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What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (boar-ELL-ee-uh burg-dorf-ERR-eye). Within 1 to 2 weeks of being infected, people may have a "bull's-eye" rash with fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Some people have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. Other people have a fever and other "flu-like" symptoms without a rash.

After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body of an infected person. These people can get symptoms such as rashes in other parts of the body, pain that seems to move from joint to joint, and signs of inflammation of the heart or nerves. If the disease is not treated, a few patients can get additional symptoms, such as swelling and pain in major joints or mental changes, months after getting infected.

Can animals transmit Lyme disease to me?

Yes, but not directly. People get Lyme disease when they are bitten by ticks carrying B. burgdorferi. Ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small and can be hard to see. These tiny ticks bite mice infected with Lyme disease and then bite people or other animals, such as dogs and horses, passing the disease to them.

How can I protect myself from Lyme disease?

• Whenever possible, you should avoid entering areas that are likely to be infested with ticks, particularly in spring and summer when nymphal ticks feed.
• If you are in an area with ticks, you should wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily and removed before becoming attached.
• If you are in an area with ticks, wear long-sleeved shirts, and tuck your pants into socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots (since ticks are usually located close to the ground).
• Application of insect repellents containing DEET (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide) to clothes and exposed skin, and permethrin (which kills ticks on contact) to clothes, should also help reduce the risk of tick attachment. DEET can be used safely on children and adults but should be applied according to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines to reduce the possibility of toxicity.
• Since transmission of B. burgdorferi from an infected tick is unlikely to occur before 36 hours of tick attachment, check for ticks daily and remove them promptly. Embedded ticks should be removed by using fine-tipped tweezers. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.
• You can reduce the number of ticks around your home by removing leaf litter, and brush- and wood-piles around your house and at the edge of your yard. By clearing trees and brush in your yard, you can reduce the likelihood that deer, rodents, and ticks will live there.

How can I find more information about Lyme disease?

Learn more about Lyme disease, including answers to frequently asked questions, the natural history of Lyme disease and a narrated documentary, at CDC's Lyme disease web site.

A little humor for a rainy Sunday morning.......

Save Our Pets Food Bank

Helping loving pet owners who need food for their pets!

My name is Brianna and I am a college student living with my boyfriend, 3 lovimg cats, and 1 wonderful dog. my current job is only willing to give me the most minimum of part time even though i have worked my school schedule around my work schedule. I want to better my life by going to college and yet with being in college and trying to pay the bills it all gets very difficult. I've had to go into foodnet and the food pantry to keep food in our home. my pets eat the drands i can afford them and their happy.

Whats been the most stressful is working every hour that i am not in school, i have rarely any time to study and when i get home from my job i am so exhausted that i just pass out before i even get to eat half the time. I know life is hard, I also know there are so many going through much worse than me. I am glad i have found a place to let it out a little and not ring my boyfriends ear with it. we both work so hard for so very little.

 CLICK HERE

For all website information. 

Millions of healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the U.S. because there simply are not enough homes for them all...

...we’re working to change that. SPAY/USA, a program of North Shore Animal League America, is a nationwide network and referral service for affordable spay/neuter services.

Our mission is to end the suffering of innocent dogs and cats by reducing the number of unwanted births. Anyone who needs assistance finding affordable spay/neuter services can benefit by using the SPAY/USA referral service.

We also work with individuals who want to set up programs in their own area to help those in need. Spay/neuter services should be within reach - geographically and financially - for everyone who has a cat or dog.

I live on a disability through my employer and I have made it some way with paying my rent, utilities and so on and so forth.  I admit I have to frequent some food banks to make ends meet, but for the most part, I can get by.    In my spare time ( and I have lots of that...), I've been helping other newly dx'd people who have the same cancer as I do, since I'm not able to return back to work, I thought this was a goodthing for me to do as giving back, or paying it forward, if you will.  I have also gone to Lansing and around the country to speak with other foundations about the need  for free screnings( cancer) for all no matter what your income is or what your insurance allows, to many folks are losing thier battle with this disease and we all need to make or find a cure soonso no one else has to lose a loved one from this disease.

I have a friend who has taken abanded animals in and now, she neds help with food for these little guys, is there a program in Wayne county, Michiigan that can help?  I heard of this before, but not quite sure where to start looking  any ideas?   

Hi. I'm brand new here, so this site is still a bit of a mystery to me but it sure sounds intriguing. I live in San Antonio and, yes, make dolls for a living. I don't know that I have any great insights or that I can offer any real help to anyone but I'm willing to try. And while I have problems of my own, I'm not ready to bore anyone with complaints just yet. In other words, don't get me started!

I have a 9 month old Black Lab who just went thru her first cycle, though we take care to walk her and keep a good eye on her she just recently went thru her first "cycle" and I notice her boobies look swollen, Is this part of the hormonal process or did somehow some stud jump the fence or something?

My family and I have spent the last year living with a good friend who took us in when we were in a dangerous situation. When we first moved in it was just me my 2 daughters and a dog. Now my son has moved in and we own another dog.

Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed my time here but after doing the searching that God wanted me to do and finding that I am a good person. It is time to get out on our own and let her have her house back. Because I told her before we started looking she is willing to help and her family is impressed. I don't know why. I just was trying to do what was right.

I believe if you live too long with a good friend you risk the chance of ruining a good friendship because no matter what there is always more than one way of looking at things at things can get confused and tempers explode.

we are melanie and tim our home has been lost to forcl;osure we are now homeless we have our dogs and each other and do not want to lose them to please help us save what little else we have call please916-308=9302

  I'M TRYING TO LEAVE AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND!!!! I HAVE 4 DOGS, THAT I HAVE TO TAKE WITH ME; OR HE WILL KILL THEM!!!! I HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND FOR MY DOGS TO GO, I JUST NEED HELP WITH THE MONEY; FOR A CAR AND GAS MONEY AND FOOD!!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!! I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL HELP, THAT I CAN GET!!!!!!!!

PLEASE SEND WHAT YOU CAN TO: SHARON ARMOUR  P.O. BOX 854  FREER, TEXAS  78357

 THANK-YOU, VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!

As my nickname indicates I am a lady truck driver.  Last year I was out for 8 months before going to what used to be my home. I discovered someone had gone inside and stole everything of value. I USED to have guitars, keyboards, amplifiers, TV's, computer, dvd players, vcr players, about 100 music CD's if not more and a lot of other stuff. All of it was gone. I only had my "personal" stuff left. Some clothes, family pictures, the stuff in my kitchen, etc. I was able after a couple of months to go back and put what was left in a storage unit. I went from being able to fill to capacity a 10X20 storage unit, now I have a 10 X 10 with room left over. My biggest problem right now is I no longer have a home. The rent where I used to be got way behind and I had no other choice but to put what was left in storage. Because of the economy and lack of freight I am currently in deficit and often do not have enough money to even buy decent food. To complicate matters I have 3 large dogs and of course buy their food first, then whatever is left I get myself whatever I can manage to get. I have to fight to even get a $60 advance and with that I am suposed to buy dog food, my food, wash clothes and get any personal items I absolutely need. What I crave most right now is to be able to eat something besides Ramen Noodle and sandwiches! Even a simple $1 hamburger would be a real treat! I am engaed to a wonderful man but he is on a fixed income and has for the last 2 months paid my phone bill which includes my internet but he is tapped out and can no longer help. This is the most important thing to me as I can keep in touch with my daughter that is facing 2 surgeries with the first being Apr 30, my fiance has a sister that is not expected to live much longer, a mother that has recently been put under hospice care and a grandson with disabilities. If I were to loose my phone I would be totally lost. I also use my phone for directions and internet for weather, so it is not just for "fun" and entertainment, it is an extremely important tool for my job. I seriously am worried that on March 6th that I will not have the funds for my phone and will loose it. I will be totally devistated if this happens as I will not only loose contact with those important to me I will also have no way to call shippers and recievers for help if the directions I get from the company are bad which happens way too much! Thank you for reading this!

PS....I have 2 grandchildren who both have birthdays Apr 22 and I have nothing to offer them.

Hi, my name is Nikki. Saw ur ad on craigs list and thought I'd check it out. I love pitties, I have one that we adopted "Chloe"  and one that we are currently fostering "Buster". I volunteer at my local animal shelter in Brighton walking dogs and fostering. I love it. I have lots of experience with dogs, behavior and training so if you have any ?'s feel free to ask!

Thanks, Nikki

http://www.baghdadpups.com/

Baghdad Pups is sponsored by the SPCA to get "buddies" home to their military families, and help others find new homes away from the war. Help support this cause with donations or other.

  We also recently got a baby red eared slider turtle.  His name is Rollo (sticking with the chocolate names!) and is doing very well.  He has his own 50 gallon tank, water filter, water heater, two floating islands, heat lamp, UVB lamp, shrimp!  And now we are considering some live food!  When we first got him, though, he also had a brother.  Unfortunate, Metro didn't make it.  We got them from a friend who had had them in a tiny traveling/holding tank for about a week and only God knows how long the pet shop guy had them!  Well, they both were very sick and slept for days on end.  In fact, they only woke up if we picked them up and moved them.  Baby turtles are not suppose to hibernate so long.  We tried everything to make them better.  But as things happen, Metro didn't make it.  But now our other baby is doing so much better!  He swims and plays in the water filter current and has been eating a little bit more each day!  And now we, my boyfriend and I, are enjoying the company of our healthy little pets and each other more and more everyday...

When we first got our miniature pinscher, Mini, she was a ball of energy. Always jumping round the house and always eager to please. When she was about a year old, we noticed the color of her left eye was slightly lighter than her right eye. At first, I thought it was the way light was reflecting from her eye, but my wife insisted something was wrong so we took her to our vet and the vet confirmed that Mini had cataracts in her left eye. The vet recommended a specialist and the following week we took her to see the doggie eye doctor who did various test on Mini. The results shocked me. The doctor told us that Mini was totally blind on her left eye due to retinal detachment and also has a cataract. From the way Mini loves to play ball and run around, I would have never guessed she was blind in one eye. The doctor comforted us telling us her right eye seems to be fine and since we never noticed until now there is no reason we should feel bad about it. I realize what the doctor was saying was true and gave Mini a big hug. Four years later, we noticed her right eye started to look funny too. So we took her to the eye doctor again and our worst fear was confirmed. Mini has developed cataracts in her right eye too. The doctor told us that it is just a matter of time before Mini goes totally blind and that if we wanted to operate we should do it sooner rather than later. The total cost of the operation would be about $3,000 and as much as it breaks my heart to see our mini go blind, we just can’t afford that much on our own. My wife is currently unable to work due to a medical condition and I am the only one working in our house supporting my wife and new born son. I ask that if you are able to spare anything at all, please help fix Mini’s one remaining eye. If we are able to do the operation, I promise to send a progress report to anyone who would like to know how she is doing. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

If you would like to donate please send donations via paypal or visit

www.realitycharity.com/blindminpin/