Entries from June 2009 ↓

I got a pretty bad 2nd degree burn on my arm on Friday. It began blistering on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday I woke up with it burning more, blisters popped open and wet, bright pink in colour. I went to the beach on Monday (not good) and had it covered up until I went in the water. Sand did not get in, but I left the burn open and uncovered. After a soccer game and practice with it uncovered, sliding around on the ground and today, Wednesday, the burn is now redish spotted with yellowish everywhere else. It hurts only to the touch but looks scabby and gray around the edges. I am unsure if this is part of a 'natural healing process' or if it getting worse and worse. Any advice?
okay, here are two pictures. they are hard to take because its in such an awkward spot, close to my elbow.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=sbpm6f&s=4
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20p6b5&s=4

If you can see, it's pretty raw and red, and the gray around the edges. There is yellow stuff at the back side of the burn too.

OK, I've seen the picture and it looks like it's healing normally.

The yellow which you can see is perfectly normal and part of the process of tissue regeneration; any grey colour is also normal and nothing to be concerned about; it will also probably itch, that too is normal; any black /dark colour you might notice, is probably just scabbing/dried blood and is very unlikely to indicate anything more serious.

See your doctor if:

you develop a high temperature;
if the colour of the wound changes dramatically; or
if you notice the pain from your wound increase substantially.

You can apply a mild antiseptic/anesthetic cream to the wound (it should be left exposed/uncovered); burns take a while to heal, so don't worry if it's not completely healed in a month.

You should be fine.

I have an 18 gallon fresh water tank with hatchet fish and 4 mollies. (I had some scavenger and angel fish and tiger barbs and some neons, but they have since died.) I am using drinking water from "Water Express" a company that was recommended b/c of their filtration system.

My tank is currently cloudy and the fish are staying in the top of the tank. I started out with tap water, then I did a 50% change of water to drinking water, let a week go by, did another 50% change yesterday and I still have the same problem.

What I have tried based on professional recommendations are:

put 2tsp of baking soda
5 water softener tabs into the filter
2 pennies in the tank

have used the following the chemicals and still own:
Easy Balance
Aqua Safe
Prime
Cycle

Using 'my ammonia & pH' test strips and 'jungle correct' pH tank tabs

The results are always the same.

ammonia is ok
total alkalinity is 300 high
pH is 8.4 alkaline

Where do I go from here?? Thanks!

Oh my goodness… enough with all the chemicals and experiments. If your tank has white cloudiness… THAT IS GOOD AND LET IT GO … THAT IS THE GOOD BACTERIA GROWNING!!!! Cut back on feeding for a little while… once or twice ever other day.

The only chemicals I use are the dechlorinator and aquarium salt. Keeping salt in the water helps with the fish ability to heal and helps them through the process of establishing the tank.

The white cloudiness will clear up… but let it alone for a day or two… AGAIN… THE CLOUDINESS IS THE GOOD BACTERIA BUILDING UP…..

Besides the glass breakage and heavier weight of glass bottles ?
Can anything harmful in the long run leach out of a glass bottle ?

Glass is safer. They do not have anything to leach out of them into the water as plastic does. Just be sure to sterilize them first and seal them up properly.

http://www.nutrivea-usa.com/alkalive_ph_booster_for_structured_alkaline_water.htm

im trying to rehydrate my sick kitty, can anyone tell me if this is safe for animals, it is said to be non toxic and approved by the fda – but does that only mean to humans?

can an experienced vet look at the website i just provided and read up on the ingredient this thing has and tell me if its okay for cats.

i want to know if it this product is 100% safe for everyone especially including our animal friends.

If your cat is sick and dehydrated I would use pedialyte. I have used this for sick cats and ferrets. However, depending on how sick your cat is… if he is not drinking on his own you want to get him to a vet.. he will need IV fluids. Trying to force fluids down a cat is risky business.. he can easily aspirate the fluid and then die of pneumonia.

If I put a negative charge to water, what exactly will happen to the water molecule?

Since a negative charge is defined as an excess of electrons, does this mean the water molecule will accept more electrons?

Will the electrons be accepted into the hydrogen's atom (since it has room for 2 electrons)?

What about a positive charge, will it extract (ionize) electrons from the water molecule, and if so will the water molecule still remain a water molecule after it is ionized?

well H20 when it gains a hydrogen molecule becomes hydronium H30+
and when it loses a hydrogen molecule it becomes hydroxide OH-
and an electrical current going through the water can separate the hydrogen and oxygens
so gaining and losing charges in water is basically when it gains or loses an H

i just bought a brand new tank and let it go through a cycle with no fish for two weeks, i’ve added 6 small frontosa and over one week 3 of them have died. i have a whisper filter, and an aqua one internal filter in an 80 L tank. the pH is 8.7, nitrate is 0, nitrite is 0 and the water is hard and alkaline. we use a tangyanikan buffer too. the fish start gasping and sit on the bottom of the tank. we also had two airstone and have done 1, 25% water change. whats the problem!? they are fine for 2-3 days, and by the 4th day they are dead!?
the ammonia levels are also at nill, and i had a peacock in there for a couple of days from my other tank, and then put him back in my tank.

I’m guessing ammonia buildup as well.

Unless you added a source of ammonia during those 2 weeks then there was no cycling happening. You have just been pumping tap water through a sterile filter for two weeks, and you then had 2 week old tap water and still no working bio-filter.

If you had a working nitrogen cycle then your Nitrate level would be more than zero.

Best option now is large partial water changes, and get an ammonia test kit. But change some more water first, then go get the test kit.

The high pH makes the ammonia even more toxic than normal, but you can probably save your fish if you change enough water.

Ian

Friday-Flu like symptoms; slight fever: 99.8, achy joints, and my hands and feet felt jello-y, assumed I had caught the flu.
Saturday- Temperature went back to complete normal, all signs of achy joints went away. But consistently felt like throwing up, had back stomach problems, and had stomach cramps all day. Liquid was fine, but any food made me feel like throwing up for at least a few hours.
Sunday- Same; now, there is no food in my stomach, so no throwing up feeling, just a slight heartburnish feeling, but still major cramps in stomach.

Based on all the info, seems pretty obvious I have food poisoning, please advise.

I understand I am to avoid; all sweet liquids, solids, caffeine, alcohol; basically stick to water, maybe soup, and that's it.

The confusing part is whether or not to take antacid for the stomach aches and diarrhea. I was told it would help the symptoms, which it does, but when I looked it up online, it seems that most people agree antacids, although temp relieves symptoms, slows the body's natural healing process. Its the same with antibiotics, people seem to say in a lot of cases, the antibiotics dr's prescribe can actually worsen the food poisoning.

I will do anything it takes to get better today, have to work tomorrow. So ANY advice would be appreciated.
oh, and saltines, will they help settle the stomach or is eating them (or any food in general, including soup), just being counter productive?

activated charcoal

oil of Oregano (capsules or tinture)

slippery elm

and a good colon clean detox system kit◙

My vet is no help on this, since he recommends feeding my dog science diet… (ICK!). But that's another story.

So there is a lot of show handlers on here and groomers so I'm really curious. A dog's ph varies tremendously from the extremely alkaline GSD to the more acidic labrador.

So do human's ph. People can have a ph level from 4.5 to 6.5
Dogs have a ph level from 6.2 to 8.62.

I've NEVER seen a ph scale on dog shampoo like on human shampoo. So why do we just assume that it is "ph-balanced for dogs".? I've noticed most dog shampoo in pet stores have cheap sulfates, like in drug-store brand shampoo for humans, so it can't be more gentle.

My questions:
1. Can I just use a more alkaline shampoo (SLS free) for my dog, watered down?
2. If ph level is important, why don't dog shampoos, have a ph scale or have warnings not to use on certain breeds? I.E. "Don't use on German Shepherd!"
Most Baby shampoos are too acidic for dogs.

I show my Rough Collie in the breed ring.
I always use human shampoo on her. I prefer the Kirkland (Costco) brand as it rinses easily out of her very long hair.
I wash her about once a month. Always two days before a show.

My breeder also uses human shampoo.
My best friend, who is a Vet, and raises GSDs, washes her dogs with human shampoo.

I think the dog shampoos are just trying to create a market.

The only time I have used special dog shampoo is something the vet would give me for dogs in my past that had skin issues. (I had two dogs with terrible yeast issues)

I have been taking St John's Wort ( a little less than the recommended dose) for about 7 years. Over the past 9 months since retiring from work I reduced the dose to half. My body has felt weaker and more "achy" than ever over the past 7 months. Could this be related to the partial withdrawal? I am a fairly physically active person generally although a little less active since retiring. For the past 12 months I have also been taking Magnesium Carb. + Hydroxide in Soda water ( makes an alkaline drink to reduce acidity in my body). I have also gone off wheat and dairy. This was recommended by a biochemist who also suggest drinking 2 litres or more fluid a day. The aim is to reduce protein build up and hence keep the joints healthy.
I am amazed at how pathetic my body has become – could this problem have been caused by any of these changes?

"Hi Marceau ! There is a possible connection with reduced dosage of St. John's Wort and your "achiness". If a person's immune system is at a point where it would overact causing autoimmune reactions (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus etc), then St. John's Wort by lessening depression, stress and anxiety chemistry can keep the autoimmune reactions at bay. One way to find out for sure. Increase your St. John's Wort back to closer to what you were taking. It is therapeutic in many ways, not just helping with depression/mood/anxiety. Also you need a source of calcium in your diet to help balance the magnesium you are taking. I also assume you are getting adequate vitamin D.

The short,medium and long term effects are what? The World Health Organisation limits are between 6.5-8.5.

The acidity won't harm you (the acid in your stomach is a thousand times more concentrated) but acidic water can more easily pick up toxic metals.

Also, what kind of acid is it?

Where do you live? What kind of water purification system is available to you? Where are you getting the water from?

In all industrialised countries, at least, you should be able to get expert advice on this from the local authority or from water suppliers.

Added comment: if Quintono doesn't know what he's talking about, he shouldn't be giving advice on health-related matters.