Got a dog or cat? Then perk your ears up. Jerky treats from China have led to mysterious illnesses in more than 3,600 canines and 600 pet deaths, according to an article in TIME.
Since the start of the year, 500 dogs and nine cats have reportedly died from the Chinese-produced chicken, duck, and sweet potato jerky treats.
But it's still not clear to the FDA, even after testing of 1,000 products and visits various manufacturers, what is contained in these jerky treats that is making the pets so gravely ill.
In January, New York state agricultural officials detected unapproved antibiotics in some of its dog treats, leading Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and and Milo’s Kitchen to voluntarily withdraw Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers, respectively, from the market.
Do you make your own dog treats? Best to start...
Have you heard the term "rape face"? You might want to ask your tween or teen. It actually has nothing to do with rape, per se, but that didn't make it any less shocking when those words were uttered by the 12-year-old son of this Huffington Post writer.
Allow me to break it down for you. Instagram, Vine, and Twitter are all over #rapeface, which refers to an "awkward smile." Yes, it's the kind of stuff young people find hysterical.
But for the rest of us rape remains a four-letter word that cannot be diluted by popular culture, try as it might to blur lines that should be clear as day.
Events in Steubenville and elsewhere prove that rape culture is alive and well without such pithy phrases as rape face. Language matters. Rhetoric matters.
In fact, rape face isn't as innocuous as it sounds. When it got its meme start in 2008, it did in fact refer to the "expression on the face of a man before he is about to rape a woman." Since then it has evolved into a less monstrous colloquialism.
But any time the word 'rape' is used as part of a joke, even unwittingly, we are diminishing its impact. As the writer suggests, the term rape face "trivializes sexual assault, it normalizes the issue and it creates a climate where rape is accepted."
Our kids need to know this kind of lingo is pointedly not cool, even if no harm or ill-will is intended. Take it back to that picture of the man about to commit an assault. Is the woman smiling? She is the face we need to paint for our kids. A sister. A friend. A mother.
Is this kind of slang no big deal, or does it inadvertently desensitize kids to the very act it refers to?
Bad news for moms struggling to breastfeed and turning to milk banks to give their babies the best nourishment. An article in NBC revealed that much of the human milk sold online is contaminated and dangerous.
A study published in Pediatrics found that the majority of milk from a site called OnlyTheBreast.com contained "high levels of disease-causing bacteria."
“I can’t think of something you can buy online where you have less ability to validate the quality,” said lead researcher Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, Sarah A. Keim. “Even frozen milk was just as contaminated as thawed milk. There wasn’t a whole lot recipients can rely on to know that it’s OK.”
Unless an organized bank promises that its donor milk is screened and pasteurized, researchers suggest moms give it a wide berth.
Well-intentioned moms, like this awesome celebrity, may unwittingly be spreading bacteria—including coliform, staphylococcus and streptococcus—that could make a baby gravely ill. The problem, say researchers, stems from poor collection, storage or shipping processes.
“Besides bacterial contamination and viruses that could be in the milk, you could be exposing your infant to chemical contaminants, pharmaceuticals or drugs as well,” said Keim.
In my opinion, milk banks are as much a necessity as blood donor clinics, and yet as with these, safety must be at the fore. You wouldn't accept a transfusion without blood being properly tested. Milk is no different, since it can carry infections such as HIV and tuberculosis.
Ever provided or accepted breast milk from a donor? Spill it.
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