{"id":6474,"date":"2019-11-14T20:57:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T01:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/?p=6474"},"modified":"2019-11-14T20:57:08","modified_gmt":"2019-11-15T01:57:08","slug":"features-90","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=6474","title":{"rendered":"Features"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Veterans Day Parade<\/strong> &#8211; an album<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_Y3t9OvTVFI\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Veterans Day Parade video &#8211; turn on your speakers<br \/>\ncourtesy video<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aShv_td04B8\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Retired science teachers celebrate Pre-Thanksgiving gathering<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/scienceteachers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"339\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6477\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Pictured are Gary Larsen, Jerry Pulliam, Bernie Wagner, Tom Hutton, Gary Kingsley, and Mike Gehoski.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The former Science Department of St. Johns High School got together for their annual Pre-Thanksgiving gathering. This group has 205.5 years of teaching experience total. That\u2019s a lot of kids.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Retired nurses enjoy their monthly lunch<\/strong><br \/>\nby Maralyn Fink<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vLSDirHJw8s\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday I attended the Lunch at the Wheel Inn for the retired Nurses and spouses. There are a lot of work hours accumulated among this group in caring for the sick at Clinton Memorial Hospital as it was known back in our day.<\/p>\n<p>We get together once a month at a different restaurant in St Johns.<\/p>\n<p>It is great to see everyone each month and talk about how things were done back then and how new things are done today.<\/p>\n<p>Present were: Marion and Bob Ledergerber, Irene Armbrustmacher, Jan Workman, Janet Pline, Betty and Dick Ammons, Merlene Chamberlain, Sue and Jim Cleaver, Diane Korienek, Chris Leavitt, Doris and Stan Jablowski, Diana Keim, Jane Sira, Vicky Becker, Ross Baker and Maralyn Fink Woodbury.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Maralyn&#8217;s Pet Corner<\/strong> &#8211; How to Tell If a Cat Is in Pain<br \/>\ncourtesy of Elfenbein, DVM, PhD<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing when a cat is in pain is difficult except in the most extreme cases. Thousands of years of natural selection have made cats VERY good at masking pain.<\/p>\n<p>After all, it\u2019s generally not a good idea to advertise the fact that you\u2019re not at your best when a predator or potential mate might be nearby.<\/p>\n<p><em>How Do I Know If My Cat Is in Pain?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For cats, pain encompasses more than just the \u201cI hurt\u201d sensation, but also the overall distress that it can cause. As the World Small Animal Association\u2019s Global Pain Council puts it:<\/p>\n<p>Pain is a complex multi-dimensional experience involving sensory and affective (emotional) components. In other words, \u2018pain is not just about how it feels, but how it makes you feel,\u2019 and it is those unpleasant feelings that cause the suffering we associate with pain.<\/p>\n<p>As a pet parent, you want an easy way to tell if your cat is in pain. As a veterinarian, I want the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>I wish I had tools to help my patients, like the facial expression scale physicians for people. But you can\u2019t just say, \u201cOkay Frisky, just put your paw on the face that best expresses how you feel today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, we have to rely on a cat\u2019s behavior to evaluate pain.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately we\u2019ve received a little help in this regard with the publication of a paper entitled, \u201cBehavioural Signs of Pain in Cats: An Expert Consensus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at what the experts have to say about the signs of pain in cats.<\/p>\n<p>Veterinarian Panel Consensus: 25 Signs of Pain in Cats<\/p>\n<p>A panel of 19 international veterinary experts in feline medicine agreed that the best way to assess cat pain without contributing to or exacerbating the pain is by looking for these changes in your cat\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind, any one of the 25 signs of cat pain listed below are sufficient to diagnose pain. Your cat doesn\u2019t need to be displaying all of these signs of pain for it to be a potential problem.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Lameness (limping)<br \/>\n&#8211; Difficulty jumping<br \/>\n&#8211; Abnormal gait<br \/>\n&#8211; Reluctance to move<br \/>\n&#8211; Reaction to palpation (touching)<br \/>\n&#8211; Withdrawn or hiding<br \/>\n&#8211; Lack of self-grooming<br \/>\n&#8211; Playing less<br \/>\n&#8211; Appetite decrease<br \/>\n&#8211; Overall activity decrease<br \/>\n&#8211; Rubbing themselves on people less<br \/>\n&#8211; General mood change<br \/>\n&#8211; Temperament change<br \/>\n&#8211; Hunched-up posture<br \/>\n&#8211; Shifting weight when standing, lying down or walking<br \/>\n&#8211; Licking a particular body region<br \/>\n&#8211; Lower head posture<br \/>\n&#8211; Squinting<br \/>\n&#8211; Change in feeding behavior<br \/>\n&#8211; Avoiding bright areas<br \/>\n&#8211; Growling<br \/>\n&#8211; Groaning<br \/>\n&#8211; Eyes closed<br \/>\n&#8211; Straining to urinate<br \/>\n&#8211; Tail flicking<\/p>\n<p><em>Always Discuss Your Cat\u2019s Behavioral Changes With Your Vet<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While this list of signs of pain in cats is helpful, it only goes so far. Your veterinarian is the best person to help you decide whether these changes in your cat are pain-related.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, a cat who has an abnormal gait might certainly be in pain, but other non-painful conditions (e.g., neurologic disorders) could also be involved. Or, a cat who changes her general mood may not be in pain but may have a hormonal change such as a hyperactive thyroid.<\/p>\n<p>Any change in behavior can be significant for your cat\u2019s health and should be addressed.<\/p>\n<p>As a veterinarian, in cases where I have failed to find another reason for a cat\u2019s change in behavior, I\u2019m left with pain as the most likely cause.<\/p>\n<p>Then I often rely on a tried-and-true veterinary test: response to treatment.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll put my patient on a few days of buprenorphine \u2014 my favorite kitty pain reliever \u2014 or gabapentin; and if their behavior returns to normal, we now know that pain is to blame.<\/p>\n<p>If you think your cat is in pain, never give your cat any of your own pain medications. They can kill cats. Instead, call your veterinarian and describe the signs of pain you have noticed so they can help you figure out the best mode of treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veterans Day Parade &#8211; an album Veterans Day Parade video &#8211; turn on your speakers courtesy video Retired science teachers celebrate Pre-Thanksgiving gathering Pictured are Gary Larsen, Jerry Pulliam, Bernie Wagner, Tom Hutton, Gary Kingsley, and Mike Gehoski. The former Science Department of St. Johns High School got together for their annual Pre-Thanksgiving gathering. This <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=6474\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6474\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}