Dog saves cat through rare blood transfusion between species

Buttercup, an Orange Cat, arrived last month at Marathon Veterinary Hospital in Florida, between life and death. Blood tests determined that the red blood cell count was too low and the feline would be unlikely to survive without an immediate blood transfusion.

The only problem is that the cat had blood type B, while most cats in the United States have type A blood. "it's pretty hard to get blood type B," said vet of Buttercup, Sean Perry, the Dodo. "Sometimes it is cats with type B blood but the problem is that if we have blood type B to a cat with blood type A, the result is an anaphylactic reaction and death in a few minutes," he explains.

So, with the hope of saving the cat, the vet performed a transfusion with blood from another species â€" with the blood of a donor dog. The blood belonged to a greyhound that was donated to a local blood bank to animals.

"In these cases it is safer to give dog blood of the same type than give different type cat blood. The dog's blood allows the cat to survive some time until you can get suitable blood or the body of the animal start to function normally, "says the vet.

Perry indicates that it is not certain what caused the decrease of red blood cells in Buttercup, but since receiving the transfusion, erythrocytes cat levels returned to normal and the animal is recovering well. The veterinarian indicates that the cat had luck in the transfusion have resulted because the blood exchange between species is effective only once. To receive dog's blood, the Buttercup body created antibodies and if ever receive canine blood your immune system will attack the blood.

Although work only once, the blood transfusion between species does any side effects to the animal receives the blood. Cases like that of Buttercup are the example that like humans, animals must also donate blood whenever possible.

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As green taxation reform benefits future buyers of electric cars and hybrids

Cars with higher emissions of pollutants will be more expensive in 2015, in Portugal, but the call of green taxation reform brings good news for trams and hybrids.

So there will be an increase in vehicle tax (ISV) of the first, while the "green" cars, especially hybrids, see tax rebate increase up to 60%.

But not all hybrids gain, according to the business journal: the plug-in, IE, that carry the batteries connecting to mains, olds get only with a deduction of 25%, when before, there is no differentiation, had 50%.

The State is preparing to invest € 8 million a year in tax incentives for the purchase of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, through new amounts eligible for tax expenditure and autonomous taxation of IRS and IRC.

Meet 11 arguments for buying an electric vehicle.

The scrappage incentive also returns with green taxation, but to get the highest benefit you must buy a tram â€" the incentive could reach € 4,500. The plug-in hybrids will also be covered (maximum of € 3,250 of encouragement), as well as some of the most common models (€ 2,000 incentive) that have reduced emissions of polluting gases.

Finally, the Government provided an alternative for anyone who has an end-of-life vehicle but do not wish to proceed to the purchase of a new one. The solution will pass by the assignment of an allowance for the use of public transport. "It's created an incentive regime and destruction of end-of life vehicles, translated in the allocation of collective public transport vouchers [on the value of money]", reveals the Government

One of the most media-reform proposals of green taxation, recalled, through the inclusion of a €0,08 fee for each plastic bag lightweight, i.e. those that are normally distributed by supermarkets. According to the Government, each Portuguese will reduce your consumption of plastic bags of 466 (number anything exaggeration) to 50 per year.

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Pets are part off the deck in the Ebola outbreak

"Pets are not a significant risk for the Ebola virus in United States", according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Center for disease control and the State Department of agriculture.

According to a statement from the three organizations, cited by The Dodo, the hypothesis of an American contracting Ebola virus through dogs, cats or other animals is very low.

"The risk of an Ebola pandemic affecting many people in the United States is very low. Thus, the risk of a pet being affected is also very low, since he would have to be in contact with blood or bodily fluids of a person with Ebola. Even in areas of Africa where the Ebola virus is present there's been no news of dogs or cats get sick with Ebola, "said the Center for disease control, CDC North.

On the other hand, an act unlikely to a dog or cat find someone with Ebola, it is not clear whether the animal is a risk to humans. A 2005 study, quoted by the Washington Post, found antibodies in dogs gaboneses, after an outbreak of Ebola--that is, the animals were exposed to the disease, but there is no proof that the canines were infected or contagious.

For the pets of employees exposed to Ebola-like for example in the case of Dallas, United States â€" the small animal Veterinary Association advises that they are quarantined, and are not automatically eutanasiados.

Photo: Marina del Castell/Creative Commons

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The rare foray by an icy Cave of volcanic Russia

Very little is known on the Kamchatka peninsula, in Russia, but the photographer Sergey Krasnoshchekov did everything to diminish our thirst for knowledge with their last series of photos that captured the beauty of an ice grotto.

Sergey, of 28 years, waited until the summer to make the expedition the peninsula of us so far off the beaten path, but was concerned at the fact that small parts of the cave, with one kilometre, could collapse.

Still, curiosity got the better of him and Sergey ended up coming home with an unbelievable series of beautiful pictures. "The caves are hard to access and we need special cars to reach the site," explained the Russian photographer.

"I spent a few days near the caves, but didn't stay too long in there. I was afraid that the ceiling colapsasse, once that the cave is very close to an active volcano "continued.

The colors that Sergey found inside the cave are amazing and look like from another world â€" and, in fact, Kamchatka is a new world for Westerners.

The photographer took the expedition to capture some volcanic eruptions in Kamchatka peninsula â€" has more than 100 volcanoes, many of them considered by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

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The most creative homes made with Earth

Every year, the Ghana receives a design competition with earth â€" the Mud House Design â€" whose purpose is to design a home for a single family, with a structure that does not exceed the 18 x 18 meters and that doesn't cost more than € 4,700 ($ 14,460) â€" excluding the cost of land.

The contest aims to invigorate the houses of traditional land â€" that are also being rehabilitated in Portugal, as you can see in this video from the green economy-and try to explain to locals what the earth can be an excellent raw material for sustainable architecture and beautiful design.

After several nominations received, the Nka Foundation announced the winners, they can be seen in the gallery below. The first three images represent the top three winners: the Sankofa House, developed by French Studio M.A.M.O.T.H., received the first prize; the Eban Aya by Atelier Koe, of Senegal, the second; and the Ejisu Earth House, Jason Orb-Smith, of the United States, the third.

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Dead soldier's bedroom in WWI is intact for 100 years

This little news or anything is related to sustainability, but it's proof that, sometimes, we feel that humanity can really be better one day.

The room of Hubert Rochereau, a French soldier killed during the first world war, remains the same the day that this young man left his home in Belabre, in the Centre of the country, to fight in Belgium, in 1918.

When they received the news of the death of his son, Hubert's parents kept her room untouched, as a tribute to the courage of the son. In 1936, when the House finally sold, they stipulated that the room should not be changed in the next 500 years.

The clause has no legal basis but is being fulfilled by the family Fabre, which occupies the House since the ' 30. "The clause has no legal basis, but we believe that the room should not be changed. If we sell the House, let's find another owner who respect the memory of Hubert Rochereau and keep this museum piece intact, "explained Daniel Fabre, the present owner, the Nouvelle Republique.

The uniform of Hubert, since almost all moth-eaten, still hanging in the closet, and photos of ancestors remain alongside his pack of cigarettes.

Hubert was one of 580,000 soldiers who died on the Western front in the war of 14-18. More than 70 million soldiers were mobilized for the war, which killed about nine million people.

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Drugs and prostitution take Italy out of recession

The Italy knew today that it is not in the list of countries in recession, thanks to a change of treatment des data throughout the European Union, which now include illegal economic activities, such as drug trafficking and prostitution, in the GDP calculation.

Adding illegal revenues of prostitution, narcotics, black market cigarettes and alcohol to the third largest economy in Europe, the Italian GDP leapt important. So, instead of GDP have decreased 0.1%, with the recalculation he stalled â€" not up or down, according to the Italian Statistics Institute, which allowed the transalpine country escape the third recession in the last six years.

The same review of the calculations should raise the GDP this year, giving the Government of Matteo Renzi more room to keep the deficit below the European Union limit â€" 3%.

The news could also put on the agenda issues such as the legalization of soft drugs, prostitution or other contentious issues of society â€" many of them, is recognized, entering the territories of citizenship, environment and sustainability. Or this idea will be too utopian?

Foto: Johnny Micheletto / Creative Commons

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