Habitat for Humanity hosted its Dream Builders Gala – with an album
Last Friday night Habitat for Humanity hosted its Dream Builders Gala – An Evening In Oz. They had great Stars and professionals who really danced their hearts out.
Thank you to Jim Geyer, Dean Hartenburg, Pastor Rick Ruble and Matthew Ryan Smith for your willingness to support Habitat through your rockin’ dance moves. Thank you Ernest Werth-Toward for being a great emcee again this year.
And congratulations to Dean Hartenburg and his daughter for performing the winning dance routine.
National Writing Award presented
At the Annual Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writer’s fall conference held at Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, Bob Holzhei placed third in the Awards-In-Craft Competition in the Best of Newspaper Category.
The award was presented for a hunting story titled “Are Turkey Hunts Actually All About the Gear?” The story was published in Midwest Outdoors, a monthly publication distributed throughout the Midwest.
At the annual conference Holzhei along with Joe Henry, Lake of the Woods Tourism Executive Director presented the Keynote Tourism Session to the membership. Approximately 200 plus outdoor writers, tourism professionals, and industry representatives from the U. S. attend the annual conference.
In addition, Holzhei, has presented a New Member Session yearly and also presented a Session on Self-Publishing.
“I am honored to continue to teach and write in an active retirement,” concluded Holzhei.
Benny and Jessie’s Pet Info – How to Find Your Dog’s Body Condition Score
We all know that body weight is not the only factor to determine whether we are too thin or too heavy. Muscle mass and body fat also come into play, which is why doctors often measure our Body Mass Index, a measurement that takes these factors into account in addition to the number on the scale. The same is true for dogs. Regularly weighing them is important, but to determine if your dog is under- or overweight, you will want to calculate his Body Condition Score (BCS).
This is a visual, hands-on assessment of your dog’s levels of lean muscle and fat and is an important measurement of his health, said Dr. Matthew Rooney, owner of Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists in Longmont, Colo. “Just as people need to maintain a good healthy body weight and condition […] a healthy BCS means that your dog is not too skinny or fat.”
This score adds much-needed value and context to what is otherwise just a number on a scale, agreed Dr. Susan O’Bell, staff veterinarian at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.
Here, find out how to understand how the scoring works and how to take this measurement at home.
How Does BCS Determine if a Dog is Over or Underweight?
A BCS is based on four criteria: how easily felt the ribs are, how obvious the waist and abdominal tuck is, how much excess fat is beneath the skin and how much muscle mass is present. For a dog to score in the healthy range, the ribs should be easy to feel (but not see) and a defined waist, or “abdominal tuck,” should be evident when your dog is viewed from the top and side respectively, O’Bell says. Depending on the thickness of your dog’s coat, you might have to feel for a defined waist or tuck if it is not readily visible.
An overweight dog would have a visibly sagging stomach, no discernible waist, ribs that are difficult to feel under fat and a back that is flat and broad. On a very underweight dog, ribs, spine and other bones would be visible from a distance. The higher the BCS, the fatter and less healthy the dog is, Rooney says, and conversely, the lower the score, the thinner the dog is. A too-thin dog can also be unhealthy.
Scoring is based on either a five or nine-point scale. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention offers guidelines with descriptions and images based on a five-point system, while O’Bell uses a nine-point system to score her patients. Using the nine-point scale, an ideal score is a four or five, with lower numbers (one to three) being too thin and higher numbers (six to nine) being overweight or obese, she says.
In general, a dog’s age does not come into play when measuring body condition, Rooney says. However, spaying or neutering your pet greatly influences metabolism, so you might need to discuss dietary changes with your vet to keep your dog in the healthy range after they have had this procedure. Also, aging pets tend to have more chronic health issues, which can reduce their amount of lean muscle mass and activity levels and can also require dietary changes to maintain health, O’Bell says.
How Can Pet Parents Measure Body Condition Score at Home?
Ask your vet for the scoring system he or she prefers or find a detailed scoring chart online. Your dog should be standing during the assessment. O’Bell describes how to assess your dog using the chart as guide:
To begin, gently press your hands over the rib cage. Individual ribs should be evident without having to press hard, but they should not be readily felt. There should be no overlying fat, and they should not be seen readily.
There should be a nice, seemingly proportionate “abdominal tuck” or “hourglass” when palpating your dog’s waist from the side or along his back. Physically palpating is particularly important in dogs with excess fur. Dogs that are too thin will have bony prominences, particularly over the hip bones, shoulder blades and ribs. Dogs who are obese will have excessive soft or fatty areas that are evident, and it will be more difficult or impossible to feel their ribs or hip bones.
Remember, measuring your dog’s BCS at home should not replace a veterinary visit. “Stay in close communication with your veterinarian if you think your dog’s body weight and/or BCS is changing at all,” O’Bell says.
What Should Pet Parents do if Their Dog’s Score is Unhealthy?
“A very useful way for me to help clients know the ideal weight of their dogs is to see if we have a weight range in his history that matches up to a perfect four or five score on a nine-point scale,” O’Bell says. This can guide whatever steps are needed.
If your dog is overweight, Rooney suggests asking your vet about switching to diet dog foods or cutting back on the amount your dog is eating. “Introduce exercise gradually if your dog has been a couch potato, starting with a brisk walk of 10 to 15 minutes,” he adds. “It often takes two to three months for a dog to lose noticeable weight, so don’t try to rush it too much.”
If your dog is underweight — perhaps he is a new rescue who was underfed — consult your vet about a healthy way for him add weight. For example, Rooney says, higher-calorie diets are available. A dog that is too skinny might also be having difficulty eating, from teeth or jaw problems, Rooney added, or have problems with digestion or underlying illness. Always consult your vet to rule out illness.
Maintaining your dog’s healthy weight is a perfect balance of scientific recommendations and common sense, O’Bell says. Rely on your veterinarian and monitor your dog’s diet between weigh-ins and BCS measurements.
Letters – Street millage and Thanksgiving postponed
St. Johns earns Street Millage approval
Four years ago St. Johns voters approved a plan to pay for the improvement of city streets – 4 mills for 4 years and 12 miles of streets in all parts of the city are today almost like new. We voted; the City acted according to plan.
The City has earned the new program at 3 mills for 5 years to continue the work. 10 miles of improved streets in all parts of the city at less cost than before. Let’s get it done. We’ve all earned it.
Vote Yes on Street Millage November 7th.
John Sirrine
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Thanksgiving 2017 Postponed
The organizing committee for the St. Johns area Community Thanksgiving Dinner decided not to hold the feast in November 2017.
Instead they will build a larger committee with people from more community organizations and churches. The goal is to have direct communication with many more people in order to invite larger numbers of people to the feast.
Another important goal is to emphasize that the community dining is not so much a quick economical pitstop, but rather is a chance to see and hear others you may only know from a distance. Sitting down and sharing food is an ancient social experience that is worth a lot in our fast-paced times.
If you or your organization would like to be part of this expanded process of gearing up for a big feast in 2018 and learn from the other community feasts around the state, please leave a message at the First Congregational Church office (989-224-2636, or email first.congregational.church.sj@gmail.com.
Guven Witteveen
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Epileptic Seizures in Cats
Epilepsy is a disease that is characterized by convulsions (seizures), and sometimes the two terms are confused.
Symptoms and Types
A seizure may have several symptoms or only a few, including:
– Loss of consciousness
– Muscle contraction
– Hallucinations
– Involuntarily urination, defecation, drooling (salivation)
– Loss of recognition of owner
– Vicious behavior
– Pacing
– Running in circles
A typical seizure will have three components. In the first (aural) stage, the cat’s behavior will be out of the ordinary. It may hide, seem nervous, or search for its owner. It may be restless, shaking, or drooling (salivating). The aural phase may last from a few seconds to a few hours.
The second phase is the seizure itself and will last from a few seconds to about five minutes. All of the muscles of the body may contract. The cat may fall on its side and seem unaware of what is going on. The head will be thrown backward by the convulsions. It will probably urinate, defecate, and drool (salivate). If this lasts more than five minutes, the seizure is said to be prolonged.
A seizure is frightening for the onlooker, but you need to know that the cat is not in pain. To avoid being bitten, do not put your fingers in its mouth. You will want to protect the cat from hurting itself, but it is better to leave it on the floor. The cat will need treatment if its body temperature rises dramatically.
Following the seizure, the cat will be confused and unaware (disoriented). It will drool and pace. There may be temporary blindness. The length of this phase is not related to the length of the seizure itself.
If your cat is having a seizure, pay attention to the details. Your veterinarian will need specific details to make the proper pre-diagnosis. You should observe breathing patterns, motion or rigidity of limbs, eye dilation or motion, salivation, body twisting, and muscle twitching. Your veterinarian will want to know how long the seizure lasted as well, make a note of that. Once the seizure is over, your presence and attention will comfort your cat as he regains consciousness.
Causes
Seizures may be caused by a variety of factors such as injury (trauma), infections, tumors, epilepsy, and ingestion of or exposure to toxic chemicals. If your cat has a seizure, the first goal should be to figure out what caused it. A seizure should not be left untreated because it may be the first indication of an underlying disease.
Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will need to take a thorough history. Possible head trauma or exposure to poisonous or hallucinogenic substances will be one of the main concerns. The physical examination will include a complete blood test and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to rule out disorders of the liver, kidneys, heart, and blood.
Treatment
If a cause for the seizures cannot be found, your veterinarian may send you home with anticonvulsant therapy. Further treatment will be based on how soon the next seizure occurs. If seizures are frequent, more tests will be justified. If the seizures last more than five minutes and occur as often as every 30 days, your veterinarian may prescribe continuous anticonvulsant therapy.
Living and Management
Follow your veterinarian’s directions regarding the medications. Anticonvulsant medication should not be discontinued suddenly. Your veterinarian will provide guidelines for when the medication should be discontinued.