If you’ve have the misfortune of tripping over the cat or dog lately, you are not alone. Seems that these ‘four-legged tripwires’ are the cause of over 86,000 visits to the emergency room each year.  That’s 240 people a day being treated for pet-related injuries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that while cats are involved in some of the fall, the main culprit is man’s best friend, the dog. Seems that nearly 88% of all injuries were dog-related and females sustained injuries twice as often as males.
No mention, though, of how the pets fared in each of these accidents…

ever have to make a decision that
tore your heart apart?
i did yesterday when i said goodbye to
Maddie, our family cat who has always been
there for me in good and bad.
but she got too sick to carry on and had to be
laid to rest.
Goodbye old friend…

President-elect Obama made many promises during the election campaign, but to his daughters, the biggest was probably that if he’s elected they would get a dog. A tough call, given that his eldest daughter, Malia, apparently has a ‘dog allergy’.
In his first press conference, Obama seemed to think that all would be okay if they found a ‘hypoallergenic dog’. Sounds like a great plan. But according to medical experts, it’s not all that feasible. In fact, soon after the press conference, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology  (AAAAI) issued a statement saying “There is no truly ‘hypoallergenic’ dog.”
According to the …read more

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If you’re heading out into the wilderness for some nature-like fun (not my bag, but hey, to each his own), you may come across a bear at some point. You are in their habitat, after all. And while this is scarier than the release of Gigli, there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and your family, since most black bears are not interested in people and can usually be scared away. Take a look:
1. Stand up as tall as you can
2. Hold out your arms to appear bigger (if you’re wearing a jacket …read more

Bored with the traditional pedicure? Then hop on over to a Washington DC-area salon where teeny carp are used eat away the dead skin on your feet, leaving them smooth as a baby’s bum.
Sound creepy?
It may be a little, but it’s becoming all the rage. So far, over 5,000 customers have indulged in this treatment that feels like your foot fell asleep – just a tickling and tingling.
The fish at-the-ready, known as doctor fish, thrive in hot water where plants and other food sources are not readily available. Consequently, the fish have learned to feed on whatever they can find, …read more

Ah, summer. Tis the season for grilled dinners al fresco, lazy days in the hammock, and…mosquitoes!
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Sure, you could grab your can of OFF! or even some hard core DEET, but if you’re looking to go a little more natural (and green) consider one of these alternatives. Unconventional? Yes. Effective? You bet.
1. Lemon Eucalyptus – This scent is yummy for humans, purely disgusting for bloodsuckers. Even better, it is claimed to be one of the most effective repellents available. Find it at Drugstore.com.
2. Soybean Oil – Probably not a great idea to slick cooking oil all …read more

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Okay, this is one of those stories that sounds funny at first, but when you dig into the meat of it, it is soooo not funny. At all.
If you’re in the New York City area and you’re feeling a little frisky, please do not try your hand at ingesting toad venom – a supposed aphrodisiac. This kind of sexual adventure actually killed a 35-year-old man recently, and as I see it, death is not at all worth a few moments in the sack. Agreed?
This toad venom, sold illegally under the names Piedra, Love Stone, Jamaican …read more

It’s all about animals this week…
Prothestics are not just for humans. Seems that even the animal kingdom needs a little help every so often. Here’s a fascinating collection of animals that have benefited from science. There’s a dolphin with a rubber tail, an American Bald Eagle with a nylon-composite beak, a Belgian Shepard with a carbon paw, and a kangaroo, a parrot, a kiwi, and an elephant with a prosthetic leg.
What’s on your cat’s mind? If you don’t know and are worried about their behavoir help is at hand in the form of animal communicators, aka ‘Pet Whisperers’. …read more

Finally, sleeping after no sleep for three years – most new parents expect that their sleep will be disturbed, at least during the first few months after having a baby. But imagine ‘no sleep for three years’. That’s the case for the Lamb family of St.Petersburg, Florida.
 Their son Rhett suffers from chiari malformation , a structural defect that puts pressure on the brain stem which controls vital functions such as sleep, speech, circulation, and breathing. But thanks to experimental surgery designed to relieve this pressure, Rhett (and his parents) are now sleeping…
Unable to Forget – although most of us would …read more

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Great news for kitty lovers: Turns out your feline friends do more than keep your toes warm at night – they help keep your heart healthy, too.
A recent study from the University of Minnesota found that owning a cat can slash your risk of dying from a heart attack by up to 40 percent. Evidently, having kitty around can help soothe away the harmful effects of stress and anxiety. Suddenly, dealing with the litter box doesn’t seem quite so vexing, now does it?
Of course, it’s best to keep exercising and eating right, …read more