Life without animals, either in the wild or as pets, is nearly impossible to imagine.
It’d be like thinking of the sky without birds, a forest without bears and deer, a sea without fish, or for many of us, a home without a dog or cat or bird.
Some of us—farmers, veterinarians, or dog breeders—build our working lives around animals. But animals mean so much more than just a job or a business to so many of us.
Animals will capture the interest of a child and make adults feel healthier and more at ease. That could be why so many Americans own pets.
Recent surveys have reported that Americans care for about 77 million pet cats. In addition, there are more than 43 million dog owners—and 65 million dogs—in the United States.
Birds, fish, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and reptiles of various sorts are also popular.
Some studies have indicated what all those pet owners already know intuitively—that people enjoy health benefits from the human-animal bond. It seems that pets can help people lower their blood pressure or cope with AIDS.
Senior citizens and children receive enormous comfort from the companionship of pets.
Living with animals has many benefits, but to enjoy those benefits we also must accept the responsibility for keeping the animals healthy.
Local veterinarians make sure that animals get the care they need, whether it’s repairing broken bones or prescribing medication.
They get the job done when it counts, making our life with animals that much more enjoyable.
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We accidentally ran across a recipe for a mustard plaster the other day.
In case you are interested, the mixture calls for one tablespoon of powdered mustard with four tablespoons of flour. Add enough warm water to make a runny paste. Put the mixture in a folded cloth and apply to the chest. Rub olive oil on the chest if the patient has delicate skin.
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The longest surgical operation was performed on Mrs. Gertrude Levandowski of Burnips, Mich., for removal of an ovarian cyst. She lost 308 pounds during the operation; her weight was 616 pounds before it started. The operation lasted for 96 hours and took place from Feb. 4 to 8, 1951 in Chicago.
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Some U.S. athletes recently have been accused of using anabolic steroids to build muscle strength and bulk, and to engage in a more rigorous training schedule.
Weight lifters, field event athletes, and body builders are most likely to use steroids, even though the drugs are banned from most organized competitions because of the dangers they pose to health. They are also banned to prevent some athletes having an unfair advantage on the field.
Strength and fitness advantages aside, the adverse effects of taking steroids include hypertension, acne, and damage to the liver, heart, and adrenal glands. Psychiatric symptoms can include hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and manic episodes.
In men, anabolic steroids can cause infertility, impotence, and premature balding.
Women can develop masculine characteristics, such as excessive body and facial hair growth, male-pattern balding, and deepening of the voice, just to name a few.
Children and adolescents can develop problems in growing bones, leading to short stature.
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There were approximately 225 active physicians per 100,000 people in the U.S. in 1990. Today, there are an estimated 250 per 100,000.
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Currently, there are more than 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S.; more than 11,000 of them are listed as profit-making facilities and about 4,000 are non-profit facilities.
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Top of the morning!