Saturday, April 14, 2018

Morphing Madness

Hello and happy Caturday! Today, we are of course participating in both the A to Z Challenge and Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.



The letter of the day is M. As per usual, the theme we're following involves putting an animal-inspired twist on a classic story title. Unlike some of the letters of the alphabet, I had a number of options to choose from for M. I had a tough picking what to do, and so I finally just eeny-meeny-miney-moed my way to this:


Has anyone here read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka? I have honestly only read excerpts of it, and from those I could tell it is certainly a unique read. How do you think The Metameowphosis would play out?

We hope you all have a beautiful day!



***
Our Tip of the Day:

Today we're talking about another intestinal parasite. This time, though, it's not a worm. The parasite we're talking about today is Giardia, which is a single-celled protozoa. In short, Giardia causes diarrhea in cats and dogs, as well as humans. Diarrhea caused by Giardia is often very malodorous, sometimes somewhat green in color, and may contain mucus or blood.

How does a cat or dog become infected with Giardia? It is passed in the feces of infected animals. This means that eating the feces of an infected animal, or eating grass or other debris near where an infected animal has defecated, can result in infection with Giardia. Drinking water near where infected animals have defecated is another way that Giardia can be passed from animal to animal.

This all being said, many healthy animals can have Giardia present in there intestinal tract and not show symptoms. It more commonly becomes a problem in very young, very old, or otherwise sick animals. It is also more common in highly populated areas, such as in a shelter. If diarrhea resulting from Giardia is severe enough, the situation can become life-threatening, due to dehydration and other complications.

So, though we can't always put protective bubbles around our furbabies, do your best to help prevent Giardia from affecting your furbaby. Try to keep them from ingesting the feces of other animals, of course, or from ingesting grass or water in areas where other animals may have defecated. Also be sure to keep their feeding, sleeping, and play areas, especially those outdoors, sanitary.

If you do notice your kitty or pup has diarrhea, do not hesitate to take them and a fecal sample in for an exam by a veterinarian. Especially if your furbaby is very young, geriatric, or sick, do not hesitate to have them seen if they are displaying diarrhea. Your vet can test a stool sample for Giardia, as well as for other parasites. Of course, also be sure to administer medications and follow other treatments that your vet prescribes for your furbaby. Also, as we always say, never hesitate to ask your veterinarian about any concerns you have regarding Giardia and your furbaby's risk, treatment, or prevention.

It is also worth noting that, though nowadays is is believed not as prevalent as originally thought, it is still possible for humans to get Giardia from cats and dogs. For this reason, always be sure to wash your hands after cleaning up their waste, especially if they are known to have Giardia. Giardia is not something to take lightly, neither in our furbabies nor ourselves.

14 comments:

J Lenni Dorner said...

Happy Caterday to you, too!
Very fun, and then very informative. Thanks for this great post. Happy a to z.

Anonymous said...

Love the doodle of the kitty morphing into a butterfly (or vice versa???).

Hugs, Teddy

Unknown said...

That is such a cute doodle! I read The Metamorphosis in college umpteen years ago. The Metameowphosis looks like a much happier story! :)

Marg said...

We love the drawing.Looks like a good morph to us. A kitty probably would enjoy being a butterfly. You all have such a good day.

Kitties Blue said...

Thanks for the tip of the day. That is info Mom didn't know. Your doodle today is precious. Good job. Made Mom smile. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

Love that doodle!

Purrs xx
Athena and Marie

Unknown said...

I love the doodle.
Thank you for the information.
Yael from PlayingInCatnip.com

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

I've never even heard about it, much less read it, but the art is adorable!

Cathy Keisha said...

We haven't read the book but the buttercat is adorable.

pilch92 said...

I have not read that book, but I love your take on it. Very cute drawing. And excellent tip, I was not familiar with. XO

The Island Cats said...

That doodle is SO cute!

meowmeowmans said...

Such a cute doodle today. :)

Our dad, who majored in comparative literature, says that kitty is WAY nicer than what the man in Kafka's book turned into!

Hugs,

Gracie and Ava

Alastriona, The Cats and Dogs said...

We love the Buttercat!!!!!

Eastside Cats said...

My sis-in-law had Giardia many years ago, and she continues to have problems from it! Avoid it at all costs!