Sparrow Health Fair recap
by Maralyn Fink
On Saturday I decided to check out the Sparrow Health Fair at AgroLiquid. There was a great turn out for this event with lots of information and free testing done.
It was a very warm day but that didn’t seem to bother anyone. There was also a medication disposal from Sparrow Clinton Hospital and I arrived without mine. Don’t figure .. .
This event benefits a lot of people, and we look forward to it every year.
Librarians share history with Grace Haven residents
Brett Harger and Marie Geller from Briggs District Library recently shared a variety of historical documents with Grace Haven residents.
CRV visits Air Zoo
Community Resource Volunteers took 7 students and 6 adult volunteers on a trip to the Air Zoo in Portage, MI
on August 22.
Community Resource Volunteers is a nonprofit working with middle school students in Science. We welcome all
students and adults to our programs. We work with astronomy, Aerospace, robots, chemistry and many more
science related programs. Check out and register for upcoming programs at www.crvonline.org or call
517-672-4226 to register or answer any questions.
CRV’s next event will be Build A Blimp, a trip to the University of Michigan on October 7 where students will
learn to build and fly their own blimps. October 28 will be Mars Rover at the CRV Office where students will guide RC rovers over the “Martian” landscape to rescue stranded astronauts.
Portland McDonalds offers new features
On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Portland McDonald’s restaurant located at 1432 E. Grand River Ave., invited guests to experience updates to the restaurant in an effort to showcase a new level of choice, engagement and service.
McDonald’s owner/operators and restaurant teams in Portland are placing a higher emphasis on hospitality by focusing on greeting customers, assisting with new technology and ensuring a clean, welcoming environment. This new restaurant model has been successfully rolled out in more than 2,600 restaurants globally and, as of May 2017, 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants nationally.
McDonald’s is putting more choice and control in the hands of guests by improving how they order, what they order, how they pay and how they are served.
Beginning on Thursday you can be among the first to experience new in-restaurant features, including:
• New digital self-order kiosks
• Table service
• New payment options including Apple/Android Pay
• New Signature Crafted recipe menu items with premium ingredients
Benny and Jessie’s Pet Info – Dog Hiccups: What You Need to Know
Let’s be honest: It’s pretty adorable when our dogs get the hiccups. And when the hiccups happen to puppies? Don’t even get us started.
But could hiccups ever be a problem for pets? And do they bother our dogs as much as they bother us?
Our vet experts explain what causes the hiccups, how to help your dog, and when to call the veterinarian to make sure the hiccups aren’t a symptom of a more serious medical condition.
What Causes Hiccups in Dogs?
Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, says Dr. Audrey J. Wystrach, co-founder and chief operating officer of ZippiVet veterinary practice in Austin, Texas.
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped sheet of internal skeletal muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen, she says. It’s the primary muscle involved in respiration. When a dog breathes in, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, making more room in the chest cavity for the lungs to expand. When a dog breathes out, the diaphragm relaxes and moves up into the chest cavity. Normally, the movements of the diaphragm are smooth and regular, but when the muscle suddenly spasms, we call it a hiccup.
Involuntary diaphragmatic tics also cause hiccups in humans, says Dr. Stephanie Liff, a veterinarian and owner of Pure Paws Veterinary Care in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hiccups can be brought on by eating or drinking too fast and swallowing too much air, she says.
Hiccups may also happen when dogs are excited or stressed, or when they inhale an irritant, Wystrach says. Energetic play and rapid breathing can also bring them on.
Reverse sneezes may sometimes be confused for hiccups, she says. But this is different. Reverse sneezes happen when a dog vigorously sucks in air through her nose.
How Common Are Dog Hiccups?
The condition is much more common in puppies than adult dogs, Liff says. Most dogs experience them at least once when they’re young, she adds.
Puppies are more prone to hiccups than adult dogs because of their high energy and excitement levels, Wystrach says. They’re more likely to eat or drink too fast, and are more prone to rapid bursts of energy, which may impact their breathing.
Their internal organs and systems are also less mature than those of adult dogs, Liff says, which may contribute to an increased chance of hiccups.
How Can You Help a Dog with Hiccups?
Most hiccup spells only last a few minutes, Liff says. In her experience, dogs don’t appear as agitated by the hiccups as they do by other symptoms, like vomiting or coughing.
Still, after getting over the adorableness of their dog’s hiccups, most owners want to do something to help their pets. “Many cures for dogs are quite similar to those used by their owners when hiccups strike,” Wystrach says.
These may include giving dogs something sweet or adding syrup, honey, or sugar to their water, she says. The sweetness can help distract your dog, which can change and hopefully relax her breathing pattern, Wystrach says. “You might want to try a little bit of honey, maple syrup, Karo syrup, or anything sweet in a liquid form.”
Since hiccups are involuntary and can be violent at times, you don’t want to give the dog anything solid that requires a lot of chewing, as this could lead to choking, she says. Make sure to also avoid anything sugar-free, because those products often contain xylitol which can be very dangerous for dogs.
You may try massaging your dog’s chest to help relax the diaphragm, or even gently startling your pet. Encouraging light exercise can also help change your dog’s breathing patterns, Wystrach says.
But don’t let the hiccups stop you from playing with your pup, Liff says. “You can still treat them like a normal dog.”
When Should You Call a Doctor?
Liff says she gets a lot of calls from pet owners concerned about a doggie hiccup attack. For the most part, she tells them it’s nothing to worry about.
But in very rare cases, hiccups could be a sign of a more serious underlying problem, such as respiratory defects, pneumonia, asthma, pericarditis, or heat stroke, Wystrach says. If the condition persists for more than a few hours, it’s time to call your veterinarian.
Letters – Street millage and Sam Coffman’s update
In 2013 the St. Johns community voted to pay 4 mills over 4 years to repair some of the streets in St. Johns. That foresight has resulted in 12 miles of streets that are much improved. Now it’s time to step up to the plate again to pass another street-repair millage on November 7 for the repairs needed on ten more miles of streets.
This next request is for 3 mills (in place of the previous 4 mills) over 5 years. Funds can be spent only on street improvement, including: remove and replace old asphalt, improve and upgrade sidewalk ramps, replace curb & gutter as needed and improve surface drainage. Repairs will be done spring 2018 through fall 2022. The City will minimize future street disruptions in your neighborhood by addressing underground repairs prior to placing new asphalt on the streets: Consumers Energy will upgrade gas services and transmission mains as needed and City Staff will replace old water main valves that have deteriorated.
Unfortunately, in recent years as state legislators have needed to make budget cuts they have cut money that is given back to local communities from tax dollars taken in by the state. This has resulted in cities having tighter budgets for their own expenses such as road repairs.
To see a map of where the 12 miles of roads were repaired and where the next 10 miles will be, go to the web site for the City of St. Johns, or stop at the City offices.
Jenny McCampbell
St. Johns
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I attached two pics from the September 19 presentation.
One is of Mr. Tennant, and has me in it.
Both have the main image that is being used to represent the film on the projector screen in the background.
I’ll keep you posted about the film’s progress, of course
Sam Coffman
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – How to Treat Cat Scratches at Home
Getting scratched by a cat can be more than just painful—the wounds can bleed, sting, swell, become infected, and, in some cases, make us sick. Minor cat scratches usually can be treated at home, but certain wounds may require special care and attention.
Like many animal doctors, Los Angeles-based holistic veterinarian Dr. Patrick Mahaney has dealt with his share of aggressive cats and is well acquainted with the damage they can cause with a swipe of the paw. A cat’s claws are generally sharper than those of a dog and are more likely to cause significant trauma, Mahaney explains. The greater the trauma, the greater the potential for swelling, exposure to the blood supply, and chance of infection, he adds.
According to Dr. Matthew Levy, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there are factors to consider immediately following a cat scratch. “Some things to consider include wound location, wound depth, considerations regarding the cat itself, and medical factors about the person who was scratched,” he advises.
Treating Cat Scratches
When treating superficial scratches, it’s reasonable to wash the wound with soap and water, Levy says. “If the wound is bleeding, apply pressure with a clean, dry gauze pad,” he says. “If the bleeding doesn’t stop despite holding pressure, then medical attention should be sought.”
Wounds to the hands and feet can be more prone to infection, Levy warns, and scratches to the face or other areas of the body can cause cosmetic damage in the form of scarring. A scratch to the eye needs immediate care. The risk for infection is higher for people with weakened or compromised immune systems, Levy says.
An over-the-counter antibiotic cream can be applied and the wound covered with a dry, sterile dressing until it heals, Levy says. It’s crucial to keep an eye on the progression of the wound, he adds, and watch out for warning signs that it’s time to call your doctor.
According to Levy, signs of an infected wound include changes around the wound site, increased redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, pain with movement, or pus drainage. Signs of a generalized body infection include fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, and swollen glands. Swollen glands (lymph nodes) that develop within a week involving an area of the body that was scratched can be an indication of a bacterial infection.
If an unknown or feral cat scratches you, Levy recommends using the same first aid treatment, but also enlisting the help of animal control or your local health department. Depending on the severity of the scratch and whether it was accompanied by a bite, the animal may need to be identified and quarantined or tested for signs of disease, such as rabies. If the animal can’t be captured, your treating physician might recommend a round of rabies prophylaxis (antibody and vaccine injections) as a preventative measure. If you haven’t had a tetanus update in more than 10 years, your doctor might also opt give you a booster shot, Levy says.
Other Risks Associated With Cat Scratches
According to Mahaney, one of the most serious risks associated with cat scratches is cat-scratch disease (CSD), also referred to as cat-scratch fever. “Cat-scratch disease is caused by a type of bacteria called Bartonella,” Mahaney describes. “The bacteria is transmitted to cats from the bite of an infected flea [or through flea feces]. Humans can contract CSD from the bite or scratch of a Bartonella-infected cat” or if the cat licks a person’s wounds.
Flea feces containing Bartonella can end up under a cat’s nails, Mahaney explains, and be transmitted when a scratch occurs. Once Bartonella infects a cat, it will circulate throughout the body via the bloodstream and end up in the saliva, and can be transmitted via a bite as well.
The symptoms of cat-scratch disease can manifest about three to 14 days after an infected cat bites or scratches a person hard enough to break the skin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to showing signs of infection at the site of the wound, a person with cat-scratch disease may also experience fever, fatigue, and decreased appetite.
“In humans, CSD can cause pain and redness at the scratch site, [bumps around the wound], local lymph node swelling, and fever,” Mahaney says.
An estimated 12,000 people are diagnosed with cat-scratch each year, and 500 are hospitalized, the CDC reports. According to Mahaney, if untreated, CSD can cause enlargement of the spleen, thickening of the heart valve, encephalitis (inflammation of the membranes that surrounding the brain), and other ailments.
To prevent cat scratches from turning into a potentially serious medical issue, there are some simple steps you can take at home, Mahaney says. “Using veterinarian-recommended flea and tick control (topical or oral medications), along with good housekeeping habits (vacuuming carpeting, upholstery, and washing human bedding every seven days), can help to keep down flea populations, and reduce the likelihood that Bartonella bacteria will transmit into your cats.”