Feb 22, 2015 | Conditions
Almost 26 million Americans – and 235 million people worldwide! – have asthma. And I’m one of them. A recent study showed that asthma in the US is not well controlled. This is due to several factors, not the least of is the onerousness of treatment. It’s a lifetime battle to control, and we often […]
Dec 30, 2014 | animals helping animals, animals helping humans, Conditions
Dog owners beware! Algae in lakes and ponds can be toxic!! It clings to your pet’s fur and as they normally do, they will lick it off when they get out of the water.  The bacteria that are lurking, microcystin can be the source of liver failure. Almost 100 dogs were reported to have died […]
May 27, 2014 | animal research, archive, Medical Research
In the last five years, 24 sea otters have stranded and died in the Monterey Bay area. Veterinarians noticed a strange yellow coloration to the animals, so they performed necropsies and determined that the cause of death was something pretty unexpected- microcystin. Microcystin is a cyanotoxin produced by algae, and because it’s generally found in […]