly higher from just three years ago, when it was 63 percent. Another 40 percent of respondents said they have donated time or money to support shelter cats and dogs. That number jumped up 29 percent, from three years ago.

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These Lovable Look -Alike Creatures Of Your Pet Also Help Rescue Animals

What devoted pet owner wouldn't want a plush replica of their real-life furry friend? Just don't let the little critters get their paws on one of these "sock dogs" as they're not chew toys.

"Sock dogs are for people only and are collectible art," says artist Stacey Hsu, who makes the animals out of new socks, buttons, faux fur and other materials.

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31 Problems Only Dog Owners Understand

Early-morning walks in freezing weather. You have to put on so many layers just to go around the block, and he'll be sure to stop and sniff every single tree, fire hydrant, and trash can as you shiver.

The cost of walks, grooming, boarding, and vet visits. You're not going to be stingy about taking care of him, and the people who run these businesses totally know that.

To read more on this story, click here: 31 Problems Only Dog Owners Understand

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