Animal Airwaves

Are you one of those people who can’t sleep if even a tiny sliver of light slips under the door? Or do you doze best with the glow of the TV in the background? Or a nightlight?

While there’s no shame in needing some twinkling comfort, in the case of sleep, darkness might be more important than most of us realize. A recent study revealed that even low levels of light while you sleep could be silently raising your heart attack risk. Specifically, researchers tracked nearly 90,000 adults over the course of nine years and discovered that those with the brightest bedrooms were at a 42% higher risk of a heart attack than those in dark rooms.

This striking difference held true even after accounting for genetics, lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, smoking and other daily habits that affect heart health.

Experts suggest that light at night might disrupt circadian rhythms — our internal body clocks — which regulate sleep, blood pressure and heart health. Even subtle interference can put extra stress on the cardiovascular system, slowly raising the risk of serious cardiovascular events over time.

Fortunately, small adjustments can make a real difference. Dimming bedroom lights, turning off electronic devices, covering screens or installing blackout curtains can all help protect your circadian rhythm and give your heart a better chance to stay healthy.

Reducing nighttime light exposure might be a simple, low-cost and highly effective way to support both long-term heart health and deeper, more restorative sleep.

So to sleep tight, sleep dark. Your heart is happiest when the lights are out.

Vehicular trauma is common in dogs who are allowed to roam outdoors while unattended and, even when a dog is kept inside, accidents can happen: an animal can escape through an open door or dash off during a walk or outing. Injuries caused by vehicles can range from minor afflictions, like skin wounds, to life-threatening internal injuries. Immediate veterinary attention is critical for animals wounded by a vehicle, even if no injuries are visible. On this archived episode of Animal Airwaves Live, Dr. Carl Southern, a small animal veterinary emergency and critical care specialist, will discuss types of injuries commonly caused by vehicular trauma, typical treatments for those injuries, and what to know when transporting a vehicle-hit animal to the ER to ensure its stability during transfer.

Central Florida is home to horses of all breeds and disciplines and boasts one of the most robust equine industries in the country. With a plethora of horses for sale, how do potential buyers know if a particular horse is healthy and well-suited for the desired job? On this archived episode of Animal Airwaves Live Dr. Sally DeNotta, a clinical associate professor and equine extension veterinarian, will discuss the importance of the data and information-gathering process prior to purchase. Most equine sale contracts do not contain buy-back clauses, making it critically important for buyers to acquire as much knowledge as possible before purchasing. A veterinary pre-purchase exam, or PPE, is a great way for buyers to protect their upcoming investment by screening for common health conditions and evaluating for musculoskeletal soundness prior to sale. Be sure to tune in for more information about this important topic for horse owners.

This week’s archived episode of Animal Airwaves Live focuses on your furry friend’s peepers! Dr. Bret Moore, a veterinary ophthalmology specialist, will share his expertise on recognizing and treating ocular conditions in pets. Dr. Moore will discuss why eye care and early detection is important for identifying early signs of disease, preventing vision loss, and maintaining your pet’s vision, eye health and overall quality of life. Learn about common signs of eye challenges, when to seek veterinary care and how prompt treatment can lead to better outcomes.

There’s nothing like the Sunshine State: warm weather, sunshine, beautiful beaches, endless outdoor adventure, palm trees and tropical vegetation. But one popular cycad plant that thrives in Florida’s warm, humid climate – and is commonly used in yards and landscapes due to its exotic look – is the Sago Palm, and it happens to be highly toxic to pets of all species. Dr. Lauren Haire, an emergency and critical care specialist at UF Vet Med, will talk about the most common cycads in Florida, break down sago palm intoxication in pets, discuss symptoms and indications your pet may be experiencing sago palm poisoning, and detail steps to take if your animal is exposed to any part of a cycad or sago palm plant.

For the past couple of years, folks in the U.S. and Canada have sporadically reported squirrels covered in bleeding sores, giving rise to the name “zombie squirrels.” But this isn’t science fiction — it’s a viral disease.

Squirrel fibroma virus is a type of poxvirus that mostly affects squirrels, but sometimes rabbits too. Its defining features are wart-like growths on the skin of the head or legs, which may become so large that they interfere with the animal’s ability to see and eat. The lesions may become secondarily infected, but they usually resolve on their own over time.

Squirrel fibroma virus is thought to be spread by mosquitoes and fleas but may be transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal as well. It has not been known to infect people.

Poultry veterinarians have some practical tips for the care of small backyard flocks.

Housing needs to protect flocks from the elements and predators, while staying well ventilated. Quality feed must be easily accessible by all and free of mold, pests or droppings. That means keeping the feeder at shoulder height of the shortest bird. Likewise, water — offered in troughs or nipple waterers — needs to be clean, always available and easily reached. In addition, breeding hens need privacy while nesting and nest sizes should be adjusted as chicks grow.

The most common causes of death in small flock poultry are obesity and other diet-related syndromes. That’s why it’s critical for flock owners to consult poultry veterinarians regarding proper nutrition for their birds.

Since 2013, a mysterious disease has killed over five billion sea stars — also known as starfish — along the Pacific coast of North America. Hardest hit was the sunflower sea star, which lost about 90 percent of its population in the first five years of the outbreak.

Sunflower sea stars normally gobble up sea urchins, which feed on kelp. As the sea stars died off, sea urchin populations exploded, and kelp forests were decimated. This, in turn, affected the fish, sea otters, seals and other animals that depend on kelp forests for their food and habitat.

As sea stars wasted away, researchers worked feverishly to find the cause. After some false leads, they discovered the culprit was a Vibrio [VIB-ree-oh] bacteria. Now there’s hope to help the remaining sea star populations regain some of the ground they lost.

Law enforcement is in a race to outwit wildlife poachers. A new technique in the battle uses robotic decoys. These aren’t your father’s decoys — they’re taxidermy specimens come to life.

The taxidermist who developed the process uses remote-control car parts to animate animal skin-covered structures. He’s created deer, moose and other robots that move, emit heat and even produce droppings. The decoys have been used by game wardens across the country in sting operations.

Once officers have a bead on a suspected poacher, they stake out their vehicle, animate the robot and watch the poacher take a shot.

But eventually poachers get wise. To stay ahead in the so-called wildlife enforcement arms race, the next step will be placing a CO2 cartridge in the decoy’s muzzle to mimic steam on a cold day.

Something amazing happens in Iceland’s Westman Islands each summer. Baby puffins — or pufflings — are thrown from cliffs to save their lives.

The Iceland population of Atlantic puffins is critically endangered. Each season, a female lays a single egg in a deep dark burrow. For the first six weeks after hatching, the puffling is fed by its parents. But when they leave to spend the next eight months at sea, the fledgling is on its own.

Pufflings first leave their burrows at night to avoid predators. They can fly, and their goal is to reach the ocean, but they don’t know where to go and get disoriented by manmade structures and lights. That’s when townsfolk start searching for stranded pufflings. In the morning, they take the birds to cliffs above the ocean and toss them off to reach the sea.