Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 22A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 21.2010
ADVICE TO PET OWNERS
Kidney Failure
By Lyn Lewis DVM
Wayside Animal Hospital
Our kidneys are responsible
for two main functions in both
humans and animals. The pri
mary function of the kidneys is
to filter the blood of toxins.
Secondarily, the kidneys moni
tor the body’s hydration status
and retain or release water as
needed. The kidneys also moni
tor the number of circulating
red blood cells and tell the bone
marrow when to produce more.
Kidney failure is not an uncom
mon thing in people or our pets,
but with people we have two
main avenues open to us. We
have the ability to have a kidney
transplant or have dialysis to
filter our blood via a machine.
In the case of our pets, dialysis
is too costly and to date there
have not been any successful
kidney transplants.
Kidney failure is much more
common in cats than in dogs but
it is quite common in both. The
biggest problem is that owners
almost never recognize the
symptoms because the main
symptom makes it look like the
kidneys are functioning really
well! Animals in kidney failure
drink and urinate a lot, which is
counter-intuitive for most own
ers. We tend to think that when
they are in kidney failure they
do not urinate, but nothing can
be further from the truth. When
kidneys lose the ability to filter
the blood, water is just released
from the kidneys regardless of
the body’s needs. Now, because
they are losing so much water
they have to drink a lot to keep
up. The other big symptom is a
loss of appetite leading to
weight loss. This happens
because the rising toxin levels
in the blood make the pet feel
sick. As the toxin levels get
higher, ulcers can form in the
mouth, the esophagus, the
stomach and the intestines caus
ing vomiting.
The toxins that we are talk
ing about are produced, for the
most part, by the body’s natural
breakdown of proteins. The
body breaks down proteins into
the building blocks called
amino acids. The un-used por
tion of the amino acids shows
up in the blood work as Blood
Urea Nitrogen. The other major
toxin is called Creatnine, which
is produced by the natural
breakdown of muscle tissue.
There is not a drug or medicine
that will reverse this process in
our pets unfortunately.
When we make a diagnosis
of kidney failure in our pets we
do have treatment options, just
not real good long term ones.
Of course, it all depends on the
severity as well. If the pet is
showing no symptoms or just
increased urination and drink
ing, the first thing we can do is
change the diet. By feeding a
low protein diet we limit the
amount of toxins that can be
produced. We use foods such as
Purina’s NF or Science Diet’s
K/D. Both are formulated to be
low in protein and increased
moisture content. The other
thing we can do is increase the
fluid intake by drinking more,
eating canned foods and by giv
ing injections of fluids. I like to
call this system “poor man’s
dialysis” because we are trying
to flush out more toxins by
increasing the amount that they
are urinating daily. There are
other medications and supple
ments that are supposed to help
but from my experience they
either do not work at all or just
marginally work.
As the pet worsens, our
options become fewer and
fewer. We can more aggressive
ly treat with fluids but you can
only do so much. I typically tell
owners when the pet stops eat
ing all together or begins to
develop the ulcers in the mouth
it is time to consider euthanasia.
Kidney failure is one of the
worst diseases for our pets to
deal with in the end. It is hard to
see the daily decline and in the
end stages it is very hard to
watch the suffering the pet goes
through. But the decline is sub
tle and slow so it is hard for
people to recognize when they
see them daily.
Overall, the take home mes
sage is that kidney failure is a
very common, bad disease that
is very treatable if caught early.
Remember that they drink more
and urinate more when they
suffer from this disease, NOT
the other way around. The best
way we can diagnose this dis
ease is via urine and blood tests.
There are treatments, it helps to
slow down the symptoms but it
is not a cure. If your pet is
drinking more, urinating more
or is losing weight over time,
go see your veterinarian. We
can make a big change in the
life expectancy if caught early
enough.
YANKEE CANDLE
America s Best Loved Candle
Special!
Regular
Tumbler Candles
2 for $ 20!
(regular $ 14.99 each)
jasper
-InRUtiS & GIFTS
1 North Main Street
Jasper, GA
706-692-6427
m
Don’t have a subscription?
No worries. We can deliver the Progress to your
home or RO. Box beginning with the next issue.
Get 52 weeks of current,
local news for the price of
<r $21.40
(Price includes tax and is for Pickens residents only, see below for more pricing)
Set up your subscription in one of four ways:
By Phone In Person On-Line
706-253-2457 Our Office is located at pickensprogress.com
Credit card needed ^4 N. Mam St. m Jasper Credit card needed
Or fill out the form below and send it and a check payable to
Pickens County Progress, 94 N. Main St., Jasper, GA 3043
☆
Name :
Address
Rates for One-Year Subscription
) Hiil.40 - I year subscription in Pickens, Dawson, Cherokee
and Gordon counties;
) 428.89 in all other Georgia counties;
) 4154.24 out of state
(Safes Tax included in prices}
Method of payment
( } Check or Credit Card; ( ) VISA
( 1 Mastercard ( ) Discover
Name:
Card #
Exp. Date: (month)
.{Day).
(Year).
Mail to; Pickens Comity Progress PO Box 67 Jasper, GA 30143
☆
FIREFIGHTERS VISIT WILWOOD CHRISTIAN- The students from the PreSchool
at Wildwood and Wildwood Christian Academy enjoyed a visit from the Big Canoe
Firefighters during Fire Safety Week. After a discussion about fire safety, the children got
to take a closer look at the fire engine and all the important equipment used in fighting
fires. Special thanks to Firefighters Lincoln Hett and Ricky Jordan for visiting."
Grant opportunity coming
for local organizations
Thrift Store grant
deadline approaching
The Pickens County
Community Resource
Association, Inc. (PCCRA),
originator and operator of the
Community Thrift Store,
announces intent to make
grants.
As provided by the PCCRA
by-laws, the association is
responsible for determining a
method to find worthy causes
that meet the criteria of its
Mission Statement: “Our mis
sion is to serve the members of
our community who find them
selves in need of essential
goods and basic human and
life-enhancing services”.
Note: Once again for this
quarter, the maximum allowed
per grant will be $5,000. No
grant will exceed $5,000. An
independent Grant Committee
appointed by PCCRA will
review the grant applications
and make funding recommen
dations. The PCCRA Board has
final authority on all grants.
Grant applications may be
obtained at the Community
Thrift Store between 10 a.m.
and 4 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday. They may also be
obtained by mail by calling the
Store at 706-253-7770 during
the same hours and are avail
able on our Web site:
www.pickenscommunitythrift-
store.org
NOTE: The grant applica
tion form labeled “Eff. 1/2010”
grant application must be
received by mail and marked
ATTN: Capital Award.
This capital award program
includes funding for such needs
as Start-ups, Innovative Ideas,
Building Funds and Capital
Investment. These grant
requests may be submitted at
any time, and approved grants
may be funded as money is
available. PCCRA will investi
gate these grant requests and
make all determinations.
Matching funds may be
required.
Pepstat 380® Stops
HeartbumForever
WASHINGTON—Gastrointes
tinal (GI) problems like acid reflux,
heartburn and ulcers may be elimi
nated with a new type of tablet.
Scientists say that Gl problems are
not the result of excess acid, but the
body’s inability to deal with it.
Pepstat 380 is a patent-pending
formula thatcontains an extract
known as DGL that strengthens
the body ’ s natural defenses against
stomach acid.
Pepstat 380 goes to work imme
diately on acid while addressing the
cause of GI problems. Scientists
say that the DGL in Pepstat im
proves the body’s protective sub
stances, increases the lifespan of
digestive tract cells, and improves
blood supply to the area. Articles
have appeared in publications like
the British journal The Lancet
showing DGL to be as effective as
Zantac® or Tagamet®. Pepstat
also works faster than Prilosec®.
Pepstat may make these drugs ob
solete because DGL has no known
side effects.
Pepstat 380 is a natural alterna
tive available without a prescrip
tion or call 1-800-339-3301. Now
at JASPER DRUG STORE
1 N. Main St. • 692-6427
©2009 key2health.com
S. Cherokee/Jasper
Driver Improvement Clinic #0521
1549A E. Church Street
DUI Class Schedule - $ 292*
(*Assessment: $82 Class: $210)
Oct 9,10 Sat/Sun..,.9a-6p
Oct 11 Mon 6p-10p
Nov 20,21 Sat/Sun....9a-6p
Nov 22 Mon 6p-10p
Dec 18,19 Sat/Sun....9a-6p
Dec 20 Mon 6p-10p
Defensive Driving
Class Schedule - $75
Oct 17 .
Nov 14 .
Dec 12 .
Sun ..
. Sun .
. Sun .
Assesments,
Thursday, Evenings...6p-8p
m
Nov22-24... 8a-5p plus 11/20or 12/4
Dec 20-23... 8a-5p
at the bottom is required.
Applications on any other form
will be rejected.
Completed grant applica
tions must be mailed to
PCCRA, ATTN: Grant
Committee, 110 Samaritan
Drive, Jasper, Ga. 30143. They
must be postmarked by Nov.
15. Hand-carried applications
and those not fully completed
or signed will not be accepted.
The grant decisions will be
announced within 60 days of
the application dateline.
A Capital Award program is
also available for 501(c)(3),
non-profit organizations. The
same qualifications for helping
area residents and meeting
PCCRA Mission Statement
apply. Grant applications will
be on the same grant form and
must be clearly marked
“Capital Award” on the top of
the first page of the grant appli
cation. The grant application
may be obtained as above and
the envelope containing the
NOTICE
Upcoming Appointment of Pickens County
Board of Tax Equalization
Notice is hereby given that the September Grand
Jury of the Pickens County Superior Court will re
convene on December 6, 2010.
In accordance with Georgia law (O.C.G.A.
45.5.311), as a part of their duties, will appoint or
reappoint four Pickens County residents to serve
on the Pickens County Board of Tax Equalization.
Each person will serve a three-year term which
will begin on January 1,2011 and end on Decem
ber 31, 2013
So notice this 14 th day of October 2010.
Gail Brown, Clerk
Pickens County Superior Court