Dogs should not be fed dried penises of bulls. Here's why.

Dried penises of bulls are called pizzles or steer sticks, beef pizzles, or beef sticks! Ultimately they are the penises of bulls which have been dried out. It sounds completely disgusting to me but perhaps I'm being unduly squeamish or silly. But I'm not sure we are going down the right route feeding bulls' penises dried or not.

And the advice comes from an American veterinarian living in Virginia Beach whose name is Tiffany. She's been a vet for seven years and she wants to bust some myths about what is good and bad for dogs and their owners.

Will Demand for Species Appropriate Raw Diets Influence Traditional Pet Food Manufacturers?

Dr Tiffany. Image from her Instagram pages.

She is making the point about owners as well because she is claiming that some of these foods are also dangerous for their owners. She is criticising the idea of feeding dogs raw foods as well. That's because they contain bacteria often and the bacteria can be spread to the caregivers when they prepare the food or in faeces. And of course they can infect the the dog.

Tiffany has an Instagram account where she spreads her advice. She also advises not feeding canine companions raw eggs or raw meat. Those are the three things she would never feed her dog and just to recap they are: raw eggs, bully sticks or pizzles and uncooked meat.

She adds that "Even if a dog does not show signs of infection, they can be carriers and transmit the bacteria to humans through contact with an infected dog. Long-term feeding of raw egg whites can also lead to biotin deficiency, resulting in skin and coat problems, lethargy and other health issues."

The reason why she's against pizzles is because they are very high in calories containing about 90 cal per 6 inches. More importantly perhaps is that "it has been found that about a third of them are contaminated with bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella."

And thirdly, she says that, "If a dog swallows a large piece, it can cause an intestine blockage, which may require emergency surgery."

As to the calories, it doesn't sound like a lot but she says that "treats should only make up 10% of a dog's daily calories".

As to uncooked meat she says that there are no clear benefits but there are risks. She also adds that "Raw meat-based diet are also high in fat. While they could potentially lead to coat improvements, higher fat diets can cause gastrointestinal issues and increase the risk of obesity. It's easy to overfeed due to increased palatability."

She admits that many dogs can tolerate pathogens but not all dogs can. And because it's raw meat they are inherently prone to bacterial contamination. She advises buying raw meats from commercial suppliers. And, "Although freezing and freeze-drying may reduce the number of bacteria, it does not destroy all pathogens. These pathogens will continue to be shed in the faeces even if the dog consuming the raw meat-based diet does not show signs of illness."

This can put owners at risk as well as their dogs she advises and she added that "This can affect people who are young, pregnant, old or immunosuppressed, as well as increased exposure to resistant bacteria which can cause antibiotic resistance."

Tiffany recommends people feed their dogs a commercial fresh food diet and that fresh food is the ideal choice.

Her advice is seen as controversial by some because there is a following for raw meats for dogs and indeed cats. There are risks with bacteria she says but many people believe that there are distinct health advantages for some dogs and cats to a raw diet. Often these people are suspicious about commercially prepared foods and prefer to give the dog or cat something which is purer and less tainted by commercial processing.

One commenter on her Instagram page said that:

'Wow. I've been raw feeding for over 10 years, and the only food that ever made my dogs sick was kibble. Yes, I'm not sure why people advocate for raw meat when you can just gently cook the meat at home and make it safer!' 

The comment comes from one of those people who supports raw diets but you will find that veterinarians in general both in respect of cats and dogs object to a raw diet but you will find that veterinarians in general both in respect of cats and dogs object to a raw diet because, as mentioned, of the risk of bacterial cross contamination and the difficulties of storage of raw foods safely. It does require skills and finally there's the issue of a balanced diet.

Raw food by itself is not enough to provide a balanced diet and for cats. If you provide a raw diet it should be commercially prepared or you should know how to supplement it with the required supplements and additives to ensure that it is fully balanced and therefore beneficial you should know how to supplement it with the required supplements and additives to ensure that it is fully balanced and therefore beneficial.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Ship's rats preserved in tar since 1373. Analysis of Black Death bacterium.

Scientists hope to be able to found out which variant of the Black Death bacterium caused one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. They have discovered two rats preserved in tar in a shipwreck recently uncovered in Estonia.

The date of 1373 is ideal because that is in the middle of the era of the Black Death in Europe. The scientists want to find out the variant of the bacterium which killed so many people. You may remember that at the time people thought that cats spread the disease but it was humans (see below) so by killing the cats they made things worse. However, it is a myth that there was a mass culling of cats.

The discovery of this ship containing two preserved rats is revealed in the second episode of the Channel 4 series Bettany Hughes' Treasures of the World. It will be aired on April 13.

Image created by the masterful DALL-E. 

Bettany Hughes said that she heard about the unbelievable discovery of the ship and she told The Times (the source of the story for me): "It's the biggest archaeological maritime find on land ever. Then, a few months before we were due to be filming in Estonia, we heard about this incredible discovery of the rats. A barrel of tar had fallen over and mummified them. So they have been preserved in tar. You don't get organic material like that preserved from the fourteenth century. It's almost unheard of."

She added that, "It's the first time we've got a potential candidate for the Black Death carrier. It's bang on the absolute peak of the Black Death surge in Europe, so it would be extraordinary if the rat turns out not to have it."

They've already analysed their hair and stomach contents. The stomach contents would also tell us about the diet of the sailors on the ship at the time.

They hope that the rats test positive for the bubonic plague and if so they will be able to discover the variant that caused the pandemic.

It's believed that the ship was part of a powerful trading network called Hanseatic League. It was discovered in 2022 during construction work in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

The area was once underwater. The ship had sunk close to the mouth of the River Harjapea.

The ship has overlapping planking, sealed with animal hair and tar. "We have found wool material used for packing, we have also found some tools and fragments of mediaeval leather shoes." - Bettany

The Bacterium

The Black Death, a devastating pandemic that swept through Europe during the 14th century, claimed an estimated 25 million lives between 1347 and 1351. Historically, rats have been blamed for spreading this deadly disease. However, recent research challenges this assumption.

Yersinia pestis, a bacterium, is the culprit behind the Black Death. In 1894, bacteriologists Kitasato Shibasaburo from Japan and Alexandre Yersin from France independently identified this pathogen. They discovered that it was carried by fleas, which acted as parasites on both rats and other small rodents ¹. These infected fleas, in turn, sought out and bit humans, transmitting the disease.

Contrary to popular belief, rats weren’t the primary carriers of the plague. Instead, it was humans who facilitated its spread. Simulations conducted by researchers revealed that the model focusing on fleas and ticks on humans best explained the disease’s transmission in European cities. The plague moved too swiftly for rats to be the sole culprits. If rats were the main cause, we would expect more archaeological evidence of dead rats, but historical and archaeological records provide little support for this claim ².

So, while rats play a role in the Black Death narrative, it was ultimately human interactions that allowed the bacterium to wreak havoc across the continent. The fleas, hitchhiking on humans, acted as the bridge between rodents and people, leading to one of the most devastating pandemics in history.

Today a simple course of antibiotics cures the Black Death. This critically important drug was unavailable at the time.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Sir Brian May of rock band Queen explains that culling badgers has not stopped the spread of bovine TB

Brian May talks about bovine TB and the badger cull. Image:
Screenshot from the video below.

This is a quote from Brian May:

Vivian, a very decent and caring farmer [who owns the farm where he made the video on this page], took meticulous care of his cattle, until one day, out of the blue, the whole herd failed the SICCT skin test for bovine TB, and he lost them all, along with his livelihood, and his family's whole way of life. He and his wife have fiercely fought back, as you'll see in the documentary we're making with the BBC. But in the ten years since this happened, the situation has only got worse for cattle farmers, indicating that a massive rethink is required, focussing on transmission of the pathogen within the herd, instead of clinging to the notion that the problem in cows can be solved by messing with surrounding wildlife, and testing and removing cows using a completely unreliable skin test.

Please view the whole video. Sir Brain needs to be listened to. He is making a documentary for the BBC on bovine TB. It should be great because he is a smart guy and a seeker of the truth unlike the British government which is populated with a bunch of idiots. Well, not quite but they are so political that the truth sometimes (often?) comes second to the politics.

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A post shared by Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal)

How do badgers transmit bovine TB to cattle? There must be some transmission but it is clearly not as significant as the cattle themselves being a reservoir.

Badgers (Meles meles) have been identified as a wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, which can affect cattle and other animals. The exact mechanisms of transmission of bTB between badgers and cattle are not fully understood, but there are several ways through which this transmission can occur:

Direct Contact: Badgers and cattle can come into direct contact with each other, primarily in areas where they share habitats. Close contact between infected badgers and susceptible cattle can lead to the transmission of the bacterium through respiratory secretions, saliva, urine, and feces.

Environmental Contamination: Infected badgers can shed the bacteria in their urine, feces, and other bodily fluids. These contaminated materials can persist in the environment, especially in areas where badgers are active, such as their setts (burrows). Cattle grazing in these areas might come into contact with the contaminated environment and ingest or inhale the bacteria.

Shared Feeding Areas and Water Sources: Badgers and cattle might share common feeding areas or water sources, increasing the potential for indirect contact and transmission of the bacterium.

Aerosol Transmission: It is also possible that the bacteria could be aerosolized in badger setts or other areas where badgers are active, and cattle could inhale these aerosols, leading to infection.

It's important to note that the exact role of badgers in transmitting bTB to cattle is still an area of ongoing research and debate. Various factors, such as the density of badger populations, prevalence of infection, and environmental conditions, can influence the risk of transmission.

Efforts to manage bTB transmission between badgers and cattle often involve implementing strategies such as culling infected badgers, improving biosecurity on farms, and developing vaccination programs for both cattle and badgers. However, these strategies can be contentious and have sparked debates over their effectiveness, ethical considerations, and potential impacts on wildlife populations.

Woman adopted three kittens who had their eyes removed

The Express newspaper carries a story which caught my eye, but which is a slight misrepresentation of the truth as I see it. The headline is "Pet owners warned about illness that is leaving kittens and cats at risk of blindness".

They say that cat flu exposes a kitten to the possibility of blindness. And the way they've pitched the story is that the three kittens caught cat flu and lost their eyes, but I would very much doubt that that is the case (but it can rarely happen). And under normal circumstances cat flu is not a treat to kittens in terms of causing blindness. The kittens' owner would have to be incredibly careless if it did happen.

Note: this is the image from The Express newspaper, but it appears to be a stock photo (Getty Images), and these are not therefore the kittens concerned. These kittens have not lost their eyes, I believe. They are just sleeping. The image is published here under fair use principles as this page is educational.

What is far more likely, but I am guessing is that the three kittens were rescued by an animal rescue organisation and brought to a veterinarian. They probably developed secondary bacterial infections in their eyes after they caught cat flu (a viral infection), and this is indeed very common.

When bacterial infections of the eye are untreated, the bacteria eat away at the eyeball and renders the kitten blind. It can affect one eye or both.

This dire state is brought about through lack of veterinary treatment which would be the administration of antibiotics to kill the bacteria.

Normally, you are not going to get that situation occurring in a home with domestic cats. If for some unknown reason a person is allowing their cats to breed informally, they will end up with kittens but unless they are incredibly callous and careless, they will notice that their kittens have a cat cold and deal with it in the normal way.

The treatment might include an early dose of antibiotics to prevent the emergence of a secondary bacterial infection. In short, you're not going to get untreated bacterial infections of the eyes unless you are dealing with a very careless cat owner or stray and feral cats.

When I read the article, I thought I would need to look for some mysterious illness but right away I realised that this was about URIs (upper respiratory infections). And this did not square up with the tone of the article which implied that they were writing about domestic cats in general.

Regarding vaccinations, they can help to prevent cat flu as the cat flu component is included in the primary vaccination course and often in a booster programme.

RELATED: Infographic on URIs in domestic cats.

However, sometimes cat owners are careless on vaccinations as well as being careless on allowing their cats to breed. This is a small minority of people, but it is significant because the contribute to the population of unwanted cats.

The person who adopted the three kittens, a Greater Manchester resident, Su Taylor, said that they are coping well. She said: "They've settled in wonderfully and run around like normal cats. But it is a shame they had to lose their eyes as it didn't need to happen".

That implies to me that she is referring to a domestic cat owner who was careless and allowed the kids to develop bad eye infections which shouldn't happen obviously. But as I've stated it is far more likely that kittens who develop these eye infections are abandoned cats or feral cats.

RELATED: What antibiotics are used for upper respiratory infections in cats?

Preventing cat diseases through inoculations harnesses the body's natural ability to fight infection

Infectious agents are viruses or bacteria normally. In vaccines, the infectious agent is modified. It is no longer infectious. This is achieved by killing it or modifying it so that it is alive but no longer infectious. Or in the creation of a vaccine, the scientists take vital components of the infectious agent or enslave bacteria through genetic engineering to produce replicas of those parts in the words of Dr. Bruce Fogle (Complete Cat Care). 

URI in a cat. Typically caused by the herpes virus. Photo: urbananimalveterinary.com.

The resulting vaccine is similar to the unmodified form of the infectious agent. This provokes the cat's immune system to create antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that attach to and help destroy the specific infectious agent against which the vaccine works.

Kittens acquire their mother's antibodies in her milk and therefore take some protection from their mother when they suckle from after birth. These are temporary antibodies which last around 6 to 10 weeks.

There are a variety of vaccines available for cats.

Feline infectious enteritis

There is a vaccine against feline infectious enteritis. This is also known as feline panleukopenia or feline parvovirus. This is a virus that can survive for a long time in the environment. The symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and sometimes death. It is especially dangerous to kittens. The vaccine against this disease is very effective and it provides protection for a long time.

RELATED: Feline Distemper Symptom

Cat flu

Cat flu is usually caused feline herpesvirus or feline calicivirus. The disease is spread by close contact with cats that carry the disease. Most upper respiratory infections (URIs) in domestic cats are caused by these cat flu viruses.

The symptoms are mild to severe including pharyngitis (a sore throat) eye inflammation and discharge, nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, and mouth ulcers. A complication is pneumonia which can be life-threatening. 

RELATED: Feline Herpes Virus

Some cats may suffer permanent damage to the nose or eyes. There might be a secondary bacterial infection. This can destroy eyes. You will see many blind, ex-feral cats whose eyes had been destroyed by bacterial infections.

RELATED: Is L-lysine good for herpes virus in cats?

Some cats recover quite quickly in a few days while others might take weeks. The vaccination against these viruses protects the cat from serious illness. It does not protect against infection. Cats that are vaccinated can carry the disease and pass it on to others. These carriers are asymptomatic.

Feline leukaemia virus

Feline leukaemia virus is described as 'fragile' and it is transmitted through saliva during prolonged close contact between cats. When a cat becomes infected it lasts for their lifetime and most cats die within three years of being diagnosed. This is usually because of related illnesses such as lymphoma or anaemia.

RELATED: RetroMAD1: Possible new drug for fighting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia

Around 1% of all healthy cats test positive. Up to 18% of all ill cats seen by veterinarians have this disease. In the selective breeding of purebred cats, blood testing has been effective in reducing the incidence of this disease. The vaccine against it provides protection to at-risk cats but not necessarily all cats.

Rabies

Rabies is well known. It's a virus which attacks the central nervous system. It is fatal. It can infect almost all warm-blooded animals. It is most common in members of the canine family, monkeys, bats and cats. The virus is excreted into the saliva of the animal and it can be transmitted to people normally through bites. The disease is zoonotic.

RELATED: How often do cats transmit rabies to people in the USA?

In some places vaccination against this disease is mandated and for travelling cats. The vaccine provides effective and efficient protection which lasts for three or more years.

P.S. The principles of vaccination is better known to all of us because of Covid. It is shocking however that there are still millions of people who fear the Covid vaccines despite worldwide approval and the biggest testing program ever.

Can cats get sinusitis?

Cats can, indeed, get sinusitis just like their human caregiver. Respiratory infections (URIs) are common in cats. They can lead to secondary, bacterial infections of the frontal sinuses. These occur with some frequency. The signs are the same as those that you would expect to see with people. 

Cat with a headache head-pressing to alleviate it. Pic in the public domain.

The symptoms include a persistent, purulent, nasal discharge, often just from one nostril accompanied by sneezing and sniffling. The cat will probably have a headache although they can't tell you that. Once again, you can deduce this from the fact that people have headaches when they have sinusitis. Sometimes cats 'head-press' when they have headaches.

The cat may appear to sit with his eyes partially closed and his head hanging. He will suffer from a diminished appetite and lose weight. This is all very typical with humans except humans although feeling bad with sinusitis continue to eat normally.

An abscessed tooth can also lead to an abscessed frontal sinus. There may be a swelling below the eye. But this is uncommon in cats.

Sinusitis in cats can also be caused by a fungal infection but this is uncommon. The fungal diseases concerned are cryptococcosis and aspergillosis. Cryptococcus is often associated with exposure to pigeons. This may occur when dust from pigeon poop blows in through an open window.

A veterinarian will diagnose feline sinusitis through external symptoms and demeanour as mentioned above confirmed by an x-ray which may show increased density in one sinus.

Also, the treatment is the same as for people namely antibiotics which should be chosen carefully and based on culture and sensitivity tests. Surgical procedures can be performed but I would expect this to be as an absolute last resort.

Turning briefly to people, as I understand it, sinusitis can be caused by allergens and minute foreign bodies such as pollen being inhaled. A cat might be particularly sensitive to environmental, airborne, particles such as pollen which may cause sinusitis in that individual cat. If that is true, I would expect the owner to run some tests to see whether keeping the cat inside, in a filtered environment, alleviates the condition.

In people, there are a number of treatments that can be used without the intervention of a doctor such as NeilMed sinus rinse. It's a question of using all one's means to prevent the inhalation of particles which can trigger the production of fluid in the sinuses because they irritate the membrane in the sinuses.

Cats have two frontal and two sphenoid (wedge-shaped) sinuses. My book tells me that the small sphenoid sinuses don't often cause problems.

Tularemia Infection in Cats

Tularemia (Francisella tularensis) is a bacterial infection transmitted by many species of tick, and also by biting flies and mosquitoes. It is called "rabbit fever" because the tick sucks the blood of rabbits. There lies the problem as wandering domestic cats occasionally prey on rabbits. They contract the disease and they pass it on to people, on occasions, through a bite. People can also get the disease like a cat; direct from the tick.

Wandering tabby cat with catch - a rabbit

A number of diseases are caused by ticks. Another is lyme disease from the deer tick.

The internet reports cases of tularemia in cats in Nebraska, California an Kansas. It is quite possible that it occurs across the USA.

A recent case of a cat infected with tularemia was reported in San Diego, California. The health authorities are warning people to be vigilant and take precautions. Ticks can be picked up in long grass. Removal of ticks from cats has to done with care.

I Know Why My Cat Is Shaking His Head

There are a lot of articles about cats shaking their heads and what causes it.  My cat is just been through a phase of that.  The reason why he was shaking his head and sneezing violently occasionally is because he had a nasal discharge due to a bacterial infection which in turn was possibly a secondary infection after a viral infection.

Another possible reason why he had a bacterial infection which irritated his nose causing him to shake his head to try and loosen it, is because something was stuck up his nose: a foreign body.

Another possible reason why he had this infection is because he may have the beginnings of cancer in his nose. That, again, would cause an obstruction and an irritation or discomfort - possibly. I am waiting to see how that develops.

In general, any irritation in the nose, in the mouth or in or on the ears might cause a cat to shake his head to try and get rid of that irritation/pain/discomfort.

Perhaps the most common reason for head shaking is ear mites simply because they are fairly common in the first place.  You'll see a lot of cat owners on the Internet recommending to a person that they clean their cat's ears on the basis that their cat might have ear mites.  Personally, I would not try this.  It is too problematic a process.  The cat might be hurt.  Also, the cat might not have ear mites.  There are too many ifs and buts.  The only thing to do is to see a vet.

A sore and inflamed mouth can also cause a cat to shake his head.

With respect to a cat's ears, the following conditions might lead to head shaking:

• a foreign body or a tick the ear canal
• an infection of the year
• a blood clot under the skin of the ear flap (damaged ear)
• and ear that has been damaged in a fight which has become irritating/uncomfortable.

These are just examples.  A veterinarian's diagnosis is required.  With respect to my cat, the irritation in his nose has been at least temporarily cured through selecting an appropriate antibiotic which kills the bacteria.