Science News Bites: Shaking, Collars, Drinking

November 18, 2010

Science News Bites: Shaking, Collars, Drinking

Dog shake physics—wet animals are so efficient at shaking water out of their fur, it probably has mechanical applications with washing machines, spin coaters, painting devices, etc.

Cat collars safer than previously thought. Lost cats are much less likely to be found than lost dogs, so researchers wanted to see how well cats would tolerate a collar & just how dangerous. In one city surveyed, 40% of lost cats were indoor-only cats and fewer than 2% of lost cats are reunited with their owners, so indoor cats need collars with tags too. In terms of safety, the study reported that out of 391 cats, only 18 cats got their collar stuck in their mouth, a limb, or another object.
Cats are masters of hydrodynamics. Cats average 4 laps per second without getting their chin or whiskers wet. A column of water forms between the tongue and the surface of the liquid. Dogs’ tongues scoop up water, while cats’ tongues don’t break the surface. One of the researchers got the idea after watching his own cat drink milk.

August 27, 2010August 27, 2010

News Bites: Climbing, Driving, Parole Hearing, Goat, Seals, Dog Park Violence, Bin Lady

Climbing

Lucy the dog could have ended up just being another dog that died on the streets of Puerto Rico after being hit by a car, but she was lucky. She was adopted by some wonderful people. With their help, a wheelchair, and conditioning similar to the conditioning marathon runners practice, Lucy became the first disabled dog to climb Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.

Driving

Have you been hearing about the results of that AAA survey on the hazards of unrestained pets in cars? Turns out the survey is inacurate— the statistics and hazards are actually worse.

Parole Hearing

In Alabama, the canine victim was present for the parole hearing of his attacker. Louis the dog still has the physical scars from being set on fire and beaten with a shovel by Juan Daniels who was denied parole.

Goat

First there was a male goat and a female dog, who are best friends, wandering loose around a wedding chapel, then there was the threat of goat rustling charges, then add their friend Lucky, a tripod dog, and you’ve got one of the oddest rescue stories I’ve heard.

Seals

In Washington, a dog swims after seals, a boy paddles after the dog, the boy rescues the dog, the seals swim after the boy and dog.

Dog Park Violence

The man who repetedly stabbed a woman’s dog at Fort Funston in San Francisco has been identified and is expected to be arrested. Lenny the dog survived the attack, but lost his spleen.

Keith Elgin Shepherd, the off-duty police officer who shot and killed Bear-Bear, a husky, at Quail Run Dog Park in Severn, Maryland was charged with two misdemeanors and that is only after public outcry. He claims he shot Bear-Bear with a hollow point bullet after the dog attacked his German Shepherd. His German Shepherd apparently received no injuries. Bear-Bear’s family & friends say he was not an aggressive dog and the woman who initially rescued and foster Bear-Bear agrees.

Bin Lady

Mary Bale, the wack-job woman caught on camera dumping a cat in a trash bin, is being investigated by the RSPCA and may face charges. The cat was trapped for 15 hours until her person heard her cries.

May 22, 2009October 19, 2012

We Like: Portage Bay Float Coat By Ruffwear

Summer is almost here and that means humans & their dogs will be on or around the water. We often ask our dogs to do things that their instincts haven’t prepared them for, like boating. I don’t think dogs come equipped with sea legs or the ability to judge whether it’s safe to jump in a river to go after water fowl. Most dogs can swim, but even the best swimmer can be crippled by strong currents, hypothermia, or panic and end up drowning. A good life jacket could make all the difference. Keep those pups safe!

With a good life jacket, dogs with amputated limbs or mobility problems could still benefit from water exercise. You won’t have to worry about your dog sinking or her head going under water.

We have the Float Coat which I love. RuffWear designed a great canine life jacket.

We like the life jackets by RuffWear because:

it’s one of the few with foam under the body & under the head, providing much better buoyancy than jackets with foam just on the back, & it keeps dogs horizontal in the water
it fits very snugly & securely with wide sections across the chest and under the belly, 3 adjustable straps/clips, and velcro at the chest. This jacket won’t twist or cut into your dog the way jackets with unpadded nylon straps can.
it has a handle on the back making it possible to grab a dog to lift it from the water
the different foam thickness and the ergonomic tailoring makes for a comfortable fit and allows for good rang of motion, in particular, the front legs (Saffron actually seems to like wearing hers even out of the water.)
highly reflective piping and bright yellow material makes your dogs more visible (I recommend the yellow instead of the red, since yellow provides a stronger contrast)
there’s a D-ring for a leash and a loop to attach a light beacon
fabric on underside has tight weave so dog’s fur won’t get knitted into fabric
super easy to keep clean and dries quickly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b91ZVCJIS78