KNIGHT WATCH

ARE WE "PETICULAR" ABOUT PETS?

Veterinarians are reporting dogs and cats are living longer – some for more than 15 years. Dogs’ longevity is directly related to breed size. Toy breeds live longest (12-14 years). Giant breeds live the shortest time (6-8 years). However, mixed breeds tend to live longer than pure breeds. In estimating a dog’s age 1 dog year equals 12 people years, 2 dog years equal 24 people years and every dog year after that equals 4 people years. Thus a 12-year-old dog would be 64 people years. As for cats, any well-cared-for, indoor cat is likely to reach the late teens or early twenties – counting all 9 lives.

Unfortunately, veterinarians are also reporting they are treating an increasing number of dogs that have eaten xylitol. Xylitol is in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables – including various berries, corn husks, mushrooms and oats. It’s a natural sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute, especially in gum. Supposedly it’s good for teeth, diabetes, osteoporosis and infection – but it’s not good for pets. For pets it has a life-threatening toxicity that can cause liver failure. Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting and a weak, wobbly appearance, requiring immediate treatment. Obviously, pet owners should treat xylitol-containing products with dogged attention to avoid cat-astrophes.

To get the attention of pet owners a campaign by the Los Angeles County District attorney featured a picture of a dog in an oven. It’s a reminder that it’s against the law to leave animals in hot cars. A car’s interior can reach 100 degrees when it’s 72 degrees outside. Dogs have body temperatures of 101-102.5 degrees. Body temperatures of 107-108 degrees can cause brain damage and death. Leaving a pet in a hot car is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months in jail. If the pet dies, it’s a felony with up to 3 years in state prison. This should be dogma.

And then there’s Scarlett’s Magic. She holds the Guinness Record as the world’s tallest pet cat – 17.1 inches. SM, however, isn’t an ordinary housecat. She’s a F1 Savannah – a cross between a domesticated breed and an African Serval – a medium-sized wild cat sharing common traits with cheetahs. Although F1 Savannahs are the closest thing to wild cats allowed as pets in most states, SM’s owners say she has the “charm of a domesticated cat”. Because cubs cost $5,000-$50,000, F1 Savannah cats might not catapult to popularity immediately.

WHAT HAVE ANIMALS TAUGHT US?

Turtles shut down a runway at John F. Kennedy International airport on July 8, 2009. At least 78 turtles emerged from a nearby bay and crawled unto the tarmac. The turtles were identified as Diamondback terrapins, a species common to Jamaica Bay that surrounds the airport. Although the turtles were gathered up in 35 minutes and deposited in water farther from the airport, JFK’s flight schedule experienced delays up to 90 minutes. It seems turtle spawning season occurs in late June and early July, providing a 21st century version of the air and the tortoise.

Deep Sea Worms were collected using undersea robots. According to research published in the journal “Science”, 7 new segmented species were discovered. Five of the species cast off glowing bombs to escape predators. These bombs seem to be made of gill parts and glow when ejected from the worms. The newly named “Swima bombiviridis" (good swimming green bomber) use comb-like body bristles as paddles to propel through the water. So far they’ve been found off the coast of the Philippines, Mexico and the U.S.; but because they live 1.2 to 1.9 miles below the water’s surface, Swima bombiviridis aren’t likely to light up our lives.

Jellyfish may help to reduce the effects of climate change. According to a study published in the journal “Nature”, jellyfish do this by participating in ocean mixing. Although tides and winds are the major participants, new movies show that jellyfish drag water behind them as they swim. To avoid predators jellyfish swim to the surface at night to feed. It’s expected that they take cold water to the surface and warm water to the ocean depths. They may also take dissolved carbon dioxide down with them, lowering the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Humans who ignore climate change, however, are a different kind of jellyfish.

Dogs are trained by Italy’s National Civil Protection Agency to be lifeguards. About 70 Labradors, Newfoundlands and Golden Retrievers – all strong in the water – have been trained for at least 2 years from puppyhood. When these dogs see swimmers in trouble, they paddle to the swimmers – with or without their human partners. The troubled swimmers can hold onto the dogs or the dogs can tow the swimmers ashore by their bathing suits. In fact, these dogs are strong enough to tow three people simultaneously – giving new meaning to the “dog days” of summer.