As our thoughts go out to all those caught up in the recent horrors of war, two quotes come to mind:

Shakespeare - Henry V:

"Now thrive the armourers . . . . "

[These are the ones who truly profit from war.]

Bertrand Russell:

"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."

We can only pray for peace to fall on that torn region, for the suffering, grief and pain to end and for the destruction, devastation and pollution to cease.

You may remember my little piece about our cats, secretly rehearsing their 'Formation Sleeping' routine for the 2012 London Olympics.

http://chris-day.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2008/12/12/4018031.html

Christmas Greetings to all visitors and readers. I hope you have an enjoyable and healthy festive season and I wish you health, and fulfilment for 2009 and, most of all, happy and healthy animals!

Towards the end of this year, we have run into bandwidth problems, meaning that the blog has 'gone down' for the last few days of each month, owing to a high visitor rate. While I apologise to any who encountered a blank page at any time, I am heartened that we have significant visitor traffic. I have now upgraded the bandwidth to cope with the increased demand and I hope you will not 'draw a blank' again.

Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Choke-a-Duck & Choke-a-Turkey





Our local garden centre has a Christmas toy department, in which these two products held pride of place, when I visited today. In my opinion, they are, at best, tasteless and are likely to encourage disrespect for animals, which is part of the desensitising process that can lead to real-life animal abuse . . .

Even the language used on the packaging is graphic, violent and abusive.



"Grab and lift him by the neck while dancing - he will scream and cluck like mad, flapping his wings as he is gagging and choking!"

Of course, when a bird's neck is wrung, as will be the fate of a massive number of birds this Christmas, killed for those who eat meat, it will kick and scream and flap.

We have asked for these 'toys' to be taken off display. We shall see.

However, they are available worldwide, imported to the UK by:

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20061022/vent-your-frustrations-on-the-choke-a-duck/

Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Now, nearly nine years on, we have the answer to the wobbling of the Millennium Bridge!

We've had the wrong sort of leaves and the wrong kind of snow. Now we have the wrong sort of pedestrians, doing the wrong kind of walk!

" . . . . . But it was shut for safety reasons after only three days because of the persistent 'wobble'.

Engineers originally blamed the effect of hundreds of people stepping on to the bridge in unison for the problem.

But new research has shown that it was the combination of a large number of people and the random way in which they walked which kept the bridge moving with such large wobbles.

Dr John MacDonald, from Bristol University, who led the research, said that they had proved that the problem was caused by "the presence of lateral bridge motion without changing the pedestrian walking frequency and applying the same foot placement strategy to maintain balance".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/3793981/Way-pedestrians-walk-caused-Millennium-Bridge-wobble.html

http://www.newstin.co.uk/rel/uk/en-010-008896073

Understand all that gobbledegook (thank heavens for academics) if you will but forgive me for asking - isn't a footbridge supposed to be walked on? What a good job we've now performed all that expensive research.

Is it me? Surely the bridge had to wobble in order to make people try to keep their balance in the first place?

The bridge (the first new crossing in Central London for more than a century) re-opened after the further expenditure of about £5,000,000. You'll see now why, when I wanted a footbridge in my garden, to span our new pond feature, I didn't consult this particular firm of bridge designers! What a good job that we once knew how to build bridges, over 100 years ago.

You may be comforted to learn that we managed with a few wooden rails and a few coach screws and nails.

Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Our sleepy cats - do not disturb!

Could 'Formation Sleeping' be the next new Olympic Games Sport for London in 2012?

Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

The RSPCA has managed a 'sort of apology', to the Hindu community, over the killing of Gangotri (a Jersey x Belgian Blue cow) at Bhaktivedanta Manor and Temple. They are clearly trying to evade legal action, that has been in process, since that drastic event.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7779331.stm

I wonder if this will now be an end to the matter.

It would probably be foolish to expect such an organisation to apologise fully and unreservedly.

This story appeared in March 2008:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hindu-monks-sue-rspca-over-slaughter-of-sacred-cow-gangotri-802332.html

It is alleged that the cow was under proper veterinary care and that she was recovering. The vets working with the RSPCA killed the cow without having discussed the case with the attending vets.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Young elephant at Whipsnade, displaying stereotypic behaviour

We suddenly, today, have media coverage of an issue that is of central importance to the welfare of zoo animals (NOT just elephants!).

Caged Tiger at Whipsnade - well you can't have them running around, can you?

Of course, wild conditions cannot be replicated in zoos and animals will know (and feel/suffer) the difference, especially those species that range over vast areas.

http://environment.uk.msn.com/news/headlines/article.aspx?cp-documentid=11794317

http://news.scotsman.com/world/Captivity-shown-to-shorten-elephants39.4787378.jp

This is not new! It has been aired for years.

e.g.: http://www.alternativevet.org/zoo.htm

http://www.captiveanimals.org/elephants/index.htm

http://www.fightback4elephants.com/

Nonetheless, while wild places exist for animals to live and breed successfully, it's never too late to try to do something about it. Think very carefully how you stand on this issue, before funding zoos with your hard-earned cash.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

So, the BBC will not be televising Crufts next year. This is a result of the failure of the BBC and the Kennel Club to agree on certain issues. Oh well.

As I said in an earlier blog on this 'crisis', gunboat diplomacy is not the way forward.

Why the BBC became suddenly so vehement, when the issues raised have been there for all to see, for so many years, I cannot imagine. Why did the BBC not complain about these issues before? Having not done so, why not adopt a more progressive method of policy influence, that would bring better results? Rome was not built in a day.

As Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970) said, so pithily - 'War does not determine who is right, only who is left'.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Now it has been announced that cattle in Northern Ireland (and possibly in Ireland, too) have been fed feed from the contaminated mix. We are assured all is well for beef supplies. Dairy products are not mentioned, so I hope that milk and milk products (butter, cheese, milk, processed foods) are not contaminated. When nothing is said, however, it leaves the imagination to run riot.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/3688435/Contaminated-pork-feed-given-to-cattle-in-Northern-Ireland.html

If the mix really was of bakery waste and confectionery waste, might it mean that cattle (strictly herbivores) have been fed animal fats and possibly gelatine, from the recycled human food waste? Yuk! I thought that practice was finished, with the BSE disaster.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

It's cold but the healthy frosts and sunny days are very welcome. Recent winters have seen too few such days.

First light and the cold air greets

Pink sun at horizon peeps

On glass, the fern-like fronds do glint

The icy fingers of Winter.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Gelatin comes from horses, cattle and pigs, by rendering of skin, connective tissue and bone. It is used in the food industry (~70,000 tonnes per annum in Europe), as an emulsifier, texturiser and gelling agent and in the pharmaceutical industry (~20,000 tonnes per annum in Europe). It is also used in cosmetics and for micro-encapsulation of synthetic vitamins. You may also be surprised to discover that it is in MMR and Influenza vaccines. It is a component of some plasma expanders, given to patients to raise blood volume in medical treatment.

What this means to the consumer is that 'ordinary' foods, such as bakery products, low-fat spreads, desserts, jams, conserves, confectionery (e.g. sweets and bars) etc. may well contain gelatin, with obvious implications for vegetarians and vegans, religious communities and potentially for health. Sometimes, because of this subtle and occult manufacturing process, staff in a restaurant, for instance, won't even know whether it is in certain meals or menu items. Vaccination and some medical treatments can have similar implications.

The current Irish embarrassment, over the pig food contamination with dioxin/PCBs, may have health implications for consumers of manufactured foods, bakery products, confectionery, ice creams and artificial vitamins, along with recipients of vaccination, plasma expanders and some other medical treatments. With such high usage of gelatin, in various industries, the 'risk list' doesn't stop there. It is not necessary to eat pork, bacon, ham or sausages, to end up with products of pig carcases in your mouth.

Of course, when we learn that the Irish contamination happened in a plant processing bakery waste and confectionery waste for pig food, we realise that pigs are being fed pig gelatin, via this circuitous route. Gelatin probably also ends up in many proprietary animal feeds, in manufactured vitamin supplements, including horse, sheep, cattle and pig foods but it is nearly impossible to find out for certain. For strictly herbivorous species, such as horses, sheep and cattle, this is clearly very unwise and unattractive. For pigs also, cannibalism is not only unattractive, it is potentially unhealthy. After the BSE fiasco, one might have hoped that forced cannibalism in food animals would have ceased.

Manufacturing and labelling are still far from open transparency and clarity. As is so often the case in life, despite the so-called 'nanny state', buyer beware - caveat emptor!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

It's not new news (this issue has been recognised for a long time) but nonetheless needs trumpeting. If we wish to go on enjoying this planet of ours, it's really well past the time that we should take proper stock. Here's just one aspect of the damaging effects of our ridiculous, commercially-biased society:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/men-really-are-the-weaker-sex-say-scientists-14098107.html

"Wildlife and people have been exposed to more than 100,000 new chemicals in recent years, and the European Commission has admitted that 99 per cent of them are not adequately regulated. There is not even proper safety information on 85 per cent of them.

Many have been identified as 'endocrine disrupters' – or gender-benders – because they interfere with hormones. These include phthalates, used in food wrapping, cosmetics and baby powders among other applications; flame retardants in furniture and electrical goods; PCBs, a now banned group of substances still widespread in food and the environment; and many pesticides."

Research demonstrates beyond doubt that the male gender is under threat in many species.

"Research at the University of Florida earlier this year found that 40 per cent of the male cane toads – a species so indestructible that it has become a plague in Australia – had become hermaphrodites in a heavily farmed part of the state, with another 20 per cent undergoing lesser feminisation. A similar link between farming and sex changes in northern leopard frogs has been revealed by Canadian research, adding to suspicions that pesticides may be to blame."

http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=112476&keybold=

"Gywnne Lyons, a former Government advisor on chemical pollution and author of the report, said: "Urgent action is needed to control gender bending chemicals and more resources are needed for monitoring wildlife. If wildlife populations crash, it will be too late. Unless enough males contribute to the next generation there is a real threat to animal populations in the long term," she added.

The paper lists the affected species and include, flounder in UK estuaries, cod in the North Sea, cane toads in Florida, peregrine falcons in Spain, and turtles from the Great Lakes in North America.

Some male roaches have changed sex completely after exposure to oestrogen from the Contraceptive pill pouring out of sewage works."

We could either look at this as a great way for the world to be rid of us, the dreaded human species, or we could start changing the way we live, the way we buy, the way we eat and the way we vote.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

This is a theme on which I have written before. Industrial scale animal feed manufacture, factory farming methods and human food manufacture, processing and distribution will result in calamities on a massive scale. Trade and transport shift foodstuffs thousands of miles almost instantly.

It has happened again, this time to the Irish pig industry.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iRf7K2zyMnLi5pmvxeVB5a6Bz2QA

"European supermarkets have been ordered to clear their shelves of Irish bacon, ham and sausages.

It happened after authorities discovered that Irish pork products had been tainted with a potentially cancer-causing chemical."

"Ireland's Food Safety Authority said the dioxin made its way into the food chain after pig feed from a producer was tainted with industrial oil.

While only 10 per cent of the country's pig meat was affected, that was processed and mixed in with other meat, resulting in widespread contamination."

"Health officials across the continent are warning their consumers not to eat Irish pork after the discovery that dioxins had been in some of the pigs' feed for months."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1208/1228571630411.html

"The Food Safety Authority and the Department of Agriculture and Food during routine surveillance identified a pig with residue of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in excess of the permissible levels. The sample was taken on November 19th and the result was reported on November 28th. This triggered an investigation on the farm at which the pig had originated. Initially, it was thought something untoward must have occurred on this farm."

It would appear that testing methodology has allowed this to go unnoticed for more than two months and that action has taken more than a week, which means that many who consume pig products will already have taken on board some of the toxin. The 'recall' cannot recall what has already been eaten and readers may be surprised to know just how widely pig products are used in the food processing industry. Recalling bacon, ham and sausages may well be insufficient to prevent human contamination. Many manufactured food products may be tainted and may not be recalled.

"Irish pig meat and pig fat is exported to the EU and farther afield. One food processor in Belgium, which provides pig fat to the manufacturing industry, noticed an increase in PCBs in composite samples containing pig fat from several member states since September, and was trying to identify from which country the contaminated fat was coming."

With modern transport and industrial methods, the pigs' food chain can become rapidly and widely infiltrated by contamination and, likewise, so can ours. Furthermore, this case illustrates how slowly the problem can be identified and tracked. Local food, small scale and organic farming point the way to go. The supermarket culture is as dangerous as it is seductive.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Congratulations to Michael Clancy in Ireland and Hazel Cooper in England, on their successful VetMFHom examinations. It is no mean undertaking and is a very rigorous examination. I wish them well in their careers and their personal development.

This sitting ends a very busy year for the Faculty of Homeopathy's post-graduate veterinary homeopathy examination, which has been held in South Africa, Australia and the UK.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

So, the great commercial jamboree is going to take place again, in 2009 (March 2009). You bet! It brought in an additional 32,000 (and more) cats, dogs and rabbits onto the vaccination books. What's that worth? I don't buy vaccines now, so I don't know what money that will generate but, rest assured, it's a nice bundle. Hence you can expect massive national Waiting Room, TV, Newspaper and Internet coverage.

This year, horses will also be included.

Before taking the bait that's offered (a primary course for the price of a booster), be sure to inform yourself about both sides of the debate. The possible negative effect (side effects, adverse effects) of vaccination is information that is hard to find. The benefits will be trumpeted far and wide but the downside will most likely not be mentioned.

Knowledge and understanding enables you to make an informed decision. When you consent to vaccination for your animal, you sign up to both the good and the bad, the benefit and the harm.

While no observable ill-effect is the result of vaccination in many, for a significant number there may be problems. In extreme cases, an animal can die. In many cases, the shock to the immune system is not easily countered. A great many immune-related diseases start within three months of vaccination. In dogs, such diseases include allergy, colitis, atopy, epilepsy and auto-immune disease. In horses, such diseases as COPD, long-term malaise, skin disease etc. may arise soon after vaccination. Vaccines may contain mercury, phenol, formaldehyde and other poisonous substances, for which there is no safe dose. Vaccines may be manufactured using cancer DNA. Vaccines may contain animal tissues, carrying a possible threat of auto-immunity. There is no science to support annual boosting. These facts are not widely publicised.

There is an alternative, which is, as yet, unproven. Since no massive profits will result from research, funding for research is not forthcoming. I have offered DEFRA, at my expense, research into its efficacy in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Blue Tongue and Avian Influenza. I have been turned down.

That alternative is the 'nosode' method (homeoprophylaxis) which is used for countless pets around the UK, without any obvious penalty. My own animals (cats, dogs and horses) are only given this method, never having received vaccination. Their lifestyles make them high-risk animals and we have even had cases of parvovirus, distemper, FeLV, Cat flu, FIP, FIV etc. on the premises, without any problem for my dogs or cats. Our horses were totally unaffected by a 'virus' that swept through a yard where they were staying, one winter. All the other horses were badly affected.

It is not my job to tell anyone whether or not they should vaccinate their animals. My job as a vet is to raise awareness and to help folk to inform themselves of all sides of the issue, so that they can base decisions on proper consideration.

http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/

http://www.vaccinationmonth.co.uk/

http://www.vaccinationdebate.com/

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/vaccination.html

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/324/7334/393

http://www.alternativevet.org/vaccination.htm

Why not visit www.alternativevet.org, while you're here?

Do I have this right, now?

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/11/24/afx5735139.html

The current financial mess is the result of us over-spending and over-borrowing.

The solution is: spend more and borrow more.

Sorted!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

We are now told that more babies are being born with Downs syndrome, than was the case before pre-natal screening was available. We have to commend parents on their care and devotion, wish affected families all the very best and offer all the support we can.

The reason for the increase, articles seem to suggest, is that prejudices in society are reducing and willingness, on parents' part, to raise affected children, is increasing.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2470210.0.Rise_in_number_of_babies_born_with_Downs_says_research.php

http://itn.co.uk/news/2afa1423accb4cf447f9979d19ff5c9b.html

http://living.aol.co.uk/health/more-downs-syndrome-babies-born/article/2008112322434668104081

I don't know what I'm missing here (human medicine is not my field, although of course, as a human, I have a deep interest in it) but I would have thought that parental willingness could hardly be a factor if, before pre-natal screening, parents didn't know ahead of the birth that the baby would be affected.

My anxiety is that there may be factors in society and our environment that could be giving rise to this increase and which may not be being researched or investigated. Of course, the trend towards older mums may be a factor but it is folly not to look into the possibility of routine factors, such as diet, agrochemicals, vaccination, drugs, alcohol, smoking etc. (the latter two are unlikely, as they were very prevalent in the years before pre-natal screeningwas avaiable). This is a hereditary problem and we should always be on the lookout for factors that could affect the health and welfare of future generations, especially if negative factors could be avoidable. The reward for vigilance could be that fewer have to suffer the effects of hereditary problems.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Everyone must have noticed the decline in the House Sparrow, over the last decade or two. They used to be considered a pest, by some, in view of their numbers and their habit of eating off cabbage plants etc. Our stone roof used to be full of them. We had no chance of a sleep-in, in the Summer mornings, with all their chattering and squabbling. Now we're down to a few pairs only (the numbers fluctuate each year). One year, we think we had none, but they thankfully came back.

Modern gardening habits have been blamed, along with the march of Leylandii hedges, paving, tarmac, concrete and decking.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/20/wildlife-endangeredspecies

Of course, these modern trends are no help to the environment and ecology. I'm no lover of decking and Leylandii. However, we personally have control of twelve acres (five or so hectares), we garden extremely lazily and we have at least 1.5 acres of conservation area, that pretty much runs wild. We leave some fallen trees, to act as habitat. We have thistles and nettles. We have burdock, teasels (the goldfinches love these), vetches, rattles, comfrey, dog rose, hawthorn, ivy galore, pyracantha and a good variety of native trees and berries. We have a massive biodiversity of plants and herbage. We have a rambling herb garden and last year's growth is left until Spring. We feed the birds consistently, with organic wild bird seed. We leave all dying garden growth until the Spring, rather than tidying up in the Autumn. We have ample water access for wild birds. We use no chemicals (and have no decking!). Nonetheless, we do not appear to have a haven for sparrows, as one might be entitled to expect.

Has anyone else noticed that car windscreens rarely need a good clean in the summer, nowadays? It used to be that, day or night, the windscreen would be a right mess after just 50 miles on the road. A car journey was a noisy affair at night, with clouds of moths meeting their end. Now, I don't have to clean my windscreen daily, despite my huge mileage. This means to me that there is a general, drastic and widespread decline in insects, not just a paucity of insect habitat in gardens. My suggestion is that maybe the widespread and prodigious use of agrochemicals (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides) could be to blame. I can't believe that GM (genetically modified) foods are completely blameless, either. Might those factors not also contribute to the modern decline of the bee (without whom we'd be really sunk)? Our grassland used to be full of Daddy Longlegs (Leatherjackets) in the Autumn. Not any more. We see a few each year. Our premises was patrolled by several bats and they used to come into the house. Now we rarely see one. The Vale of White Horse used to have flocks and flocks of Lapwings (or Peewits) that feed on leatherjackets in the winter. They would rise off the grassland in darkening clouds and made a wonderful sight, with their unique flight behaviour. Now we're lucky to see two or three about. Their fading is one of the biggest disappointments of my life. Insectivorous creatures appear to be fading everywhere, in arable regions.

I don't eat sparrows, bats or peewits (in fact, I'm vegetarian anyway) but all these chemicals in our food chain cannot be good for any of us, whatever the authorities and companies tell us. It's not just the sparrows. Their food chain is our food chain. Thank heaven for the increase in organically farmed acreage but the march is too slow. The more that folk buy 'cheap' chemically-produced food, the more chemicals will be used. This food isn't cheap anyway, at the end of the day, when the costs of illness, cleaning up drinking water etc., are taken into account.

Are the authorities and scientists afraid to tell us the truth? Maybe the RSPB should take a wider view. The poor old sparrows (and the lapwings, leatherjackets and bees) may be a warning to us, just as we used to take canaries down mines, to monitor for toxic gases. Remember that book - 'Silent Spring' by Rachel Carson? We have the chance to make changes, via our spending habits. Money (sadly) is king.

Georgina Downs's victory in the High Court, earlier this month, is one step on the road to common sense. Let's hope it will lead to a continuing journey.

http://www.warmwell.com/georginadowns.html

There is another thought. These little chaps are not called 'house sparrows' for nothing. Their favourite nesting place in our premises is in the old stone roof. Could it also be that modern roofing methods are not 'sparrow-friendly'? Of course, all those cars on our roads may have a part to play, too, but the reservoir of insects, in a healthy environment, should out number the death toll on the road.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

This nice little story from Northumberland brightens a week or so of gloom and doom on our news. The intrepid otter has stunned conservationists by swimming to the Farne islands, where tracks have been seen by National Trust wardens.

http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/Plucky-otter-survives-North-Sea.4716786.jp

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7741008.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5201250.ece

Whether the otter intended to make this pretty incredible journey is unclear - maybe it was swept by currents and winds in the recent gales. Either way, what an amazing feat of survival, endurance and prowess, swimming for at least three miles from the nearest coastline, in stormy waters and winter temperatures.

Map, to help appreciation of this phenomenon:

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?lat=51.61548&lon=-1.23031&zoomFactor=18#map=55.63333,-1.61667|13|4&dp=904&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:55.63333:-1.61667:17|farne%20islands|Farne%20Islands

Brownsman is one of the larger islands in the middle of the archipelago,

By the way, my grandfather always used to call the kettle a water 'otter!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Ah, researchers, how would we manage without them?

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/babies-in-buggies--facing-away-from-parents-are-stressed-1546713.html

Research carried out by Dundee University has now discovered that babies pushed in buggies that have them facing the parent laugh more, talk more, interact more, sleep more easily and suffer less stress than those in buggies that have them facing forwards, away from the parent. Glory be.

Perhaps their next research project should be to find out whether a dummy shoved in a baby's mouth might hinder communication! That ought to be worth a hefty research grant.

Babies are not a sub-species, they are our next generation and surely they should be treated with respect and good manners, just as should any other member of our community?

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Perhaps we're later ordering Christmas Cards than most but, if you haven't already ordered, perhaps you'd like to consider which charities perform experiments on animals.

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/experiments/ALL/281/

Of course we wish to support charity but, in my opinion, animal experimentation (vivisection/laboratory animal experimentation) is not only inhumane, it is also non-productive of medical benefit. In fact, I believe it holds back potential medical advances.

http://www.alternativevet.org/animal_experiments.htm

Thankfully, there are plenty of other charities that do not experiment on animals. They get our support.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Congratulations to the seven South African vets who passed the Faculty of Homeopathy's post-graduate examination (VetMFHom) earlier this month. They are:

Marianna de Vos

Sheila Clow

Margaret Hiza

Norman Pearson

Lara Schmidt

Louise Biggs

Ingrid Spitze

They will be welcomed into the Faculty as new 'Veterinary Members'.This is a 'first' for the African continent and is hopefully only the start of great hings to come. Well done those who worked so long and hard to achieve this landmark in their careers and I wish them a career of ongoing personal development and job satisfaction. My thanks also to those who helped with the task of examining, out in South Africa. This was another triumph of video link, as I did not have to leave my desk for the whole two days of the process!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Georgina Downs has, by her persistence, tenacity and courage, achieved a land mark victory for the rights of citizens to be informed what sprays (agrochemicals - herbicides, fungicides and pesticides) are about to be used around their home.

Yesterday, a High Court judge ruled that Georgina Downs, who lives in a rural area outside Chichester, West Sussex, had produced "solid evidence" that residents had suffered harm from these chemicals. For too long has this very real and present danger in the countryside been ignored and belittled.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article5158346.ece

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085704/Pesticide-nun-wins-landmark-battle-dangerous-chemicals-spread-fields-near-homes.html

http://www.warmwell.com/georginadowns.html

Mr Justice Collins said, in his ruling, that ". . . . 'defects' in Defra's approach to pesticide safety 'contravene the requirement' of a 1991 EC Directive that harmonises the regulation of 'plant protection products' and that Mr Benn 'must think again and consider what needs to be done' . . . .".

It is clear that the government has not taken its responsibilities to the common man seriously enough and has failed to comply with its obligations under a European Directive to protect rural residents and communities from possible harmful exposure to toxic substances during crop spraying. It is probably too much to expect the traditional resignations of those shown not to have acted correctly in office.

Information on pesticides has always been difficult to obtain, with companies even trying to keep safety data secret! - see this page from 2002:

http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/news/2002_may_may_15.html

This is not a game of who can beat the system but a serious matter of health and safety, not in work but in our homes, gardens and while going about our daily lives. Of course, we have also seen many dogs harmed by the cavalier approach to the use of agro-chemicals, while they have been out on walks in the countryside or in public parks and it is high time this whole area came under the microscope. Commercial interest cannot be allowed to take precedence over reason and safety although, all too often, that would appear to be what happens in our modern society.

Of course, those who farm organically and those who buy organic food are, as the Soil Association slogan goes, 'part of the soluion not part of the problem'. Chemical food is 'cheap food', at what cost?

Congratulations to Georgina Downs! Spare me from the so-called 'celebrities' - here's a real star.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

The Nanny State of Europe has finally threatened to withdraw its archetypal Euro-Madness laws, preventing the sale of mis-shapen fruit and vegetables. This SHOULD be good news for consumers and producers alike, but will the 20% of produce, hitherto rejected under these laws and wasted, see its way onto the shelves. I certainly hope so but, knowing supermarkets, I am not sure. How can we waste good food, on account of its shape, while people worldwide are starving?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7723808.stm

http://www.speedsignal.com/news/eu-to-cut-out-wonky-fruit-rules/

The EU is also going to look into the safety of the so-called Nano Particles, those tiny particles that can penetrate skin with ease and which are incorporated into all sorts of products, including clothing and cosmetics.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/05/cosmetics-beauty-nanoparticles-royal-society

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/article3384114.ece

Good on 'em on both counts. I just hope they will come up with decent research methodology, for safety-evaluation of the Nano-Particles and not use poor animals again. Animals are an unreliable model for the human condition and, anyway, why should they suffer to aid the development of products that we only use for our vanity.

 [Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

At last, some independent research on chemotherapy, offering an unbiased appraisal, albeit on a small sector (late-stage) of cancer patients.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/12/health-cancer-chemotherapy-palliative-care

"Serious questions are today raised about chemotherapy for seriously ill cancer patients, some of whom die as a result of the drugs they are taking.

An inquiry into more than 600 deaths within 30 days of chemotherapy has found the treatment probably either caused or hastened death in 27% of cases. . . . .

. . . . The inquiry was carried out by the independent NCEPOD (National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death), whose members come mainly from the medical royal colleges.

Its findings raise difficult issues about what doctors think they are doing and what patients and their families want. Some of those who died were receiving chemotherapy to try to combat the cancer, but more were given it as palliative care ... to reduce the symptoms and give them a better quality of life as it drew to an end.

Patients usually suffer side-effects from chemotherapy, said the report's co-author Mark Lansdown, a surgical oncologist. But most patients in the study were receiving palliative treatment in which the aim was to alleviate symptoms of cancer with minimum side-effects. Yet 43% of all patients in the study suffered significant treatment-related toxicity."

It must be bad enough to have contracted a deadly disease, without having to fear the treatment. Medical research must be based more on reality, like this work, rather than on the hypothetical and irrelevant products of animal experimentation. Iatrogenic disease will continue, while research is commercially-oriented and animal-based.

 [Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

The long-foretold Animal Research Laboratory opens in Oxford.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/11/animal-research-oxford-university

Why does 'science' persist in using animals for medical experiments (called research) into human diseases that have no animal parallel? Promised advances have not been forthcoming. How can they result from such a misguided process? Animal experimentation is holding back medical advances and introduces Russian Roulette into medicine [have we already forgotten the dramatic example of the six healthy volunteers who took TGN1412 for the first human trial in London, on 13 March 2006, who suffered serious toxic reactions with collapse and loss of consciousness with multiple organ failure (MOF) and were admitted to intensive care?]. The genome of a chimpanzee, according to some, is 98% similar to that of man, yet the disease of AIDS cannot be induced in chimpanzees.

According to yesterday's news reports, the hundreds of monkeys (even less like humans) that will be housed in this facility represent only 2% of the animals held there. Genetically-modified mice were the first to be moved in, yesterday.

Despite countless tragic tales of serious human damage and deaths, using the products of animal experimentation, the gravy train rolls on. Careers, kudos and money are put before animal welfare.

How will a future enlightened generation look back on this sad and wasteful practice and those who perpetrate such activity?

What has our society come to, that we very nearly saw legal action to force a thirteen year-old girl to have a heart transplant against her wishes? I shall not reiterate the sad circumstances of this case here, as plenty has already been written elsewhere.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24637947-2703,00.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/girl-13-wins-right-to-refuse-heart-transplant-1009569.html

http://calvininjax.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/girl-13-refuses-heart-transplant-and-hospital-backs-down-from-legal-action/ (you can leave comment here)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27665174/ (examines the issues more deeply)

I shall pause, however, to consider what would have been done to the likes of you and me, quite rightly, had we sought to force a 13 year-old into a traumatic experience against her wishes. There are, thankfully, child abuse (protection) laws.

Words fail me.

Why was a clumsy bureaucratic tool unleashed and almost unstoppable legal machinery launched before proper consideration had been given? I can see the point that medical personnel would be very concerned to act in a child's best interests. I cannot see how threatening the horrors of legal action against a loving family, that has been through so much trauma already, can be anything other than crass and ugly. Why the threat before the opinion of a social worker had been sought?

Would you put your dog through such an ordeal and risk, for what appeared (from the minimum information that has been published) to be the chance of a very short prolongation of life?  There was also the chance of dying alone in hospital. One assumes that Hannah would, anyway, had the proposed course of action been pursued, have to have been forced into sedation before being abducted from home.

Dignity and welfare were very much at risk. Congratulations to Andrew and Kirsty Jones and Hannah, for bringing this to public attention and, hopefully, for making other PCTs more careful in future (this incident is even more poignant, when it is considered that Mrs Jones is apparently an intensive care nurse).

My heart goes out to the family and I hope that the Disney World trip, to Orlando, Florida, becomes a treasured reality.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Congratulations to Henry Stephenson, Carl von Schreiber and David Hare, three stalwart vets in Australia who have attained their VetMFHom qualification. They have worked long and hard and did well during the last hurdle. This is now the beginning of a long journey of personal development and I wish them all well.

Last night, all night long, we held the clinical and oral parts of the Faculty of Homeopathy's veterinary homeopathic postgraduate examinations (VetMFHom) in Australia. Why all night? Well, I partook in and oversaw the examination process, by video link, from my desktop in the UK, while it was actually Monday in Australia. If today I look as if I've been up all night, it's OK, I really have.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

This weekend (Sunday night in the UK - Monday morning in Australia) sees the clinical and oral examinations for the Faculty of Homeopathy's VetMFHom post-graduate veterinary qualification. Candidates have worked long and hard, studying homeopathy for this exam and I wish them well on the day.

It will involve me in a night out of bed, on the video link, but it will be worth it to expand the influence and availability of veterinary homeopathy in the continent of Australia.

The best of good fortune to one and all.

Credit must go to Douglas Wilson and Megan Kearney, for organising it and for providing Facilities.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Belated congratulations to Lewis Hamilton, on his great achievement and on his realisation of a childhood ambition, last weekend in Brazil. No one can take away from him what he has done. Being World Champion in Formula 1 is a fantastic and tangible reward. I hope he is given the wisdom to handle the pots of money that will descend on him. He has a great family around him, which is a wonderful and stable platform for a young man like him.

As for the alleged 'racist' incidents, both at Barcelona, Spain last year and at Interlagos, Sao Paulo this year, those involved should be utterly ashamed of themselves and Formula 1 should be grown up enough to exercise the ultimate sanction, should any such incident happen again. It should not be ignored. The Grand Prix in the country should be cancelled for one year.

If that were the accepted consequence, the fans themselves would police it. Football (soccer) in Britain has grasped the bull by the horns on the issue. F1 cannot hide from it, however that man Bernie Ecclestone wants to dress it up.

Lewis Hamilton rightly deserves our respect and admiration.

(I usually keep off non-animal politics but this issue really gets my goat!)

Congratulations to the American Nation (U.S. Nation) and to Mr Obama. I hope that Mr Obama's singular victory will bring a time of healing for the USA and for the world.

The vote was a decisive and emphatic one, removing any chance of the slurs that have besmirched recent elections in that great country. We hope that everyone can now move forward, whatever their political persuasion, and create a new future.

Hopefully, we can anticipate a time when the United States President and Nation can look progress and change in the eye and grasp it bravely. Change is inevitable. Let us hope that Mr Obama and the people can embrace it and steer it in a positive and inclusive direction, with minimum pain for everyone. It is, inevitably, a huge responsibility.

Certainly, this election has at least shown that the people as a whole are not afraid of change, at many levels. How US citizens view themselves and the world will have changed at a stroke and a new energy will be running. How the world views the USA will also have changed and I am sure that the influence that this country, the most powerful nation on Earth, wields will start to take the lead on the many serious challenges that face us all.

So, Japanese scientists have taken the first steps towards reviving prehistoric beasties, like the woolly mammoth. They have cloned mice from specimens frozen for 16 years. 'Jurassic Park' may not have been such a wild proposition.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081103-frozen-cloning.html?source=rss

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7707498.stm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/15/tech/main563450.shtml

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/jul/16/sciencenews.science

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-attempt-to-clone-woolly-mammoth-586967.html

Silly me - I thought that had already been done, with all these 'flat-earth' folk running around, refusing to see the evidence under their noses, that homeopathy has validity and can offer patients (human and animal) a chance where no other chance exists. Why let someone die in a hospital bed, saying nothing else can be done when nothing else has been tried? Why deny an animal the chance of an active and enjoyable life, for want of trying something else than conventional drug medicine?

Another pet hate of mine is the disdain shown for the wisdom of our ancestors. So-called 'science' talks condescendingly of 'old wives' tales', dismissing them as unproven codswallop. Every so often, a modern scientific explanation is found for yet another 'old wives' tale'. Why can't these anti-deluvian (antideluvian) creatures see that there may be more than a grain of truth in many others, and pay them some interest, instead of dismissing them out of hand. That is NOT science.

Of course, the pharmaceutical industry quietly does respect ancient wisdom and is forever researching traditional cures, to see what money-making manufactured analogue can be created. It just doesn't come out and say so, leaving the foot soldiers (doctors, vets and others) happily deriding anything not yet 'scientifically' proven.

Apart from this sad and wistful observation, we have to wonder about the wisdom (and ethics) of reviving that which has become extinct. What shall we do with such creatures, if we 're-create' them? No doubt man's fascination for doing the 'impossible' will override common sense, in this, as in so many fields.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Did I hear that bottled water especially for dogs is now on sale at some supermarkets, pet hypermarkets and veterinary shops (sorry - 'waiting rooms')?

Commercialism knows no bounds. If this makes money, it is only a comment on those that buy. What's wrong with filtered tap water or, failing that, glass-bottled spring water? (I cannot recommend plastic as a container for food or water.)

To buy water especially bottled for dogs, at an inflated price, is playing right into the hands of unbridled commercialism. I believe such stuff even comes in different flavours (sorry - 'flavors') in the USA! I hate to think what the ingredients list of that stuff would be.

I don't agree with those who say that tap water's just as good (unfiltered) as glass-bottled spring water. I suspect that argument may be based on bacteriology, not drinkability, chemical purity or flavour. I suppose no self-respecting bacteria would go near the stuff. I can't drink our tap water, unless it's filtered (a dangerous generalisation, I know - I can't vouch for other areas of the UK). I therefore only give our dogs and cats filtered water.

Of course, properly filtering tap water not only makes it drinkable, it also gets around the very valid 'food miles' argument against bottled water.

I await the 'bottled water for cats' version! Purrfect! We can't have our cats drinking dog's water, now, can we?

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Just back from a concert in the Brighton Dome, featuring Level 42 (jazz-funk), with The Mercury men as a 'new' and 'up and coming' trio, with vocals and acoustic guitars.

To tell the truth, we had only gone to see (and support) The Mercury Men, as we have a friendship connection, but Level 42 had passed me by, back in the 80s. Two such dissimilar acts would be hard to find!

I came away very impressed indeed with The Mercury Men, who put on a great show. I know they will do well and I wish them all the best. Their music was fresh, lively and very listenable. They also 'worked' the audience brilliantly, who were mostly, let's face it, there to hear Level 42 (music that is a universe apart).

I was surprised to have come away also with a great admiration for the sheer noise, confidence and musicianship of the Level 42 line-up. Mark King's guitar is some machine. Perhaps he shouldn't be so 'understated'!

Off to buy another set of ear protectors . . . . .

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Blogging has been quiet, lately, as I have had a great deal of work to do in marking examination papers and preparing for the clinical and oral sections for the South African, UK and Australian sessions of the Veterinary Membership Examination (VetMFHom), a post-graduate veterinary homeopathic qualification.

This examination is an arduous test of a candidate's ability, knowledge and understanding and those who pass can be justifiably proud of their achievement. They can then embark on a clinical career enriched by a line of development that brings ever-expanding understanding of the animal world.

I would like to wish all candidates the very best of good fortune in their coming challenges and I look forward to seeing more vets with the qualification, in those countries.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

Congratulations to those who organised the British Homeopathic Congress (biennial Faculty of Homeopathy Congress), at the Barcelo Majestic Hotel, Harrogate (Yorkshire) last weekend. Warm wishes to those whom I met there and to those with whom there was insufficient time to chat. Three days just fly by. The venue was very welcoming, too, which makes a huge difference to such an event.

Congratulations, too, to the wide array of illustrious and stimulating speakers.

It was a warm, congenial, vibrant affair, showing that homeopathy is still very much alive and evolving, despite what some might like to think.

It was great to see such a meeting of minds and hearts, from an eclectic mix of professions (medics (physicians), vets, podiatrists, dentists, non-medical homeopaths etc.), from all over the world.

Veterinary homeopathy marches on - we are currently in the throes of the VetMFHom examinations, in Australia, South Africa and the UK. I wish all the candidates good luck in their endeavours. We are looking forward to other countries taking part, where folk are nearing that point of their training. Japan and Italy are among these.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

I just love a mystery. I also love the notion that, in our modern, vain world, we hardly scratch the surface of knowledge and understanding, despite our pride in our 'scientific achievements'.

Files are being published by the MoD today, showing reports of Unidentified Flying Objects. Some may have rational explanations.

Among them, one particlar 'incident' is quite unsolved, however, and sounds very 'real'. An Alitalia passenger jet pilot, on a flight to Heathrow, reported a brown, missile-like object nearby. Great stuff. There's one in the eye for the sceptics.

As there's so much going on around Kent, one might fancifully wonder whether it mightn't have been an arrow that got Harold at Hastings, after all . . . . .

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/passenger-jets-nearmiss-with-ufo-above-kent-966925.html

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/MoD-files-record-nearmiss-between.4607607.jp

http://ufopressrelease.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

In honour of National Poetry Day, whose theme this year is ‘work’:

For work to give eternal challenge

Improvement of oneself each day

Helping mind and body balance

With fun and love along the way

To work with Nature – watch its ways

To see the body’s healing pow’r

To be in Nature – every day

To learn anew with each fleet hour

One day to raise the spirits high

The next may have its moments sad

To share all this with creatures – Why!

I surely have the best life had.

Christopher Day 9^th October 2008

Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure and privilege to work with fine animals and lovely, intelligent clients. Firstly homeopathy, then a much wider palette of alternative (holistic) medicine methods and techniques*, have brought challenge, fulfilment and love. The healing power and capability of animals, thank goodness, has never ceased to amaze me. Animals don't complain, they appear grateful for what we try to do to help them and they set an example to us, on how to live life to the full, each moment. It is edifying, to share their space and time.

[*Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Herbs (Herbal Medicine), Nutrition, Chiropractic Manipulation, LASER, and Aromatherapy, to cite a few]

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org while you're here?]

While I was away, the BBC showed a documentary entitled "Pedigree Dogs Exposed". This was bound to provoke a head-on clash with the Kennel Club, the organisers of Crufts. Confrontational diplomacy is not the best way to make friends but 'reductio ad absurdum' is a time-honoured way of bringing out a point clearly and starkly. I didn't see the programme but I cannot avoid seeing the backlash.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/16/animalwelfare

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/rspca-pulls-out-of-crufts-over-dog-welfare-931539.html

The RSPCA, who hire a stand at the annual dog show, have now chimed in to chastise dog breeders. I do not wish to defend (or appear to defend) bad breeding practices but where has the RSPCA been until now, on this issue? Why does it only chime in when it sees the BBC flying a flag for animals? How many in the ranks of the RSPCA hierarchy have bought pedigree dogs with defects, thereby actually funding the criticised practice? Knee-jerk responses, holier-than-thou stances and worthy rhetoric will not do the job.

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=NewsFeature&articleId=1220375309588

This is not a new problem and the massive resources of the RSPCA could have made a huge difference, over the years, for the sake of animal welfare.

There are some important points that maybe should be made, just now, in the wake of this simmering row.

Firstly, there are some lessons that the Kennel Club will no doubt take to heart. However, change cannot happen overnight.

Secondly, there is a difference between a bad breed trait (that may lead to animal welfare problems) and an accidentally bred-in breed susceptibility (which requires a trigger for expression). The article linked above cites "boxer dogs suffering from epilepsy". I would argue that they are probably not born with the disease but are prone to it if the necessary trigger is provided, which may be unsuitable diet or possible immune disturbances, such as may be created by routine vaccination. Possible ill-effects of vaccination are very poorly researched and monitored.

Thirdly, as with all arguments, there are grey areas and complexities that need unravelling. There is a positive note. Those who have dogs with a problem, who have been told that it is an inherited disease (or a genetic disorder), may be heartened to know that some of these will respond to homeopathy. Clearly, an inherited deformity will not respond (although secondary effects might) but a disease arising from a breed tendency, that has been triggered by some external factor, may well be reversible. Many so-called inherited immune and auto-immune disorders (e.g. lupus/SLE) of German Shepherds, epilepsy in many breeds and skin problems of West Highland Terriers (to name but a few) can often resolve. Even the distressing symptoms of hip dysplasia and syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have been seen to be ameliorated, under holistic care.

Gregor Mendel made a start on learning about inheritance, in the 19th Century. Much more yet remains to be learned. If hip dysplasia, for instance, were a simple inherited disease, the Kennel Club/BVA scheme for identifying it and eradicating it from breeding dogs would have succeeded long ago, rather than still be running 24 years on, without clear victory. I would maintain that clinical expression of the disease depends upon both genetic and environmental / managemental / nutritional factors (i.e. both pre-natal [congenital] and post-natal factors).

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/313

Hopefully, those in charge of breeding and welfare of dogs will take a grip on this issue and work together, for the benefit of future generations. Gunboat diplomacy has its place in history but may not provide the best long-term solutions. The Kennel Club and the BVA (British Veterinary Association) have a long history of cooperation on disease identification schemes. Education, not just of the dog-breeding community but also in schools and among the pet-buying public is also vital, to ensure real and lasting improvement. It is in the latter area that I see the RSPCA role, with their huge monetary resources.

The Scaly Cricket (Pseudomogoplistes vicentae), one of our rarest insects, has been rediscovered at Branscombe Beach in Devon. It had disappeared as a result of the Napoli grounding fiasco, in January 2007 and the only other UK sites where it is known are Chesil Beach (Dorset) and Marloe Sands (Pembrokeshire).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7649776.stm

http://environment.uk.msn.com/green-living/article.aspx?cp-documentid=9892831

The good old Cornish Pasty (that traditional lunch box inclusion for Cornish miners) appears to have been the bait that won the day - all other attempts had failed. The UK Scaly Cricket was first discovered in Devon and there are ugly rumours that the Cornish Pasty may have originated in Devon.

The Napoli affair was an environmental disaster that should not have been allowed to happen on the Jurassic Coast, which appears to have had no contingency plan to deal with such a disaster. The resultant invasion by looters was a revolting comment on human nature and British character but how was the intentional grounding allowed to happen on a World Heritage Site without proper protection from the environmental threat and from the dregs of society that descended on the area? I'll never understand why there were no prosecutions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6287457.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6687659.stm

Once the authorities had finally managed to secure the area, my wife and daughter among many others were not allowed to go to the beach as volunteers, to help clear up the mess! Our bureaucracy swings from one extreme to another.

Anyway, it is a relief that the furtive Scaly Cricket appears not to have been a casualty after all.

While I was away (and without internet access!), this headline appeared last week, on BBC Radio 4's website, under 'File on 4':

"Concerns over 'overzealous' RSPCA As the RSPCA looks to recruit more inspectors to implement new animal welfare law, it has been accused of overzealously prosecuting pet owners."

The programme, which was broadcast on 23rd and 28th of September and about which there's a short summary posted on their website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/file_on_4/7632082.stm

was pretty hard-hitting. It covered a few of the many and increasing criticisms of this organisation - the largest animal welfare charity in the world. The spokesmen for the RSPCA skilfully and sometimes aggressively fended off the criticism and did not seem disposed to listen.

We (and animals) need an RSPCA. We need it to be compassionate and without vested interest. We need it not to be above criticism and to be properly answerable to an overseeing body, commensurate with the powers this massive organisation assumes and wields. We need welfare to be placed above prosecutions. We need a return to its roots, when prosecutions were not the priority. We can but hope that, one day, these needs will become reality. Until then, I'm not putting a penny the RSPCA's way.

Does anyone out there have any personal experiences of a clash of ideals or conflict of conscience, whether from a vegetarian/vegan point of view or an anti-vivisection (animal experiment) point of view, while undergoing veterinary training or veterinary nurse training? I have been asked for advice on this issue by a prospective veterinary student and would be very interested to learn of current experiences.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

The CERN LHC (Large Hadron Collider - is that something to do with Hagrid?) is quite beyond me - I'm out of my depth, of course. Nonetheless, it's fun to think and I won't be the only person to write something about this without any proper understanding!

It's quite clearly an amazing feat of design, engineering and construction. Good job they didn't have that chap on board, who designed the Millennium Bridge in London.

The scientists involved appear to be very excited at the prospect of learning some real stuff about the origins of the universe. However, if this simulates the real thing, that happened so long ago, who accelerated the particles to the speed of light, cooled the whole thing down to absolute zero and set protons on collision course for the original Big Bang?

Where did they come from, where did all this take place and what was it that went Bang anyway?

Where this becomes slightly and obliquely relevant to my field is the wonderment that it stokes again in my mind, how so-called and self-styled 'scientists' can say 'homeopathy can't work' when they (like me) understand nothing of such deep physics (and bioenergetics). Many moons ago, when the A.E.R.E. was in existence at Harwell, I had to talk to a group of nuclear physicists engaged in atomic research. They were quite happy that homeopathy might work! They really enjoyed the discussion. If real boffins like that have no theoretical problems with it, how do comparatively ignorant medical and veterinary types take it upon themselves to rubbish it?

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Loyal friend or potential nemesis?

There's a challenging article that was published in the Telegraph Supplement (called 'Seven') during August, entitled Mad Cows (and Livid Lambs). In it, Will Storr reports on the findings and theories of Dr Marc Bekoff (inter alia) about the massive recent increase in animal attacks on humans. The attacks described do appear to show a pattern of spiteful and targeted attacks by wild animals on mankind around the world, including badger, shark, stingray, elephant, big cat, bear, crocodile and others. There is the possibility that the animal world is turning on its arch-torturer and main threat (mankind).

It makes interesting and disturbing reading and it is difficult to dismiss out of hand some of the theories put forward. It's well worth a read and appraisal. However, some of the images are gruesome to say the least, so not for the faint-hearted. Happily, you don't need to find a back copy of the Telegraph, if you wish to read it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/10/sv_animals.xml&page=3

Apart from being totally absorbed while reading the piece, I must say that one thing stands out, in my opinion, and that's the comment of Professor Peter Carruthers (University of Sheffield), stating that animals don't consciously feel pain! What some academics will say for attention (or laughs). If he's right, that would spell the end of RSPCA prosecutions in one fell swoop.

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

Further to the 'Poor Imitations' blog of 3rd September:

Oh dear - vet Joe Inglis's 'campaign for real pet food' and better labelling of pet foods may be a little compromised by the fact that he has his own range of pet foods. Vested interest is not a good platform for an altruistic campaign. A high-profile campaign's a good way to raise the profile of your own brand, though.

As for the 'natural' tag on the food - what's natural about processed foods, 'complete foods' and the freeze-drying process? Doesn't the Trade Descriptions Act cover that sort of thing?

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]

While applauding any attempt to 'clean up' the pet food industry act, two recent moves can only be seen as window dressing.

Firstly, vet Joe Inglis's campaign to tighten up pet food labelling, while obviously a step in the right direction, could, if successful, give more respectability to misleading or 'economical' labelling. He has the profile. Why not go the whole hog and advocate fresh feeding? To make comparisons with Jamie Oliver's campaign for human food is not appropriate since, while saying natural food is best, he has not openly condemned processed food for pets. Additives and generic labelling are not the only evils. Much of modern processing destroys the food.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1050954/Pets-bad-diet-develop-behaviour-problems-says-vet-leading-Jamie-Oliver-style-crusade.html

Furthermore, the proposed trial on 'hearing dogs for the deaf' will be nothing short of animal experimentation, which should be beneath him.

Secondly, the new pet food range by 'Pedigree®' illustrates how the manufacturers are willing to hijack the 'natural' tag and fudge the issues with their advertising. The range is called 'Better by Nature™'. This range neatly pre-empts the above campaign (I assume and hope there's no link here but the timing is impeccable, even uncanny). It is still processed to hell and back and should never be confused with the real thing.

http://www.pedigreebetterbynature.com/betterbynature/Homepage/index.aspx

This campaign is bound to net millions, if not billions, for an already bloated industry. The industry is worth $45 billion in the U.S. alone (over $14 billion in Western Europe). Not bad for an industry that shouldn't exist at all. Don't be confused by campaign 'hype' and advertising gimmicks. Get down to the real issue. If processed (freeze-dried or canned) food is best for our dogs, we should be eating like that too! If fresh is best for us (preferably organic), then likewise, it's best for our dogs and cats.

Garish supermarket display

I shouldn't moan, I suppose. The petfood industry is possibly the main reason I'm in business, trying to clear up the health mess it leaves in its wake!

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]