Most Common Triggers That Induced Seizures in Cats

The United Kingdom-based charity International Cat Care reached out to veterinary specialists after receiving surprising complaints from cat owners: Their feline companions were apparently having seizures in response to high-pitched sounds.

A study of these cats revealed that the sound-induced seizures were more common in older cats, and the most common triggers were crinkling tinfoil, hitting a ceramic bowl with a metal spoon and tapping glass.

Mark Lowrie and Laurent Garosi, veterinary neurologists at Davies Veterinary Specialists in England, and Robert Harvey, a molecular neuroscientist and geneticist at the University College London School of Pharmacy, decided to survey cat owners about the phenomenon, which has been dubbed "Tom and Jerry syndrome," after the cartoon character Tom, who often responds to startling sounds with involuntary jerks. [Feline Fun: 10 Surprising Facts About Cats]

Hundreds of cat owners from around the world replied that they had noticed their cats were having seizures in response to certain types of sounds. Most owners' vets didn't know what was causing the seizures and didn't believe a sound had been the trigger.

In a study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the researchers looked at data from 96 cats, including the type of seizure, how long it lasted and what sound appeared to trigger it. They found that some cats — like some humans — suffer from seizures caused by sound, known as "audiogenic reflex seizures." In the cats, certain sounds triggered absence (or nonconvulsive) seizures; myoclonic seizures, characterized by brief muscle jerks; or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, in which the animal loses consciousness and its body stiffens and jerks for several minutes.

Both pedigree and nonpedigree cats can have these seizures, but they were most common in Birman-breed cats. Seizures were also more common in cats ages 10 to 19, and the average age of onset was 15 years, the researchers said.

The sounds that triggered the seizures ran the gamut, including crinkling tinfoil (82 cats), a metal spoon clanking on a ceramic food bowl (79 cats), chinking or tapping glass (72 cats), crinkling paper or plastic bags (71 cats), computer keyboard or mouse sounds (61 cats), jingling coins or keys (59 cats), hammering a nail (38 cats) and the clicking of an owner's tongue (24 cats). Less commonly, cellphone ringing, Velcro peeling or a walk across a wooden floor with bare feet could trigger the kitty seizures.

Owners could sometimes prevent the seizures by avoiding these sounds, but that wasn't always possible. Louder sounds also seemed to make the seizures more intense.

The researchers have identified this cat version of sound-triggered seizures as feline audiogenic reflex seizures, or FARS for short. Future work will focus on the genetic basis of the disorder and how to treat it.

The epilepsy medication levetiracetam can be an effective treatment for managing FARS, and could "completely rid" a cat of sound-induced seizures, the researchers said.

"How wonderful to be able to go back to those worried owners who came to us for help with a problem previously unrecognized by the veterinary profession with not only an explanation for their cats' behaviors, but a way to help them as well," Claire Bessant, chief executive of International Cat Care, said in a statement.

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The Latest Trend Among Dog Owners in Taiwan, Looks Just as Funny as it Sounds – Square and Round Dog Haircuts

It may look absurd, but a bizarre new dog grooming trend is beginning to take shape in Taiwan.

The craze involves having your pet pooch shaped into a sphere or a square - with the desired effect being a more eye-grabbing and clean-cut look.

The latest trend among dog owners in Taiwan looks just as funny as it sounds – square and round dog haircuts! Dogs, typically Poodles, are having the fur on their heads sculpted into perfect circles or squares, and the results are posted online in what might be the first “my dog has a rounder head than yours” competition ever.

The first records of dog grooming in the West are from the Elizabethan era (16th c.), but the French were the first to really embrace it. The Poodle was the official dog of the French court in the 1700’s, where dog-only salons also sculpted their fur in wild and extreme ways.

In a method reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands's trimming of a hedge, canine hairdressers in the Taiwanese capital Taipei are giving particularly furry customers outlandish makeovers.

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The FDA Has Announced a Recall for a Nylabone Puppy Starter Kit That May be Contaminated with Salmonella

Routine testing by the Nylabone company found Salmonella present in one of these kits, and you shouldn’t take a chance on them. If your dog has consumed a Nylabone affected by this recall, you should definitely call your vet.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can affect dogs, cats, and humans with dangerous symptoms.  Watch for the signs! If your puppy has been exposed, keep an eye on her for fever, lethargy, diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration, and shock. For that matter, keep an eye on yourself and anyone who has handled the treat or the dog for similar symptoms.

The affected Nylabones are a 1.69 oz. package specifically for puppies, like the one pictured below, and have been distributed across the U.S. and in Canada. The package will be marked as Lot #21935, UPC 0-18214-81291-3, and an expiration date of 3/22/18. The Puppy Starter Kit should not be used at any cost, and you can take it back to the store you bought it from for a full refund.

  

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A Woman Made a Terrifying Discovery Last Week Outside a Goodwill Center: She Found a Box with Three Puppies Trapped Inside, Cruelly Marked 'Stuffed Animals'

A woman made a terrifying discovery last week outside a Goodwill center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when she came across a box with three puppies trapped inside.

The box, labeled "stuffed animals," was taped shut and found by the concerned citizen on the afternoon of April 18th, said Jamie Lampman, executive director of the McKamey Animal Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

"As they got in the car they saw the box moving," Lampman said. "It was taped pretty solid. When they popped a hole in the box, all the noses popped out. They were covered in urine and it was about 83 to 85 degrees that day."

The puppies, who are all estimated to be 9 to 12-weeks-old, were immediately brought to the shelter by the woman.

Leslie Stokes, an animal service officer who's investigating the case, said that she's relying on tips from the public to eventually prosecute those responsible.

"We have dozens of leads coming in from Tennessee and Georgia," Stokes said. "It happened in the middle of the day, so someone had to see something. We are trying to get surveillance video from someone at Goodwill to see if there were any cars that pulled in."

Despite the horror they endured, Green said the puppies' health statuses are improving.

"They were pretty dehydrated and haven’t had a lot of nutrition, but they are flourishing," she said. "Within 48 hours they started to act like puppies again. They’ve really stolen a lot of hearts."

The three female puppies, who were given the names Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, and Marilyn Monroe, have already been requested for adoption by many.

"We've been calling them 'the Goodwill' puppies," Green said.

A representative of Chattanooga Goodwill Industries, Inc. released the following statement to ABC News regarding the incident.

“Chattanooga Goodwill Industries is grateful for the quick thinking and reaction of a “good Samaritan” who noticed and rescued the three puppies that were recently placed in a taped-up box and left on a sidewalk in the near vicinity of one of our donation center trailers. And we are thankful that McKamey Animal Care Center was able to take in and care for the puppies.

The attendant on duty that day was not approached or contacted by the woman who found the box or by the McKamey Animal Care Center. The attendant was unaware of the situation since the box was not found in the immediate area of the donation trailer. It is the policy of Chattanooga Goodwill Industries that one’s immediate supervisor be contacted if an animal is left at any of our donation sites.”

There's currently a reward for $4,000 to whomever can lead the McKamey Animal Center and or the Chattanoga Police to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for abandoning the puppies.

To donate to the cause, visit McKamey Animal Center  FOLLOW US!

Adorable Green Sea Turtle Photobombs a Group of Friends Vacationing Near the Apo Island

Tourist Diovani de Jesus was busy taking a photo with his friends near the Apo Island in the Philippines when a green sea turtle popped up and looked askance at the camera.

“We were posing for a group photo at Apo Island when this sea turtle surfaced to breathe and photobombed!' de Jesus wrote in his blog.

Green sea turtles, which are endangered, are one of the largest sea turtles and are named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells. Green turtles are found in tropical and subtropical waters and lmigrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched. They come to Apo Island to feed, which has one of the world's best-known community-managed Marine Protected Areas.

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For the First Time in 100 Years, Baby Pinzón Giant Tortoises Have Hatched on the Galapagos Islands

For the first time in 100 years, baby Pinzón giant tortoises have hatched on the Galapagos Islands. Their births represent a small step forward for the vulnerable species.

On an expedition to Pinzón Island in 1970, scientists found only 19 adult tortoises. Conservationists transferred those tortoises to Santa Cruz Island, where they began a captive breeding program, before returning the young tortoises back to Pinzón Island.

Forty-four years after the expedition, a group of conservationists discovered six young Pinzón hatchlings on Pinzón Island in December.

Dr. James Gibbs, one of the conservationists who visited Pinzón in December, tells Mashable: "This discovery is testament to the dedication and hard work of the Galapagos National Park Service over the last 40 years in rescuing several tortoise species from the point of extinction and putting them back on the path to a strong, albeit slow but steady, recovery."

Danny Rueda, who manages conservation and restoration of ecosystems in the Galapagos, told the Associated Press that there are currently 650 juvenile and adult tortoises on the island.

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2-Year-Old Golden Retriever Had to Be Put Down by Owners After Ingesting Xylitol-Laden Gum

Glenwood City, Wis. – Anyone with a dog knows how curious and resourceful they can be around anything edible. That curiosity apparently killed a dog in Western Wisconsin.

Luna, a 2-year-old golden retriever, was put down by her owners Tuesday evening after she ingesting Xylitol-laden gum on Monday. Luna had suffered severe liver damage.

"Luna had gotten into a container of gum, actually chewed it open herself," said Samantha Caress, 22. She, boyfriend Jordan Pellett ,22, and their son, Grady, 7 months, are devastated.

"She was like our first child. She was like our family before we even had Grady," said Caress.

Caress and Pellett said the dog ingested the "Ice Breaker" Lemon-flavor gum while the couple was out of the home in rural Glenwood City. They rushed her to the Animal Emergency Center in Oakdale, Minnesota early Tuesday.

"They actually called, later, after we dropped her off about three four hours, and they said her blood came back and it wasn't good," sobbed Caress.

The Center said a treatment for Luna would cost $20,000, beyond their means.

"And they said it was still only a 25% chance that she would live from it and we just didn't want her to suffer so we had to put her down," said Caress.

"Certain types of sugar-free gum have huge amounts of Xylitol," said Dr. Justine Lee, Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Minnesota. "A lot of people do not think about it, but Xylitol's a product in sugar-free vitamins. They are in toothpaste. They are in dental floss. They are in nasal sprays or in gums or in baked goods and as little as a couple of pieces of gum can result in severe hypoglycemia, so a life threatening drop in blood sugar and actually liver failure."

Lee suggested that anyone with a dog should check the ingredients on any products they buy. If Xylitol is in the first three or five ingredients, keep the product away from the reach of the dog.

"Elevate your purse or your backpack, so your dog can't get into it," said Lee. "Make sure you put vitamins or chewable products out of reach on a shelf."

She also recommended pre-programming a cell phone with the number of a veterinarian and ASPC Animal Poison Control to receive fast advice on a dog's situation.

The advice and the information about Xylitol comes too late for Caress and Pellett. Now, the hope to spare other dog owners their pain.

"We started a fund on go fund me under Luna's name," said Pellett. "It is called Luna-s Gift of Hope and all the proceeds are going to be going to CoCo's Heart Dog Rescue at Hudson, Wisconsin. Our goal right now is set at pretty high at $20,000. It is just what it would have cost to try to save Luna. So, if we could raise that and all those proceeds to help them save other dogs, out of the rescue, that'd be great."

Caress and Pellett said they are just trying to change their horrific experience into something positive.

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Have You Ordered Your 'I Rescued My Best Friend' T-Shirt?: Let The World Know That You Are Proud To Have Rescued/Adopted Your Pet - Only 50 Will Be Made - Ends May 21st, So Order Yours Today

If you have ever adopted a pet, you may not know it…but YOU saved a life! Adopting is also know as 'rescuing' an animal. Some people adopt animals but never realize that they are saving the animals life. When you adopted your pet, you gave them a home, love and a second chance at life, a chance to be part of a family.

There is an animal shelter, called, Animal Allies, Inc., located in Fairfax County, Virginia.  They are a non-profit organization that relies solely on donations and volunteers to operate. They are dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals. They could use your help to care for the animals. Please help by purchasing this great T-shirt for $17.  All funds will go directly to Animal Allies of Fairfax, Virginia. Thank you.

I have setup a fundraiser to help Animal Allies, Inc., with the care of the animals. 

My fundraiser is called, Animal Allies of Fairfax Fundraiser, and I am selling t-shirts that I designed. The t-shirts are in both men and women's sizes. 

To learn more about my fundraiser, click here: You Can Help Raise $850 For Animal Allies, a Volunteer No Kill Organization Dedicated to the Rescue of Homeless and Abandoned Animals, With Your Purchase of a 'I Rescued My Best Friend' T-Shirt

The limit is only 50 t-shirts, after that, no more will be made.

To place your order now, click here: I Rescued My Best Friend

From the Author:

This is Jonas, a shih-tzu/yorkie mix. We adopted/rescued him from the Washington Humane Society, Washington, DC, on September 24, 2013, at 9-months-old. Needless, to say while he is adorable… he can be a little 'stinker' sometimes! Lol

Now, at almost 2 ½ years old, he is the 'love' of our lives! Yes, he is spoiled.

My husband I will proudly wear our shirts when walking Jonas, shopping, etc. We want to get the message out that it is better to 'adopt than to shop' for animals.

Animal shelters all over the United States are flowing over with animals in search of a loving home. As an animal advocate/lover, I am willing to help animals in anyway that I can. 

Please consider purchasing your t-shirt today. Your donation will help all of the animals at Animal Allies, Inc. and I am sure they will appreciate it.

If you would like to make an additional donation, there is a place on the fundraiser page for that.

If you have adopted/rescued a pet, may God bless you for saving a life!

Please share with friends, neighbors and co-workers. FOLLOW US!