Page 10 - Palm City Spotlight - October '21

Page 10, Palm City Spotlight DOUBLE SPACE

tip of the taiL

Feline Heartworms Unfortunately, heartworm disease in cats can be 30 percent of heartworm-infected cats were considered

fatal, and sudden-death may be the first sign that a cat “indoor-only.”
is infected. When young heartworms reach the heart and Unlike dogs, there is no treatment for heartworm disease
arteries of the lungs, the cat’s body usually responds with in cats. If your cat is infected, your vet may prescribe
a severe immune reaction to try and kill the worms. This steroids to try and reduce your cat’s inflammatory response
immune response causes inflammation in the arteries and to the heartworms. Supportive care is really all that can
airways which can result in coughing, difficulty breathing, be provided.
wheezing, or vomiting. Long-term damage to the lungs can Fortunately, preventing heartworm disease in cats is
occur. Heartworm disease in cats can easily be mistaken easy. A topical or oral medication, used monthly, is all
for feline asthma. that is needed to keep your cat from becoming infected.
Young heartworms that don’t die early on will grow to If your cat isn’t on a monthly heartworm preventative,
Heartworm disease is a year-round risk to our pets in an adult size of approximately eight inches long and will please contact us at Palm City Animal Medical Center
Florida. Our warm, humid climate means that mosquitos survive for two to three years in the cat. When the adult today. We would be happy to answer any questions that
carrying heartworms are capable of infecting our pets at any worms ultimately die, fragments of the worms can lodge you have about feline heartworm disease, and can help
time of the year. in the lungs and blood vessels causing acute inflammatory you choose a heartworm preventative that will work best
And while most of Florida’s dog owners know that events that can result in death of the cat. Feline heartworms for you and your pet.
heartworm prevention is an essential part of dog ownership, can also migrate to the brain, eyes, and spinal cord, which Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical
very few of Florida’s cat owners realize that cats require can result in neurological signs in infected cats. Center is dedicated to providing the best possible care
heartworm prevention too. The Companion Animal Parasite Council reports that for your pets. With focuses on compassionate care in
Cats are infected with heartworms when they are bitten by as many as 20.9 percent of cats in Florida have been surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative
a mosquito that is carrying heartworm larvae. Once bitten, the infected with heartworm disease at some point in their medicine, extensive diagnostics, and emergency service,
heartworm larvae develop in the cat’s skin, fat, and muscle life. National rates of infection are reported to be between Palm City Animal Medical Center combines exceptional
tissue. Approximately two months later, young heartworms 12 to 15.9 percent. medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and their
emerge and travel via the bloodstream to the cat’s heart and If you open your doors, then your cat is at risk. It only owners. For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit
large arteries of the lungs. takes one bite from an infected mosquito to infect your www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on
cat with heartworm disease. Studies have found that Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
Treasure Coast Kids corner

Outdoors Dysgraphia Explained your child’s talking ability with his or her writing ability as most

children with dysgraphia are stronger verbal communicators but
By Jim Weix By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., don’t express themselves well in written form.
Snook season opened School Psychologist If your child has dysgraphia he or she might be eligible for
Sept. 1, so I launched my Does your child have awful classroom accommodations on a 504 Plan. This is the public
kayak at the Palm City looking penmanship? Does school document that recognizes your child has dysgraphia
boat ramp and headed she have an awkward looking and prevents teachers from discriminating against your child’s
south. pencil grip? How about writing. Some children need to use technology whether voice to
De spi t e som e difficulty putting thoughts text or keyboarding. Other children need extra time on writing
concerns about water onto paper? One young child tests. Some children need a special writing utensil such as
quality, I have always told me he felt like he was the Pen Again which is a wishbone looking pencil that helps
enjoyed poking around having writing wars with his children correct an awkward pencil grasp.
the mangrove islands. hand. A mom expressed her Children with weak finger strength and control might
My favorite lure is frustration when she explained need to participate in occupational therapy. An occupational
a silver Rapala Original seven-inch floater. It always her child’s writing was so slow and laborious that the writing therapist works on fine motor activities such as cutting, drawing,
produces fish and I love watching the snook hit it as I process was painful for them both. These are classic dysgraphia buttoning, and improving finger control. Children with severe
work it along the surface. warning signs. dysgraphia often qualify to receive occupational therapy at
I caught four small snook tight to the mangroves. I then Dysgraphia is a writing learning disability that affects 6 to 10 school. A thorough dysgraphia evaluation pinpoints your child’s
worked my way along the east side of the mangroves where percent of kids. Testing for dysgraphia is an easy process that difficulty and provides the paperwork for obtaining school help.
there is a sandy shoal. This gave me a chance to get out of most kids enjoy. We assess your child’s finger control as some We offer in office ADHD/ADD testing, school
the kayak and stretch my legs out, while casting into deeper children can’t control their finger movements which create fine neuropsychological evaluations for dysgraphia and
water. This didn’t produce any snook, but I noticed dozens motor difficulty. A dysgraphia evaluation also assesses your dyslexia, and gifted testing. Call (561) 625-4125 or visit
of small drum working the sandbar. Since I lacked anything child’s ability to copy from close or farther away. We compare www.JimForgan.com.
that might catch one, I simply watched them.
I then paddled farther south, where I knew a sunken
structure was. I tried several casts. As I was just about to lift
the lure out of the water, a bigger snook hit the bait right at
the kayak, and the fight was on.
Instead of swimming away, the fish went under the kayak.
It took some maneuvering, but I had high hopes of actually
catching a legal slot size snook between 28 and 32 inches.
As luck would have it, the fish measured 34 inches.
If you haven’t fished this area you might want to give it a
try. Despite environmental concerns when the Indian Street
Bridge was built, there seems to be plenty of fish and wildlife.
There are dozens of fishing holding spots, including the Indian
Street Bridge itself.
The snook limit is one per person and is open until Dec.
1. They must be between 28 and 32 inches to keep.
Editor’s note: Jim Weix is an avid hunter, angler,
conservationist, as well as an outdoor writer.
Jim is included in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s
Hall of Fame, for his work in helping restore thousands of
acres of wetlands. Jim is a broker associate with The Keyes
Company. He can be reached at (772) 341-2941 or by email:
jimweix@jimweix.com.

Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing
Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
To reserve your vehicle:
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com