Page 10 - Hobe Sound Reflections - August '19

Page 10, Hobe Sound

tip of tHe tAil

The Dreaded Allergies cannot receive any other foods or treats on while on this diet.
The elimination trial should last 10 to 12 weeks. If symptoms
There are three common allergies in dogs: flea allergy improve or resolve then food allergy is the diagnosis.
dermatitis, canine food hypersensitivity and canine atopy Canine atopy is a hypersensitivity reaction to inhaled or
(atopic dermatitis, environmental, pollen allergies). Here cutaneously absorbed environmental allergens. The dog’s
in Florida’s tropical climate we have near constant pollen immune system becomes stimulated in response to the
production and fleas year-round. As a result, many dogs in allergen which leads to inflammation of the skin and ears
Florida suffer from canine atopy and flea allergy dermatitis. and to itching. The normal protective defenses of the skin
Food allergies are much less common and are seen most and ears become lost due to the inflammation. Once this
often in younger dogs. occurs, the bacteria and yeast that normally live on the skin
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common cause of and in ears can overgrow and cause infection. Canine atopy
dermatitis in dogs. Dogs that are allergic to fleas develop hair can start as a seasonal problem but over time can progress
loss and sores along the back, around the tail and back legs. into a year-round issue. Diagnosis of atopy is made by
ruling out other allergies such as flea allergic dermatitis and
These pets will be very itchy. Live fleas are most often seen on
food hypersensitivity. When we treat canine atopy, we are
volUnteer the pet but sometimes only flea feces will be visible. Treatment treating both the secondary infections and the inflammation/
includes killing the adult fleas on the pet and also eliminating
allergy response. As we know allergies are not curable.
them from the environment. Pets must be kept on a monthly flea Luckily, we now have multiple medications that will treat the
preventative. The best flea control would be to use a product inflammation and itch effectively and can be given long-term
neWs that sterilizes the flea eggs combined with a product that kills with minimal side effects. Topical treatments with medicated
shampoos weekly along with oral fatty acid supplements will
the adult fleas as well. This approach will eliminate fleas from
the environment over a few months and any fleas around will also help manage atopy. It is important to remember that
die once on the pet. All pets in the environment must be on a there can be “flareups” when the allergen in the environment
The MAVEN Project Comes flea prevention for the products to work, otherwise the fleas will overwhelms the medications. It is also important to remember
that this is a long-term and often lifelong condition. It can
live on those pets. If there is a flea infestation in the area, it may
To VIM Clinic take two to three months to eliminate the fleas. be easy to become frustrated if this is not understood.
Canine food hypersensitivity is an adverse reaction to a In general dealing with allergies in dogs can be very
This year VIM Clinic has the pleasure of being a part of the food or food additive. It can occur at any age, from puppies frustrating. Frequent trips to the veterinarian, costs of testing and
pilot of the telehealth system, the MAVEN project (Medical to elderly dogs that have been eating the same dog food for medications. Some pets can even have all three allergies (fleas,
Alumni Volunteer Expert Network). The VIM Clinic in Stuart years. Most dogs diagnosed with a food allergy are under 2 to food and atopy). It is important to work with your veterinarian.
is one of four free clinics across the nation to be chosen, 3 years old. Symptoms are nonseasonal and may not respond As a team, we can get you and your pet where you need to be
along with Coachella Valley VIM in Indio, Calif., VIM in to corticosteroids as most allergies will. Pets may be very itchy with time and patience! Hang in there, we are here to help!
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic in and develop secondary infections or they can only be itchy Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center
Johns Island, S.C. The project will take place over the course when secondary infections are present. The skin will be red is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your
of a year and is being sponsored by Becton, Dickenson and and inflamed. Diagnosing food allergy can be difficult. The pets. With focuses on compassionate care in surgery,
Company (BD) and Athenahealth. only reliable way is to put a pet on an elimination diet trial. physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative medicine,
The project is aimed at giving underserved community This involves feeding the pet a prescription diet created for this extensive diagnostics, and emergency service, Palm City
clinics access to additional care by connecting them to purpose such as a hydrolyzed diet. This type of diet is created Animal Medical Center combines exceptional medical
volunteer physicians through the use of telehealth technology. by breaking the proteins down to make them unrecognizable care with a caring philosophy for pets and their owners.
With this technology, VIM providers are now able to reach out by the body as an allergen. Prescription diets that are novel For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit www.
to other experienced physicians for specialized care involving protein or contain only vegetable protein can also be used. It is palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook
complex cases. important not to feed something the pet has had before. The pet at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
Although VIM Clinic has a diverse pool of volunteer
specialists, MAVEN has gained the clinic access to all new
resources, especially for psychiatry, which has been a struggle Wealth ManageMent
for the clinic. MAVEN has made it possible for the clinic’s
providers to connect with psychiatrists in order to optimize
their patient’s medication management. This allows the clinic The Cliffs Notes on Going inquires happen within a relatively short span of time (such
to treat and prescribe in-house, with the help of a psychiatrist, as one to two weeks), the credit bureaus will treat them as a
without having to refer patients to external physicians. Into Debt for Millennials single credit inquiry.
In the few short months MAVEN has been accessible, Once you have established some credit for yourself, how do
the clinic’s primary care providers have already utilized it in For a generation that will be you give yourself the best credit score possible? Your credit
several challenging cases and have found it to be a valuable leaving college with more score can range from 300 to 850. A score of 620 is typically
student loan debt than any
resource. VIM Clinic is thrilled to be a part of this pilot before it, the notion that a the minimum you will need to buy a home, and a score of 750
or above is considered excellent. It goes without saying that to
program and plans to continue employing it in their practice certain amount of debt can raise your score you need to make payments on time. But how
this year to enhance the care of the medically underserved be good may be difficult to much of your credit should you actually be using? With credit
of Martin County. grasp. There is a life outside cards, the answer is pretty straightforward, and it surprisingly
About Volunteers In Medicine Clinic of student loans, and chances is not 0%. To have the biggest impact on your credit score, you
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is a nonprofit healthcare are if you want to purchase a should limit the amount of outstanding debt at around 30% of
safety net for eligible uninsured Martin County residents, car or buy a home, you will your credit cards’ limits. If you don’t like the idea of paying
not have the funds available
serving the community since 1995. Its staff of almost 100 to pay cash for these things. interest every month, you could even make a small purchase
every three months and pay it off. The idea is that you need
volunteer medical and lay professionals, 11 employees This means you will have to show lenders that you use credit and know how to do it
along with community partners provide comprehensive and to finance them, and when responsibly. Generally, your total debt-to-income including
compassionate medical care at no charge. To learn more, it comes to financing debt, your mortgage (your total monthly debt payments divided by
visit www.vimclinic.net or call (772) 463-4128. it all comes down to your your monthly gross income) should not exceed 36%. Having
credit score. a debt-to-income ratio under this amount will allow you to get

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a rule of thumb, you do not want these monthly payments to
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(561) 315-0144 your credit score, the better the interest rates and the more credit ways is to find a credit card that offers a rewards program you
getsetgo.annie@gmail.com you will have available. If you took out student loans while you like and pay the balance off every month. If you do not carry
were in college, you already have a credit score.
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Call S.E.T. to install your “new computer, printer $250 as collateral, then $250 would be your credit limit. Once Lastly, don’t forget to monitor your credit score for free at a
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GET S.E.T. GO! would be to have someone with established credit co-sign a Unless you order a credit report from one of the three credit
REASONABLE HOURLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY RATES loan for you. Some credit card companies even have special agencies (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax), there will be no
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AS LOW AS $50.00 AN HOUR, lines of credit for college students. Generally, the more lines negative impact to your credit score for checking.
WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 HOURS A MONTH, of credit (credit cards, auto loans, student loans, etc.) you have,
OR 2 HOURS A WEEK, OR ON AN AS-NEEDED the better. Keep in mind that each time you apply for a credit Article provided by Bob Sander, Senior Vice President/
BASIS RATE OF $75.00 P/HOUR. card or a loan, you will be subject to a credit inquiry. These Investments, with the Stuart branch of Stifel, who has attained
START YOUR NEW YEAR WITH SECURE BACKUPS, credit inquiries can potentially lower your overall score if they the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation and the
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