Pets in the paper – an old dog’s second chance
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Second chance was all she needed. (Oklahoma City)
- Zoo special includes food. (Oklahoma City)
- Golf tourney helps animal sanctuary. (Edmond)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – prevent hot dogs
No, not the kind you eat – the kind that pant and plop down on your living room in dramatic fashion.
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Heat poses risks for pets, too. (statewide)
- Keeping your animals cool during the hot summer months. (statewide)
- Broccoli-snake head case goes unsolved. (New York)
- Reeling in a sizable catch hooks kids on fishing fun. (Choctaw)
- Dog show convenes. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – Route 66 licks
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Tour to give pets a second chance. (Oklahoma City, Del City, Tulsa, Broken Arrow)
- Company, pair admit guilt in tainted pet food case. (Missouri)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – elephants look for love
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Police chief defends using Taser on dog. (Hobart)
- Raising guide dogs brings reward. (column)
- City’s elephant pair endure long courtship. (Oklahoma City, Tulsa)
- New clinich elps leash pet count, surgery cost. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
FDA approves dog cancer drug
Today the Food and Drug Administration approved a medicine to treat cancer in dogs.
The medicine, Palladia, was developed by Pfizer. It’s designed to treat skin tumors, which can be common among pooches.
Until now, dogs with cancer have been treated with medicine for humans, ranging from oral treatments to chemotherapy. Like humans, dogs can develop a variety of cancers. And like humans, early detection is key. And like humans, unfortunately, there are a lots of bogus supplements and treatments out there.
The best option: talk to your vet.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – Vick dog in Oklahoma update
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Former Vick dog finds new life here. Fighting still a problem in some areas, experts say. (statewide, photos below)
- Training pups to help people is no easy task. (Oklahoma City)
- Kids can ride in style. (Yukon, page 1d)
- Zookeeper camp offers hands-on fun. (Norman)
- Pet Tales: Mischievous dog a real Diamond. (El Reno)
- Know when pet needs prompt vet care. (nationwide)
- Big catch reels in funds for the MDA. (Lake Thunderbird, page 3d)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Monkeys play “Deal or No Deal”
I’ve never been a big fan of “Deal or No Deal,” the game show where contestants pick from a series of suitcases with different dollar amounts in them, hoping the smaller numbers are revealed so they end up with a big payout.
My gripe is that it takes very little or no skill. I like games where if I perform well, I have a chance to improve my odds. This game is all about random chance — pick a number and hope it’s the right one.
Now science has confirmed that a trained monkey can play Deal or No Deal, and the primates actually feal regret when they find out they’ve picked wrong.
Researchers at Duke University gave a group of rhesus macaques a choice of eight white squares to choose from. Underneath each square was a different color corresponding to a reward, the best being sugary fruit juice. After choosing, the monkeys were also shown the rewards they missed out on. When shown they missed out on the juice, the monkeys tried harder.
Brain scans revealed that when playing the game, the monkeys used a center of the brain which analyzes the consequences of actions. That same area also became active when the monkeys were shown what they passed up, suggesting they were thinking about what they might have won.
As interesting as these findings are, I find myself feeling sorry for the monkeys who missed out on the juice, knowing they that understood they missed their chance at a sweet reward.
Now if I could just get a group of scientists to analyze my theory that a trained monkey could replace Howie Mandel as the host of Deal or No Deal.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Pets in the paper – gift horses’ mouths
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Senate votes take teeth out of law on horse dentists. (state capitol)
- “Lion King” deserves roar of applause. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – inspections for livestock
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Bill updates: Livestock. (state capitol)
- Little River Zoo planning campout. (Norman)
- Technician behind “The Lion King” masks runs a class menagerie. (Oklahoma City)
- Show’s popularity benefits zoo. (Oklahoma City)
- Dogs with arthritis may benefit from acupuncture treatments. (nationwide)
- Pet products draw warning. (nationwide)
- Pet Tales: Second chance, sweet success. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Fox cub survives two weeks in trap
A three month old fox cub, being called Willy by the animal advocates who saved him, survived an estimated two weeks after being caught in a snare trap near a neighborhood in England.
Willy’s rescuers believe his mother brought food to him while he was stuck in the trap because he showed no signs of being starved when he was finally discovered. Neighbors called animal welfare after they heard the cub screaming in agony. The wire snare cut through his torso all the way to the bone. Experts believe he spent at least two weeks in the trap because his wounds had started to heal around the wire snare.
Farmers often use snare traps to catch predators like foxes that might kill chickens or other livestock. The practice is generally accepted if the animals are humanely destroyed, but authorities said they will investigate and seek animal cruelty prosecution if they discover who set the trap and left the cub there to suffer.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Willy the fox cub
