Knowledge is power, but without wisdom it is deadly.
~ L.A. Banks (author of "The Wicked", 2008, pg 328)
Knowledge is power, but without wisdom it is deadly.
~ L.A. Banks (author of "The Wicked", 2008, pg 328)
Posted by Nichole Chobin in Books, Clean Livin', Current Affairs, Favorite Quotes, Global Concerns, Green Building, Green Living, Green Office, Health, Nichole Chobin, Pets, Recycling | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
To cherish what remains of the earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.
~ Wendell Berry
Posted by Nichole Chobin in Alternative Energy, Animal Welfare, Clean Livin', Current Affairs, Favorite Quotes, Global Concerns, Green Building, Green Living, Green Office, Health, Home, Nichole Chobin, Organic Living, Pets, Recycling | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
It is our collective and individual responsibility...to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.
- Dalai Lama
Posted by Nichole Chobin in Animal Welfare, Clean Livin', Favorite Quotes, Green Living, Nichole Chobin, Organic Living, Pets, Recycling, Religion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
- Gandhi
Posted by Nichole Chobin in Animal Welfare, Current Affairs, Favorite Quotes, Global Concerns, Nichole Chobin, Pets, Vegetarianism | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Dear Matty,
I'm an 8-year-old Siamese cat. Lately I've been eating like crazy and drinking a lot of water, but I'm losing weight. The vet says I have an overactive thyroid. I have two of them, in fact. What happens is that the thyroid gland starts producing more hormones which trigger my symptoms and juice up my metabolism. They say it's not unusual for a cat like me to get this. They're not sure what causes this condition, but it's been on the rise since about the time "Garfield" started in the funny papers. (No connection, just a time marker.) They also say it might have something to do with the rugs in our home. Have you heard anything about this?
Hungry in Hilton Head, SC
Dear Hungry,
Yes, there is plenty of information out and coming out about this very common problem in middle-aged cats. Last year, a US EPA study suggested that household dust containing a common
flame retardant may be linked to an increase in cats getting sick from
overactive thyroids. The small study looks at chemical flame retardants called
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which were used in foam,
plastics, furniture, electronics, fabrics and carpet padding. The good news is that PBDEs are no longer manufactured since 2004. The bad news is that the stuff is still out there. Another possible cause is high iodine diets, e.g., salmon and other fish.
They probably have you on Methimazole (trade name is Tapazole®). This is a pill that you take by mouth or a paste that they dab in your ears usually twice daily. It's an effective drug, but it doesn't cure you. As long as you are taking it you'll feel better, but you may have side affects like loss of appetite. Other ways to go are surgery and radioiodine therapy.
Both options can cure you, but carry risks and costs that you should discuss with your humans. It's important to remember that the things in your home that may be causing this might also affect the kids and the dogs, so tell your humans to check that out. So, your vet is probably asking you to cut back on your fish meals. And, getting rid of all your stuff from pre-2004 is probably not a good idea, but more vacuuming with a HEPA filter will reduce the dust particles that may be carrying PBDEs.
Let's hope there's some home redecorating coming soon!
Links to check out:
The EPA study: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/esthag/asap/abs/es070819.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's PBDE web site: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/
State of Washington's advice on avoiding exposure to PBDEs: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/pbde/pbdeavoidexposure.htm
Posted by Richard Mansfield in Animal Welfare, Dear Matty, Family/Kids, Pets, Rich Mansfield | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
In the crazy, chaotic, hectic, fast paced world that we live in, one can find true solace in knowing that even the smallest and simplest things can make an enormous impact. As Manager of the MioMarmo offices, I took it upon myself to make a collective effort, with the cooperation of all our employees, to try and turn our offices as green as possible. Little by little, day by day, things are changing.
Some things we have done to change our environment in an effort to save the planet that you can do too are:
By doing all of these things we have vastly lessened our plastic/paper intake thus saving trees, the environment, and the animals that reside there. Not only have many of these efforts made an impact on our planet, but they also have made an impact on the employer’s pocketbook. By not buying paper cups, plastic utensils, paper plates, etc…we have cut costs on our supplies drastically. It is amazing how quickly all these things add up to huge savings.
If every company across the nation just made the smallest of changes, the miraculous impact it would have on our environment would be tremendous! Talk to your employer and discuss some ideas (small or large) that they would consider implementing in your workplace. When they hear about the cost efficiency and savings involved they might want to even take it a step further!
Posted by Nichole Chobin in Clean Livin', Global Concerns, Green Office, Nichole Chobin, Pets, Recycling | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Dear Matty: I'm a grey, short hair cat. My people recently adopted me from a shelter, and now, after only two weeks, the lady of the house is complaining that my fur is making her sneeze and cough. I'm worried this situation is going to break up our little family. I really love it with Bob and Sue, and they love me, too. I'm their first cat and this situation is a surprise to everyone. Does Sue have to go? --Annie, hopeful in Ohio
Dear Annie: First of all, Annie, you need to know that I'm not one of those animals who think "people are better than animals." I wouldn't say animals are better either. We're all just different. But people are living creatures, just like you and me. So, we have to respect their right live in safety and without fear. Annie, you have to try to work something out with Sue. You can't just wait for Bob to kick her out of the house.
Here's where we start: it's common knowledge that people rarely contract diseases from animals, mostly they get them from other people, so you have that going for you. That said, your human should do a few things before she decides whether you are a good match.
First off, Sue should see her doctor and get an opinion about her possible allergy. It's not unusual for some people to be allergic to cat
fur or even the protein in a cat's saliva. How bad it might be depends on the human. It's good that you're a short hair cat, you guys have less dander and stuff floating around you. If it turns out Sue is allergic to you, then here's some things to try:
Tell Bob and Sue, yeah, it's a little work, but aren't you worth it? If all fails, Annie, perhaps you should be prepared for the eventuality that it will be YOU who goes. In that case, I'm guessing that Bob and Sue are the kind of people who know other people who would love to have you.
Got a question for Matty? dearmatty@miomarmo.com
Posted by Richard Mansfield in Animal Welfare, Dear Matty, Pets | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
That’s me in the photo. I’m a dog. I was invited to
participate in this forum by my human, Rich Mansfield, because, he said, “we want
diverse perspectives here at Miomarmo.” That plus I don’t know what money is.
My role is to take the tough questions from other
animals--not just dogs--about their relationships with humans and the
environment. What is my perspective? Well, I guess you could say I'm your average house dog. I was a shelter dog before good old Rich claimed
me about two years ago. I’m probably 3
or 4 years old. (I don’t know what time
is either.) I'm comfortable in my current
situation, there’s lots of love and companionship, but all is not chew toys and
cheese snacks in this
Animals are notoriously bad typists, so you human readers
are no doubt wondering how I do this column and how other animals will
participate. The answer, Miomarmo has a
Dog Whisperer. Actually, he’s more like
a Dog Listener. I dictate to him
telepathically; he types. Some humans
just have the knack. Our guy is in
Dear Matty: I have a
sad story to tell that I think your readers should know about. My good friend Alex, a dog, was loved by his
humans, but he was an escape artist and roamer. So, although his humans were working with him to change this
dangerous tendency, they also had him implanted with an id microchip for added
protection. Well, Alex got lost, picked
up by the control board, and was put to sleep because nobody claimed him in
time. How did this happen? I hear the shelter scanned for a chip, but they
didn’t pick it up because Alex’s chip was not compatible with their
scanner. Shouldn’t all shelters and chip
implanters be working together? The chip
is a great idea, and I know it’s helped many of us, but it seems to be making
things worse if they give you a false sense of security. –Daisy, a housecat in
Dear Daisy: I did
some asking around and I learned that a lot of these cases can be traced back to
chips implanted by
Posted by Richard Mansfield in Animal Welfare, Dear Matty, Pets | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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