Depot event celebrates Armed Forces
by Maralyn Fink
St. Johns Depot is hosting a celebration of our men and women who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. This is their Fourth Year.
I attended the event last weekend and found some nice displays, one of which was patriotic art work done through out the Middle School Art Challenge. This included Dewitt, Fowler, Bath and P-W schools. Each school presented 4 drawings per school. Every school had the opportunity to participate in the challenge. These pictures will travel to different events this summer, then the public can vote on them.
I spoke with Paul Martis who learned Morse Code while in the service at Ft. Devon’s, Mass. in the years of 1952-1955 as an Army Security Agency. Paul served in the Korean War while in Germany and had the job copying Morse Code from the Russians, Czech’s, Poland and Russia for 2 years.
It was very interesting in talking with him and he can still do the Code.
Thank you, Gary and Jennie Campbell and Paul and Joann Martis and to the people and kids who came out.
This week’s Mystery Photo
Where is this?
Can you tell us where this is located? Drop us a line at mail@sjindy.com.
207 N. Mead St. – St. Johns, Michigan
The current owners are Ricky and Jeannie Hudson. Previous owners include Joseph Karber, Joan Gibbs, C. Rehmann, R. Hudson, and R. & W. Lang. Dale Robinson lived there in 1950.
A Look Back – Beautifying Downtown St. Johns Circa 1968
by Barry Bauer
Members of the French’s Corners 4-H Club helped give downtown St. Johns a beauty treatment last week by cleaning up and planting fresh flowers in the six floral boxes that line the sidewalks of the middle block of Clinton Avenue.
Lynda Droste (left) is the club’s teen leader, and the other three members are Marcia Motz, Bruce Droste and Eugene Jones. Several 4-H clubs fixed up flower boxes as a Michigan Week project.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Can You Give a Cat Benadryl?
When you have an allergic reaction, it’s easy to just pop a Benadryl to ease your symptoms. Many dogs are given Benadryl to help them fend off allergic reactions. But is this drug safe for cats too?
“It is safe,” says John Faught, a DVM and medical director of the Firehouse Animal Health Center in Austin, Texas. “Benadryl is just an antihistamine, and it’s relatively safe for both dogs and cats.”
Benadryl is the brand name for the drug. The active ingredient is diphenhydramine, which you also can buy if you’re looking for a generic form of the medication. The Benadryl you’d get at the vet’s office is the same drug you’d buy off the shelf at your local grocery store.
How to Give Benadryl to a Cat
The easiest way to dose a cat is to syringe liquid Benadryl, says Faught. But many cats will simply refuse to take it if they don’t like the odor or taste. If your cat won’t take it, you can try going through a compounding pharmacy where the staff can flavor the liquid with chicken, fish or another cat-approved taste, which may increase the chance of your feline taking it. Pills also can be flavored, if you’d prefer to give the medication that way instead. You also could try to mix it up with their food to see if they’ll consume it with the meal.
Faught says his office doses Benadryl at about one milligram per pound. For an average sized cat, you’ll probably want to give half of a 25-milligram tablet. A 10-pound cat will most likely need about four milliliters of liquid (available at a concentration of 12.5mg/5ml) to get the right dose, he says.
What is Benadryl Used for in Cats?
Benadryl is most commonly used for itchy or allergic skin reactions, vaccine reactions or bug bites. Occasionally, the drug can work as a mild sedative that you can use during long car trips. Benadryl can be used as an anti-nausea or motion sickness medication, but Faught cautions that it’s best to use a different medication if that’s the symptom you’re trying to treat.
Precautions to Take When Giving Benadryl to Cats
Just like in people, Benadryl can cause a wide range of symptoms. Your cat may act drowsy. The drug, sometimes, may also cause a cat to get amped up or hyper. Overdoses can lead to seizures, coma, difficulties breathing, and even death.
As with giving any new medication, it’s best to talk it over with your vet to see if Benadryl might be right for your cat and ensure that the dosage won’t interfere with any other medications your cat may be taking.
It’s also best to ensure that the medication is not masking a larger issue, says Faught.
“Oftentimes, you can have mites or infection or something else that’s going on that might be the underlying component,” he says. “Benadryl treats a symptom; it doesn’t necessarily take away an underlying problem.”
If your cat is having a severe allergic reaction—with problems such as trouble breathing—it’s best to contact your vet to discuss the issue instead of just giving Benadryl to see if the symptom disappears.