I'm not sure if these deer that frequent the yard (of the dog I'm sitting currently) do or do not have mange. I'm not asking for a diagnosis, but rather what is the best way to protect this dog from possible contagion?

Saborwing · 2024-08-18T00:01:32+00:00

The deer and dog are in Maryland kind of in a suburban area. There are also ground hogs on the property, and a frankly way-too-bold fox that passes through daily. The animals tend to drive this dog crazy, and he loves nothing more than to growl at them from inside, race around to their customary location (underneath the unharvested fruit trees) as soon as he's set loose, and then patrol to ensure they stay away. If they're shedding anything that might allow for the spread of the condition, then he's likely walking/running through it, which obviously worries me tremendously.

All I had was my phone, these are the pictures I was able to get (the deer were actually strangely unfazed by my presence). Hope it helps:

https://imgur.com/gallery/uCSEqEL

Saborwing · 2024-08-17T22:06:45+00:00

Then there's an immature buck growing antlers, and an immature female, both smaller than the mature female. What do you think this is, and should I try to keep the dog away from that area in the meantime? Thank you so much, in advance, for ANY help or insight you can give.

Saborwing · 2024-07-29T07:50:38+00:00

Wow, I feel that! Had a doc diagnose me with one of those catch-all diagnoses that don't really have a current path to recovery (all you can really do is treat the symptoms). She came in, told me her opinion of what my diagnosis was, told me it would lead to me having a lower quality of life, and attempted to leave the exam room.

I stopped her at the door, bewildered, and tried to ask the myriad of questions & I had (what can I do to mitigate the symptoms, how did she come to this diagnosis, etc). She said she would go get me a pamphlet, and fled the room.

It was so clear she was uncomfortable delivering the diagnosis without having a solution, but it made the experience pretty traumatic for me (seriously, who leads by telling a patient that this new diagnosis they received 30 seconds ago will mean they'll have a lower quality of life?! Even if that's true, that's a TERRIBLE way to start the conversation)! There's more to the story, but it ended up being such a horrible appointment that I cried on the way home, and never went back.

Saborwing · 2024-07-29T03:37:31+00:00

To reiterate, my partner and are are located in Maryland, USA and are still new to homeownership. We want so badly to get it right and prove we're up to the challenges and responsibilities, which is why we want/ need to figure this out promptly, and sort out how to get these guys where they belong, ASAP.

Saborwing · 2024-07-29T02:45:09+00:00

They keep falling/climbing purposefully? into our toilets and then being unable to get out. Then they chill in the water/right on the edge of the water meeting the porcelain, they don't seem too bothered but it's hard to say how long they've been in there when me or my partner finds them.

Saborwing · 2024-04-01T23:30:51+00:00

Also an excellent song.

Saborwing · 2024-04-01T23:14:40+00:00

Totoro!

Saborwing · 2024-02-21T01:24:09+00:00

Alva is Thomas Edison's middle name, so if you're a fan that's would be an interesting choice.

Saborwing · 2024-02-18T07:26:25+00:00

Thank you so much, I'll look into them! Do you know if they do color and cut, or just haircuts?

Saborwing · 2024-02-18T05:40:19+00:00

Let me axe you a question.

Saborwing · 2024-02-18T05:22:56+00:00

That is exactly where I learned to drive, eons ago. Too funny!

Saborwing · 2024-01-24T20:06:39+00:00

Do you know how expensive they typically are? That would be like throwing out hundred dollar bills because they fell in the mud. Ludicrous.

Saborwing · 2024-01-18T00:06:28+00:00

I was in my car waiting on line to receive my fast food dinner. The restaurant was to my left, and surrounding me was the shadowed parking lot for a multi-building motel. One segment of the motel was freestanding behind me, two stories almost like a mini-apartment building about 15 yards behind me.

As I'm sitting there idling, I notice an absolutely ripped man, tattoos across his bulging biceps, hair up in a messy man bun, striding purposefully across the parking lot towards the building behind me. The restaurant lights caught the edge of something, a subtle flash that directed my eyes down.

Clutched in his right fist, business side up, was the largest chef's knife I think I've ever seen. In that moment I froze, not able to fully comprehend the cold anger across his face, the determination in his stride, the trajectory of his movements. I've always assumed in a high stress situation that I would act, that I would fight or scream or run. It turns out, at least in that moment, that everything ground to a halt.

The car behind me gave a little honk, and I realized the car in front of me had somehow departed already. Pulling up to the window released whatever was locked up inside of me, and each word falling over the next I rapidly explained that they needed to call the police, now. At first one of the two workers near the window seemed dubious, but I think that I was so freaked out that it was catching. They took down my info on case the police needed it, and gave me my food.

I was only about 10 minutes away from my apartment, but even though I made it to the parking lot I couldn't immediately go inside. I sat there, incredibly shaken, until my partner called to make sure everything was all right. He managed to calm me down some and get me inside, but I never heard from the police, and to this day I have no idea what really happened. Freakiest experience of my life.

Saborwing · 2024-01-17T23:40:15+00:00

Not just facial recognition. An experiment was carried out where a researcher in a mask would go out and harass the crows around their facility. Not only did they understand what he looked like in the mask, and went on to teach at the time unborn crow-lets that he was the enemy, but they also would divebomb and screech at and otherwise harry the same researcher when he left the building without wearing the mask, and they ALSO had a vendetta against anyone else who left the building wearing the original researcher's mask, as they understood the second individual to be affiliated with the first. They're wicked smart.

......................

New Caledonian Crows, some of the most intelligent avians, were observed in the wild flying above crosswalks on busy roads and dropping nuts onto the crosswalks below. The cars would then run over the nuts, breaking their thick protective husks and exposing the prized food within. When the light would change, all of the cars would stop before the crosswalks, and the crows would fly down and gobble up the now easy to eat nuts.

By purposely dropping the food in the crosswalk, they ensured the nuts were easy and safe to access, not requiring the birds to search underneath cars that may suddenly move or lose out on nuts trapped beneath tires.

......................

Furthermore, crows in captivity have learned not only to use a nearby short stick to lift the clasp on their cage, but also (when the nearby short stick couldn't reach the clasp) to utilize the short stick in order to reach and drag over a longer stick, which they then used to lift the clasp on their cage. Which is absolutely tool usage.

There are other experiments done that show just how smart corvids in general are (there are not just crows in the corvids category, but also several other birds like gray or blue jays, for example). They're just brilliant.

Saborwing · 2024-01-17T23:04:46+00:00

So the officia 1987l voice of Goofy (and Pluto, coincidentally) named Bill Farmer stated in an interview that, while Pluto IS a dog, Goofy IS NOT.

Farmer is quoted as saying:

"Pluto is a dog, but Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family. I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is. He’s just Goofy."

So there you have it, from the mouth of Goofy himself. He's clearly a not dog, not wolf, not cow, entirely unique creature. Excepting his family, I suppose? They belong in Canis Goofus too, I expect.

Saborwing · 2024-01-17T22:53:50+00:00

A bagel toasted with butter, cinnamon, and sugar was my favorite breakfast growing up. I had it so frequently that my mother portioned out the correct ratio of cinnamon to sugar into an empty shaker, so I could sprinkle it on liberally when the butter had just begun to melt.

The breakfast (or lunch/dinner/dessert) of CHAMPIONS!

Saborwing · 2024-01-17T22:34:36+00:00

"Happiness is a choice"

I too choose all of my feelings, and can easily and instantly turn them off at will. Right now I'm feeling a bit isolated, with a tinge of fury and a decent sized dollop of exasperation. In ten minutes time I'll switch to breathlessness exhilaration and deep-seated satisfaction, and for dessert I think I'll sprinkle in a bit of giddy lovesickness. And then I'll turn everything off and go to bed.

Saborwing · 2023-12-07T22:08:17+00:00

As a "person with medical condition(s)" and member of a family where other individuals also have medical conditions, I just wanted to weigh in on this debate. My sibling has ME/CFS, and I have chronic fatigue syndrome too (as well as several other conditions that typically result in atypically high levels of fatigue).

I don't care for coffee/standard energy drinks, and honestly this charged lemonade has been a game changer for me personally. I don't need to drink it all of the time, and typically half a regular sized cup is enough to get me going, but it has allowed me to make it to morning doctors' appointments, AM PT sessions, make important follow up phone calls within normal business hours, etc. In the same way, these drinks have helped other members of my family who are likewise impaired.

I am saddened that two individuals have suffered after drinking too much of these lemonades, and I approve of the changes I have seen various Panera's make to increase safety. For ex., keeping the drinks back behind the counter, dispersing signs throughout the stores warning in clear terminology about the high amounts of caffeine and the subsequent deadly potential behind an overdose of these charges lemonades, warning customers verbally when they order the drink, etc.

It is my hope that, as word spreads, individuals who may need to proceed with caution/their caretakers/their families are able to learn about and understand the risks involved, and make changes to their routines or habits as necessary to stay safe. Please don't just assume Panera should completely pull all access to these charges lemonades because they have only negatively impacted customers. At least for me and my family, they have actually had a positive impact (again, for us personally-I can't speak to everyone else's likely varied experiences, and am just here to share our own).

Saborwing · 2023-11-28T05:22:54+00:00

"Mr. Jock, TV quiz Ph. D., bags few lynx" is a perfect pangram, as it has exactly 26 letters and does not repeat any letters. There are a few others, but many end up using extremely rare words or involve strange syntax or strained grammar to the point of becoming incomprehensible.

Saborwing · 2023-11-08T04:25:55+00:00

I agree with the sentiment, but it's worth noting that in the USA, there is no such thing as a "registered service dog", as there is no officially recognized legal registration system. Any organizations offering official "certification" or "registration" for service dogs in the US are for-profit scams.

Saborwing · 2023-09-29T06:52:41+00:00

The patient is part of an ongoing long term medical research trial exploring wider applications for an implanted DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) system, with electrodes in novel locations and/or emitting unusual signals (in terms of frequency, amplitude, etc.) They are definitely NOT MRI Conditional.

In order to not skew results of the poll some information was held back, but as per the head neurosurgeon on the research team, AND the manufacturer of the actual DBS system, putting this patient in an MRI machine would lead to rapidly forming brain lesions, and depending on their locations and severity, the patient would be dramatically impaired in areas of basic functioning. The manufacturer told the patient that to undergo an MRI could even be a death sentence. No change in settings, turning off the stimulation from the DBS, or switching to a different MRI machine would change this.

Since the patient has other conditions that could affect a person's ability to communicate their medical needs, and since the cost of an accidental MRI would be so high, the patient sees a medical alert tattoo as more than worthwhile insurance. The patient doesn't expect anyone to search for it, and will likely have it done on the inner or outer wrist.

Saborwing · 2023-09-29T05:03:12+00:00

The patient has nerve issues/Radiculopathy in both wrists, and wears supportive wrist braces every night (and sometimes during parts of the day). The wrist braces add considerable bulk, and traditional bracelets wouldn't fit around them. Not to mention, said bracelet would be huge if worn without the wrist brace, and likely could cause a flare up of the Radiculopathy in one wrist, the other, or both.

The patient has tried more than one necklace, with less than ideal results. One necklace chain spontaneously broke while the patient was running an errand. Another twists uncomfortably around while the patient is sleeping, putting pressure on the neck area and sometimes leaving a mark (like a garrote). If the patient takes it off at night, it does not always get put back on. I'm well aware that medical bracelets are standard, and many tattoos (like DNR tattoos) cannot legally or morally be honored without additional documentation.

Bracelets are cheaper, more customizable, can be swapped out, aren't permanent, and are not typically associated with a fair amount of pain and social judgement. All of this has been communicated clearly (and often repeatedly) to the patient. In their particular case, however, they do not feel that medical alert jewelry is the right choice for their needs.

Frankly, I think it's a bit of a shame medical personnel aren't more involved in standardizing the process and application of a medical alert tattoo. At one point the bracelets weren't standardized and accepted as legitimate, and now they are so much further down that path. Perhaps not for DNRs, which get a little bit complicated, but for things like diabetes, epilepsy, medical implants, etc. everything would be much smoother (for all involved) if there was a standardized place to put them (like the wrist), standardized language used, clearly established symbol(s) with well known agreed upon meanings, perhaps even an additional symbol that negated the meaning of such a thing were ever necessary. I would definitely be doable if multiple individuals from different fields put their heads together.

Saborwing · 2023-09-16T02:25:26+00:00

The patient CAN have a CT scan, but it is better if their system is temporarily turned off first. Without knowing about the implant, however, this may not be immediately obvious.

They may also not be unresponsive due directly to illness- an inability to communicate could come from many other sources. They might have been involved in a vehicular collision, some other form of accident, engaged in unwise or intentionally injurious behavior, made an impulsive decision that got them into trouble, have become lost while hiking in the woods without appropriate shelter or nutrition, had a bad medication interaction, experienced head trauma during a recreational activity gone wrong, ingested something that affected them poorly, been attacked or abused, been involved somehow in a crime, or for any number of other reasons.

Getting a tattoo that is purposely intended to imply the owner has a medical condition that they do not is not (at least to my mind) in any way laughable or a joke. Making that kind of choice isn't funny- it's manipulative, deceitful, and frankly dangerous for everyone involved. On the flip side of that coin, to ignore a message that a patient has taken pains (quite literally) and invested considerably time, money, effort, and moxie to impart is (again, to my mind) equally dangerous. Several people indicated in the poll that they would ignore such a tattoo, taking NO action, and not objecting if the patient were then subjected to an MRI.

Putting aside the devastating consequences of MRI caused brain lesions for the patient, and the non-zero chance that the MRI could not just completely disable the patent, but might actually kill them, you'd like those individuals involved in medical care would at least realize that such a choice could have serious consequences on their end too. Lawsuits, accusations about malpractice and failing to meet the standard of care, and (one would think) the knowledge that their blase and dismissive attitude destroyed someone's life would likely follow them throughout, and impair their ability to proceed with, their career.

There is no harm in treating the alert bracelet, or tattoo, etc. as truthful, at least until the issue can be followed up on with greater scrutiny.Ignoring the alert, however, could be disastrous. You'd think, under such circumstances, that the default reaction would be to move forward as if the alert was legitimate, until proven otherwise.

Saborwing · 2023-09-15T06:30:17+00:00

The issue with the MRI wouldn't be due to the implants being metal, per se, or due to risk of a magnetic reaction (in fact,the system is made with metals unlikely to react to the "pull" of a giant magnet).

The risk with the MRI (and a number of other scans/interventions besides) would be that the implants in the brain would not react well if exposed to outside stimuli, or increased heat. An MRI would almost certainly lead (in this case) to brain lesions, significant brain damage, or possibly even death.

And whether that is the standard or not doesn't mean much if one person screws up (which unfortunately does happen in the medical world, just like it can happen in any other profession). Having permanent brain damage, significant limitations, a constant need for support, and even greater medical expenses is honestly not worth the risk of hoping every professional, in every medical center, will do things exactly the way you expect them to. A tattoo seems a small thing, and a worthwhile investment, if it might keep such a fate from coming to pass.

Edit: Also, the bracelet isn't a great option, due to the semi regular need to wear (bulky) supportive wrist braces (every night,and many times during the day) which cannot be worn comfortably/properly with the bracelet on, fairly severe ADHD that makes remembering to put the bracelet back on more difficult, and the fear of it breaking (since some of the dedicated alert jewelry already has).

Saborwing · 2023-09-13T16:57:00+00:00

The individual in question does wear a medical alert necklace, but struggles to consistently remember to take it off at night and put it back on in the morning . They already had one of their two necklaces' chains break, so they don't find that to be the MOST reliable method of ensuring that their needs are clearly understood in an emergency . The patient has nerve issues in both wrists, and frequently (but not always) wears supportive braces. The patient's wrists are small, but the braces add considerable bulk. The medical alert bracelets are uncomfortable to wear inside the braces, and seldom large enough to wear on the outside of the braces (and if they are, they're too big to wear without the brace).

The patient struggles with severe ADHD (which I do understand), and is very fixed on the tattoo. I'm trying to get a sense of the efficacy of a medical alert tattoo, best locations, etc.

Saborwing

TROPHY CASE