#68 - Dolphin with a Prosthetic Tail

Recycled Dolphin Crayons by LittleDoodlers on Etsy, $7.50

Today while waiting for a doctor appointment, I picked up a magazine in the waiting area. (I was super excited to see that they had Scientific American and not just a bunch of gossip/lose weight without doing anything/housekeeping magazines). Anyways, in Scientific American, I found the coolest article about a dolphin who got a prosthetic tail!

When this dolphin, named Winter, was a baby, she got her tail caught in a crab trap. The trap cut off blood circulation to her tail and her tail basically died. They amputated her tail and she could swim without it. But because dolphins swim up and down and not side to side like fish, her adaptive swimming motion which was fish-like was putting a lot of pressure on her spine.

Winter with her stump tail

Finally, Kevin Carroll heard about Winter and thought "I could make that dolphin a tail." So after much work, he did!

Winter with her prosthetic tail

Dolphin skin is slippery and sensitive so they had to come up with a gel like covering to protect Winter's skin on her stump before they could attach a tail. Kevin Carroll and his team spent much time watching how dolphins swim and creating a tail for Winter.

The trainers at the aquarium where Winter lives trained her to allow the to put her tail on for her!

There's now a movie based on Winter's story called Dolphin Tale.

#67 - 10 Common Household Items That Can Hurt Our Dog Friends

Most people know that chocolate is poisonous to dogs. However today I learned some other things that are poisonous to dogs that caught me by surprise.

But first, here's a story about how my carelessness turned into a dramatic disaster that could have killed little dog. Fortunately she survived and was fine but it taught me an incredible lesson and I hope you learn from it as well.

One evening I stopped by the grocery store on the way home and while waiting in the checkout line I picked up a pack of gum. When I arrived home from work, the usual 5 minutes of chaos awaited me. The dogs needed out to go to the bathroom, the cat was screaming for food (yes he practically screams - little jerk!), and here I was with groceries hanging off both arms. So I took the groceries to the kitchen and put them on the counter then went to let the dogs out and feed the cat. I unpacked most of the groceries while the dogs were outside and the cat was eating and got all the cold foods put away, etc.

I let the dogs back in and got distracted doing something else. I can't even remember what happened. It could have been something as simple as I went to the restroom myself. A few minutes later, my little dog, Happy, comes through the house smelling weird. It took a second for me to realize she was MINTY...REALLY MINTY! I ran to the kitchen to find that the mint gum I'd bought earlier was in the floor mostly eaten. The cat had batted the gum off the counter and Happy had gladly scarfed it down.

Why does it matter that Happy ate gum? Because the gum had xylitol (a common artificial sweetener) in it. I'd just read right before that happened that xylitol was poisonous to dogs. I didn't know why it was poisonous (or actually if it even was) so I grabbed my phone and called our vet's office to get the on-call vet (of course she'd eat gum when the vets are all gone home for the day!). He told me that xylitol is indeed poisonous to dogs and told me to give Happy hydrogen peroxide (had to hold her down and squirt it in her mouth with a water bottle) until she threw up the gum and to call him back if she didn't throw up and he'd meet me at the vet clinic but also to call him back later if she did throw up to let him know she was ok.

So here I am holding this 25lb dog and squirting hydrogen peroxide down her little throat to make her throw up. It was horrible. By that time, I was in tears and she was gagging. Finally she threw up the gum. I kept giving her peroxide until there was no gum left in her. Fortunately she was fine but that taught me an incredible lesson. Even though the gum was up high where she couldn't reach it, it's so easy for it to get knocked off the counter (especially with a cat in the house!). So now we never leave gum (or anything else that is bad for dogs) out on the counter even for a few minutes.

10 Common Household Items That Are Poisonous To Dogs:

1) Chocolate - this delicious little treat is for humans only! Dogs cannot eliminate the theobromine and caffeine from chocolate as quickly as humans and it can be fatal. For more information, click here.

Chocolate Mustaches by TheChocolateMommy on Etsy, 12 for $15

2) Xylitol - this was the sweetener in the gum that my little dog ate. It causes a drastic drop in blood sugar in dogs and can be fatal.

3) Grapes and Raisins - can cause renal (kidney) failure in dogs

Grapes Watercolor Painting by VickieSueCheek on Etsy, $10

4) Nicotine - need I say more? It's not good for us or our dog friends. For more information, click here.

Vintage Cigarette Lighter from SkyLynx on Etsy, $15

5) Onions, Garlic and Leeks - Both raw and cooked versions can can affect the red blood cells and cause anemia in dogs.

Onion Print by AppetizingArt on Etsy, $15

6) Pennies and Batteries -  The acidic environment in the stomach allows rapid release of the zinc in these items and the zinc can cause anemia as well as liver, kidney and/or heart failure.

1983 Penny Bracelet by christinavitale on Etsy, $26.95

7) Unbaked Bread Dough - the dough can expand in the stomach/intestine creating a blockage. In severe cases, surgery may be required to remove the blockage.

Bread Dough Photography by gildinglilies on Etsy, $20

8) Sage Palm Plants - This is a common house plant and the entire plant is poisonous to dogs. This plant contains cycasin, a chemical poisonous to many animals including humans.  For more information, click here. Here's a blog post from a dog owner whose dog ate some of this plant.

9) Macadamia Nuts - The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotory difficulties. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting.

Macadamia Nut Cookies by KandyKoncepts, 2 dozen for $14

10) Acetaminophen (found in Tylenol and other pain relievers) - This drug interferes with red blood cells and can also cause liver damage in dogs.

Vintage Tylenol Container from metalsk8er6 on Etsy, $6.99

#55 - Heron

While walking around at Waterfront Park in Louisville yesterday, I got an awesome picture of a modern day Pterodactyl! Ok, it's actually called a heron but I'm pretty sure it's a mini pterodactyl. I'm pretty proud of this awesome picture. :)

Some strange facts about mini pterodactyls  herons:

1) Herons are often mistaken for cranes and vice versa. In fact, I thought the bird I photographed was a crane but learned it's a heron while looking up info to blog about it.

2) Heron are located on all continents except Antarctica.

3) Herons don't have webbed feet like many birds.  They have four toes per foot. Three of the toes point forward and one points backward. This gives them a little stability and also let's the grip things. 

4) Herons have been known to choke to death from trying to swallow fish too big to fit down their throats. 

5) Herons can live up to 15 years in the wild.

6) The feathers down the back of the heron's head are called plumbs and are important in attracting mates. 

7) Roast herons were a popular food at medieval banquets.

8) The fat of a heron killed at midnight was once believed to cure rheumatism. 

9) Herons have a specially shaped clam on their third toe for combing their feathers.

10) Herons sometimes visit decorative pounds and steal the goldfish! hahaha!

#38 - Clownfish Can Change Sex

Handpainted Silk Suncatcher by HandpaintedThreads on Etsy, $51.55 (approximately)

Today I learned (or perhaps relearned...I think I might have known this at some point) that clownfish (think Finding Nemo) can change sex as the needs of their school changes. How unqiue is that! I mean, sure humans can change sex also but it's a long lengthy process that requires medical intervention. It's crazy to think that clownfish can just change on their own.

Also, I learned that clownfish are generally monogamous in a relationship and if the female dies, it's common for male to change sex to become female and then find a male! I have to admit I found that one a little funny. I mean, why wouldn't it just seek out another female and stay the same sex?  Well it turns out that clownfish are all born male.Clownfish live in groups of lots of males and one female (this grouping is called a harem).  So if the female in the harem dies, the dominate male will change sex to become female. It will then choose a breeding partner among the males (usually the most dominant male) and they will be monogamous until something happens that one of them die. Interesting huh?

So then I wondered, can other fish do this? Yep, several other fish are known to change sex including wrasses, blue banded gobies, and moray eels.

1906 Moray Eel Painting, antiqueprintstore on Etsy, $55

#34 - Kangaroo Babies

Valentine Card by HeartsGrowFonder on Etsy, $2.75

Today I learned a random fact or two about the adorable kangaroo.

Did you know baby kangaroos ("joeys") are super tiny? I mean, like 1 inch long kind of tiny at birth?!! And no, they are not a cute little furry creature then! But they're pretty interesting looking. :) Joeys live in their momma's pouch for 120-400 days depending on the species and then are fed milk from their mom until about 1.5 years of age. Female kangaroos make 2 kinds of milk...one for infants and one for mature joeys.

#31 - Unicorns

Unicorn Original Illustration Print by DanaChangingArt on Etsy, $20

I've often wondered where we came up with unicorns. I mean, my whole life I've hoped they are real and a little part of me still believes they are. ;) Surely they existed at some point? If not, then what are they based on? So I did some research...

Unicorns are said to be a mythical creature. However, many cave paintings (in France) and aboriginal paintings (in South America) depict a horse-like animal with a single horn. Marco Polo even said he saw a unicorn and that they were ugly creatures. The unicorn he described is nothing like the unicorn depictions we see today. He said unicorns had a head like a boar, hair like a buffalo, a single black horn in the center of its head  and feet like an elephant.

Alexander the Great claimed he rode a unicorn in battle. Julius Caesar reported he saw a unicorn in the forest in Germany. A unicorn supposedly appeared to Confucius's mother foretelling his birth then appeared to Confucius himself foretelling his death.  Here's one of Confucius's well known quotes:

Confucius Print by CuckooClick on Etsy, $9

In China, the unicorn is seen as a good omen and will only appear to humans when it has important information. The Chinese believe the unicorn disappears when the world is suffering difficult times.

The unicorn has always been associated with mystical powers. It is said to have the strength to kill an elephant. Unicorns are also said to be able to tell truth from lies and will pierce a liar through the heart. Unicorn horns were sold for medicinal use in many places. However, these turned out to be mostly cow or goat horns. Queen Elizabeth I supposedly owned a unicorn horn.

If unicorns did exist, they are thought to be one of the earth's lost species. Of the estimated 4 billion species once on earth, about 99% of them are now extinct (Barnosky et al, 2011). (I'm a science nerd by day and couldn't resist the urge to use that well known theory to support the fact that maybe unicorns existed and are now extinct...a little nerdiness for you there.).

So, maybe unicorns did exist? I choose to believe they did. :) Do you?

Believe in Unicorns Shirt by BluebeardStudio, $21

References:

Has the Earth's sixth mass extinction already arrived?

Barnosky AD, Matzke N, Tomiya S, Wogan GO, Swartz B, Quental TB, Marshall C, McGuire JL, Lindsey EL, Maguire KC, Mersey B, Ferrer EA.

Nature. 2011 Mar 3;471(7336):51-7. doi: 10.1038/nature09678. Review.

#14 - Five Facts About Peacocks

Over the past year or so, I've noticed peacocks have really made their mark in clothing, accessories, and home decor. The purples, blues, and greens in the peacock's feathers are such a natural beauty.

Peacock Feather Headband by TropicalSnowShoppe on Etsy

So today I saw a peacock feather and realized I really know very little about those beautiful birds. So I did a little research and here's what I found.

1.  Only the male version of the bird is a called a peacock. The female version is called a peahen. That makes sense, though I've never really thought about it before! I assumed peacock was the bird in general.

2. As with most animals, the female of the birds is not bright and ornate like the male version. The beauty of the male peacock is for attracting the female peahen. The peahen is more plain so she is less visible and protect her young, etc.

Peahen and Peacock Paintings by BirdsinHand on Etsy 

3. Peafowl can fly. I had never really thought about this but given their size (4-13 lbs)...it would be a bit on the scary side to see one take off near ya. (For those of you who know how I feel about birds...you know I'd freak out!) 

4. Peacocks have up to 11 different calling sounds! One of their calls sounds like a baby crying.

5. Baby peacocks (peachicks) tail feathers don't fill in for 3 years after they're born! 

Peacock Feather Watercolor by kellybermudez on Etsy