Page 18 - The Jewish Voice - April '25

Page 18, The Jewish Voice

Lifestyles from page 17 can develop, blood pressure problems may occur, and urine Financial Focus
concentration decreases. Decreases in urine concentration is
Tip of the Tail an early sign of kidney insufficiency. Time for Some Financial Spring Cleaning
Clinical signs of chronic kidney insufficiency can be vague
Early Labwork Can Detect Kidney and may mimic other diseases. The most common symptoms By Sally Sima Stahl
Insufficiency usually noted are increased thirst and increased urination, Spring is here — which
with other symptoms including decreased appetite, vomiting, means it’s once again time to
weight loss, and poor hair coat. These symptoms may be slowly wash the windows, organize
progressive, and, if mild, may go unnoticed by a pet owner. your cabinets, and steam
Labwork may reveal abnormalities before obvious clinical your carpets. This year,
signs are evident, which may allow treatment to be initiated in addition to tidying up
sooner and provide the best quality of life for the pet. around your house, why not
Several treatment options can be utilized to help pets also consider some financial
with chronic kidney insufficiency maintain a good quality of spring cleaning?
life. Special prescription diets are a primary means to help He r e a r e so m e
maintain appropriate protein levels, certain electrolyte levels, suggestions to consider:
and a better, longer quality of life. These diets are available • “De-clutter” your investment portfolio. When you
through veterinarians. Another treatment option is fluid embark on your home cleaning mission, you might
therapy, either subcutaneous or intravenous. Subcutaneous notice that you have redundancies — three blenders, two
fluids, which are placed under a pet’s skin, can be used at vacuum cleaners, and so on. Similarly, you might find
Chronic kidney insufficiency is one of the most common home or in the clinic to help maintain hydration; subcutaneous duplications in your investment portfolio, perhaps in the
diseases affecting older pets, especially cats. Many causes fluids can be utilized long-term to help with quality of form of multiple, near-identical stocks or mutual funds.
exist for chronic kidney insufficiency, with age-related kidney life. Some pets will benefit from subcutaneous fluids up to If so, it might be worthwhile to consider selling some of
deterioration being one of the more common. Chronic kidney several times a week, while others may need fluids less often. these investments and using the proceeds to boost your
insufficiency indicates that a condition called azotemia has Intravenous fluids are usually reserved for pets who need portfolio in other areas in which you may be lacking.
been present for months or years. When azotemia is present, more aggressive fluid therapy. Some pets with chronic kidney • Cut back on “overgrown” investments. Now that
toxins have accumulated in the bloodstream, and labwork will insufficiency may have blood pressure issues, and these pets winter is over and you’re venturing outside more, you may
indicate abnormalities. Approximately 70 percent of kidney may benefit from blood pressure medications. Depending on notice some overgrown shrubbery or tree branches that
function must be lost before labwork abnormalities are noted. the chronicity and severity of kidney insufficiency, pets can need pruning. And while it may sound counterintuitive,
Azotemia does not necessarily mean a pet is experiencing a experience anemia. If this occurs, medication may be needed you might also have some investments that have grown
reduced quality of life, but with uremia the patient is exhibiting to help correct the anemia. too big for your needs. For example, you might own some
clinical signs of kidney disease and may be reducing their Chronic kidney insufficiency is a common disease in older growth-oriented investments whose value has increased
quality of life. The goal in treatment of chronic kidney animals; however, pets can live with a good quality of life for so much that they now take up a larger percentage of your
insufficiency is to prevent, postpone, or resolve uremia, to many years after diagnosis, with proper management. Annual portfolio — and carry a higher degree of risk — than you
ensure the pet experiences the best possible quality of life. labwork may reveal indications of chronic kidney insufficiency originally intended. If that’s the case, you might be better
Azotemia associated with chronic kidney insufficiency may well before a pet shows clinical signs. Please check with your off by selling some of these investments and purchasing
not be reversible. veterinarian to see if your pet is due for his or her labwork. others to help bring your investment mix back to its
The kidneys perform several important functions: Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center is desired alignment.
1.) Filtering waste products, primarily urea and creatinine dedicated to providing the best possible care for your pets. With • Dust off your investment strategy. With more sunlight
2.) Regulating electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, focuses on compassionate care in surgery, physical therapy and now pouring in your house, you might notice that the
phosphorus, and calcium rehabilitation, preventative medicine, extensive diagnostics, corners of your walls and ceiling may need a good dusting.
3.) Producing erythropoietin, which helps stimulate bone and emergency service, Palm City Animal Medical Center And as you continually work to strengthen your financial
marrow to produce red blood cells combines exceptional medical care with a caring philosophy foundation, you may need to dust off your investment
4.) Producing renin, which helps control blood pressure for pets and their owners. For more information, call 772-283- strategy, especially if you’ve recently experienced
5.) Producing and concentrating urine 0920, visit www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com, or find us
When kidney function begins to decline, waste products on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic. Lifestyles on page 19
accumulate in the blood, electrolyte imbalances occur, anemia

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