The number of humpback whales in the north Pacific has risen to more than 20,000, up from 8,000 in the 1990s and a mere fourteen-hundred in the mid-20th century. The most recent estimate comes after a three-year international study in which scientists catalogued the distinctive tail fin patterns of individual whales.

What’s more, this cheery new tally is probably an underestimate because whales in currently unknown breeding areas escaped the tail count.

So if you ever see a humpback mother and calf leap out of the water off the coast of Alaska, California or Hawaii, thank those dedicated individuals who’ve helped protect these stately giants of the sea.

Dogs and cats carry instincts from their wild ancestors, and these instincts tell them to hide discomfort. So we need to look for more subtle signs. These can be as simple as chewing or licking a sore spot, a decrease in self-grooming, weight loss or gain or any change in behavior.

Suffering pets may become restless, unusually quiet or needy. They may shun our touch or snap when handled. Panting or restless sleeping can also indicate pain.

Veterinarians are attuned to these signals and can help you find where your pet hurts. They can also draw on a modern armory of safe pain medications to help our furry friends feel better. So even if your special pal is stoic, you don’t have to be.

Trusted friends and coworkers can give personal recommendations, and the American Animal Hospital Association has a website that can direct you to its members. But what’s the best way to decide?

Make some appointments with likely candidates or just ask to visit the practice. Is the staff friendly, organized and knowledgeable? Does the hospital look and smell clean? How much time do veterinarians spend asking and answering questions? Do they perform a thorough, hands-on examination that covers ears, eyes, throat, coat, chest and belly? Keep your eyes and ears open, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

So when you make that move, spend time choosing the right veterinarian, and there’ll be tail wags and purrs all around.

Many things can cause rabbits to itch, but parasites are among the most common. Like dogs and cats, rabbits can become infested with fleas or tiny mites. Fleas cause itching as well as blood loss. Bad infestations can even lead to anemia. Mites can inhabit the ears or the entire hair coat, leading to intense itching, redness and loss of fur.

Fortunately, treatment of these pesky parasites is easily handled with topical medications or insecticide injections. Just don’t apply anything on or in your furry friend unless it’s been prescribed by a veterinarian.

So keep your bunny free of itchy parasites, and keep those rabbit feet where they belong — hopping around in the garden after some tasty carrot tops.

Research has shown that the kings of the sea communicate information about their identity so that they can keep in touch over long undersea distances, using the various chirps, clicks and whistles that form a complex social interaction.

But in fact, their whistles aren’t really whistles at all, they’re more akin to human speech. Dolphins vibrate connective tissue in the nose the same way that people vibrate vocal cords to talk. There is also evidence that dolphins use sound to see, much as sonar or ultrasound produces images. Therefore, it may be possible to decipher their calls into pictures, like hieroglyphics.

So not only can we swim with dolphins, one day we may actually be able to talk to them. Doctor Doolittle would be pleased.

New research has found patterns to these unseen irritants, providing clues on how to avoid them. Fine particles are most abundant during dry weather, especially when barns are closed. Morning rituals like feeding and cleaning increase the particle load, especially when there are multiple horses.

To spare sensitive airways, regularly wet down dusty surfaces in the barn. Turning off vehicles or moving them away can also reduce fine particles from exhaust.

So keep your equine friend breathing easy by considering fine particles. Out of sight does not mean out of airways.

Adults and children between 6 and 10 years old listened to dog barks recorded during play, aggression or isolation. They were then asked to match the barks to the appropriate situations. Young children didn’t do too well, but the 10-year-olds scored as well as adults.

This indicates that basic understanding of canine speech develops at an early age, suggesting that people may have evolved this ability over our eons bonding with man’s best friend. Blind people are also adept at “speaking dog,” supporting the idea that this ability does not require visual cues.

So the next time your chatty chow chow voices her opinion, listen closely.

The fact is, kids get pinworms from other kids. Dogs see some colors like blue and purple, but can’t separate red from green. The specialized retina and reflective lining of the feline eye helps cats see in dim light, but not total darkness. And cats that fall from heights can be injured, just like dogs and people.

Perhaps the most dangerous myth is that female dogs should have a litter before they’re spayed. This common legend increases both the risk of mammary cancer and the number of unwanted pups. So if you want to separate facts from fancy, ask your veterinarian, the greatest myth buster of all.

Thirty-minute walks once or twice a day are also a great way for both you and your dog to stay in shape. Running or jogging can be good too, but check with your veterinarian first to make sure your pup is healthy enough for strenuous activity.

During hot months, schedule walks for early morning or late afternoon when it’s cooler and take water for drink breaks. Try to walk your canine companion on the grass to cushion joints and prevent hot summer roads and sidewalks from burning sensitive paws.

So for a healthier and happier relationship with your pet, keep the exercise up and the snacking down. You’ll both benefit.

An increasing number of animal hospitals are setting up donation programs, frequently offering donor incentives such as hospital credit and free blood work. Dogs have seven blood types, and about 40 percent of pooches are universal donors.

The best donors are large dogs and cats with a pleasant disposition that allows them to relax during the 20-minute donation process.

Just as when people donate blood, each visit ends with a tasty treat for the donor … and the satisfaction of knowing others will greatly benefit.

Traditionally, a transmitter in the collar tells scientists an animal’s location at any time. But a new generation of collars may be able to tell a whole lot more. Combining GPS with accelerometers, these smart collars can build a daily diary that tells when and where animals are resting, hunting or stalking. Metabolic data from captive animals can then be used to estimate the calories burned and oxygen used for each of these activities.

The collar is currently being developed for mountain lions but may soon be adapted for wolves, coyotes and eventually prey species such as elk.

By using these collars, scientists hope to gain a record of the ebb and flow of an ecosystem.

The key is to be calm, confident and quick. Ask your veterinarian for tricks to improve your technique. Wrapping cats in a towel and holding a small pet like a football help restrain Fluffy while you get the job done. Coating pills in a little butter improves the taste and helps them slide down better. After the pill goes in, a rub of the throat or a blow across the nose will help your patient swallow it.

Of course, some chowhounds will wolf down almost anything hidden in liverwurst, peanut butter or cheese, so you don’t have to worry about pilling by hand. But make sure the meds get down the throat, not spit out on the carpet, or behind the couch … or in your slipper.

Intact males tend to roam in search of females, often leading to injury from fights and car accidents. Other bad habits include urine marking and sometimes aggression. Medically, intact males can get testicular cancer and are at higher risk of prostate disease.

Most dogs and cats should be neutered around six months, when the risks of surgery are minimal. Giant breeds may have to wait slightly longer, so as not to interfere with normal bone growth.

Neutering does not change your pet’s personality, but he may seem more relaxed and less likely to wander. So do the right thing for your pet’s health and behavior, and schedule that neuter.

Often, fur is lost as pets scratch or chew at an itch due to fleas or allergies. This usually leaves red, inflamed skin and broken hair stubble.

Other times, hair loss may be related to endocrine problems such as low levels of thyroid hormone, diabetes or an abundance of natural cortisol in the body, a condition called Cushing’s disease. Hormonal problems often have other signs such as sluggishness, increased hunger and thirst, or darkened skin. Blood tests are typically needed for diagnosis.

So if you notice a bald patch on your pet or more fur on the sofa, it may be time to check in with a veterinarian.

A new dog or cat requires time, attention and training, for both the pet and the child. If children aren’t yet up to the task, it may be best to wait a bit or consider a smaller pet that is easier to care for, like a hamster.

Before you decide, read up on pet care needs, using reliable websites and reference books … and talk to your vet.

It may be tough to resist the cute furball napping near the checkout. But remember that all pets require a commitment of time, love and respect. Being better prepared will mean a happier family, both human and animal.

Some NSAIDs are available for veterinary use, and they can help dogs with chronic pain. However, they should be used only under your vet’s supervision. Only limited, select products are acceptable to cats.

If your pet has a loss of appetite, vomits or anything else unusual shows up while giving NSAIDs, stop treating and call your vet.

And try other ways to manage pain without drugs, if possible. For example, if your pet is a little chunky, adjusting his diet for weight loss and going for brisk walks can go a long way toward turning that painful pup into a playful one.

Well, new research using high-speed video answers this important piece of barroom trivia. It appears that both dogs and cats curl their tongues into cup-like shapes, but while cats scoop from the surface, dogs punch down into the liquid.

Because of surface tension, dogs can then draw up a large column of water, which they capture with their mouths. Needless to say, a lot of the liquid is lost via spray that never quite reaches the intended target.

People could drink this way as well, although we’d waste a lot of water before we wet our whistles.

So the next time you enjoy a tall, cool one, think how big the bar tab would be if you were a dog. Not to mention the cleaning bill.

Obesity is the biggest risk factor for debilitating and often expensive-to-treat conditions such as arthritis, skin problems and diabetes. So keep your friend fit and trim with proper diet and exercise.

Don’t skip routine veterinary visits. When problems are found early, they’re usually more treatable and less costly.

Make dental hygiene a priority, so that gum problems don’t lead to heart or kidney disease. To save on emergency visits, poison-proof your home so your pet cannot get to toxic plants, household chemicals or human medications. And always supervise your pet outdoors to avoid injuries inflicted by other animals or traffic.

Remember, the best way to keep both your pet and pocketbook healthy is to practice preventive medicine.

An aggressive form of human brain cancer called glioma is currently treated with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But chemo drugs have trouble reaching tumor cells in the brain, so few are effective.

Research in dogs is suggesting a better way. Veterinary oncologists have injected chemotherapy drugs directly into canine gliomas, successfully reducing tumors up to 90 percent and leading to clinical trials in people. Dog studies also provide important genetic clues to this deadly cancer because the map of the canine genome has many similarities to our own.

Once again, dogs prove to be man’s best friend far beyond family companionship.

Young puppies learn social manners with their mother and siblings. A stable, early development period also gives pups a sense of security that gets them through the scary first two months of life. So, a good rule of thumb is to wait a full sixty days before taking the little bundle home.

New research out of Italy confirms this truism, finding that pups removed from the litter at thirty to forty days developed significantly more behavior problems, including destructiveness, fearfulness and house soiling.

So resist that impulse to adopt little Rex before he’s ready. You’ll have the rest of his life to love him. After all, anticipation is half the fun.

Although they don’t face the same risk as their outdoor counterparts, indoor kitties can still get infected with diseases that can be prevented by routine vaccination.

Panleukopenia [pan-loo-koh-PEE-nee-uh], also known as feline distemper, is a highly infectious and long-lived virus that can get tracked inside on shoes and survive on indoor surfaces for more than a year. This deadly disease causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, as well as loss of immune function. Panleukopenia vaccine is usually given along with two others that protect against respiratory viruses.

Rabies shots are also a must, because the consequences of skipping this vaccine can be dire to any pet, as well as to anyone that they bite.

So be sure to have your cats vaccinated, even if they don’t go outside. It’s routine maintenance to keep their engines purring.

But thanks to noise pollution, avian Bing Crosbys are having a hard time being heard above the din. New research from the Netherlands shows that in response to urban noise, some birds now sing at less appealing, higher frequencies, just so their songs can be heard at all. These birds have been able to alter their song burst in response to noise … but more rigid singers, like doves and cuckoos, may not be able to adapt.

These findings add to the long list of manmade threats to birds, which run the gamut from habitat destruction to hunting, wind turbines and windowpanes. Let’s keep it down so that the birds can hear themselves sing, and we can enjoy their beautiful melodies, too.

By learning the simple commands of sit, stay and come, headstrong pups improve their behavior and decrease their risk of straying into danger.

Training can also benefit your dog’s personality, allowing shy dogs to gain confidence and raucous ones to learn control. Owners learn how to lead, further strengthening the human-animal bond.

It’s best to start at an early age before bad behaviors set in, but obedience training and classes are available and useful at all ages and stages.

Books, trusted websites, trainers and your vet can all offer advice to get you started. With patience, understanding and a little knowledge, your old dog will be doing new tricks in no time.

The skyrocketing deer population in the United States accounts for 1 billion dollars in property damage and more than 100 human deaths every year.

But a new vaccine hopes to subtract from deer multiplication. The injection destroys gonadotropin [Go-nad-uh-trō-pən]-releasing hormone, which serves as a type of master switch, turning on production of the sex hormones that put deer in the mood. Treated animals lose their sex drive for up to five years, reducing deer numbers and their need to chase or be chased as days grow short.

The drawback is that animals must be caught and sedated for treatment, which takes both time and financial resources. But protecting cars, deer and especially human bodies may be well worth it.

Dogs are good at memorizing their surroundings, so gradual blindness doesn’t show up until new obstacles are introduced, such as when the furniture is rearranged.

Here are some ways to see if vision problems have dimmed your old dog’s view. Drop a light cloth to see if your dog follows it as it drifts to the ground. Next, watch how your dog navigates an unfamiliar room in dim light. Dogs normally have great night vision, so bumping into things means that some sight is lost.

There’s no need to panic if your best friend can’t see well … or even at all. With the help of their other senses, old pups do fine. They don’t need to read the box score, just sniff out you and the food bowl.

Using pediatric hearing tests, scientists have uncovered congenital deafness in 60 dog breeds. These findings are important to pet owners and vital to police, rescue and other personnel who often depend on the acute senses of service canines for their very lives.

The research is also investigating excessive noise in zoos, pounds and kennels, which increases stress and damages the hearing of both employees and their furry tenants.

As it progresses, hearing research is moving into horses and marine animals, improving the noise levels in barns and aquariums. All this has implications for both human and animal welfare.

So three cheers for veterinary hearing research! But shhh … not too loud.

Although control practices have cleared the virus from most countries, it still remains a problem in a few, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. And this fatal flu may be on the rise again as wild birds carry the virus across borders to infect domestic flocks in new areas like Eastern Europe. Worse yet, a mutant strain has emerged that sidesteps the protection offered by current vaccines.

The best hope for halting this winged plague in mid-flight is heightened surveillance and redoubled control measures that reach across national borders, just like the birds do.

Equine colic is a serious problem that requires quick action. Your veterinarian will judge the severity of clinical signs to determine if emergency surgery is needed.

Pain is one of the major indicators in this decision. Horses that have severe or recurrent discomfort, even after treatment with pain relievers, usually require surgery. Loss of gut sounds, regurgitation or other signs of bowel obstruction may also signal the need for surgical intervention.

Things such as poor color and rapid heart rate are signs of shock that suggest the need for intensive medical therapy, but not necessarily surgery.

So if your little colt gets colic, don’t just pace the floor. Contact your vet right away. Acting quickly may save your horse’s life.

But, new research on Siberian hamsters shows that during hibernation, these little fuzz balls not only slow their metabolism, but also slow and even reverse the natural genetic breakdown associated with aging. Effects were strongest during deep torpor, when body temperature plunged below 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

This protective effect is probably at work in all animals that hibernate, but not in people. Restful sleep is important for human health, but bears no relationship to hibernation.

So, as tempting as it is, if you want to cite this research as an excuse for a nap on the couch, you better have a fur coat, buck teeth and live in a hole. Otherwise, it’s back to the honey-do list.

When researchers examined the skulls of both domestic and wild horses, they found that nearly 90 percent of the domestic horses had either bone spurs or worn teeth, suggesting bit-related injuries. None were seen on the wild horses.

So before you call the Horse Whisperer, it might be worth seeing if a bitless bridle solves the problem. Some research has shown better performance with the bitless option, which substitutes pressure for pinching and supplies a nudge to one side for steering and a hug to the whole head for stopping.

So the next time Black Beauty acts up, you may find that the solution comes straight from the horse’s mouth.

Here are a few tips to keep that itch at bay in your pet. Note the pollen count and keep a log of symptoms so that you can address seasonal problems early. Wiping paws with a damp cloth and weekly baths can remove pollen from your pet’s coat and keep it out of the house. Washing pet toys and bedding can remove dust mites, as can frequent vacuuming.

Medications such as antihistamines and steroids help calm the itch, but don’t use anything not prescribed by your vet. If allergies continue to bother your pet, a referral to a veterinary dermatologist may be needed. Although you can’t cure allergies, you and your vet can make them easier to live with.

In the past, scientists noticed female dolphins carrying sponges to protect their beaks while digging up the sandy ocean bottom in search of food. These Mensa mammals have now been seen conching (conk-ing), or using large shells to catch and eat fish.

Biologists aren’t sure if the dolphins set out the shells as traps, chasing fish into this apparent safe haven, or if they randomly grab shells hoping for a hidden treat. Either way, the conch gets inverted so that water strains out and fish go down the hatch.

What’s even more amazing is that both sponging and conching are learned behaviors spread from dolphin to dolphin. Call it an under-the-sea social network.

When rainfall and humidity are high, wild mushrooms pop up overnight. Curious pups can gobble up these toxic treats, leading to serious illness.

In general, poisonous shrooms can cause one of two syndromes. Common red ones tend to cause liver damage, which is often fatal if enough of the poison is ingested. The toxins in white or brown mushrooms often cause neurologic signs such as drooling, tremors, fever and seizures.

These latter problems carry a better prognosis, but prompt treatment by a vet is crucial in either case. So enjoy the mushrooms on your burger, but keep pets away from the wild ones to prevent a trip to the emergency clinic from showing up on the menu.

The report was based on a survey of the nearly 1 billion acres of land and 4 million square miles of water that comprise public property in the United States.

The findings suggest that wetlands have been a clear conservation success, with many avian species more than doubling their numbers. But desert and marine habitats have seen declining numbers.

The report also shows that publicly owned forests and arctic environments are home to large numbers of birds, and that the Hawaiian Islands represent an especially unique habitat for many endangered species.

Good management of these areas may spell the difference between survival and extinction for many of our feathered friends.

Both dogs and people are susceptible to this tickborne disease, suggesting that rates of canine infection may mirror human risk. Using blood tests from dogs in 46 states, scientists discovered that if 1 percent or less of canine tests were positive in an area, then human risk was low. If 5 percent or more of canine tests were positive, then human risk was high.

Such information can be used to direct prevention efforts to areas they’re most needed. Of course, it’s always a good idea to use repellent and to check for ticks after walking through potentially infested grasslands. And if you see ticks on Fido, make sure to check everyone in your household for unwanted stragglers on their skin, not just your furry friends.

But over the years, a series of rescue centers have sprung up in South Florida to tend to everything from maimed manatees to sick squirrels.

The Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne treats up to 30 manatees and turtles each year. Seabirds can look for rehabilitation therapy at the Pelican Harbor Sea Bird Station, which takes in more than a thousand injured birds a year. Other places like Wildlife Rescue of Dade County and the South Florida Wildlife Center in Fort Lauderdale tend to thousands of injured animals across hundreds of species.

These home teams know what winning is really all about.

Unsettling changes that can set off a stressed kitty include visitors, a new pet, bringing home a new baby, a family member moving out, or strange noises or smells.

The first step is a vet visit to check for underlying health problems. And in any case, make sure to keep the litter pan clean. If you have multiple cats, you should provide one box for each cat. Early neutering may help in prevention.

If the problem continues, talk with your vet about behavioral therapy. Punishment is a no-no because it increases stress and compounds the problem. The best approach to cats that are leaving golden notes is to figure out what’s going on inside their head so you can understand the message.

Only dogs and people develop bone tumors with any frequency, and the two forms of cancer are very similar. New research has found a genetic pattern that distinguishes aggressive bone cancer in dogs from milder forms of the disease. This gene pattern is also seen in people, suggesting that it might be possible to separate aggressive and tamer forms of human cancer.

This could lead to predictive tests that allow both human and veterinary oncologists to reserve high-risk treatment for those with the aggressive form, while treating other bone tumors with more conservative therapy that has fewer side effects. This is a win-win for all patients … and yet another way that dogs make our lives better.

Over the past 40 years, this U.S.-based testing has identified more than 100,000 cases of equine infectious anemia, a deadly viral disease. But is the Coggins test now a victim of its own success?

Because of this testing and efforts to stop the disease from spreading, fewer than 100 new cases have been reported in the past two years. With 4 million horses tested, this success comes at a cost of about 1 million dollars per positive. Such diminishing returns have caused some scientists to advocate for new strategies using fewer and less expensive tests.

Change is coming gradually, on a state-by-state basis, so check with your vet or extension service about current rules before you and Mister Ed hit the road.

In a recent study, researchers fitted 18 pet cats and 24 feral ones with transmitter collars. Even though the household tabbies tended to sleep much of the time, they roamed over five acres. Even more amazing is that the more active feral cats covered up to 500 acres.

A chilling aspect of the study was that seven of the cats were killed during the 16 months when the study was taking place. This highlights that letting cats roam outdoors is a dangerous practice.

The obvious danger is being hit by a car or other vehicle. Other hazards for outdoor cats include transmission of diseases, including rabies. Plus, their instinct to hunt can kill off prey animals that are important food sources for wildlife.

So let’s keep wandering cats indoors and keep everyone safer.

Wildlife carry Giardia [JEE-ARE′-DEE-A] organisms, and dogs pick them up from consuming feces or contaminated water. This single-celled organism settles into the intestinal tract, where it can cause diarrhea and other problems. In some cases, pets can pass it on to people.

Your vet can check your pet’s stool samples for these tiny critters, but they can be tough to find, so more than one sample may be needed. Infection can be treated with specific oral medication.

The best way to prevent the spread of giardiasis is to practice good hygiene … that includes washing hands, bowls and pet bedding.

In the insidious wobbler syndrome, horses have a characteristic stumbling, wobbly gait. Seen mostly in young male horses, the condition is caused by a narrowing of the bones in the neck, called the cervical vertebrae. The resulting compression on the spinal cord leads to the unsteady gait.

With rest and proper nutrition, some horses can grow out of it. Others, especially older ones, require surgery to stiffen the spine, which limits movement and decreases nerve trauma.

Unfortunately, not every horse is a surgical candidate, but many, like the Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, return to normal function after convalescence. So if your colt comrade starts to wobble, contact your veterinarian for a full assessment and treatment options.

Owners are sometimes less than honest about other things as well, from bathroom habits to chew toys and medications. They may fear being judged or thought to be not very knowledgeable. Or sometimes an owner just wants to pretend there isn’t a problem.

Whatever the reason, not telling the truth makes it more difficult for your vet to properly diagnose your pet’s illness. Animals can’t tell us how they feel, so vets rely on information from their owners. Leading your vet down the garden path may result in unnecessary testing, or even an inaccurate diagnosis and treatment.

So remember, tell your vet the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. He or she isn’t there to judge, just to make your best friend feel better.

One highly trained Border collie named Chaser knows more than a thousand nouns and can link them with verbs to recognize short sentences. This uncanny canine was the center of attention at a recent meeting of the American Psychology Association.

When asked to find one specific toy out of more than a thousand, Chaser always complied and knew the difference between nosing and pawing the toy. Through the process of elimination, Chaser was even able to fetch a new toy it had never seen.

When you combine this intellect with a keen understanding of human moods and body language, it’s no wonder that dogs can enrich our lives in so many ways.

To avoid accidents, children and their parents need to learn canine body language, and how human body language can be misinterpreted. For example, your first impulse when pursued by a menacing mutt might be to run, but in canine speak this says “chase after the prey.” Rather than taking to your heels, it’s better to stand still and look at your feet. This helps you avoid eye contact, which dogs find threatening.

Appropriate training — without harming the animal — is essential, so the dog understands its place in the pack under human leadership. So although we can’t talk to dogs like we do other people, we can communicate with them. And that’s the best way to turn predator pups into good canine citizens.

Through World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the brave fighters of the canine corps risked their lives protecting others. Sadly, often their reward after years of selfless service was euthanasia. Fortunately, the Department of Defense is correcting this injustice and more military dogs are being adopted.

Some enter a working retirement, with service as a training or police dog. But many are adopted as faithful companions by their former handlers, families who have lost loved ones in combat or the general public.

The pension isn’t much, just room, board and a comfy sofa. But the warm hugs make up for it. These senior soldiers have earned their spot in the sun.

Observing finches, researchers noted that the song of one male elicited a burst of calls from other males. When the same song was jumbled up in various ways, some combinations elicited a burst of calls and some did not, suggesting perhaps that some song patterns didn’t make sense.

This is similar to a human sentence in which some word sequences can be understood grammatically, while others can’t. The scientists were even able to identify the language center in the avian brain, raising the possibility of using birds as models for speech processing in people. So it looks like even bird brains can talk.

Small dogs and cats left outdoors are relatively easy prey for ravenous raptors or peckish pumas trying to meet daily caloric needs. Similarly, coyotes, foxes and alligators aren’t picky about the lunch menu.

To protect our littlest family members, never leave pets outdoors unsupervised. Wild animals are unlikely to attack when people are around. And never feed your pet outdoors. Food attracts scavengers, and pets are less vigilant while they’re eating.

So enjoy nature, but take precautions to keep you and your tiny friends safe.

These canine volunteers lift spirits, encourage interaction and reduce stress. The dogs love it too, and tails really get going when it’s visit time.

But these uncanny canines also need to be prepared. They have to learn specific behaviors, such as ignoring dangerous objects and treading gingerly around walkers and wheelchairs. A calm outgoing personality is a must.

Anecdotal reports suggest that therapy visits elevate patients’ moods and lower blood pressure and stress. Canine intuition also plays a part, with dogs instinctively seeming to know what each patient needs. Maybe M.D. should also stand for mutt doctor?

To make it worse, chemicals in plants like buckwheat, as well as certain antibiotics, can lead to a condition called photosensitization, in which any sun exposure leads to a burn, even on pigmented skin.

As in people, signs of sunburn in horses include redness and peeling. Sunburned horses are often head shy, caused by the muzzle pain. Healing can take months.

Prevention is always best. It’s a good idea to avoid sun exposure by allowing grazing between dusk and dawn. Human sunscreens can help but only when applied ahead of exposure and reapplied as needed. Covers such as fly masks also offer some protection.

So play it cool in the summer sun to keep your trotter from becoming a lobster.

Selection becomes simpler when you remember that marketing efforts are actually focused on you and not on your pet. After all, your dog doesn’t really care if meal time looks like stew or is shaped like chicken legs.

What matters is the dietary quality, which takes into account not only nutritional content, but the origin of the ingredients and how they are formulated. Other important factors in choosing a diet include your pet’s activity level and stage of life, with youngsters and seniors having special nutritional requirements.

So your best bet is to discuss various pet food choices with your vet. He or she will steer you toward what’s good for your furry friend, not the marketer’s bottom line.

But not all bats maneuver the same way. There are a thousand different species. Some fly like butterflies, while others fly more like helicopters.

Researchers have learned that the control of this aerial diversity is driven by rows of tiny hairs found along the wings. Airflow against these sensory hairs tells the bat how to fly to optimize hunting within a particular habitat. But if that hair is removed with depilatory cream, these winged mammals have more difficulty gauging speed and controlling turns.

These findings have implications not just for bats but also for the control of tiny, aerial drones that are used for surveillance.

Our furry friends love to chew rocks, sticks, bones and clothing, with many items being swallowed whole or in parts. These inedible objects often smell like food or have the owner’s scent.

Any dogs can decide on a bad chew, but bigger dogs are more prone to problems because they tend to swallow larger things. Sharp objects can puncture the intestines, and any item can block the gut. Both are true emergencies that can be fatal if not treated promptly.

So, if your chewer shows signs of intense belly pain such as gagging, vomiting or retching, or if your pet assumes a sawhorse stance, see a veterinarian immediately — emergency surgery may be needed.

The best defense against sudden surgery is to substitute safe toys and chews for riskier ones. Your veterinarian can recommend safer snacks.

Wearing special masks, researchers banded and released crows at several sites near Seattle. This ruffled a lot of feathers, leading to angry caws and dive bombing by released birds. Such scolding behavior attracted other crows to join the angry mob.

Later, when the birds saw people simply donning the masks, they mobbed the wearer from up to a mile away, even crows that had never been captured. So far, these brainy birds have remembered the insult for five years and counting.

Scientists suspect that this type of social learning may be common among long-lived species in close contact with people. So if you tick off a crow, coyote, pigeon or rat, don’t plan on getting a love letter anytime soon.

This summer, Florida fishermen hauled in a 25-foot giant squid. This is by no means a record, as these sea creatures have been recorded to reach 60 feet long and weigh more than half a ton.

The new specimen resides with the Florida Museum of Natural History, and scientists from the University of Florida have preserved it for display and study. They’re hoping to learn more about these behemoths, which live in such deep water that they are rarely seen.

Given the freshness of the sample, scientists will try and extract DNA that may tell if giant squid are all one species, or many. Laboratory study should also reveal details about the biology of these mysterious ocean dwellers. Captain Nemo would be envious.

To keep pills potent, store them in a cool, dry place like a drawer or cupboard, unless labeled otherwise. Although research has shown that properly stored drugs may remain effective long after the expiration date, it’s best to toss older ones if you have concerns.

Also discard discolored or broken pills, or bottles with illegible labels. It’s usually safe to dump old drugs in the garbage, but mixing them with something that tastes awful, like coffee grounds, helps prevent possible retrieval by animals or even people searching the trash. It’s also smart to ink out label data to protect your privacy.

So keep pills in their place, and save the medicine cabinet for shaving cream.

Worms and parasitic bots rob our happy horses of energy and can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and even deadly colic. Problems can be especially severe in young colts and fillies that need all the strength and nutrients they can get.

Fortunately, modern worm medications are easy-to-use and strangle strongyles [strawn-jiles] and other wicked worms in their tracks. Whether you need to treat every quarter, month or day depends on the season, the horse’s age, and the worm population in your local area.

Your vet can work out a prevention program that’s right for your horse. So the next time your friend Flicka hits the turf, make sure she’s protected from its hidden dangers.

New research shows that green wood-hoopoes [hoo'poos] relax into a happy stupor after receiving a massage from another bird. These avian rubdowns seemed to be most pleasant when given by a dominant member of the flock, suggesting that attention from a superior makes stressed-out subordinates feel special and accepted.

Large pet birds have exhibited similar behavior, sometimes even massaging other pets or people in the home.

What does the masseuse get out of it? They may be trading a rubdown for tolerance or later favors, or they may just like it. Study results showed that the birds that did the grooming lowered their own long-term stress levels.

So take a tip from your bird and give a backrub to someone you love. You’ll both enjoy it.

Size and shape are important because large birds need ample room to spread their wings, and small, active birds need space to fly.

For safety and durability, stainless steel is the ideal cage material, but it is also quite costly. Coated steel can be a good choice, but watch that curious canaries don’t chew off the paint and ingest toxic metals like zinc.

Bar spacing is important to prevent your bird from getting its head caught between the bars.

And don’t forget ease of cleaning; a clean cage is a requisite for a healthy bird.

Your vet can direct you to answers for all your cage questions. So plan ahead, and get the scoop on cages before you buy.

These worms live in the intestines of dogs and cats, where they lay thousands of eggs. The eggs leave the body through feces and continue to develop into larvae in the ground soil.

Hookworm larvae can burrow into bare skin, causing itchy sores known as creeping eruption. Ingested roundworm larvae can travel throughout the body, causing serious inflammation and illness in organs like the brain and eye.

Fortunately, prevention is easy. Remove your pet’s waste promptly before eggs become infective, and cover sandboxes that cats might be used as litter boxes. Shoes and gloves also provide a barrier against creeping eruption.

Check your pets for worms and give monthly preventives as needed. Better to be safe than wormy.

Many small dogs can suffer from a similar problem called collapsing trachea. Weakened rings of cartilage in the windpipe flatten during air intake, changing normal breath into a honking cough, especially during excitement or exercise.

The problem often starts in puppies and may worsen with time as the narrowing airway worsens and makes breathing ever more difficult. Mildly affected pups do well without treatment as long as they’re kept fit and trim, because chubbiness worsens the condition. More severe problems require specialized surgery to restrict the collapse and restore the more rigid, circular tracheal shape.

So if your poodle sounds more like a goose than a dog, see your vet. And limit those snacks.

But some biologists are now challenging the old view by suggesting that cancer requires damage at the chromosomal level, involving massive numbers of genes. This results in a cell with totally new traits from the parent organism, making it similar to an evolving species of parasite that uses the host but doesn’t take orders from it.

This theory was actually first proposed in 1956 by evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley. According to this vision, evolving cancer cells are actually struggling on the edge of evolutionary survival.

So it may be possible to beat this parasite by forcing it to change faster than it’s able. Such a concept could evolve into promising new treatments for people and pets.

In fact, viruses actually cause some forms of cancer. In cats, the feline leukemia virus is responsible for various blood and lymph cancers. Kitty may show no initial signs of infection, but leukemia or a weakened immune system is often waiting down the road.

This viral time bomb can strike any cat, but mostly affects kittens, cats that roam, and households with multiple tabbies. A simple blood test can often diagnose this killer, which unfortunately doesn’t have a cure.

Afflicted cats are contagious, so prevention entails testing all cats and separating infected ones. If you haven’t done so, visit your veterinarian to have your feline friend checked today. Don’t forget to ask about the protective effects of the feline leukemia vaccine.

In diabetes mellitus, the body does not make enough insulin to move glucose, or sugar, from the blood into the body’s cells.

Symptoms include hunger, thirst and frequent urination. Eventually, metabolic byproducts can build up to crisis levels in the blood. Treatment involves replacing insulin by giving daily injections, and monitoring glucose levels in the urine and occasionally blood.

Your veterinarian can teach you to give the injections, and how to help pet patients cope with the shots. A little change in routine helps, too. Regular exercise and diet are a must. So, while managing diabetes isn’t a bowl of cherries, adding years to your pet’s life can be sweet.

To promote cow well-being, facilities are well-ventilated with climate control to prevent heat stress. Elsie is always provided with a cozy rest area and high-quality feed and water, so she can eat, drink, or relax as she chooses.

Stalls should be a comfortable size, with skid-resistant flooring to keep footing secure and reduce injuries. Milking stress is reduced by moving cows in groups at their own speed and by limiting holding times to no more than an hour.

If it sounds like these bovine beauties get better benefits at work than you do, that’s because a good milk producer is the crème de la crème.

In addition to first-aid supplies and plenty of bottled water, your kit should also contain pet food and necessary medications. Tag all pets with contact info for you and your vet, and keep health records handy.

If possible, take along pet crates or carriers to provide shelter and reassurance for worried dogs and cats.

If you must leave your best friends behind, place them in an inside room with access to food and water. Window stickers let first responders know that pets are present.

Remember, if it’s not safe for people, it’s not safe for pets. So plan on protecting all family members, including the furry ones.

Researchers from the University of Florida showed that canny canines are so attuned to our moods and actions that it’s almost like telepathy. Both house pets and wild wolves can read us, suggesting that it’s an inborn trait and not picked up from hanging around Homo sapiens.

Of course, practice makes perfect, so it’s not surprising that pampered pooches have better ESP than do strays or wolves. Pet dogs focus all their senses on interpreting our joys, sorrows and other mental states, seeming to know when we’re just not ourselves. Some psychic pups can even sniff out diseases such as cancer and diabetes before we’re aware of any problem.

So, instead of the “Amazing Kreskin,” it ought to be the “Astounding Rover!”

Unrealistic expectations are a common reason that pets don’t seem to work out, so make sure to think about your circumstances and lifestyle before bringing home your new furry friend.

Do you have enough space for a large dog? Can you provide adequate exercise? Will shedding or the need for grooming be a problem? Does anyone in your family have allergies?

Also remember that pet ownership requires a commitment of many years. So before making your selection, seek advice from authoritative sources such as books, websites and especially your veterinarian.

When the right furball is matched to the right owner, everyone benefits. So do your homework before asking “How much is that doggy in the window?”

By mining statistics from two large data banks that covered more than 2 million pets and 70,000 causes of death, researchers were able to identify previously unknown risks. In addition, they found some close parallels to human illness.

For example, the risk of heart disease was increased among fox terriers, and the risk of cancer higher among Bouviers (pronounce BOO-V-AYS). Results also showed that three-quarters of pet dogs and cats have dental disease.

This kind of large-scale research can pinpoint genetic links to pet illness, and help veterinarians tailor care to individual breeds. And it may just help prevent a health problem in your pooch.

A recent survey found that one in five owners pursue some type of alternative therapy for their pets, such as acupuncture, chiropractic treatment or massage.

Practitioners feel that massage offers dogs the same benefits that people get, namely stress relief, improved circulation, better digestion and maybe even heightened immunity. But many animal-health experts note the lack of hard evidence that massage offers concrete benefits.

However, all can agree that massage can strengthen the human-animal bond and that dogs like the attention. It may also ease the soreness of arthritic joints among canine senior citizens.

Interested? Classes, books and videos can all help you learn the art of pet massage.

Some have learned to adapt to life in the big city, with all its dangers and opportunities. Recent European research suggests that city birds tend to have bigger brains, with a greater ability to change behaviors to make the most of urban situations. Chief among these brainy birds are crows, jackdaws, magpies, nuthatches and wrens.

It may even be that people are making birds smarter by creating situations that allow only the brightest and most adaptable to survive.

The common pigeon provides a good example of a bird well-suited to urban life. When people started living in cities, we accidently created the perfect pigeon habitat, free of predators and with ample food and nesting sites. Not to mention all that popcorn on the ground for the taking.

What smart bird wouldn’t stay?

Research has shown that loud sounds such as pile drivers may negatively impact sea life, but now the focus has shifted to softer, but relentless, human racket.

Scientists fear that a steady undersea din might drown out communication and mask sounds that fish use to hunt or evade predators. Stress from noise may also chase fish from spawning grounds or other natural meeting places.

The problem is difficult to study without artificially influencing fish behavior. But with the help of high-tech gadgets and a little ingenuity, marine biologists are developing ways to test the effects of noise in natural habitats. Chalk one up for Jacques Cousteau.

Fortunately, this killer virus is totally preventable by following a few simple tips. Vaccinate all dogs and cats, which are the main carriers to people. Don’t let pets roam where they can contact skunks, bats, foxes, raccoons or other wild animals. Never feed unknown creatures or entice them to approach people.

Wash all bite and scratch wounds immediately with large amounts of soap and water. Getting prompt medical help can spell the difference between life and death.

So, don’t take any chances. Call your vet today and make sure all your pets are currently vaccinated.

Such is the case with the feline immunodeficiency virus. FIV is a retrovirus just like HIV in people, and it can cause a similar disease in cats known as feline AIDS.

Fractious felines usually pick up the virus from a bite. They may appear fine for years but eventually enter a terminal phase that leads to wasting, repeated infections and ultimately death.

There is no cure for this contagious killer, so protect your tabby by keeping him indoors and away from cat fights. Have outdoor cats tested periodically, especially six months or so after a bite wound. A vaccine against several strains of FIV is available, so ask your vet about the pros and cons of immunization.

Actively protecting your cats from feline AIDS is the best way to keep your kitty purring.

After eating poisoned bait, rodents weaken but generally don’t succumb for several days, making them easy meals for owls, bobcats and other hunters. If these predators eat enough, they can also become ill.

New regulations have limited the use of these potent rodent baits, but we can all do our part. When possible, control rodents by making the environment less attractive, such as by covering garbage bins and ensuring that no food is left out overnight. Use pesticides carefully and according to label directions.

And make sure that pets can’t get at pesticides or poisoned rodents. Remember, safety begins with you.