Tidbits: Factual, Funny, Fascinating
NAVC Clinician's Brief - January, 2008 - A national survey shows that 84% of Americans aged 60 and older who own a pet, report that pets make them feel happy, 66% said owning a pet improves their memory, and 45% said that after adopting a pet they started spending more time doing physical activities.
Children living in a house with 2 or more dogs or cats during their first year of life are much less likely to develop allergic diseases compared with children raised without pets.
While many promising stem cell therapies are awaiting approval for use in humans, some veterinarians are already using the technology. Vet-Stem has been using its licensed stem cell therapy in horses for 3 years and is now extending its commercial service to include dogs. Animals are treated with their own stem cells to repair tendons and ligaments.
Scientists are looking at the impact of a population of feral cats roaming Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The cats, which have been found as high as the 10,000-foot elevation on the mountain's west slope, prey on birds and could pose a danger to humans because of the diseases they may carry.
A recent study compared cats' working memories of their recent movements with their visual memories, and found that they remember better with their bodies than their eyes when they have encountered and object placed in their path.
Many scientists believe that reducing meat consumption would help battle global warming by decreasing the amount of methane gas emitted by flatulent cows, sheep and goats while a think tank funded by restaurants and food companies disagreed.
