All posts tagged: dogs

Why do dogs and cats get the zoomies? Scientists explain the sudden bursts of energy

Why do dogs and cats get the zoomies? Scientists explain the sudden bursts of energy

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Does your cat or dog suddenly get a burst of energy and perform athletic feats around the house that would make even a gold medallist jealous? Welcome to the world of zoomies. Zoomies involve intense periods of high-energy activity including running, spinning, jumping and rolling. All at top speed. A proposed scientific name is frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs). In rabbits these high activity periods are called “binkies”. But many cat and dog owners simply call them “zoomies”. A proposed scientific name is frenetic random activity periods (Getty Images) So why do our animals experience the zoomies? And is it something we should be worried about? Why do animals get the zoomies? Think about when your cat or dog gets the zoomies. You might see post-bath zoomies, dog park-zoomies, midnight-zoomies and good ol’ out-of-nowhere zoomies. The trigger may be excitement or …

Hot pavement can burn your dog’s paws

Hot pavement can burn your dog’s paws

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. The first day of summer is approaching, which means more fun in the sun for both dogs and their humans. But it also inevitably means an added risk of overheating, and searing hot pavement that can burn their bare puppy paws. Outside air temperatures measuring 85 degree Fahrenheit translates to 135 degrees on asphalt surface. As a general rule, prolonged temperatures hovering above 85 degrees are too dangerous for most dogs to walk on, even briefly. Thankfully, a new iPhone app released by a fellow dog owner is taking some of the guesswork out of when it’s safe for a walk around the block. Called NorthPaw, the app looks at a user’s localized weather report and combines it with details about their dog’s …

Urgent dog food recall over brain damage fears – ‘life-threatening’ risk | World | News

Urgent dog food recall over brain damage fears – ‘life-threatening’ risk | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Dog food products have been urgently recalled over fears they could cause life-threatening brain damage. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US issued an updated notice on Monday, June 8 as products from GO Raw LLC have been added to the list of items that could cause life-threatening nutritional deficiencies. The company initially made a voluntary recall in February after the discovery that the dog food contained extremely low levels of thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1. Thiamine is an essential nutrient for dogs and cats, who use it to maintain normal neurologic function and properly digest and metabolize carbohydrates. Without it, pets, and especially cats, could experience a deficiency that can lead to neurological issues, seizures and even death. While the company said it believes products have been removed from shelves and the recall is being done “out of an abundance of caution,” the long expiration dates mean the foods could still be in pantries and freezers. What pet food products have been recalled? One additional product has been added to the …

Could raccoons become the new dogs?

Could raccoons become the new dogs?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Last fall, a study of raccoons found that these city-dwelling trash pandas are beginning to look different than their rural cousins in the U.S.—they appear to be domesticating themselves. It wouldn’t be the first time a wild animal species manipulated humanity for its own benefit. Dogs did it at least 14,000 years ago, discovering that befriending garbage-producing humans resulted in tastier, more abundant scraps and less arduous lives on their own. New genetic data indicates that cats feeding off the abundant rodents plundering human food stores domesticated themselves for similar reasons around 10,000 years ago.  Dogs and cats hanging around worked out pretty well for humans, too. The first dogs served as early-warning systems, protectors, and hunting buddies. Cats, on the other hand, …

The TikTok ‘hacks’ and home treatments putting dogs’ lives at risk

The TikTok ‘hacks’ and home treatments putting dogs’ lives at risk

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Pet owners are being urged to exercise extreme caution when seeking veterinary advice on platforms like TikTok, following a warning from a leading animal charity. The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has cautioned that popular online “hacks” and home remedies could inadvertently endanger pets’ lives. The PDSA has seen viral clips encouraging owners to administer ibuprofen to dogs for injuries, despite the drug being highly toxic to animals. Veterinary surgeon Cat Henstridge, who shares pet care advice to her 400,000 followers, said the golden rule is to always “run it past your vet first”. Ms Henstridge, known online as @cat_the_vet, emphasised: “Ibuprofen is 100 per cent off the menu for all pets and paracetamol is very toxic for cats.” The People’s Dispensary for …

Couple and their dogs attacked by bear in Mammoth Lakes, bear euthanized

Couple and their dogs attacked by bear in Mammoth Lakes, bear euthanized

Published by Sam Flores

A California couple attacked by a bear outside their eastern Sierra Nevada home have survived the encounter after fighting off the animal with a water bottle and a hatchet, authorities said. On Monday morning, a woman in Mammoth Lakes heard one of her dogs barking and went outside to investigate, discovering it was in an altercation with a 70-pound black bear, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she was making her way outside, her other dog also ran out and got involved, according to a Mammoth Lakes Police Department announcement. “She attempted to break up the fight between the two and was yelling, and the bear turned on her and ended up attacking her,” said Kory Collins, assistant chief with the CDFW law enforcement division. Her husband, noticing the commotion, also went outside to investigate. Officials say he saw what was happening and jumped into action. Mammoth Lakes Police said the bear then turned on him. His wife used the opportunity to retreive a water bottle and got the bear off …

What Dogs Can Teach Us About Consciousness

What Dogs Can Teach Us About Consciousness

Published by Sam Flores

This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. Humans used to spend a lot of time thinking about what separated us from animals. René Descartes, who wrote, “I think, therefore I am,” practiced vivisection on rabbits and dogs because he thought that they lacked consciousness. Then Charles Darwin argued convincingly that humans are indeed animals—and now, in the time of AI, we tend to think a lot more about what separates us from machines. I certainly have been, especially after reading Michael Pollan’s recent book on consciousness, A World Appears, and seeing his ideas reverberate in the Atlantic staff writer Judith Shulevitz’s article this week about the depiction of dogs in art. First, here are five stories from The Atlantic’s Books section: Shulevitz begins her essay, about Thomas W. Laqueur’s new book, The Dog’s Gaze: A Visual History, by describing a sensation familiar to most dog owners (and to me as I write this and my terrier gazes up from under …

Why There Are So Many Dogs in Great Paintings

Why There Are So Many Dogs in Great Paintings

Published by Daniella Wilson

Dogs follow the direction of a person’s gaze almost as well as another person can—better, in fact, when they are motivated to, because dogs are relentless. They track the movements of our eyeballs to see what we’re looking at so that they can look at it too, and they pester us to look just as attentively at them. When my late golden retriever had something to show me—a ball that had rolled under a fence, a man with an irregular gait—he didn’t always bark. Sometimes he stared first at the ball or man, then back at me, then at the ball or man again, until I retrieved the ball or moved away from the man. People speak with their eyes all the time, but every so often I’d be struck with wonder that a consciousness as radically different from mine could communicate so effectively. Then I’d love him even more, if such a thing were possible, and feel a little insecure. My dog was putting himself on my conversational level, as it were, or maybe …

Communal water bowls for dogs pose numerous health risks for animals and humans, expert warns

Communal water bowls for dogs pose numerous health risks for animals and humans, expert warns

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more On a bright, sunny day, after a nice walk with your dog, you stop at a local cafe to grab a drink. At the counter, you spot a water bowl for your dog. But before letting your dog take a sip, consider this: shared water bowls can be a breeding ground for harmful bugs that could make your dog sick. Water is essential for dogs’ health, supporting normal body functions and regulating temperature. During warmer weather or after exercise, it’s especially important to ensure your dog stays hydrated. This is because dogs are limited in their ability to cool down by sweating in the same way as we can. Instead, they rely on panting to regulate their body temperature, and water is essential to …

Experts share the best ways to lower your dog’s cancer risk

Experts share the best ways to lower your dog’s cancer risk

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Some 100,000 dogs are accidentally killed across the U.S. each year while being driven in truck beds, according to the Humane Society of Utah. But the biggest threats to your pup may not be ones you can see. The number one cause of death for dogs is cancer and six million furry friends are annually diagnosed with the disease, the National Cancer Institute says. Pups with poor diet and little exercise are at heightened risk, which is why ensuring they stay active and eat well is incredibly important and can help them live as long as possible, experts told The Independent. Doing that could potentially extend their life by up to 30 percent, the researchers said. Doggy dangers Cancer is the leading cause of …