3/8/2014

Good morning,  32 Chilly,  Sun is supposed to be out today and 60's 

Thank you for the gifts from our Amazon wish list!

http://amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/14VUTQST8F5XH

We are very grateful to you for your kindness!

They often do not tell us who you are and they  never
give us your contact info.  Please know how much
we appreciate your generosity!

Molly loving the food!

 Thank you Wayne Peters for the food and floor cleaner!
Thank you unnamed for the food!
Thank you Kurt Vandevier for the towels & batteries!

Chance says thanks for the food!

Thank you Thelma & Louise for the food!
Thank you unnamed for the food
Thank you Patricia Fennema for the food!
Thank you Denice Schaeffer for the food & litter!

Waiting with excitement to see what is in the boxes

Thank you Amy for the star bed!
Thank you unnamed for all the glass cleaner!
Thank you Mike Martin for the canister of toys!
Thank you Jean Hahn for the floor cleaner, sponges, trash bags and batteries!

Do you know your Mixology?

Cats and Plants – Not Always a Good Mix

by Jill Anne Sparapany

We have plants in our homes, our gardens and they are everywhere in nature! We cannot watch our cats all the time but we can limit the plants indoors and in our gardens that our cats may come in contact with. Cats should not eat any plants except cat grass (dried catnip is okay).

Not all parts of the plants may be poisonous. Sometimes, it’s only the seeds, berries or leaves.

If your cat eats any part of a poisonous plant,

RUSH THE CAT TO YOUR VETERINARIAN!

Do not delay obtaining emergent medical care when any poisons have been ingested (this includes medications and food too!). Remember the cat will also ingest any pesticides sprayed on the plant.

If your lawn is treated with weed control sprays by commercial companies, they usually stake signs on the treated areas cautioning people to stay off the grass for a certain period of time. Your pets must also stay off the treated areas of your lawn! Do not remove the grass treatment stakes until the lawn is safe so others who may be walking their pets will be aware of the danger! It would be very upsetting to come home after walking your pet and your cat have a seizure without you knowing they were potentially exposed to a poisonous lawn chemical!

If you know which plant the cat ate, bring the plant with you for identification! If it will take time to obtain the plant, i.e. from the garden, DO NOT WAIT! Get the cat to the vet and have someone else bring part of the plant to the vet’s office, along with a sample of vomit or regurgitated content. There may be plant pieces in the vomit, or at the very least, your veterinarian will be able to check the vomit for evidence of other conditions, such as viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections -- all of which may lead a cat to eat a plant. Keep your cat calm and wrapped in warm blanket.

Poison control measures can begin immediately! Many factors will affect the survival of your pet – their age and pre-existing illnesses, the ingested plant, how much was ingested and how long ago the plant was ingested.

Depending upon the plant and how long ago it was ingested, induced vomiting may be done to prevent as much poison as possible from being digested. Do not attempt to induce vomiting or delay transferring your cat to the vet! Your cat could become unconscious and aspirate vomit. Induced vomiting may be more dangerous when certain plants are ingested.

Once your cat is at the emergency vet hospital, IV fluids will be started to stabilize the cat and continued until the cat will be allowed to eat and drink. Supportive care and Intensive Care may be required with severe breathing and cardiac symptoms.

Be prepared and have your poison control center hotline phone number available and your vet’s contact information. If your vet is not available, they will most likely have an emergency contact vet clinic available after hours on the answering service phone. If no emergency contact info is available, the poison control center may be able to direct you to the nearest emergency vet hospital. (Note: The poison control center may instruct you to give hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, but you may do more harm as some plants may cause additional esophageal irritation. This may delay getting your cat to the emergency vet hospital and specialized care. Your cat may lose consciousness and have its airway blocked with vomit.)

Most common symptoms would be the cat is just not acting right:

Nausea with vomiting, especially persistent vomiting, with or without blood.

Drooling and foaming at the mouth.

Gastrointestinal irritation, diarrhea.

Skin irritation. Swelling around the mouth, similar to an allergic reaction if eaten.

Lethargy, possibly hiding or secluding themselves, weakness, depression.

Dizziness, confusion, inability to walk or stand with neurotoxic poisons.

Dilated pupils, tremors, seizures.

Cardiac arrhythmias and tachycardia (rapid heart rate).

Shortness of breath or rapid respiratory rate.

Shock. Coma and death.

Of special concern are all varieties of Lilies! Lily plants are highly poisonous to cats!

These are common plants that are poisonous to cats.

Lily

Alfalfa, Andromeda Japonica, Avocado, Almond (pits), Aloe Vera, Alocasia, Amaryllis, Apple seeds, sementes de maça, Apple Leaf Croton, Apricot (Pits of) , caraço de pêssego, Arrowgrass, Asparagus Fern (Espargos), Autumn Crocus, Avacado (fruit and pit), Azalea (ingesting their leaves or flowers can cause vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea -- or even much worse).

Baby's Breath, Baneberry, Bayonet, Beargrass, Beech, Belladonna, Bird of Paradise, Bittersweet, Black-eyed Susan, Black Locust ,Bleeding Heart, Bloodroot ,Bluebonnet, Box, Boxwood, Branching Ivy, Buckeyes, Buddist Pine, Podocarpus macrophyllus, Burning Bush, Buttercup.

Cherry – domestic, Cactus, Candelabra, Caladium, Calla Lily, Castor bean (plants possess a rather striking form and are used as decoration in landscape design. Although the seeds of castor bean plants contain ricin, a deadly toxin), Ceriman, Charming Dieffenbachia, Cherry (pits, seeds & wilting leaves), Cherry, most wild varieties, Cherry (ground), Cherry - Laurel, Chinaberry, Chinese Evergreen, Christmas Rose, Chrysanthemum - Crisantemo
Cineria, Clematis vines- all the parts of these poisonous plants can cause gastrointestinal irritation if eaten, Cordatum, Coriaria, Cornflower, Corn Plant, Cornstalk Plant, Croton, Corydalis, Crocus - Autumn, Crown of Thorns, Cuban Laurel, Cutleaf Philodendron, Cycads, Cyclamen- Ciclames.

Daffodil, Daphne, Datura, Deadly Nightshade, Death Camas, Devil's Ivy, Delphinium, Decentrea,,Dieffenbachia, 
Dracaena Palm, Dragon Tree, Dumb Cane.

Easter Lily *, Eggplant, Elaine, Elderberry, English Boxwood shrubs (ingesting the leaves can cause gastric problems and vomiting), Elephant Ear, Emerald Feather, English Ivy, Eucalyptus, Euonymus, Evergreen.

Flamingo Plant, Ferns – Fetos, Fiddle-leaf fig, Florida Beauty, Flax, Four O'Clock, Foxglove (these plants are toxic, but they are used medicinally by those who know they're properties!  Digitalis purpurea produce gorgeous flowers and are very appreciated -- despite their toxic quality), Fruit Salad Plant

Geranium, German Ivy, Giant Dumb Cane, Glacier IvyGolden Chain, Gold Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust Dracaena, Golden Glow, Golden Pothos, Gopher Purge.

Hahn's Self-Branching Ivy, Heartland Philodendron, Hellebore, Hemlock (Poison), Hemlock (Water), Henbane, Holly, Honeysuckle, Horsebeans, Horsebrush, Horse Chestnuts, Hurricane Plant, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Horsebush, Harsebrush.

Indian Rubber Plant, Indian Tobacco, Iris, Iris Ivy

Jack in the Pulpit, Janet Craig Dracaena, Japanese Show Lily *, Java Beans, Jessamine, Jerusalem Cherry, Jimson Weed, Jonquil, Jungle Trumpets, Juniper shrubs (ingesting too many of juniper's berry-like cones can lead to kidney damage).

Kalanchoe.

Kalanchoe -  indoor winter plant

Lacy Tree Philodendron, Lantana, Larkspur, Laurel, Lily, Lirios, Lily Spider, Lily of the Valley, Locoweed, Lupine.

Madagascar Dragon Tree, Marble Queen, Marigold, Marijuana, Mescal Bean, Mexican Breadfruit, Miniature Croton, Mistletoe, Mock Orange, Monkshood, Moonseed, Morning Glory, Mother-in Law's Tongue (lingua de sogra), Morning Glory, Mountain Laurel (are toxic, for both humans and cattle. Ingesting the leaves or flowers of mountain laurels may cause nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and watering of the eyes and nose. More severe cases have occurred), Mushrooms, Cogumelos

Narcissus,Narcisos, Needlepoint Ivy, Nephytis, Nightshade.

Oleander, Onion (cebolas), Oriental Lily *. 

Peace Lily, Peach (pits and wilting leaves), Pencil Cactus, Peony, Periwinkle flower or Vincor Minor Vine (ingesting any part of Vinca minor can cause intestinal irritation), Philodendron, Pimpernel, Plumosa Fern, Poinciana, Poinsettia (low toxicity), Poison Hemlock, Poison Ivy (Hera), Poison Oak (Carvalho), Pokeweed, Poppy, Potato, Pothos, Precatory Bean, Primrose, Privet (Common).

Queensland Nut

Red Emerald, Red Princess, Red-Margined Dracaena, Rhododendron, Rhubarb leafs (ruibarbo), Ribbon Plant, Rosemary Pea, Rubber Plant.

Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Satin Pothos, Schefflera, Scotch Broom, Silver Pothos, Skunk Cabbage, Snowdrops, Snow on the Mountain, Spotted Dumb Cane, Staggerweed, Star of Bethlehem, String of Pearls, Striped Dracaena, Sweetheart Ivy, Sweetpea, Swiss Cheese plant.

Tansy Mustard, Taro Vine, Tiger Lily *, Tobacco, Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves), Tree Philodendron, Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia, Tulip, Tulipas, Tung Tree.

Virginia Creeper

Water Hemlock, Weeping Fig, Wild Call, Wisteria vines (If ingested in big quantities - for a young child, would be a relatively small portion - the seeds and pods can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea), Winterberry shrubs (ingesting the bright red berries commonly causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea).

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Yews -- e.g. Japanese Yew, English Yew, Western Yew, American Yew.

  

When you get home, be sure to remove the poisonous plants from your home and garden. If trees cannot be removed easily, fence around them to prevent access by your cat!

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