Ringworm A Plague of Many Species

HPPR_February_2014_Newsletter.doc HPPR Newsletter, February 2015 Volume 3, Issue 2 Ringworm... 1 Sailors, Seek Safe Harbor!... 2 Find Us On Facebook... 2 More Success Stories... 3 Finally, We Get Some Respect!... 4 Wooftrax... 5 Yankee Candle... 5 Ringworm A Plague of Many Species Lupine Collar Sale...5 Will YOU Be My Valentine?...6 Faux PAWS...7 Mark Your Calendars...8 Announcements...9 Annual Tag Sale...9 Despite its name, ringworm has absolutely nothing to do with worms. Instead, it is a fungal infection of the skin that can be contracted by many types of animals as well as humans. The misleading name comes from the circular (ring-like) rash that may develop on humans and animals who have the disease. It is actually related to other common fungal infections such as athlete's foot, and like those infections though is not generally serious, it can be highly contagious. Although ringworm occurs more commonly in cats, it can also be contracted by dogs and by humans. It is spread through contact with an infected animal or person or by contact with items that have been touched by someone with the infection. Ringworm can be spread between pets, from pets to humans and between humans. Although it is not usually serious or life threatening, its highly contagious nature makes it important that an infected animal receive veterinary treatment promptly. Ringworm is diagnosed by doing a fungal culture and by evaluation with a Wood's lamp where infected areas glow under UV light (see picture below). Depending upon the severity of the infection, treatment can consist of baths in anti-fungal shampoo, lime sulfur dips, or even oral anti-fungal medication. Since the fungal spores can live on surfaces that an animal has been in contact with, it is important that food dishes, toys, bedding, etc. be disinfected or discarded. Curing a ringworm infection can take time, patience and diligence, but it is well worth the effort. Although ringworm is a fully curable infection, its contagious nature has often caused animal shelters and other rescue groups to react to an outbreak with extreme and deadly measures. It is not uncommon for shelters to euthanize all of its resident animals if the disease is diagnosed in even one pet. This is a tragic response to a disease that is not lethal and highly treatable. In the next issue of our newsletter, you will learn how Helping PAWS is working to make the treatment of ringworm a viable option for the pets and rescues who encounter the infection. 1

Sailors, Seek Safe Harbor! Tsunami Warning Has Been Issued! By Elizabeth Levi This is a rare moment when the kitten formerly known as "Vixen" is just hanging out with Battleship Bob, and not trying to eat his tail. Bob was quite overweight when I adopted him in October and Aramis (now "The HMS Aramis"), so he'd lost some weight with just normal feeding but now with the kitten running him (and his entertaining tail) around, he'll probably be down to a healthy weight in no time. Her new name was suggested by my sister out of the blue: Tsunami Here I was looking for a boat name and no, in fact the older cats are the boats and she is the force of nature that stirs things up! I keep her in the guest room (her own little room) during the day when I'm at work and also at night so the big boys have some quiet time, but whenever I'm home she has the run of the place. She likes to watch mouse videos on You Tube. She likes to be where ever I'm at which is fine if I'm reading a book or watching TV, but when I'm making art --- it's not so great -- I have to shut her out of the studio. She is like an athletic toddler -- managing to get up on my mantle which is a no no. I've sprayed her with a water bottle and made a "TTTzzzzz!" sound, and eventually I just had to make the TTTzzzz sound. She is SO SMART!!! She learns really fast. She also is learning good cat etiquette from the boys although she tends to be a bit too playful for their tastes, and I don't think she knows when they're not playing anymore but are truly annoyed. See that look Bob is giving her... like, "Who the $#% are you and what the $#* are you doing on my chair?" But he's a very patient cat and is quite motherly for a male. He likes to lick her when she settles down a bit. Aramis is even more affectionate with her and will give her long licking sessions when she's finally tired of Bob's enchanting tail. At age 3 he is also more agreeable to playtime. Sometimes he just rolls over and waits for her to attack him. She also LOVES water which just proves she's a Maine Coon. She's right there for my bath and will climb in atop mount Elizabeth just to hang with me and check out the water situation. If I leave a tap dripping to avoid frozen pipes... she's IN the sink playing with the drops. I think she is the BEST KITTEN IN THE WHOLE WORLD -- the prettiest, the smartest, the cutest, the funniest and the most cuddly. Everyone who comes to see her loves her too --- she is so great with people and such a little sweetheart. Ah, the good life! It's hard to photograph her as she's always moving but thanks again for letting me adopt THE BEST KITTEN IN THE WORLD! Editor's Note: Tsunami, formerly known as Vixen, is one of the Ringworm kittens that were taken in by Helping PAWS in 2014. After a long, stinky, and arduous treatment protocol, she is free of the disease, and it is with great pleasure that we are able to feature one of our Ringworm Success Stories here. Congratulations Tsunami! Find Us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/helping-paws-pet-rescue-inc/136862926387348 2

And the Success Stories Keep Coming In! Helping PAWS Pet Rescue February 2015 Marion Berry & Arrabiata are 2 HPPR cats who found a home together Sweet Charity, one of our Virtue Kittens, is now known as Kali. Believe it or not, this is one of our Christmas Reindeer kittens, Blitzen. His name is now Justice, and he is also one of our Ringworm Success Stories. Way to go, Justice! You look so happy! 3

Finally, Someone Shows Us The Respect We Deserve! By Hastings McCalla Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as Gods; we have never forgotten this. Back then life was far more civilized than it is today as the ancient Egyptians recognized that cats are indeed sacred. Thousands of years later, the wise people of Upper and Lower Egypt centered their religion around the worship of cats (my kind of people!). Cats, NOT DOGS, sat upon the thrones beside kings, and killing a cat was punishable by death, as it should be! These domesticated cats naturally became a symbol of grace and poise and were praised for their ability to control vermin and kill snakes (Ewwww, not THIS cat!). It is shocking, I know, but the first Egyptian cats had to work for a living in return for food and shelter! Fortunately, such despicable ideas were quickly suppressed when the ancient Egyptians recognized that being worshipped is the birthright of every cat. When a cat died, its family would mourn the loss by shaving off their eyebrows. (Frankly, I think they could have demonstrated their grief in a much more evocative manner! I mean, a cat died! How much worse can it get?) As a sign of their lofty position in society, cat mummies are often found in Egyptian tombs. In the 5 th century BC, the Persians invaded Egypt. When they attacked one city, all the Persian soldiers went into battle carrying a cat. Rather than risk injury to a cat, the Egyptian city surrendered. The moral of this story is that one cat is worth more than any Egyptian city. Two feline goddesses were Mafdet, the goddess of justice and execution, and Bastet or Bast who was the goddess of protection, fertility, and motherhood. Statues of both goddesses are found in many ancient Egyptian tombs. Cat worship was ill-advisedly banned by imperial decree in 390 AD. Absurd as it may seem, respect for felines has steadily declined in Egypt, though cats are still kept as pets and tolerated for their pest catching skills. I m not sure why any cat would deign to catch a pest for people who simply tolerate them, when clearly the country has gone to the dogs! Editor s Note: For those who are unaware, Hastings is a Persian cat who reminds his family daily that Cat Worship is still the law of the land. The author 4

Have YOU Programmed Your Cell Phone Yet? Make Money for HPPR Every Time You Walk Your Dog or Just Go For A Walk! Go to http://www.wooftrax.com/get-the-app/ to get the app. The Wooftrax app can be installed on both Android and iphone devices, and as long as your phone is on while you walk with it, it will track your mileage and support our rescue with periodic payments. Be sure to select Helping Paws Pet Rescue, Inc in Washburn, WI as your supported rescue. After you download the app onto your smartphone, take the phone with you when you walk your pet(s) or simply when you go for a walk. Simply press the Start Walking for button and the app will keep track of your walk. When your walk is stopped it is credited to your selected shelter or rescue. The more people walking for that organization, the more we earn, so please spread the word. Our Yankee Candle Fundraiser Has Begun! To shop in our online store, go to https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/scripts/ycfwcgi.exe?_v4=process&_func=enterwebsitegroupemail&frcomp=ycf&cusid=990074736 New St. Patrick's Day items have just arrived, so it is time to look for that special gift for your Irish friends. Helping PAWS gets 40% of the profits from sales made through our special online store, so please patronize our shop. Beginning March 7, 2015, we will begin a 4-week Yankee Candle sales campaign in the Washburn, WI area. People who place orders with us will be able to pick up their purchases at Country Care Pet Hospital in time for Mothers Day. This "group order" will save you significantly on shipping charges. Orders will be collected through April 2, 2015, and sent to Yankee Candle for delivery to Country Care Pet Hospital in time for you to pick up your purchase for May 10. The Spring Catalog items not only include candles, but many decorative items, as well as flowers and seeds to plant. If you miss this sale, we hope to have a similar sale during Brownstone Days in July. Lupine Pet Collars, Leashes, and Harnesses on Sale at Country Care Pet Hospital! While supplies last, we are having a big sale on our Lupine items. 25% off any 1 item purchased, 30% off any 2 items purchased, and 35% off any 3 items purchased. Our helpful staff will assist you in fitting your dog or cat with any of our harnesses or collars! Come in soon for the best selection. Lupine items are guaranteed for life, even when chewed! 5

Will YOU Be My Valentine? By PAWSatively Special Laser Lacy Helping PAWS Pet Rescue February 2015 Hi everybody. I m Laser Lacy and I m PAWSatively Special for a lot of reasons. The first one you can see by just looking at me. It s my little twisted back leg. I was born that way and it means that I need treatments to cure the twisted leg, as well as the accompanying granuloma, and find the best way to help me get around. I may eventually have to have my leg removed, but I m ready for whatever comes my way. Another thing that s special about me is my name. When I first came here I was named Lacy, but because I needed special laser treatments on my leg, they added Laser to my name. And boy, does that fit me. I have bright, sparkling, laser-like eyes and I am as quick as a laser beam. The other kittens can hardly keep up with me and my catnip mouse doesn t stand a chance. Another special thing about me is my special friend, Tinsel. I was so little when I came here that everyone thought it would be nice for me to have a foster mom cat, so they brought me Tinsel. Even though she isn t my real mom, we bonded right away. Maybe when I get adopted, my new family will also adopt my very special friend Tinsel. But the most special thing about me isn t my leg or my name or even my friend, it s my heart. Everyone here says I m the bravest little kitten that they have ever met. In spite of everything that I have been through, I m always happy, playful and purring. Nothing gets me down and even if I have to have my little leg taken off, I know it won t slow me down, because I m Laser Lacy and I m PAWSatively Special! Laser Lacy s treatments are expensive, which is why her tearful family relinquished her. Estimates of what she needs include: $100 for each laser surgery to debride the granuloma on her leg. She will need at least two such treatments, possibly more. Laser therapy costs $35 per treatment, plus $10 worth of staff time. At present, Laser Lacy requires these treatments daily. Medication and bandaging add up to $200. If amputation is eventually required, that will be an additional expense of around $800. Alternatively, an orthopedic specialist might be able to straighten the bent tibia. If you can spare any amount to help Laser Lacy live a full and healthy life, please donate at http://ourhelpingpaws.com/donate.html#donate. You will be her Furever Valentine! 6

Faux PAWS: socially awkward or tactless acts, especially those that violate accepted social pet norms, standard customs, or the rules of petiquette. NOTE! I am a bird dog! Cody's my name and pheasant is my game, but in the off-season I like to keep my skills honed. Once I retrieved a clutch of duck eggs from a nest near the water (I AM a retriever, after all!) and brought them up to the house. I was very careful not to break them, but Mom said that Mother Duck wouldn't want them back. Well, what made her think I was gonna return them? Instead, can I have them scrambled with a side of bacon? -- Cody Mae For Christmas, my brother Lance and I each got these dinky little rawhide bones. My parents didn t have the heart to take it away from me until I was finished, so that bone kept me busy all Christmas Day and everyone was so impressed! As a token of my gratitude, while they slept that night I threw up the entire bone, spreading it out over various spots throughout the house. Lance didn t care much for his bone, so now I am working on that. For some reason, Mom and Dad won t let me at the thing for more than about 15 minutes at a crack! Sheesh! But they think it is quite a fun game, trying to wrestle it from me! -- Lucy I like to join Mom in the bathtub every morning and lie on her knee so that I can bat my paws at the waves. I guess, given my name, water is just my natural milieu, so you can say that I am truly at home on land or at sea. Maybe when I grow up I will become a Surfer Girl! I certainly DO like to make waves! Tsunami (FKA Vixen) 7

Mark Your Calendars! Helping PAWS Pet Rescue February 2015 Spay/Neuter Awareness Month Pet Dental Health Month Unchain a Dog Month Feb. 7-14, 2015: Have a for Chained Dogs Week Feb. 14, 2015: Pet Theft Awareness Day Feb. 15-21, 2015: National Justice for Animals Week Feb. 20, 2015: L ve Your Pet Day Feb. 22, 2015: Walking the Dog Day Feb. 23, 2015: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day Feb. 24, 2015: World Spay Day July 24-26, 2015: Brownstone Days in Washburn, WI 8

Pet Updates, Newsletter Submissions, and Photos Welcome! Do you have a pet update, pet-related article you have written, or some other item of interest that should be included in a future Newsletter? (It does NOT have to be a pet adopted through Helping PAWS!) If so, please send your submissions to webmaster@ourhelpingpaws.com. Please note that we reserve the right to edit as needed. Pictures to accompany your submission are also very welcome. This is a chance for you and/or your pets to be "published"! We would be particularly interested in hearing from some of those Veterans out there who took advantage of our Free Cats for Vets program which ended recently. Are YOU On Our Mailing List Yet? Are YOU on our mailing list? If not, why not? To join our mailing list, please subscribe at http://ourhelpingpaws.com/mailing_list.html. We promise not to spam you, and you can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link within any mailing list email. It's Not Too Early to Donate for Our Annual Tag Sale! Although we have not finalized a date yet, our annual tag sale will very likely once again be held during Brownstone Days (July 24-26 in Washburn, WI). It is not too early to begin sorting through items for donations for this event. It is one of our major fundraisers, and the earlier we receive donations, the better we can plan for the event. Contact us at or call 715-373-2222 for any questions you may have. Upcoming Events, Anyone? Do you know of an upcoming event that we should post? Please send it to webmaster@ourhelpingpaws.com for inclusion on the website and the next newsletter. Our Wishlist Please Support Our Merchant Partners When looking for that special Valentines Day, Easter, or Mothers Day gift, please consider purchasing from our Merchant Partners, the links to which can be found at http://ourhelpingpaws.com/partners.html. Also, searching and shopping through Goodshop brings much-needed funds to our rescue, and merchants post their coupons on this site so that as you do good for the rescue, you are also saving yourself money with the available coupons. 9