Howyiz! Happy St Patrick's Day!

Or should I say Happy St Catrick's Day?

Medical Marijuana For Pets?

We have all heard of the benefits of medical marijuana. It can and is used successfully to treat many health disorders, with historical evidence dating all the way back to 2737 BC. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine. It is prescribed for a broad range of indications and can be used for nausea and pain relief, and as an appetite stimulant.

After all these years of proven success, more states are now allowing the medical use of marijuana for human use. But if it's helpful for humans, wouldn't it also be helpful to animals who are going through cancer treatments or suffering from any number of illnesses affecting their quality of life?  Dr. Doug Kramer, a California veterinarian thinks so and his mission is to improve pets' quality of life by outlining safe and effective marijuana dosing guidelines.

Click the link below to read about Dr Kramer and some of his patients whose last months of life were lived happy and pain free, thanks to the good doctor and a little plant.

Dogster.com - Medical marijuana for dogs?

Leafcutter Ants Get Shamrocks For St Patrick's Day

Leafcutter ants received tiny candy shamrocks as an enrichment activity at the Saint Louis Zoo's Monsanto Insectarium. Stop by the Insectarium on St. Patrick's Day to see ants on parade!



Female worker ants cut and carry leaves and other organic matter, often several times larger than their body size, high over their heads to the "fungus garden" in their nest. The garden ultimately produces a source of food for the queen and the rest of the colony.

Zookeepers vary the types of matter offered to the ants on a daily basis, which can include fruits and vegetables, plant leaves and flowers. Ants would come across nectar and other sugary items in their environment, and the candy shamrocks are a fun and visual way for our visitors to observe and learn about behaviors of these tiny invertebrates.

The Zoo provides enrichment activities for all animals from the largest to the smallest. These activities encourage the animals to forage and investigate their environment.

For more information on leaf cutter ants, visit The St Louis Zoo

Lions & Tigers & Bears

source: the interwebs

Penguin Scores A Perfect 10 On The High Dive

More Pet Food Recalls

Click on the links for detailed information about each recall

• March 10, 2013 Premium Edge, Diamond Naturals and 4health Dry Cat Food Formulas Voluntarily Recalled Due to Possibility of Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• March 07, 2013 Diggin’ Your Dog Recalls Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats Distributed in Colorado and Nevada Due to Possible Salmonella Hazard Salmonella
• March 07, 2013 Steve’s Real Food Recalls Turducken Canine Recipe Patties Because of Possible Health Risk Salmonella
• March 05, 2013 Cargill’s animal nutrition business conducts voluntary recall of select mineral product used in ruminant feed Deficient in vitamin A, D, and E

Wild Gorilla Is Reunited With the Man Who Saved Him

What does a billionaire casino owner have in common with a wild gorilla? That sounds like it could be the opening line of a cheeky joke, but in actuality, what they have in common is a very heartfelt bond.

Damian Aspinall may be a billionaire casino owner, but he's also the founder of The Aspinall Foundation, a conservancy group dedicated to supporting global wildlife. Among its myriad conservancy projects, its most outstanding endeavor may be that it rehabilitates and reintroduces once captive gorillas back into the wild.

For Aspinall, one of those gorillas in particular, a youngster named Kwibi, captured his heart. The conservationist personally raised the animal for several years before setting him free in the Foundation's million-acre reserve in West Africa.

Five years later, Aspinall traveled back to Africa in order to check on Kwibi, who was now a fully-grown adult.

The following video shows their touching reunion.

What’s of particular note is that conservationists on the reserve warned Aspinall that Kwibi had previously attacked the last two people who came in contact with him.

Nonetheless, it’s clear that this gorilla viewed his former protector with a higher regard than he had towards other human beings. And more surprising than abstaining from an attack, showed an attachment to him even five years after their last meeting.

It's not unheard of for wild animals to form bonds with their protectors. Anna Julia Torres, a well-known animal conservationist in Columbia, often cuddles with the lions she keeps on her nature reserve. But Torres sees her animals daily, while Aspinall hasn't been a presence in Kwibi's life for some time.

The work of the Aspinall Foundation and others like it are crucial to gorillas' survival. These animals remain on the precipice of extinction due to the presence of so many man-made threats, not the least of which is rampant poaching.

Human industry continues to view them as things, commodities to be bought and sold, or simply discarded. But as we continue our destruction of gorilla populations unabated, videos like this one demonstrate that these creatures have their own internal lives—ones which are very much worth honoring and protecting.

The Aspinall Foundation
 
source: news.yahoo.com