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Guthrie Shelter Rebuilt -- Sunday February 5th, 2012

Guthrie Shelter Rebuilt by College Students



HELPING WILDLIFE -- Tuesday April 12th, 2011

Many times a wild animal's life can be saved by not interfering.

To "rescue" a wild animal or not??? Sometimes this can be a very tricky question. But it is definitely one that needs a lot of attention. And a little extra knowledge can go a long way toward keeping otherwise healthy animals with their natural parents.

Now, just to make this clear, we are not referring to injured animals. If there is any sign of injury (sorry to be graphic, but blood dripping, limbs dangling, animals trapped in something, etc.) always bring the animal to a rehabilitator as quickly as possible.

We know it sounds like such any easy assessment to make, but every year rehab centers are swamped with what we refer to as kidnapped victims. When in doubt it is always better to bring them in for rehabbers to assess. These are usually animals who are still dependent on their parents for survival, but are starting to learn how to do a few things for themselves like fly. As young birds fledge, they inevitably hit a stage where nature seems to be hindering them and their wings grew in faster than their tail. They are just starting to get adventurous, and wham, they are stuck on the ground for a few days.

This is usually how long it takes for the tail feathers to catch up. It makes no sense from a survival standpoint, but it is just something evolution seems to have done to them. These birds are still being cared for by their parents and usually will manage to hop into low shrubs for protection. But many times people find them sitting in the middle of the yard looking completely lost. One of the easiest ways to assess whether or not the parent is still there is to go anywhere near this little fledgling. Usually this will result in very loud chastising from the parents who are avidly watching what you are doing. Sometimes you may even get dive-bombed. What we suggest if this happens is to just make sure the fledgling is safe (no dogs, cats, people can bother it). And the parents will generally encourage the baby to move away from you, as in their eyes, you are a very large predator.


BABY BUNNIES...
*If their nest has been damaged it can be repaired. Look for a shallow depression lined with grass/fur. Place babies in nest with light layers of grass to hide them. Leave the area, or the mother won't return. (Mothers return only at dawn & dusk).
*If you find healthy bunnies that are 4-5 inches long, able to hop, with eyes open and ears up, they do not need help. They are able to survive on their own. Leave them alone. Questions? Call a wildlife rehabilitator.


FAWNS...
*Mothers normally leave their babies to feed.
*If the baby looks cold, hungry, diseased or confused...or if dogs or other animals, or people threaten its safety, call a wildlife rehabilitator or park ranger.
Otherwise, leave the baby alone and leave the area. The mother will not return if people or pets are present.

LOCAL WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS:
*Second Chance Wildlife - Gaithersburg, MD 301.926.9453
*Wildlife Rescue, Inc. - Hampstead, MD 443.507.0950
*All Creatures Great and Small Wildlife Center - Columbia, MD 410.740.5096

SECOND-HAND SMOKE & PETS -- Saturday January 1st, 2011

Second-hand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke or ETS, is clearly associated with cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular disease in humans. Several studies have shown that up to 20 different carcinogens contained in tobacco smoke can be inhaled by non-smoking bystanders.

Dr. Timothy Fan, veterinary oncologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains that although associations between ETS and diseases in animals have not been as extensively researched, a handful of studies show a correlation between ETS and certain forms of cancer in pets.

A Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine study found a strong correlation between ETS and an oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, in cats. Cats living with smokers had higher incidence of this type of cancer. Cats living with more than one smoker and cats exposed to ETS for longer than five years have an even higher incidence of this cancer.

Why mouth cancer? Since cats groom themselves quite diligently, cats in smoking households can lick up carcinogens that have been deposited on their fur. Daily grooming over a long period of time can expose the delicate skin in the mouth to hazardous amounts of carcinogens.

The University of Massachusetts in Amherst also found that cats exposed to ETS have a slightly elevated risk of developing malignant lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph nodes. Since the lymph nodes filter the blood, inhaled or ingested carcinogens can build up in these structures.

In dogs, ETS is significantly associated with nasal sinus cancer and weakly associated with lung cancer. A study at Colorado State found a higher incidence of nasal cavity tumors in dogs exposed to ETS than in dogs that live in non-smoking households. This higher incidence was specifically found amongst long-nosed breed dogs such as Collies, and there was no significant increase in nasal tumors amongst short- to medium-nosed dogs exposed to ETS.

Dr. Fan explains that longer-nosed dogs may have a higher incidence of ETS-induced tumors for two reasons. "Smokers inhale smoke through their mouths, and it ends up depositing in the lungs. Bystanders, on the other hand, usually inhale ETS through the nose." Long-nosed dogs' nasal passages have a greater surface area on which carcinogens may be deposited before reaching the lungs.

"In addition," says Dr. Fan, "since a longer nose has nasal passages with a greater number of cells, there is a greater chance that one of these cells can be mutated by carcinogens into a cancer cell." Colorado State also found that although short- to medium-nosed dogs exposed to ETS dont have a greater incidence of nasal tumors than those unexposed, they do have a slightly higher incidence of lung cancer, possibly because their shorter nasal passages are less effective at filtering carcinogens out of inhaled air before it reaches the lungs.

Unlike humans, who can develop bladder cancer as a result of ETS exposure, dogs and cats generally don't run a higher risk of bladder cancer when exposed.

As the human-animal bond becomes stronger, we share more of our lives, our leisure time and our living space with our companion animals, and they become exposed to the same environmental hazards that we do. Many of our habits, including smoking, can affect our pets as they would affect any other member of our household. Designating a smoking area outside or in a physically separate room of the house may be on way to minimize ETS exposure for pets and other non-smoking family members.

For more information about environmental tobacco smoke and your pet, consult your veterinarian.