Rod's Blog    Home
Objective-To share my animal experiences, photos, 
information about pets/animals, and neat science news.

Previous Blog is HERE

***************************************************
****************************************************
5/26/2024

Another tasty dog meal. Contains cod, chicken, potassium chloride, seaweed, sweet potato and fresh cilantro.



dogfood





********************************************************************
1/5/2024

Tonight's soup for family and dogs. Ingredients: celery, onions (very little), garlic (very little), carrots, zucchini, fresh cilantro,
red garnet sweet potato, brussel sprouts, black beans, cooked squares of hamburger, bean sprouts,  several bay leaves and vegetable broth.

soup



*******************************************************************************
12/14/2023

Pack Mentality of Dogs (illustrated)
.
It's not often that you can find a video that shows dogs attacking a person with the video
starting before the attack occurs (so you can see initial events).

4 dogs attack a 9 year old girl in Russia. These are stray dogs and the girl was initially trying to make friends with 3 dogs that are
out of sight of the view (lower left). Notice the dog in the right part of the screen............he was not going to do anything..........until
the pack of 3 dogs attacked the girl...........then he joined in.............


 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZ11CFmPLE



***********************************************************

10/30/2023


Several students have wanted to see my tree-lined driveway that I fight with...............

Here


******************************************************************

10/20/2023

One meal today for my dogs (out of 4-5 meals)

food

Contents

CousCous
Sweet Potato Skins
Olive Oil
Bacon

*******************************************************
9/2/2023

The meal just eaten by my dogs.

food



Contents:

Seaweed
Pumpkin seeds
Sweet Potato
Albacore Tuna
Tomato

Here is Diesel eating that meal.



**********************************************************************

8/8/2023

The meal just eaten by my dogs.

food

Contents-----

Asparagus

Seaweed

Blueberries

Cranberries

Sweet potato

Left-over beef steak

Pinch of porcine bone meal

One teaspoon of fluid from pan used to fry bison burger (see below; I would not do this if my dogs were overweight)

food


**********************************************************************************

6/15/2023

CO deaths occur all year around. I will link to several articles about the
same couple because links often go inactive.

Carbon Monoxide Deaths of couple in Mexico

California Couple Dead


Solution----Always travel with 2 CO detectors. You cannot count upon others
to be aware of the dangers of CO. Some days, I believe that I should change jobs
and travel the U.S. and warn everyone of the dangers of CO. I would also hand out free
CO detectors.

See this video for some good CO detectors:

CO Video

Here is a website that tracks most of the CO deaths:

HERE



**************************************************************
5/14/2023

Sheriff's deputy killed by dog while dog sitting--Indianapolis, IN.......HERE

I don't do much dog sitting at my home, but I do remember one time when a
120# Police Dog type GSD I was watching growled at my Monique (160# Pyrenees Mountain Dog) at the beginning of the stay..
The police officer and I were able to keep the dogs apart. For the following 2 weeks,
I kept the GSD and Monique out of sight of each other. Watching/sitting large or aggressive dogs
takes a special talent and excellent buildings/fences. This story of the deputy is very sad. RIP Tamieka......
I bet she was attempting to protect her son from a dog attack. And this happened so close to Mother's Day!!!!!


**********************************************
5/13/2023

Say Happy Birthday to the oldest dog in the world.

HERE

*****************************************
5/13/2023

A very good article on the value of Heat Pumps (vs Air Conditioners).

HERE

***********************************************
4/8/2023

One dog meal today--out of about 4 meals. Contains canned turkey, canned tuna, canned black beans
and one teaspoon of porcine bone meal. I always use all the juice from canned products (usually I pick the low sodium products)--there are nutrients
in that liquid. I never pay full price for any ingredients. I only buy food at sale time. The canned food was BOGO.

food


***********************************************
4/5/2023

One dog meal today--out of about 4. Contains chicken hearts, hamburger, cranberries, KCl, string beans,
cheese, brussel sprouts and a pinch of garlic.


food



***************************************************
3/19/2023

Dogs will be fed left-over fish and all scrapings (and liquid) from the bottom of the baking dish. Many nutrients
are contained wihin the scrapings/liquid. I will then place some water in dish, rinse  and add that water to the dog bowls.

eeee



ww



**********************************************************************************
2/25/2023

Today's Dog Soup (all fresh ingredients).....Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,
asparagus, cilantro, pork, black beans, white potatoes, water, KCl and pinch of garlic.

gggggg


******************************************
1/16/2023

A good article about the discovery of RU-486

************************************************************
1/14/2023

It was not long ago that the euthanasia drug pentobarbital was found in dog food-Read Here

The FDA Report---Risk from Pentobarbital in Dog Food

A recent article about Pentobarbital
***********************************************************
1/12/2023

And another example of my cooked, home-made dog food. This bowl contains chicken, KCl, cranberries, cilantro, parsley, white potatoes,
celery, broccoli and brussels sprouts. I will take a kitchen scissor and cut the cranberries into halves.


dddd





*************************************************************************
1/11/2023

An example of my cooked, home-made dog food. This bowl contains broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery,
hamburger, white potatoes, carrots, iodized salt, parsley and cilantro.


ddddd



*********************************************
11/10/2022


A list of some 2022 Carbon Monoxide (CO) victims



******************************************
10/7/2022

Finding Substance X: The Team that Created Cortisone (A Movie by Mayo Clinic)

MOVIE

******************************************
8/26/2022

Intradermal Injection (for Monkeypox vaccine)

***************************************
8/25/2022

Northern Michigan had dog deaths/illness that were unexplained. It turned out to be Parvovirus.
The story is interesting........

Parvovirus

Mail Carrier killed by 5 dogs. In some of my classes this week, we discussed
possible solutions that could be instigated before such an event occurs.

Mail Carrier killed in Florida

**********************************************
8/2/2022

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts

**********************************************
8/1/2022

A great article about CO in the New York Times

Please be careful..............

***********************************************
6/23/2022

"We will now install CO detectors............(after 3 tourist deaths).........."

Too little, too late..........

Keep in mind that the final determination of death is still pending, but--No  CO detectors??????????

.........Inexcusable...............

See most current article on this situation:

Here

***************************************************************


4/8/2022

I was invited to the dedication for the new Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex today.
The below videos provide a view of today's events.
The video entitled "My Tour" was made by me as I went through the various buildings.
I would highly recommend you going to the tours held tomorrow, April, 9, 2022.

Formal Dedication Ceremony

My Tour

A Virtual Tour (made one year ago)

Drone View of Construction


****************************************
3/20/2022

"Fear-Free" Pets Make for Happier Pets, and Owners


**********************************

3/19/2022

And yet another CO story..............


***********************************************

3/3/2022

What??????? No CO detectors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Inexcusable.....................

UW-Milwaukee CO Scare


**********************************8*****
2/24/2022






******************************************************
1/15/2022

Grief flows at funeral for Moorhead family of 7 killed by carbon monoxide:
'It breaks your heart'


Moorhead is my hometown!!!!!!

***********************************************
1/14/2022

Magawa, the 'hero rat' who sniffed out landmines, has died

***********************************************
1/10/2022

US had 5 rabies deaths last year, highest total in a decade



*************************************************************
8/19/2021

The Swiss Cheese Model of Pandemic Defense



pandemic


**************************************************
8/8/2021

The woman who discovered Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).
Incredible story: She lost her job at a University, but continued her research
in her bedroom. Was awarded the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1986) for her discovery!!


Rita Levi-Montalcini


*********************************************
8/1/2021

If you are interested in the Domestic Cat Genome read these links.

The Unappreciated Importance of Cats (to Medical Science)

Precision medicine in cats

Feline genomic medicine

A new Domestic Cat genome assembly

*****************************************************
7/31/2021

If you have never heard of HeLa cells (or don't know their back-story) you should read the 3 links below.
I am glad I decided to research/post this, since I had never seen a picture of Henrietta before (but I had heard of her cells for decades).
 She was a young black woman, with 5 children, who died way too young. And her cells live on......, contributing to science!!!!!!

HeLa

lacks

HeLa

HeLa

**********************************************
7/26/2021

Indospicine Toxicity in Dogs


***************************************
7/24/2021

It is time to learn about wet-bulb temperature.

Wet-bulb temperature is important, climate experts say. So what is it?


Dry Bulb, Wet Bulb and Dew Point Temperatures


**********************************************************
7/24/2021

Surprise--more dog soup. This time it is Beef and Barley, with celery, zucchini (Thanks to Dot), sweet potato, broccoli,
rosemary, thyme, garlic (3 pinches), tomato, Himaalayan Pink Salt, and of course water QS.  After I fed the dogs 3 portions of
the soup (over a 6 hour span), I added split peas and wild rice. It will now simmer overnight. I may freeze some, but my wife, me and the dogs may just finish
 it off in the next day or two. And we all love putting croutons in this soup. By the way, croutons make good dog treats that are very reasonable, price wise.


soup




************************************************************************
6/1/2021

For some reason, I am stuck on making dog soup (which we all eat here on the ranch). When you cook a 20 lb. frozen turkey ($7.00 total cost when no one wants turkey),
soup seems like a natural way to go. The ingredients for the below soup:  turkey, wild rice (from my native MN), raw cranberries, carrots, a few peas,
Salvadorean red beans, thyme, rosemary, NaCl, granulated garlic (4 pinches), and water.

food




********************************************************
5/30/2021

Several of my recent home-made dog food feedings.

This is home-made turkey soup that I made for my wife and me, and the Border Collies.
Ingredients: brown rice, turkey, peas, tomatoes, elbow pasta, carrots, KCl, pinch of granulated garlic, and red kidney beans.

food



Ingredients: brown and wild rice, turkey, carrots, tomatoes, and sardines in olive oil.


food



*******************************************
4/1/2021

I will always remember Phil Dziuk:

Incredible Researcher


************************************************
2/13/2021

I have posted several very good articles and images on Covid-19

How do mRNA vaccines work? This article also names all current vaccines approved by FDA (for all diseases)

A short video on the Covid-19 vaccine



sssss


ddddhttps://www.spirotherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Himalyan-salt-mineral-concentrations.pdf



******************************************************
2/2/2021

National CO Awareness Association


********************************************
1/21/2021

This young poet has rekindled my love for poetry. Bravo





*************************************************
1/16/2021

You should be familiar with "Fear Free" certification

*************************************************************
1/15/2021


Current Pet Food Recall (Aflatoxin strikes again)


*************************************************************
11/30/2020


This Dog Video will bring a smile to your face (don't skip anything)



***************************************************

10/30/2020

I always tell my students to watch out for medical errors. I recently ran into this very sad story
that took place late last year (2019) in Indianapolis.

David Boothman...R.I.P.

And a few general articles on medical mistakes:

Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death


Jaw-dropping medical mix-ups


A Doctor Confronts Medical Errors


***********************************************************************************
9/24/2020

Stories like this just break your heart.
(A dog that likes pizza, even as a last meal)


*********************************************************************************
8/18/2020

If you are connected to Purdue, you should "like" our recent alumnus, Hannah.

She just started a dog training business in Dallas, TX.
(Hannah is pushing her dogs in the cart (below picture)).

Wild at Heart Canine Academy


dogs

*************************************************************
8/18/2020

I make my own dog food. Here are pictures (below) of  today's offering.
The 2 Border Collies are fed 3-5 times each day (so stomach doesn't get stretched).

Diesel had a blood panel determined today-look at all the normal values!!!
Blood Panel

And Annie (Diesel's sister, same litter) just had her blood panel determined later this same week.
Again, look at all the normal blood values!!!
Blood Panel

The first picture below shows broccoli, peas, beef roast, hamburger, sardines and pasta sauce before mixing.
Some of this is from leftovers. The second picture shows the ingredients mixed together.
I never balance their daily diet. But I know over a 7-day week, they eat all the various nutrients they need.


food


food



*********************************************
8/17/2020

An excellent website for Animal Drug and Food Recalls


The New England Journal of Medicine has removed their paywall from all of their Covid-19 information!!



A free magazine on the Petfood Industry-you will need to download a copy after you click on a cover.


****************************************************************
8/11/2020

Contest 3 has now ended. Caption submissions were accepted until noon on 8/17.

Winning caption is posted.

Send your caption(s)  (more than 1 is fine) to:   contest3@rodallrich.com



cat


Winning Caption: "That's the last time I adopt a cat from "Lazy Acres Cattery""
(submitted by BAB, judge--the husband of my dog loving courntry neighbor)


*********************************************************
8/5/2020

Contest 2 is now finished. Winning caption is posted.

Captions were accepted until noon on 8/10 at       contest2@rodallrich.com
(feel free to submit more than one caption)

View this video to see what prizes the caption winners can select from:  Here


sssss

Winning Caption:   "Hey you're cheating! Meow isn't an actual word!"
(submitted by AAK, judge-my dog loving country neighbor)


****************************************************************************
Contest 1 is finished. Submitted captions were accepted until noon on 8/3.

xxxx

Winning caption:  "How long do you think it will take her to realize you ate her mouse?"
(submitted by MLT, judge-my wife)


********************************************************
7/2/2020

Coronavirus autopsies: A story of 38 brains, 87 lungs and 42 hearts

*******************************************************
7/1/2020

Rt Covid-19 values for every state in the USA


********************************************************
6/20/2020

Incubation periods of some infectious diseases


***************************************

6/19/2020

Dog breeds most affected by summer heat......


**************************************
1/14/2020

Hay tainted by toxic beetles kills 14 horses in Wisconsin


Blister Beetle Poisoning


*************************************************************
11/09/2019

We went to the Great INDY Pet Expo today!!!!!!




*************************************************
10/25/2019

Maisy was a great puppy visitor this week. We observed normal puppy behavior.
She was very laser positive. She enjoyed the bull pizzle I gave her.


dog



***********************************************
10/14/2019

I have been so busy this semester that I have not made weekly posts (like I usually do)
of all the great pets that we have observed in my classes. So I made a
compiled video that includes most of them from the past 60 days.. I am missing a few because of blurry pictures.






*****************************************************
9/3/2019

I just discovered this site. It appears to keep track of dog attacks.
I always try to read about dog attacks and learn about the specific details.

19-year-old woman dies days after being mauled by pack of dogs (8/30/2019)


******************************************
8/30/2019

Heparin shortage around the corner??

*****************************************
8/11/2019

Toxic algae kills 3 dogs soon after exposure.



****************************************
7/16/2019

My work van set a new record--147 degrees F.
Please keep kids and pets out of vacant cars in the summer.

hot


*********************************************
7/11/2019

A well-written article about taurine (no endorsement of the company intended)

The Importance of Taurine for Dogs and Cats


I think we are going to find out that feeding "Grain-Free Dog Foods"
actually leads to poor GI absorption of taurine: Therefore a relative tissue deficiency
in the face of recommended dietary levels.

*********************************************

7/10/2019


Florida health officials warn of rabies in
Disney World's Epcot theme park



A good review of Rabies


**********************************************
7/9/2019

My work van set a new in-vehicle record for me.
144 degrees F on a sunny afternoon.
This is a deadly temperature for kids and pets.


hot



******************************************
7/9/2019

In my Environmental Physiology course we spend about 1 week on CO.
Look at what can happen......

CO Trouble Here

I always carry a sensitive CO detector with me when I am traveling.
This is it:

detector


It even detects 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 ppm. It lets you know anything above zero.
Some detectors don't alarm until 100 ppm or above--too late for accurate readings.

***************************************

7/6/2019


More FDA info on Grain-Free Diets/Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs




*******************************************
7/5/2019

The pig ear situation has now turned into a multi-state recall.

Pig Ear Recall


******************************************
7/3/2019

Today, Michigan issued a consumer warning about bulk pig ears-Salmonella was found and at
least 12 people have been hospitalized.

Article 1

Article 2

*********************************************

7/2/2019

Outside today the high was about 90 F.
The image below shows what temps were found inside my work van during the past 24 hours.

The low was 70 F (probably late last night)
The high was 142 F (probably late this afternoon-it was sunny)
The current temp was 90 F (at 9 p.m. when I took the picture)
So this thermometer records low and high from past 24 hours
and also displays the current temperature.
It also records those 3 numbers for humidity.

van


*******************************************
7/2/2019

I wish I knew the solution to this problem:

One-year-old girl dies in hot car



******************************************

7/2/2019

Another article that does a good job of presenting the facts as we know them.
There are still many unknows.


Grain-free dog foods linked to fatal heart condition (Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM)



***********************************************
6/29/2019

This story has been developing over the past year and now it seems more certain something bad is happening.

Click on the article title to read it.

FDA warns--16 dog food brands may cause heart disease in pets (dogs)

My opinion-peas, lentils, legume seeds, and potatoes should never be the main ingredients in any dog food.

I make my own dog food and I use peas to a small extent (with meat by far the main ingredient-always).

See the below picture to see what I fed yesterday for one of the 4 daily feedings my Border Collies got. I feed 4 times daily so the stomach
doesn't get stretched out. The other 3 meals would not contain peas. Do you know that regular dog kibble expands 100%
when it gets to the canine stomach. You can do a little experiment to verify my statement. The below meal
contained chicken (from drumsticks that were 79 cents a pound), peas and carrots. The peas and carrots were uncooked.

food

I believe that this problem with certain dog foods involves the "Web of Causation" disease model. Where many factors interact to bring about the DCM. If enough  factors are not present, then the disease does not develop.


disease


*************************************************
6/23/2019

dog

The hand-held infrared thermometer is reading 169 degrees F. Is this dog (my Onyx, 180# Newfie) in danger of developing hyperthermia? The answer:  not at all-not possible.
Take home lesson---unless you know about thermoregulation and thermodynamics, stay on the porch and keep your mouth shut.


***************************************************
6/22/2019

In the U.S., about 3-4 people per year die from rabies. But worldwide, that figure is about 60,000 deaths.
Many of the worldwide deaths (about 99%) are due to feral dog bites. Almost all human deaths
caused by rabies occur in Asia and Africa.
The below link goes to a recent, good article in the Washington Post.


"I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal."



************************************************
6/21/2019

During my Spring course-Environmental Physiology of Domestic Animals, we spend about
one week on carbon monoxide (CO). I always suggest having one or two CO detectors
in every home, even if the house does not use fossil fuels. The detectors should have
a digital readout (in ppm) so you can see realtime levels. When I travel, I always carry an
industrial grade CO detector with me because I know some motels/hotels have no idea of the danger.
Recently, my detector read 15 ppm in a motel (usually the reading should be between 0 and 10).
That level is not an "alarm" level, but it made me question the source. Most household CO detectors will
not make an alarm sound until 50 or 100 ppm. Too high for my comfort.

This recent article motivated me to make this post:

This Article


***************************************************

4/8/2019

Clifford was a great classroom guest........




************************************************
3/15/2019

Broccoli is good for dogs. I have heard this from several
sources (including from someone working with pets who have cancer).



*********************************************

1/23/2019

goats


Vitamin C Production in Goats vs Humans

**********************************************
1/18/2019

Suicides among veterinarians become a growing problem


************************************************
1/12/2019

Any surgeon worth their ilk would know all about ectopic organs/structures.
This surgeon did not.

Surgeon fined $3K for removing kidney he thought was tumor


*********************************************
1/11/2019

90 year old cyclist tested positive for a banned drug.
But it's not his fault........
It could happen to any one of us.

The Story

The drug (hormone)

*****************************************