Massachusetts Coastal Town Orders Locals To Stop Calling 911 About Giant Fish

The local government of Wareham, a town in southern Massachusetts’ Plymouth County, has asked locals to please stop calling the police about a big, blobby fish that has been spotted minding its own business in coastal waters.

The fish — a whopper of a creature that has attracted dozens of emergency calls since Monday from locals mistaking it for a shark or a seal, according to The Cape Code Times — is an ocean sunfish.

Formally known by the genus name Mola, the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) can grow to nearly 10 feet in length, weighing in at more than a stunning 4,400 pounds.

To read more on this story, click here: Massachusetts Coastal Town Orders Locals To Stop Calling 911 About Giant Fish

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FDA Dog Food Recall Expands: The Bags And Brands To Check For

The FDA’s released several pet food recalls over the past few months, most of which center on dog food. Today we’re going to go over the several recalls that you’re going to want to pay attention to, leading up the the latest from Sunshine Mills. Included on the list are Nature’s Menu, Family Pet, Heartland Farms, Paws Happy Life, Billy+Margot Wild Kangaroo and Superfoods Recipe, Champ, Field Trial, Good Dog, and others.

To read more on this story, click here: FDA Dog Food Recall Expands: The Bags And Brands To Check For

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PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

When mama bear Mei Xiang left the den yesterday to eat a fruitsicle (frozen treat made from diluted apple juice), zookeepers were able to retrieve the cub for a quick exam.

To read more on this story, click here: PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

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Hypothyroidism is a Condition That Can Affect Cats and Lead to an Array of Serious Health Issues

Detecting, Diagnosing, and Treating Underactive Thyroid Low thyroid hormone, or hypothyroidism (not to be confused with hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid), is a condition that can affect cats and lead to an array of serious health issues if it goes untreated. Though hypothyroidism is relatively rare in cats and affects many key aspects of a cat’s metabolism, it is usually manageable.

Low levels of hormones produced by the thyroid are usually the result of treatment for a far more common condition, hyperthyroidism. As such, most cases can be treated by simply adjusting the treatment regimen for the original condition so that the cat is producing thyroid hormones within the normal range.

Other causes of this condition include a reaction to radioactive iodine treatment, an iodine deficiency in the diet of the cat, a side effect of taking methimazole that results in the reduced production of thyroxine, the removal of either or both of the cat’s thyroid glands, a thyroid tumor or a tumor in the immediate area of the thyroid, and a variety of other autoimmune diseases.

Symptoms of Feline Thyroid Hormone Deficiency

Producing insufficient levels of thyroid hormones can have various effects throughout a cat’s metabolism, and many of these effects are undetectable at home. Symptoms of thyroid hormone deficiency in cats can include:

• A thinning of the coat
• General muscle weakness
• Hair loss
• Weight gain due to slowed metabolism
• Lethargy
• Sleeping more than usual
• Loss of appetite
• Pale gums
• Hypothermia
• Constipation
• Dry skin and dandruff

Diagnosis of Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in Cats

In most cases, diagnosing low thyroid hormone levels is as simple as running a few tests to determine the hormone levels in the blood. However, in some cases a veterinarian will need to perform a variety of other tests in order to arrive at a conclusive diagnosis. These tests can include:

• A urinalysis
• Blood tests, sometimes including a complete blood count
• Chest x-rays or abdominal x-rays

Treating Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in Your Cat
Treatment for this condition in cats usually depends upon what the vet determines to be the underlying cause. As mentioned above, the overwhelming majority of hypothyroidism in cats is caused by treatment for hyperthyroid, in which case a simple adjustment of medication generally clears up the issue. In cats where other underlying causes are to blame, treatment for the condition can vary from surgery to remove tumors, to supplemental thyroid hormones.

If the cat has had their thyroid glands removed, then treatment will be needed for the remainder of the cat’s life. Medication typically has a positive effect on the condition following the first six weeks of treatment, but ongoing monitoring of the condition may be required for the life of the cat.

Prognosis for Cats Dealing With Thyroid Issues
Hypothyroidism can be prevented in many cases where treatment for hyperthyroidism is the cause. If the cat is seen regularly and has its hormone levels monitored, adjustment of medication can be completed proactively. In other cases, where the thyroid glands have been removed or are no longer functioning, medication and monitoring can allow for the cat to live a normal life.



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New Jersey Prepares to Open a Gruesome Black Bear Trophy Hunt

New Jersey is poised to allow trophy hunters to kill the state’s beloved black bears starting next month using barbaric methods like baiting the animals with piles of rotting sugary food. The plan would also allow hunters to chase bears off state lands, where bear hunting is not allowed, and onto private lands, just so they can be killed. Worse, it would allow the killing of baby bear cubs—a cruelty now allowed in only one other state, Alaska.

This unethical policy from the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is highly unpopular within the state, and a Humane Society of the United States poll last year showed that a supermajority of New Jersey residents oppose it. An even stronger majority is opposed to bear baiting. But unfortunately, attempts in the state legislature to prohibit baiting bears or bear trophy hunting have not been brought up for full floor votes.

To read more on this story, click here: New Jersey Prepares to Open a Gruesome Black Bear Trophy Hunt

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Your Dog Has Diabetes. Here Are The Next Steps:

My dog has what?! Whatever the symptoms were that made you take your pup to the vet, good for you for taking him/her in to see your veterinarian! For most people, the diagnosis is a shock… a HUGE surprise! Who even knew that dogs can get diabetes? The first thing that you do now is breathe. Deep breaths…

To read more on this story, click here: Your Dog Has Diabetes. Here Are The Next Steps:

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These Are the 11 Heaviest Dog Breeds, So Keep the Treats to a Minimum

These are the pooches most likely to be a little husky. (Pun intended.)From Woman's Day

These Are the 11 Heaviest Dog Breeds, So Keep the Treats to a Minimum

Just like humans, too little exercise and too much food can lead to weight gain in pooches. (Dogs! They're just like us!) However, some dog breeds are more likely to pack on the pounds than others. The heaviest dog ever reported by the Guinness Book of World Records was Zorba, an English Mastiff, who weighed an impressive 343 pounds. Your pup may not be in danger of beating Zorba's record, but if your dog is one of the fattest dog breeds (such as an English Mastiff), then you should keep an eye on their kibble consumption.

To read more on this story, click here: These Are the 11 Heaviest Dog Breeds, So Keep the Treats to a Minimum

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This Japanese Artist Creates Hats For Cats Made From Their Own Hair

If you’re a cat owner, you probably know that if there’s one things cats hate, it’s accessories. As much as we’d like to turn our cats into little cowboys or Santas, the hats fly off of their heads faster than you can blink. So imagine our surprise when we came across these cats calmly posing and rocking adorable furry hats!

These funky and stylish cat hats were created by a Japanese couple – photographer Ryo Yamazaki with his wife Hiromi – and are actually made from the cats’ own shed hair. The three handsome models, Nyaa, Mar and Mugi, seem to love posing with all sorts of hats from little aviator helmets to fancy Victorian wigs – check them out in the gallery below!

 To read more on this story, click here: This Japanese Artist Creates Hats For Cats Made From Their Own Hair

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