Farm animals, fish and animals in baby photos

A miniature cow and her calf. Its easy to forget about "the production cycle" and what goes into farming animals.

For most of us, the animals in our lives tend to be domesticated companion animals. But farm animals, or production animals, play a huge role in society. 

Their welfare is often discussed but is easy to overlook if you’re only interaction with these species is shopping for their meat or products like eggs and milk. The Coursera MOOC on Animal Behaviour and Welfare has a fantastic review of farm animal welfare this week which is worth a look even if you don’t complete the entire course. There is also extensive further reading which is a great resource whether you’re a vet, vet student or just interested. Check it out here. 

Fish Vet Dr Richmond Loh has released this helpful powerpoint presentation for the aspiring fish vet: “Gettingyour feet wet – guidance and resources for the developing aquatic veterinarian.” Dr Loh is VERY passionate about fish and is known around the world for his expertise and enthusiasm.

He argues that the world needs more fish vets – around 100,000 veterinarians, as by 2050, 50 per cent of the world’s protein will be derived from fish.

This couple spotted their neighbour’s professional photos of their newborn human offspring and had the inspired idea of doing their own “newborn” style photoshoot with their six-year old Jack Russell terrier Snuggles. Apparently Snuggles mostly snored and slept through the entire thing but the photos have taken the internet by storm. You can view them here.

I think these images are a fascinating take on the human animal bond, although so concerned was the photographer about being judged for taking them, about making light of the miracle of human birth (like homo sapiens have a monopoly on this stuff) etc., that they were hidden for eight months. I know we all worry about what others say, but I think this poor photographer worries too much as evidenced by this post.

Try shopping at Flower Powerin a Wonderwoman outfit on a Sunday morning!!! Overthink it and you end up in the foetal position in your bedroom.

How do you know your pet is old? The whole “seven dog years for one human year” is a very loose rule of thumb, but deciding when to call pets senior or geriatric is something that owners and vets have differences of opinion about. See here.