Alberta is Banning Certain Frogs as Pets

Does government always know what they are doing?  In the case of a recent ban that is to begin April 30, 2015, pet owners tend to disagree with the government's decision. 

The Alberta government decided to ban the ownership of all all poison dart frogs of the family Dendrobatidae and Family Aromobatidae.  Although the name suggests these frogs are poisonous, pet owners have known for years that the captive frogs are not toxic.  Although some species are toxic in the wild, only a few produce enough toxin to be a danger, and they lose their toxins when kept as pets (likely due to the different diet which would not include toxic insects).

The government seems to think these dart frogs are dangerous to their owners, but owners of such species do not handle their pets.  Mostly the frogs are kept in vivariums in a way not much different than how aquarium enthusiasts keep pet fish; they are for display only, not cuddling. 

There is no risk of these frogs being released into the wild.  Firstly they are too expensive for an owner to consider releasing unwanted "pets" and secondly they would not survive if they were released. 

One of the biggest concerns for pet owners is that there are no "grandfather" clauses, meaning that current owners are being told to get rid of their pets prior to April 30, 2015. 

photo source

What are current dart frog owners supposed to do with their frogs?

Current owners of poison dart frogs are being told to "get rid of them"; either to take them out of province, or to sell/give them to a licensed facility, such as a zoo.  This does not make current frog owners happy as many have hundreds of dollars invested in their pets.

A petition?

Anyone who is against this law should sign this petition.  They can also make phone calls to law makers in their area.

What next?

One of the reasons why even non-dart frog owners should get involved is due to concerns about "What is next?"  Granted there are some good reasons why some exotic pets, such as rats, have been made illegal, the worry is to what end will it go, what animal will be banned next.  Had some sort of grandfathering clause been included I am certain people would not be so irate, and at the very least this needs to be amended. 

The Most Beautiful and Strange Animals in the World

When I was a child my father was an ichthyologist; he studied fish.  We would visit aquariums often and loved poking around in tidal pools when we went near the ocean (which was not often as we lived in Alberta).  We got to know about many fascinating water creatures, not all of which were fish. 

Of all of the creatures in the water, some of the most beautiful, and mesmerizing, are nudibranchs.  Say "nude a branks".  They are mollusks that lose their shell when they mature.  They are sometimes incorrectly called sea slugs.  They are mostly found on the ocean floor, but are found all over the world, in the shallows, in the depths, in warm water, and in cold. 

Without shells to protect them nudibranchs may use their colors to blend in and match the surrounding corals, or to serve as a warning for potential predators.  Some are toxic, but not all are.  Their name means "naked gill".

Nudibranchs are carnivores, mostly consuming sponges (which are living animals), however some will eat other nudibranchs. 

"Glossodoris atromarginata" by Chika Watanabe from Los Altos, USA - Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - 

Spanish Shawl nudibranch via Wikimedia Commons

Ceratosoma tenue from Lembeh Straits, Indonesia (and shrimp) via Wikimedia Commons

There are roughly 2,500 known species of nudibranchs, and probably hundreds more undiscovered ones.

Nudibranchs are typically slow moving creatures that just travel along the bottom, but when they move through the water they move with a delicate ribbon like motion that is beautiful to watch.

What Lilies Are Toxic To Cats?

Many types of lily, including the Easter Lily, are very dangerous to pets but not because of the reasons you may think.  When most people think of toxic plants they worry that their pet might eat the plant, but most pets are smart enough not to intentionally eat a poisonous plant.  Nonetheless it is not unheard of for cats, and sometimes dogs, to die of poisoning because of lilies even though they never eat the plant itself.

Cats are carnivores and usually do not eat plants. On occasion a cat might eat grass because it instinctively knows that grass will make it vomit. Cats sometimes chew grass if they have an upset stomach, worms, or hairball they are trying to bring up. It is rare that a cat will chew on any other garden plants and as such there is very little risk of them being poisoned from any other plant than certain species of lily. 
  

Lilies

Lilies are really the biggest risk to cats. The risk is not of the cat eating the plant, but of the cat walking near the plant, or brushing up against it. While the entire lily is poisonous to cats, the risk is the pollen. Cats generally wont eat lilies, but if they have pollen fall on their fur they will ingest it while grooming, and as such will consume the toxic pollen in that manner.

Symptoms of Lily Poisoning (cats may have all or some symptoms):

• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Refusing to eat
• Breathing problems
• Paws and/or face swell
• Paralysis
• Seizures
• Kidney problems; renal failure
• Death

All lilies are toxic but the worst are the Tiger lily and the Easter lily, others include the day lily, stargazer lily, Rubrum Lily, Japanese Show Lily, and Asiatic lilies. Their toxic pollen is also a concern if the flowers are cut and brought indoors
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What to do if Your Cat has Ingested Lily Pollen

Chances are you won’t know your cat has ingested lily pollen until symptoms show up. By that time it is urgent you get your cat to the veterinarian. The vet will work to reduce the toxic effects of the lily pollen, often by forcing the cat to eat activated charcoal, and by putting the cat on an IV to aid its kidneys. Note that kidney failure is often the main cause of death for cats that have ingested lily pollen.

If you happen to catch your cat immediately after ingesting lily pollen (such as if our notice your kitten chewing on the lily flower as playful kittens may be apt to do) you should call your veterinarian immediately in regards to inducing vomiting and the kitten should be taken to the veterinarian to reverse any ill affects from what poison may have gotten in its system.