Page 10 - Hobe Sound Reflections - October '19

Page 10, Hobe Sound

in ouR community

Upcoming Events At The scrub trail hike on the refuge. This is a slow-paced short Creature Feature: Nocturnal Night at the Museum!
Hobe Sound Nature Center walk, please bring bug spray or sun protection if desired. Free family-friendly event!
Meet exotic live nocturnal animals visiting from the
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m. – Nature Tales For Tots
Storytime Palm Beach Zoo! Also featuring HSNC live animals, face
Python Patrol Class Join us at the Nature Center with the kids for storytime painting, crafts, and games!
Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with puppets and live animals! Costume Contest! There will be adult and child
Python Patrol is a no-cost training program that aims to Wednesday, Oct. 16, 9 a.m. – Beach Dynamics Program categories! Reservations are not necessary.
create a network of trained individuals throughout south Join us at the Hobe Sound Refuge Beach (North Jupiter Program recommended for families with children ages
Florida who know how to identify Burmese pythons, Island) for a “nat chat” and walk to see what the ocean 4 and up. Adults without kids are always welcomed.
report sightings, and in some cases, capture and humanely has brought ashore. BYOBinoculars. **Meeting the animals will be a timed experience as
kill the snakes. Thursday, Oct. 17, 1 p.m. – Seahorses! well as the costume contest. Times will be announced
Ages: 12 and up (Must have guardian in attendance if Join us at the Nature Center at 1 p.m. for a seahorse closer to the date.**
child is under 18.) program followed by our HSNC seahorses and lagoon
Phone: (772) 546-2067 tank feeding. Night Explorers
What to wear: Friday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m. – Snakes! Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m., Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 31,
• Wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Join us at the Nature Center at 1 p.m. for a “Snakes 2020 at 6 p.m., Feb. 7 at 6 p.m., and March 6 at 6 p.m.
• Wear clothes to get messy and smelly due to python Alive” presentation followed by a feeding demonstration Join the Nature Center for some nighttime stargazing
musk. of our HSNC Teaching Snakes. at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Following
• We will be outside for a few hours so water and sun Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to noon – Ceramics For a brief classroom orientation, naturalist Kim Mohlenhoff
protection is also advised. Conservation will lead the group outside along the nature trail to look
Attendance is limited and you must make Join us at the Nature Center for a free craft activity; at the nighttime sky through telescopes. This is a free
reservations in advance. Reservations required. choose a ceramic animal to paint and take home. (First- program and all ages are welcomed.
come, first-served, while supplies last) Learn about wildlife at night and how artificial lighting
National Wildlife Refuge Week Open to all. No reservations required (except for impacts some plants and animals at night. If weather
Join us each day for different activities, “Nat Chats” Python Patrol). Free family events! conditions are not conducive to viewing planets, stars,
and feedings with our naturalists and crafts! Call (772) 546-2067 for more information. and constellations, the program will be limited classroom
Saturday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. to noon –Python Patrol Class activities only.
Monday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. – Scrub Trail Hike Annual Creepy Creature Feature Reservations are required. For further information call
Join us at the Nature Center for a naturalist guided Join us Saturday, Oct. 26, for our annual Creepy the Nature Center at (772) 546-2067.

tip of tHE tail

Diet-Associated Heart Disease from largest to smallest, so main components of a diet intolerance or reduced interest in exercise, a soft cough,
an increased respiration rate (particularly at rest) or in
formulation are listed early in the ingredient list.
In Dogs Some owners feeding a grain-free or boutique diet severe cases, collapse. If your pet is experiencing any of
have started giving their pet a taurine supplement. these symptoms, contact your veterinarian.
Unfortunately, this is not recommended, particularly since For more information about diet-associated DCM,
most affected dogs diagnosed with diet-associated DCM your veterinarian is a great resource. You can also review
have adequate taurine levels when tested. Supplementing published information on the subject on the FDA’s
taurine does not appear to reduce the risk of developing website or on Tufts University’s veterinary nutrition
diet-associated DCM in the cases seen so far. website.
If you are feeding a grain-free diet, or a diet with a base Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical
ingredient of lentils, legumes or potatoes, contact your Center is dedicated to providing the best possible care
veterinarian to discuss if a diet change is recommended for your pets. With focuses on compassionate care in
for your dog. From a veterinarian’s perspective, there surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative
are no known health benefits associated with feeding medicine, extensive diagnostics, and emergency service,
a grain-free diet, and a grain allergy is incredibly rare Palm City Animal Medical Center combines exceptional
in dogs. Unfortunately, the explosion of grain-free and medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and their
exotic ingredient diets is simply a marketing trend that owners. For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit
seems to now be causing harm to some pets. www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on
Over the past year, a trend in canine heart disease has Signs of heart disease in dogs can include exercise Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
developed that has been linked to grain-free and boutique
diets. Specifically, affected dogs eating certain diets are
developing dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition Vegetables
that affects the heart muscle which causes the heart to
become enlarged and ineffective at pumping blood. Fall Festival
Researchers are working diligently to understand why
certain diets, particularly grain-free diets, are causing
heart disease in some pets. Historically, a deficiency in Saturday,
a specific amino acid called taurine has been known to
cause DCM, but in a majority of the dogs affected in these
recent cases, taurine levels have been normal in the dog October 26
as well as the implicated food.
There are also some breeds of dogs (Dobermans, 10 am - 3 pm
cocker spaniels, Great Danes and boxers) that have a
higher risk of developing DCM, however, in these recent
diet-associated cases, we are seeing DCM in breeds not
typically thought of as at-risk for heart disease. Are you interested in
What is it about these diets that is causing heart disease
in some dogs? The short answer is, we don’t yet know. teaching in our garden?
The common link seems to be foods that use lentils or We would love to hear
other legumes (e.g. peas, chickpeas, beans, soybeans,
peanuts) or potatoes as their base ingredient. To determine from you!
if your pet’s diet uses one of these ingredients as a
main ingredient, check the label; ingredients are listed www.pindersnursery.com
Upcoming Events

Hours:
Monday - Saturday 9 - 5

Sunday 10 - 4
Since 1975, Locally Owned & Operated
5500 SW Martin Hwy. Palm City
772-781-8085