Back to a chilly normal – an album
by Maralyn Fink
This week’s Mystery Photo
Where is this?
Can you tell us where this is located? Drop us a line at mail@sjindy.com.
906 N. Oakland St.
The current owners are Richard (Dick) and Gloria Carnicom. Previous owners include: Walter (Bennie) and Barb Steward, Frank and Jan Rowell.
A Look Back – Exchange Student September, 1968
Barry Clark Bauer
When Lisa Davis (right) was in Europe this summer on the Youth for Understanding program, she stayed with Kirsten Madsen in Denmark. During this school year Kirsten is an exchange student herself, only at St. Charles in Saginaw County. She spent most of the Labor Day weekend as a guest of her “sister”, Lisa, in the Roy Davis home on North US-27.
Lisa watches as Kirsten works on a Picasso-style wax crayon work of art she brought with her. She returned to St. Charles Monday.
Benny and Jessie’s Pet Info – Can Dogs Get Depressed?
There’s no doubt about it: dogs can be mopey. Whether the problem is a parent leaving for work or the loss of a companion, we know that pets, and dogs in particular, can exhibit behavioral changes consistent with depression. But does it compare to the clinical depression exhibited by people?
The answer is: no one knows for sure. It is important to differentiate depressed behavior from an actual diagnosis of clinical depression. Even in people, with the ability to explain what they are experiencing and a long archive of data exploring the physical aspects of depression, depression as a medical diagnosis is still poorly understood and no biological test exists to reliably diagnose major depression. When it comes to our canine companions, we are limited to our observations of behavior in order to determine what’s going on, and that is notoriously tricky.
Dog Depression Vs. Human Depression: How Does it Compare?
In humans, clinical depression is divided into a variety of subtypes such as situational depression, where a person is responding to an event in their lives, and general depression, which may or may not have a correlation to an outside cause. People suffering from generalized depression often share that their symptoms may occur even when nothing “wrong” is happening in their lives. Diagnosis involves speaking with the patient and getting an involved history. Because depression in this regard refers to a state of mind as perceived by the patient, diagnosing clinical depression in dogs would be a real challenge.
Generally speaking, when we speak of a depressed dog we are referring to a dog who is exhibiting a change in behavior that manifests as decreased interest in normal activities or a change in interaction with his family. Walks are no longer the bounce-inducing activity of the day, food doesn’t look that good, the arrival of their favorite person warrants no more than a mild eyebrow raise.
Depression in Dogs: Making a Diagnosis
The problem in dogs, and this is consistent across the board when it comes to behavioral changes, is that many of these symptoms can be explained by a medical condition. An arthritic senior will be less interested in walks, not because they aren’t fun, but because they hurt. A dog with kidney disease will be less interested in food, not because it no longer smells good, but because they experience nausea whenever they eat.
For this reason, it’s important that the veterinarian be your first stop whenever your pet exhibits a change in behavior that is consistent with depression. Some of the common symptoms that are often correlated to a medical condition are the following:
– Decreased appetite
– Regression in housetraining/increased accidents in the house
– Sleeping more hours than usual
– Lack of interest in exercise
– Sudden onset of aggression
– Acting disoriented or lost at home
That being said, dogs are truly sensitive to those around them and can respond dramatically to upsetting changes in their lives. When major life changes occur such as moving, divorce or breakup, or the death of another pet in the house, it is not uncommon for dogs to have an observable period of depression. Even minor changes that you might not pay much attention to as a pet parent can affect a dog dramatically. Things like rearranging furniture, introducing a new cat to the home, or a change in an owner’s work schedule can change the routine enough to throw a dog off-guard and cause some signs of depression.
How to Treat Depression in Dogs
In these situations, when the dog has an otherwise clean bill of health and we suspect he or she is reacting to an external stressor, most dogs respond to a tincture of time and some steady reassurance. Extra attention, walks, and grooming time can help reassert your close bond and help your pet recover from stress. Try to minimize changes in routine during transitional periods and give them lots of whatever it is that makes them happy—playtime, hikes, or even just cuddles.
In severe cases, your veterinarian may recommend a medication such as Prozac to help a pet through an especially rough transition, but this is usually reserved for extreme situations. The use of antidepressants in dogs is not as well studied as it is in humans, and most veterinarians and behaviorists find they are able to work through a depressive state through other means.
No matter the underlying cause, changes in behavior are worth investigating. Whatever we can do to ease our pet’s stress and depression is more than worth the effort.
Maralyn’s Did You Know? – Cat food recall
The J.M. Smucker Company today announced a limited voluntary recall on certain lots of 9LivesTM, EverPetTM, and Special KittyTM canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).
The issue was discovered by the Quality Assurance team during review of production records at the manufacturing facility. No illnesses related to this issue have been reported to date and the product is being recalled out of an abundance of caution.
Cats fed diets low in thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurological signs can develop, which include ventroflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is displaying any of these symptoms. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.
The affected product was distributed to a limited number of retail customers from December 20 through January 3, 2017.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Keeping Odor Away With a Clean Litter Box
If you can count yourself as one of the lucky cat owners who has never had the misfortune of walking into a room and smelling “cat,” then you very likely have a cat that is fastidious about going in the litter box every time, and you are indeed fortunate.
One of the most alarming scents known to humans is the scent of a home that has been sprayed or otherwise saturated with cat urine, and it is one of biggest complaints amongst cat owners who relinquish their cats to the outdoors or to animal control. Few humans will tolerate a cat that refuses to use its litter box, and yet many expect their cats to willingly use a box that is littered with old feces and clumps of urine soaked clay. Imagine how you might feel if you had to use a toilet that looked like that? And you don’t even have to put your feet in it.
With that in mind, know that a clean litter box is a welcoming litter box. The cleaner the litter in the box is, the less likely your cat is to get fed up with putting her feet in it and going on the nice clean floor.
A favorite type of litter among tidy homeowners is a clumping type of clay granule. It has been found that most cats prefer small loose granules that can be easily pushed about with their feet and that shakes off easily as they exit the box; nothing too fine or soft. Unless you have been using a scented litter since your cat was a kitten, you might not want to experiment with changing from an unscented litter to a scented litter. If you do decide to try a new litter, mix it slowly with the old type of litter – a half and half mix – to get your cat used to it. Some cats will stop using the box if the litter is changed abruptly.
Using a litter scoop with smallish and closely set holes, clean the clumps out of the litter at least once daily – more often if you have more than one cat. To keep the smell to a minimum after cleaning, add some litter to replace what you removed while cleaning and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into the litter before using the litter scoop to turn the freshened litter.
Once a week, dump the entire box and soak the box in hot water for a few minutes. It is not necessary to use detergents or cleaning chemicals, hot water will generally do the trick, but a small amount of liquid dish soap added to the hot water will help loosen any “dirt” on the interior sides and bottom, and will refresh the box without leaving a toxic residue behind. Avoid products that have ammonia, bleach, or any type of caustic ingredient. If you want to go a little further, you can mix a small amount of hydrogen peroxide or vinegar in the hot water to remove any bacteria or smells.
If the box needs more than a simple washing out, use disposable gloves (which can be found in bulk at your local drugstore) and a cleaning rag, scrub brush or sponge that is set aside just for cleaning the litter box (and only the litter box) to clean the box thoroughly. If you are pregnant or have lowered immunity, always wear gloves for cleaning the box, along with a dust mask to prevent breathing in any of the litter dust. And always wash your hands and arms thoroughly after you have finished.
Once the box has been cleaned, dry it out with a paper towel or cleaning towel and then sprinkle the bottom with baking soda. It is best not to use anything scented in the box, or even in the same room as the box, since chemical smells, even the kinds of things that smell good to us, can repel cats and cause them to avoid the box or the room. Some scented products can be toxic for cats just through inhaling them in the indoor environment, so the best method is to neutralize and remove the odors rather than try to cover them up.
Finally, if you have more than one cat, many owners have found that having multiple litter boxes – one per cat – is the best method for preventing, or ending, turf wars. Likewise, if you live in a home with multiple levels, one litter box per level will make a big difference for a cat that has to go now. Just don’t forget to clean all of the litter boxes in the house.