Knitted Hats and Sweaters for Cats and Dogs

I'm not much for dressing up pets, but there are certain breeds that gives you a good excuse to do just that, on certain times of the year. In that case there is no excuse not to do it with style! ;)

So if you feel you’re pet is in the need of something stylish to keep them warm, you might want to head over to Beantown Handmade and check out their knitted hats and sweaters for cats and dogs.

Enucleation - the surgical removal of the eye.

Pic and information:
http://www.answers.com/topic/enucleation-eye
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=23197

de'cat'pitated heads - Handmade Environmentally Friendly Cat toys

I'm a big fan of Etsy and frequently stop by to have a look at the vast amount of handmade goodies available.

Todays big find was spellwell and "de'cat'pitated" cat toys - some very unusual cat toys resembling decapitated heads. There are fish-heads, octopus-heads, pigeon-heads, mice-heads and robot-heads available.

All spellwell toys are made from recycled felt and the catnip used is organic.

spellwells de'cat'piteted heads cost between 7.00 and 11.00 USD each. Three heads cost 25.00 USD.

Grafting (Graft) - To implant a portion of living flesh or akin in a lesion, so as to form an organic union.

Sources:
http://thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/graft/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graft%5B2%5D

Interesting Science and Nature Sites

Science Daily - A "scientific news site" that keeps you up to date with all kinds of science news. I love how it is possible to follow RSS feeds on each of the different categories, as I find following all news on this site a bit overwhelming.

ZipcodeZoo - Look up different species to learn about their habitat, their conservation status, their latin name and their taxonomy.

PLoS - A nonprofit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. This site is full of interesting articles.

EOL - The Encyclopedia of Life - Working to organize and make available all information about life present on Earth. At this time it is not one of my favorite site to use while doing research on species, as I want information beyond taxonomy and general information, but this site is a work in progress and I imagine it will have extensive information on most species in the near future.

Scienceray - Nature/science site featuring a lot of interesting easy-to-read articles.

Sea and Sky - Exploring the Splendors of the Sea and the Wonders of the Universe - This is a site I would recommend to all science and nature interested families out there. Sea and Sky is filled with easy-to-understand information on space and sea. There are interactive activities and lots of pictures to look at. An ideal site for the whole family to explore together.

This was a few of my favorite science and nature sites. Please make a comment if you have a favorite science or nature site you feel like sharing!

BBC - Weird Nature - Bizarre Breeding

BBC's Weird Nature is a six part series about the weird ways of nature.
The second episode, Bizarre Breeding, gives us a glimpse some of the more interesting and surprising breeding behavior nature has to offer.
Did you know the male hamster helps the female give birth? He actually cuts the umbilical cord!

Pyotraumatic Dermatitis - Hot Spot, Summer Sores and Moist Eczema

What is a Hot Spot?

Hot spots (pyotraumatic dermatitis) is an itchy skin infection. It is usually caused by Staphylococcus intermedius, a bacteria that is always present on the dogs skin.

A hot spot often starts out very small and spreads very quickly. It is a red, irritated, moist and often hairless area, that can sometimes be yellowish from pus.

Causes

The infection is often thought to be caused by an underlying factor, like a flea bite, anal gland disease, ear infections or some other type of irritation, causing the dog to bite or scratch the area. Some of the more serious underlying causes are arthritis and degenerative joint diseases, such as hip dysplasia.

Dogs with allergies will often have problems with hot spots without there being any other underlying cause present.

When the dogs starts licking and biting the irritated area it triggers a viciuos cycle, as these actions causes the Staphylococcus intermedius bacteria to multiply and helps the infection spread. The infection causes even more irritation thus the dog will scratch and bite the area even more...

An other cause might be moisture that is trapped next to the skin, causing an environment where the bacteria can multiply. In this case the infection can be hidden under the fur, if the infection is in a place where the dog is not able to scratch or bite it.

It is therefore very important to make sure the dogs fur gets completely dry after it’s been in water.

Dogs with thick fur, like the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever, seem to be more susceptible to hot spots.

Treatment

It is important to get a hot spot checked out by a vet to try and determine the underlying cause and to rule out any possible underlying causes of serious nature.

A hot spot is easy to treat. Often in the case of a small hot spot the only actions needed are clipping the fur and cleaning the lesion. In other cases the vet chooses to apply some disinfecting and/or desiccating powder, to help the healing.

In more severe cases antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs may be necessary.


Want to know a bit more about hot spots?
You could start by visiting these sites: PetEducation.com, The Pet Center, Mangrove Veterinary Hospital and VetContact.