Pets & Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Identity Theft !

MSU researchers test new diet for cats to overcome bladder disorders

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University researchers are testing a special diet for cats they hope will help the animals overcome bladder disorders affecting more than half a million felines each year.
The team from the College of Veterinary Medicine is hopeful the new diet will help cats dissolve certain bladder stones and prevent future occurrences, and prevent a disorder known as feline idiopathic cystitis, in which cats suffer from bladder inflammation.
John Kruger, a professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, is leading the four separate clinical studies on a new commercial diet funded by a leading pet food manufacturer.

"The new diet is unique in that it is designed to help manage three common bladder disorders, which if left untreated can cause frequent painful urinations, house soiling and even urinary blockage and death," he said.
Specifically, Kruger and his team are looking at the effects the diet has on:

·       Preventing feline idiopathic cystitis: This particularly difficult disorder - the most common bladder disorder in cats - accounts for nearly two-thirds of all feline bladder disorders seen by MSU veterinarians, Kruger said. Unfortunately, there is no consistently effective treatment for management and prevention. While veterinarians often recommend diet changes, supplements and medicine, none of these have been shown to be effective by controlled clinical trials, he said.

·       Dissolving struvite bladder stones without surgery and preventing them in the future. While these stones traditionally have been treated by surgical removal, some struvite stones may be dissolved using diet.

·       Preventing calcium oxalate bladder stones: There is no diet as of yet that dissolves this type of stone, and removal by surgery - which can present complications - often is necessary.

The new diet minimizes the building blocks of bladder stones by controlling levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and oxalate. It also has high levels of potassium citrate and vitamin B6 to interrupt stone formation, Kruger added, and it is high in antioxidants to moderate inflammation and reduce symptoms.

As part of the clinical trial, half of the felines will receive the new diet while half will receive a placebo diet formulated to represent the premium quality adult cat foods on the market. The diets look exactly the same, and as cats are enrolled into the study they are randomly assigned.

Enrollment began in June 2009 and continues through December 2010. The study covers all costs related to the diagnosis and monitoring of the cat's urinary disease and provides free food for up to two years. For more information, call (517) 432-9902.

Local Pet Stories

Hope Celebrates Community
Appreciation Day

Ironwood - June 14, 2009
The Hope Animal Shelter held an open house today as part of a Community Appreciation Day. The shelter was of course opened to the public for their perusal.

There were vendors offering many pet products and more. The local radio station, WIMI, was on hand broadcasting from the facility. Free Brats were available for the asking.

READ MORE

Photo above - Mary Jo Cain points out  kittens she has brought back to HOPE. Not that she didn't want them, she has reared them until they were old enough to put up for adoption. Mrs. Cain is a foster caregiver for the HOPE shelter. We believe that you too could be a foster parent for a deserving cat or dog. Call hope and volunteer!
 

O.C.A.P.  Working  to Warm Things Up

Ontonagon - Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friends and members of the Ontonagon County Animal Protection ignored the cold weather Saturday to install the long awaited installation of the new geo-thermal heating system.  The new heating system will ultimately save O.C.A.P. a significant amount of money on future heating bills.
in the photo above the workers spend time fusing the lines, which begin as two large lines in and out of the building. Six feet below the surface of the ground the two lines become eight and ultimately 16 lines which will lay in trenches  6 feet deep and twelve to sixteen feet wide. Pictured in the photo are l to r Barb Kilmer, Arvo Toolanen, Sue Basile , Steve Stackhaus, Greg Nelson, Brad Happner and Linda Graham.
above Brad, Barb and Linda place the geo-thermal lines in the eighteen foot wide ditch.

above Bob Graham  volunteer and O.C.A.P member, who told us that 8400 feet of tubing would be required to complete the project.

In the above photo Erik Danielson finishes up the last few feet of the three hundred foot long ditch required for the the geo-thermal lines. The system was obtained from Steve Stackhaus, Innovative Geo Thermal Systems.
 
Thank You, We have all found a new home

Mama Too!

Kittens Lost More Than Mittens

They Lost Their Home !

Homes Needed!!!!

Three little angora kittens with cute, white mittens are looking for homes. One is black and white, one is gray and white, and one is calico. All are litter trained and ready to go. The one- to two-year old mom is a black and white angora, has a great personality, and is a good mouser. For more information call 575-3531 (Bergland).
We will deliver within 80 miles of Bergland.
 
 

From Our Readers

This explains why I forward jokes to you.

from: Ken Jacobson


A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.


After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.? The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too?'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word.Maybe this will explain.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?

A forwarded joke.

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You and your dogs are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime!

 


Remember that prayer "Lord, please let me be half the person my dog believes I am"?

 

IronwoodInfo Pet Photo Gallery

 
 
 

 
 

Cat missing for more than 13 years
back with happy California owners

Santa Rosa, California - November 12, 2008

 A California couple recently had an unexpected reunion with an old housemate: their pet cat who went missing more than 13 years ago.

The cat, named George, was last seen by Melinda Merman and Frank Walburg in 1995. He recently resurfaced when the manager of a mobile home park trapped the sickly feline and gave him to an animal hospital.

A microchip implanted in George allowed him to be traced back to his owners.

Merman says after George went missing she visited animal shelters and wrote to veterinarians in search of the gray, yellow-eyed cat, who now weighs less than half his original 14-pounds.

But Merman and Walburg say George is eating well and displaying some of his old behavior, like jumping at flickering light on the wall.

Cat pictured above is not George but a file photo.

 

IronwoodInfo.com  is a Michigan, Non-Profit Media Corporation

Contact IronwoodInfo.com

email: mail@ironwoodinfo.com
snail mail: P.O. Box 305 Ironwood, MI 49938
Telephone
906-885-5683
Fax
906-884-2544