One in five reptiles faces extinction in what scientists say would have a ‘devastating’ effect on humans and the planet. The results from the largest analysis to date on the state of the world’s reptiles warns of threat to ecosystems as more than 1,800 species are currently fighting to survive. With 21% of reptile species (from lizards to snakes to geckos and turtles) currently facing extinction, such a loss could have disastrous impacts on ecosystems around the world.
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Study overview
The study was led by NatureServe, the IUCN and Conservation International. Fifty-two experts analysed data from the Global Reptile Assessment, which has received contributions from more than 900 scientists across six continents in the past 17 years. While 1,829 of 10,196 species are known to be threatened, the status of 1,489 could not be determined. Allowing for these data deficient species, the authors estimate that, in total, 21%…
Some researchers think the FDA is not going far enough
Consumer Reports, a non-profit consumer research and advocacy organization, wants the lead limit to be 1 ppb or less, which they say is possible for manufacturers to achieve based on previous studies.
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Tell the FDA what you think
The FDA said it is currently accepting comments on the draft guidance until June 28, 2022 and hopes the levels will be lowered over time.
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*A 2019 Consumer Reports analysis found “concerning” levels of heavy metals in many fruit juices, many of…
Any dog food can contain hidden flaws and defects.
Too much of one nutrient…
Too little of another.
Or the food may contain hidden toxins or industrial contaminants.
Imperfections not yet discovered by the manufacturer.
Or the FDA.
And you’d never even know it.
What’s worse…
The effect of consuming any defective food tends to be magnified… whenever you feed the same food… continuously.
Day-after-day. For a lifetime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common questions we get about diet rotation for dogs.
What is diet rotation?
Unlike a conventional feeding plan where the same food is served at each meal, diet rotation involves intentionally switching your dog’s food on a planned schedule.
Why should I consider diet rotation for my dog?
Since there’s no such thing as a perfect dog food, it’s reasonable to assume every product you buy is deficient (or excessive) in some crucial way.
By periodically switching dog foods, the unhealthy consequences of serving the same imperfect products can be minimized.
Isn’t changing my dog’s diet dangerous?
Diet rotation is not for every dog. That’s because some animals can’t tolerate diet changes as easily as others. While others are on special “prescription” diets that should not be switched without the advice of your dog’s vet.
In any case…
We’ve never been able to find a single scientific study proving diet rotation to be unhealthy or detrimental to a dog.
Does diet rotation mean mixing 2 dog foods and serving them at the same meal?
No. The benefits of diet rotation are optimized only when cycling between different products on a periodic basis.
How often should dog foods be switched?
There’s no rotation feeding plan that works better than the others. It all depends on your own personal feeding preferences.
Some dog parents switch foods monthly. Others more frequently. Most prefer to empty one bag of kibble before beginning the next.
Is there a downside to diet rotation?
There are 2 potential problems with diet rotation…
Digestive upset
Maintaining product freshness
Since some dogs have sensitive stomachs, the potential for GI upset can be an issue for certain pets.
And because alternating between two or more kibbles can make each bag take longer to use up, it can be difficult to maintain the freshness of each product.
How can I switch to a new food without getting my dog sick?
In the following short video…
Dr. Gary Richter shares a simple feeding tip that can help lower your dog’s risk of getting sick when you switch to a new food.
It’s best to switch your dog to new food gradually.
Start by mixing 20% “new” with 80% “old” food. Then, slowly increase that amount to a full 100%… over the next 8 to 9 days. Schedule Old Food New Food Days 1 and 2 80% 20% Days 3 and 4 60% 40% Days 5 and 6 40% 60% Days 7 and 8 20% 80% Day 9 0% 100%
Be patient and don’t rush the process. Take your time to minimize the chance of GI upset.
Recommended Brands
The following top picks were selected from our best dog food pages. None are known as repeat offenders when it comes to recalls… or other matters of product safety.
Listen up insurance companies that discriminate against dog breeds: New scientific research has recently revealed that in modern times a dog’s breed has relatively little correlation with an individual dog’s behavior. Additionally, the study found that behavioral traits do not define breeds the way aesthetic traits like size do…
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Study overview
To investigate how genetics aligns with breed characteristics, scientists sequenced the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed-breed dogs. These data, coupled with owner surveys–18,385 dogs (49% purebred)–were used to map genes associated with behavioral and physical traits.
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Results overview
The researchers found that most behavioral traits are heritable [heritability (h2) > 25%], but behavior only subtly differentiates breeds. Breed offers little predictive value for individuals, explaining just 9% of variation in behavior. For more heritable, more breed-differentiated traits, like biddability (responsiveness to direction and commands), knowing breed ancestry can make behavioral predictions…
Home › Dog Food Recalls › FDA Warns Pet Treats Maker Due to Safety and Sanitary Violations Example Pet Center Product
Important — This Is Not a Recall
April 19, 2022 — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a Warning Letter to Pet Center, Inc., of Los Angeles, California. The letter was originally issued to the pet treats maker on February 28, 2022 but not made public by the FDA until April 19, 2022.
Pet Center produces a sizeable number of dog treats, including Bully Sticks (bull pizzles), Chicken Breast Tenders and multiple flavors of SuperChews.
Editor’s Note
The FDA did not provide a list of the more than 100 pet treats made by Pet Center, Inc. A complete catalog can be found on the company’s website.
Some readers have reported technical problems when attempting to access the Pet Center website. You may need to try again later.
What Caused the FDA Warning?
The inspections were conducted on various dates in 2021 and revealed violations of the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements for animal food, which caused the maker’s products to be adulterated.
Partial List of FDA Inspector Details
FDA Investigators noted evidence of significant violations of its Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements. A limited sampling of the inspector’s observations includes the following:
“Flies were present throughout the facility and were landing on raw, in-process bull pizzles and chicken.”
“…an employee used a high-pressure hose in a manner that caused blood and raw animal tissue present on the processing floor to splash onto cooked, work-in-process SuperChews that had been removed from the ovens to cool.”
“Animal feces in the meat washing room, approximately five feet from an open screen door.”
“You did not take effective measures to exclude pests from the manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding areas and to protect against contamination of animal food by pests…”
“Plastic clamps used to clamp bull pizzles to dry them into a curled shape were covered in dark brown to green filth material.”
Full FDA Warning Letter
The warning letter continues by documenting additional violations.
Despite what every HGTV renovation show may tell you, designing a home is not as easy as it looks. Sure, you may be handy with a hammer, but one missed cut or improper measurement is all it takes to turn your dream home into a funhouse. Even when these homeowners tried to keep it simple, their ridiculous home design fails prove that sometimes it’s best to leave things to the professionals.
Either this toilet is trying to escape, or its owner just really needed a better view of whatever was to his left. Let’s just hope no one walks in on him doing his business — they’d be both disgusted and terribly confused.
It looks like the person who lives in this house decided to put their love of landscaping over their need for a garage. Leaving a little strip of sidewalk was also a unique choice. Hopefully, this homeowner remembered to pull their car out before the reno.
Whoever was working on this renovation decided they’d had enough of this project when it came time to put on the finishing touches. Good luck trying to center your dining table now!
A tape measure is your friend during a home makeover. Whoever was responsible for building this island clearly didn’t follow the measure twice, cut once rule. Now, half of the island drawers are unusable!
The designer behind this atrocity has some explaining to do. This all-floral wall-to-floor look definitely isn’t for everyone — in fact, we’re not sure it would be for anyone. Also, it’s a carpeted bathroom? Yuck.
Let’s take bath time and make it spicy. There are two terrifying scenarios that could happen with this setup: the first is falling down the stairs after a bath, and the second is being surprised by someone who snuck into your basement. Both are great reasons to never do this.
The plumber that put this ridiculous setup in must have been in the middle of a very, very long day. Unless this homeowner is looking to turn their kitchen into a swimming pool, it’s probably best to call another sink installer for a follow-up.
This carpet illusion would be difficult to navigate sober — imagine trying to go down these steps after a few drinks! Even if it didn’t give you a headache, this carpet is ugly and probably shouldn’t have been used.
Backing out of this garage will definitely help you wake up for your commute. Then again, this drop is probably better suited for a monster truck — the suspension on a mini-van might not recover!
Everyone loves using a bathroom that makes them feel simultaneously claustrophobic and depressed. This is one sad toilet. Put a light in there at least! Anything to brighten up this cramped, dirty space.
Not only does this design fail make these drawers look like they’re peeking out from behind the door, but it pretty much guarantees that this cabinet will be impossible to use. Why are there so many people who can’t measure?
Hey, do you know where would be a great place to install a toilet?
Oh, how about the kitchen? You know, the same room where you prepare and eat the very food that you put in your mouth!
If you think about it, this is one of the most effective fences in the world. The design invites visitors to use their imagination to fill in the rest of the fence, distracting them and making them forget why they wanted to walk onto your property in the first place.
That rickety ladder clearly couldn’t support an adult, and the little balcony is barely attached to the siding. To make matters worse, this contraption also gives any potential thieves much easier access to your second floor!
This contractor was living on the edge during this basement reno — literally. Why didn’t they bother to move the beam slightly to the left? It seems like such an easy fix. Instead, they gifted the homeowner this monstrosity.
If you enjoy an audience while relieving yourself, do we have the bathroom for you. The door installers went just a little high when it came to these stalls. Sure, this might be a great way to get to know your bathroom buddies, though we don’t think many people will want to try it.
Let’s make getting out of the garage into a dangerous game. Not only do the homeowners have to worry about their cars accidentally rolling out of the garage, but just imagine trying to back out safely when it’s icy out!
What a lovely door! It would be a shame if someone were to… put a pipe in front of it. Now, the landlord will have to worry about someone opening the door too quickly and putting a hole in the pipe!
There’s a beautifully constructed rain cover outside of this building, though, unfortunately, the build team overlooked one tiny detail: the location of the doorway. Now, anyone who walks outside in a storm will have to run for cover to stay dry.
Build a face into the side of your house and you’ll never feel alone. This cutesy design might suit a preschool but is definitely out of place on this regular home. Also, just imagine if it randomly changed its expression one day. Creepy.
There may not seem like there’s much wrong with this sink on a purely functional level, but boy oh boy, does that thing look ugly. Maybe they should use something better than generic arts and crafts glue next time…
How does a project like this even get to this point? Surely, even a novice would realize, “This has to close somehow.” Evidently, even just installing a door handle isn’t always a simple task.
You probably could park your car in this driveway, so long as you have an almost superhuman ability to line up your tires. Still, one has to wonder who ever thought this design was a good idea?
Why is the refrigerator simply sitting on its own in the middle of that kitchen? In the history of refrigerators, has anybody ever designed their kitchen on its own little island like this?
Whoever built this cabinet made a grave mistake: they installed it just over the light switch! They even had to cut part of the switch off to accommodate it. Clearly, planning isn’t overrated.
Who needs great big windows, right? The real estate listing for this property must have been absolutely hilarious: “Lots of exposed brick. Tons of it, really. Seriously. Some natural light.”
When you’re preparing your home office, make sure that you have everything that you’ll need to have a productive day. That means a computer, a comfortable chair, and… a toilet? Sure, why not.
This faucet might be comically too short, but that’s not really important. What’s important is that it gets the job done. Plus, who could have been counted on to do something as insane as measuring the distance from the wall to the tub?
What purpose do these big, obstructive columns serve exactly? Are they supposed to be holding the house together? If that’s the case, why was this place built on such a flimsy foundation in the first place?
Warning! Do not, under any circumstances, try to get some air outside on this poorly-designed balcony, because you’re definitely going to regret it… if you survive the fall, that is!
You know, dishwashers are supposed to make our lives easier, but at this point, you’d probably be better off just doing it by hand. Unless you’re disassembling your radiator with every load…
Okay, so that strange garage from earlier may have looked like a challenge, but this one is literally impossible to use. That is, unless you happen to have one of those newfangled flying cars.
You’re going to be severely out of luck if you ever need to repair this toilet. Whether this problem was the fault of the person who installed it or the individual who built that counter, someone screwed up.
What on Earth is even happening here? This bathroom is designed in such an insane fashion that one could only wonder if it was done intentionally. Assuming that’s the case, can someone please stop this monster?
Whoever designed the railing for this seemingly normal staircase is either incredibly lazy or is trying too hard to apply surrealist sensibilities to home design. They would make the Dadaists proud.
What kind of unfeeling, uncaring monster would keep the toilet paper so far from the toilet itself? That’s way too stressful to handle. Anyone with short arms would be in serious doo-doo.
Hey, who needs to clean their clothes when they could cook a delicious breakfast on that stove instead? That may seem like a ridiculous choice, but, well… this is a ridiculous assortment of appliances
Have you ever been cooking something and suddenly realized that you need to go to the bathroom immediately? Evidently, that’s a common issue, judging by how many commodes end up in the kitchen these days…
Why is this door knob in the center of the door itself? How would that even work? It’s sort of like the door to a hobbit hole, except it’s not in the Shire and is about 10,000 percent less magical.
Can you imagine paying an expert to set up your sink and faucet, only to realize that this is what they’re willing to call a job well done? This makes no sense whatsoever, no matter how you look at it.
Here’s an example of an instance in which nobody thought about the important relationship between one piece of furniture with another. Come on, get your act together, contractors!
Hey, do you know what every home needs for their garage? Stairs! No, not the stairs from the inside of the house to the garage itself, but for some sort of sci-fi vehicle with legs.
43. Settling For Home-Cooked
When it’s this difficult to get into the drawer to access the local takeout menus, that may be your home designer’s not-too-subtle suggestion that maybe you should save money and cook tonight instead!
Everybody loves those designer handbags, right? So what could be the problem with painting an entire house to look like one? Other than the fact that it looks hilariously unsightly, of course.
You know, the problem with the vast majority of toilets out there is that you can never get a good look at yourself as you’re doing your business. Finally, this glamorous restroom has a solution!
Clearly, the best place to keep an outlet is right where rainwater is inevitably going to come gushing down right on top of it. That’s certainly not a surefire way to set the entire house on fire, no sir.
“Oh hey, welcome to our humble abode. No, you can’t come in, sorry. What do you think that railing is for if not to keep out intruders? Okay, fine, I suppose you could come in through the front door instead.”
The good news with a garage like this is that you know that nobody’s going to be able to steal your car from it. The bad news is that you’ll have no way of parking your car in there in the first place!
For those tired of having to manually open the stall door so that others can watch you use the bathroom, this revolutionary new design is here to solve all your toilet-watching needs while simultaneously bothering urinal users.
OKMULGEE, OK. – A hectic night throughout eastern Oklahoma will be remembered by firefighters for not only performing dozens of water rescues but also seeing the impacts of what a lightning bolt can do to a porcelain toilet.
Okmulgee Fire Lt. Rocky Morrow said Wednesday’s storms were nothing like what he had ever seen before, with flooding on nearly every street in the town and dozens of water rescues.
But the 19-year veteran firefighter said it was the callout to an apartment complex fire after a reported lightning strike that has everyone talking.
“I’ve worked at the fire department for 19 years and never seen anything like it,” Morrow said, describing the scene of the apartment.
Upon his team’s entrance into the vacant apartment, firefighters found a smoking exhaust fan in the bathroom and a toilet that was in essence obliterated by the lightning strike.
“The roof of the building had no damage, but that thing got hit by lightning. It’s weird, and we don’t know how,” Morrow told FOX Weather.
The firefighter believes that somehow the lightning’s energy might have transferred through the exhaust fan, which then struck the toilet below and caused parts of it to denigrate into ashes.
“It is just so wild. You’ll never see it again in your life,” Morrow said. “It’s almost like an act of God. I mean, it’s just unexplainable.”
Fortunately, the unit was unoccupied at the time, and no one was injured by the strike.
Following in the spirit of Britain's Queen Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. A boudica.us site. I am an opinionator, do your own research, verification. Reposts, reblogs do not neccessarily reflect our views.
Study overview
"OUR WORLD" 