 |
Somewhere in Texas |
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Monday, April 02, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
WSJ Article > TICKing Time Bomb
They
can wait for months, clinging to the edge of a blade of grass or a bush, for the
whiff of an animal's breath or vibration telling them a host approaches.
Around the country, state and federal health officials are
battling a continued rise in tick-borne diseases including Lyme, babeosis, and
Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Laura Landro has details on Lunch
Break.
They
are ticks—and when they attach to your skin and feed on your blood over many
days, they can transmit diseases. Often hard to diagnose and tricky to treat,
tick-borne illnesses—led by Lyme disease—can cause symptoms ranging from
headache and muscle aches, to serious and long-term complications that affect
the brain, joints, heart, nerves and muscles. Preventing bites to head off
illness is particularly important, experts say, because the complex interaction
between ticks, their hosts, bacteria and habitats isn't completely
understood.
Warmer
temperatures are leading some experts to warn that tick activity is starting
earlier than usual this year, putting more people at risk.
"This
is going to be a horrific season, especially for Lyme," says Leo J. Shea III, a
clinical assistant professor at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine,
part of New York University Langone Medical Center. He is also president of the
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.
Lyme
may be identified after a tick bite, for example, by an expanding rash that
looks like a bull's-eye. But that doesn't always happen, and even after a tick
bite, antibodies against Lyme may not show up for weeks, so early blood tests
can turn up false negatives. Symptoms such as fatigue, chills, fever, headache
and swollen lymph nodes may be misdiagnosed. Some infections can go undetected
for months or even years. When caught early, tick-borne diseases can be treated
successfully with two weeks of antibiotics, but doctors and researchers still
argue about whether a chronic form of Lyme exists, and whether it should be
treated with longer courses of the drugs.
To Fight Ticks
Several steps to reduce the chance of picking up disease
bearing ticks.
Between
1992 and 2010, reported cases of Lyme doubled, to nearly 23,000, and there were
another 7,600 probable cases in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. But CDC officials say the true incidence of Lyme may be
three times higher. Other infections, including babesiosis, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, and anaplasmosis are steadily increasing, too. While not all
ticks carry disease, some may spread two or three types of infections in a
single bite.
Researchers
say the primary reasons for the global rise of tick-borne illness include the
movement of people into areas where animal hosts and tick populations are
abundant, and growth in the population of animals that carry ticks, including
deer, squirrels and mice.
"We
haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the type of pathogens ticks can be
harboring and transmitting," says Kristy K. Bradley, state epidemiologist and
public health veterinarian for the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Animals
"are a traveling tick parade," Dr. Bradley adds, with pet dogs "bringing them
into the home and onto furniture and carpets."
Regularly
checking the body for ticks can reduce exposure, because removing them quickly
can prevent transmission of disease, says Kirby C. Stafford III, chief
entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, or CAES, in New
Haven.
Showering
or bathing quickly after being outdoors can also help wash off crawling ticks or
make it easier to find them. What won't work: simply jumping in the pool or
lake, because ticks can hide in bathing suits and don't quickly drown in water.
There are tick-repellent sprays for clothes, but it is wise to immediately
launder and dry garments at high temperatures after hiking or golfing in areas
where ticks are present.
The
CDC is conducting the first study of its kind to determine whether spraying the
yard for ticks can not only kill pests, but also reduce human disease.
Participating households agreed to be randomly assigned a single spray with a
common pesticide, bifenthrin, or one that contained water, without knowing which
they would receive.
Paul
Mead, chief of epidemiology and surveillance activity at CDC's bacterial-illness
branch, says preliminary results from about 1,500 households indicate that a
spray reduced the tick population by 60%.
"But
there was far less of a reduction in tick encounters and illness," indicating
that even a sharp drop in tick populations leaves infected ones behind. "We may
have to completely wipe out ticks to get an effect on human illness," he
says. The CDC is enrolling
households for a second arm of the
study and expects final results late in the fall. Organic repellents such as
Alaska cedar are also being tested in other studies.
Sometimes
fire is the only solution: Wildlife biologist Scott C. Williams roams
Connecticut's woods armed with a propane torch to incinerate clumps of Japanese
barberry, an invasive plant species that chokes off native vegetation and
provides a favorite habitat for ticks.
The
CAES program to control the red-berried shrub—once cultivated as decorative—is
part of the growing, multifaceted effort around the country to prevent the
spread of infections like Lyme, which Dr. Williams has been treated for twice
since beginning the project in 2007.
Dr.
Bradley's home state of Oklahoma is one of several working with the One Health
Initiative, a global program to improve communication between physicians and
veterinarians to prevent the spread of infectious disease from animals to
people, such as recommending tick collars, sprays or topical treatments with
pesticides for dogs.
One
problem, says Laura Kahn, a founder of One Health, is that "vets don't like to
advise people on human health and physicians don't typically think about these
things, so it falls through the cracks." About 75% of new diseases that have
emerged globally in the last 30 years are spread from animals to people, many of
them through ticks, says Dr. Kahn, who is also a science-and-global-security
researcher at Princeton University.
Jason
Lipsett, 21 years old, was diagnosed with Lyme in November, after suffering for
three years with symptoms including problems with his jaw, recurring sinus
infections, migraines and trouble sleeping. He had to give up playing tennis and
take a medical leave from Bentley University in Waltham Mass., where he was a
senior. He doesn't remember being bitten by a tick but had been camping in the
woods in New Hampshire and often spent time outdoors during the summers at a
family home in Cape Cod.
Doctors
told him he might have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Depressed about
his health, he began seeing a therapist who knew about the symptoms of Lyme and
referred him to another physician. That doctor determined he had Lyme—and
babesiosis, caused by a parasite that destroys red blood cells.
Mr.
Lipsett has been on an antibiotic regimen for four months. He says he has felt
better each month and that he is prepared to stay on the drugs until he and his
doctor are confident the disease is under control. He is making up courses and
hopes to graduate next year. He plans to participate in a 5K run on April 29 to
raise money for Time for Lyme, a Stamford, Conn. nonprofit that supports
research into Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
"I
may not be able to run, but I'm going to try to walk it," he says.
Write to Laura Landro at laura.landro@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared Mar. 27, 2012, on page
D1 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: This
Season's Ticking Bomb.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Imagine
 |
| Albert Einstein (Photo credit: afagen) |
Monday, March 05, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Snow Art
Artist Simon Beck must really love the cold weather! Along the frozen lakes of Savoie, France, he spends days plodding through the snow in raquettes (snowshoes), creating these sensational patterns of snow art. Working for 5-9 hours a day, each final piece is typically the size of three soccer fields! The geometric forms range in mathematical patterns and shapes that create stunning, sometimes 3D, designs when viewed from higher levels.
How long these magnificent geometric forms survive is completely dependent on the weather. Beck designs and redesigns the patterns as new snow falls, sometimes unable to finish a piece due to significant overnight accumulations. Interestingly enough, he said, 'The main reason for making them was because I can no longer run properly due to problems with my feet, so plodding about on level snow is the least painful way of getting exercise. Gradually, the reason has become photographing them, and I am considering buying a better camera.” Spectacular art for the sake of exercise!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Sophie > Diary of a Southern Belle 5
Adventures & Training
I am making every effort to expose Sophie to all kinds of stimuli so we visit various places, practice our training under the different circumstances. Example, lie down on the sidewalk while we sit at an outdoor table & I have a cup of coffee while people, skaters & cars go by.
One thing for sure: she likes to lead o the lead. She's like a scout. However, on our property, she heels like an angel w/o a leash but off property she seems extremely guarded, watchful. But she is not confident enough about all the 'stuff' going around her to heel well.....yet. She remains too distracted.
On a walk down main street she is still preoccupied by the activity around her; she changes positions,i.e. left to right or behind purposefully. Is she trying to protect me from somebody walking by on the right or behind me? (She is also now lying in doorways in the house.)
For pure exercise we walk along forest paths in the town parks. There I let her drag a 10' lead behind her. When she gets too far ahead, she turns to see where I am. On her own, she will stop until I catch up. She also 'waits' on command. If there is a fork in the trail, she looks to me for direction and I point & she goes in that direction. Sometimes we play hide & seek as I duck behind a tree or start walking in the opposite direction. This way she has learned to keep an eye on me.
There is a also good mile plus walk around our town recreation center. There we walk through high grasses on either side of the path, past several ponds, over a little bridge. There are picnic tables & benches along the way & I have her jump onto to those objects to give her more confidence & her back legs extra exercise. When she jumps it looks effortless but we know she lacks muscle tone in her rear legs. On this trail, she did fine, again a little cautious if someone approaches. But at the end of these walks she is definitely tired so I think her endurance has to be built up. Soon Carol will start running with her.
When she was first rescued, she weighed about 125#, terribly overweight, because she was free fed and had zero exercise. I'm happy to report that with the regimen that her foster mom put her on and that I've continued, she is down to a measly 106# as of today 02/24/12. And a good thing, too, because her groomer had to pick her up to get into the tub. She did fine with him, the fussing, the hair dryer and all. But she was definitely glad to see me return.
Now that Sophie has learned how to open doors, I'm trying to teach her how to close them. This is one smart girl & I'm doing my best to keep her busy. When you point at something, I've found some Bouvs look at the finger, others look at where it is pointed. Sophie does the latter. She is very sensitive to all things including subtle body movements so a point to lie down in your bed works for her.
She sits for her dinner & waits for permission to eat. She waits to go thru the door after me. She asks permission to come up on the sofa. She naturally moves over to give me room on the sofa or gets off the sofa automatically if carol is already there & there is no more room.
She understands the words “no more” as in treats, scratching, etc. She has learned she is going to stay behind with “bye-bye” & makes no effort to get out the door as we leave. She has learned to move with “excuse me”. She knows “sit”, “down”. She will “talk” to me when I talk directly to her. She goes into attention mode on “watch”. “Do you want to go for a ride?”, “go to the office”, “want to go out”, “want a biscuit” gets enthusiastic responses. She aims for the “office” door if I use that word & aims for the house if I say “home”. If she's out & I'm inside she barks to be let in or pushes the door open. What will she learn in the months ahead? I can hardly wait.
Personality & Protection
On her first trip to the dog park for “socialization” Sophie was patient w some of the other dogs until they got a little rambunctious, at which point she would warn them. She didn't wander far from me but I saw her prey drive kick in once as she went chasing with some other dogs, but then realizing she wasn't sure was ok with me, looked back for permission to continue. She went back to chasing and as a test, after a bit, I called her back to see what would happen & she immediately returned to my side.
Sophie's new attention word is "watch" and she does just that. We played at 'watch' today when the oil delivery arrived. She did pretty well. On another occasion a friend arrived at the gate while we we were wandering around. She saw that & immediately went towards the gate barking. I praised her, then opened the gate & introduced her to person who I invited onto the property. She was fine.
Then, the other day, while sleeping on her pad in the office, Carol sort of barged in unannounced. Sophie jumped to feet, immediately went into protection barking, started for the door until she noticed it was Carol, then became a little shameful. We both praised her effort.
And finally, the other day a friend came over & knocked on the office door. Sophie immediately went to the door and quietly waited for me. I opened it to a male friend who stuck his hand hand out for a Sophie wifff. I told her it was ok & he entered. He petted her, then said 'hi' to Stella, & back to Sophie who seemed fine with him. But for some reason as she was smelling him some more, he looked straight into her eyes which elicited a very low, mean growl, nothing unusual for a Bouv but he was properly startled & I explained 'staring' was a challenging 'no-no'. So there's something in there, unlike Stella, who is basically a shell of a Bouvier (but whom I love dearly).
On President's Day I again took her to the dog park (not my favorite place for more canine socialization). On lead, everyone took a smell & though she was apprehensive she put up with it & returned the same interest. I let her off lead. There was a lab chasing a ball but she showed no interest, walking along side me. I walked to an area where other dogs were playing. She observed but did not partake. I tried to interest her in the ball. She perked up sightly (a “1” on the 0-10 scale) but wouldn't chase.
There was a bench in the sun so I decided to sit down to see what she would do. She lay down at my feet. A few curious dogs came by & I heard a growl. Two of the three decided it was probably better to move on but one stayed on to investigate further from the back of the bench. Sophie stood, stuck her head under the bench to watch & must have been putting out some signal because the other dog decided to move around to the front of the bench where I was sitting. BIG MISTAKE. Sophie went after him, chasing it away @ full speed. I called out to her; she stopped in her tracks & immediately returned to me. Clearly she was guarding 'our' space & had no interest in socializing so we left. Will try again in a few days.
Life With Stella Bella
As reticent as Stella is, Sophie is exuberant. Sophie explodes into action, Stella trundles along but Sophie watches Stella, stays away from her food & treats. But there are times Sophie's mischievous side emerges and she charges Stella who steps aside and does a mini charge back at which point Sophie goes into play stance, bowed front end, forelegs outstretched. It's very funny to watch but reminds me of every young Bouv trying to get its elder to “dance”.
Meanwhile Sophie has invaded Stella's space w/o incident. Remember: the sofa, fireplace, 2 chairs forming a rectangular space is what Stella considers her “crate”. Well, over the weeks, Sophie started to encroach on that space slooowly but surely. First step: Sophie's head & fore paws intruded while the rest of her body was outside the space. Then half a body. Now Sophie sleeps inside the space but NEVER on the sofa. She seems perfectly comfortable on the floor or on the hearth, at a lower spot than Stella. The sofa remains Stella's un-challenged, private domain as it should be.
Meanwhile Sophie has invaded Stella's space w/o incident. Remember: the sofa, fireplace, 2 chairs forming a rectangular space is what Stella considers her “crate”. Well, over the weeks, Sophie started to encroach on that space slooowly but surely. First step: Sophie's head & fore paws intruded while the rest of her body was outside the space. Then half a body. Now Sophie sleeps inside the space but NEVER on the sofa. She seems perfectly comfortable on the floor or on the hearth, at a lower spot than Stella. The sofa remains Stella's un-challenged, private domain as it should be.
Stella's favorite treat is a mini carrot and Sophie has now learned to appreciate them which wasn't true at the beginning. When Stella hears carrots being cut she waddles into kitchen for treat. Sophie not wanting to lose out on a treat of any kind, is right behind her.
Medical Report
Sophie no longer limps. Instead, she runs & jumps even though I try to limit it. She doesn't seem preoccupied with her other limbs. She is peeing less and we believe this is part of the bacterial issue which is being tended to. Her attention to her urinary area (licking) has lessened probably along with the lower bacterial numbers.
At 8:35pm A few days ago, Dr. Judith Feldstein (surgeon) called to say Sophie's urine culture came back negative so we are DEFINITELY gaining on infection. Also allowed the Soph off Tramadol & leash as long as she doesn't go crazy. We have follow up appointment on the 24th . I'm going to try to convince this vet to be Sophie's primary care vet as I REALLY LIKE HER A LOT. Carol & I agree that the extra expense of going to this place is worth it to us. Fingers crossed.
I don't like imagining things but Sophie yawns a lot or opens her mouth a lot & sneezes a lot. She also has a few reverse sneezing fits. It's odd behavior to me. But it can be explained by the bacterial invasion & possibly the time of year, i.e. allergy. I always watch behaviors & the Soph is eating, drinking & eliminating properly. Her spirits are good, her eyes -- a bit odd -- look clear but I will take her to eye specialist for a check up in a few weeks. Her personality is winsome & wonderful. We play & talk to each other. She seems to love it. And she wanders the property at will with Stella several times daily.
We had a follow up appointment today 02/24/12 & everything was fine; a good report. The current plan calls for finishing the antibiotics (another 7-8 days). Then another 7-10 days past the last pill, we return for another urine culture to make sure Sophie is clear of all bacteria. I have to keep special watch over her, paying particular attention between days 5-7 in case there is a relapse. Believe me, I'm on top of it.
Six Degrees of Separation
I think we've all been very lucky. Sophie's infection seems to have been caught in the nick of time. It must have been building up for a while considering the extremely high levels. But we're over the hump. She had excellent and expensive care with the specialists at the Bedford-Katonah Medical Center. Fortunately surgery was not necessary but it was a close call.
I have kept in close touch with Sophie's savior & foster mom (Deborah) through the entire process. The ABRL stepped up to the plate to help defray some of the thousands of dollars this cost. I am immensely grateful to Deborah & Bob Dickerson for entrusting me with Sophie and to Marcia Proud for helping when it was really needed.
It's funny how the world works. A little over 13 years ago, I delivered a rescue, named 'Rheba' to Deborah & Bob as they contemplated their retirement to their farm in North Carolina. 'Rheba' was a piece of work, a delightfully energetic girl whom Deb & Bob took under their wing & as company for a terribly abused rescue they already had named “Moxie” who came from an abusive breeder / groomer whom I knew here in CT. 'Rheba' lived a wonderful long life in the country with the Dickersons who have since resuced 85 other Bouvs. 'Rheba' died at age 16 1/2 and here we have the full circle whereby Deborah and Bob have given Sophie to us thirteen and a half years later. That's what it's all about.
I don't know when the next diary entry will be made. I will continue to take Sophie & Stella on walks through our various parks; maybe even to Compo Beach which is open to dogs in the winter. In the early spring I will have to teach Sophie about the flower beds & in early summer, Sophie, Stella & I will travel to Sharon Springs, NY for the annual Bouvstock celebration. It'll be lots of fun. After that we'll get into swimming, hiking and other activities. I hope the girls are happy here with us.
If you get nothing else from this diary, please understand the importance & reward for rescuing a Bouvier in need. Please get involved. Do it.
Love,
Sophie (and Stella).
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sophie > Reverse Sneezing written by Mo van den Tillaart
Reverse sneezing (Pharyngeal Gag Reflex) is a sudden, rapid and extreme forceful inhalation of air through the nose causing the dog to make repeated snorting noises, which may sound like he is choking.
It sounds like the dog is trying to inhale a sneeze, and it is therefore known as reverse sneezing.
Reverse sneezing is often caused by irritation of the the palate/laryngeal area.
It causes a spasm in the muscles of the pharynx. Reverse sneezing is characterized by honking, hacking or snorting sounds (gasping inwards).
It primarily occurs when the dog is excited, but it can also happen after drinking, eating, running, or pulling on the leash.
A typical episode lasts only a few seconds, but some dogs may experience this for a few minutes and usually several times a day.
Most of the time you can stop the spasm by gently massaging the throat of your dog, or briefly closing it's nostrils until the dog swallows.
In some cases reverse sneezing is caused by foreign bodies in the nasal passage (grass blades), irritation from allergies or irritants (pollens, smoke, perfumes), or even tooth root infections.
In those cases you should always consult a vet. If the dog is having repeated attacks of reverse sneezing, your vet may prescribe antihistamines to see if that helps stop the sneezing.
When reverse sneezing occurs right after the nose-inoculation against kennel-cough, it would be advisable to give the dog some antibiotics.
Most dogs that have infrequent episodes of reverse sneezing, can lead a perfectly normal life, cause reverse sneezing is a harmless condition and medical treatment is not necessary. Although it is important not to confuse reverse sneezing with a collapsing trachea or a heart problem.
In case of doubt, it is important to have the dog examined by your veterinarian.Click here for a 'reverse sneezing' YouTube video. This is just one of the many examples on YouTube, so I advise you to browse YouTube for more.
Be sure to seek the advice of your veterinarian about any question you may have
regarding your pet's health and behavior.
No diagnosis can be done without a veterinarian actually seeing and examining the patient.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)