Disease

More than 74,000 people in Kentucky suffer from Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to rise 31 percent by 2025, according to a study conducted by the Alzheimer's association. The Alzheimer's Association's 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, released in late March, predicts the number of people in Kentucky with Alzheimer's is expected to increase to approximately 80,000 by 2010 and to 97,000 by 2025. Teri Shirk, president and CEO of the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, attributed the foreseen increase to baby boomers reaching an age where Alzheimer's is more likely to hit. The continual increase in expected lifespans also means more people are living long enough to be diagnosed, she said.

Rain rot, thrush and mud fever are just a few diseases horse owners can prevent if they groom their animals daily. Preventing these diseases is easier on you and your pocketbook. Other benefits of daily grooming include detection of skin injuries, signs of swelling and lameness. Daily contact with your horse helps you know the horse, its habits and temperament better so you'll more quickly notice any change that could indicate sickness. You actually can detect most diseases in their early stages just by having daily contact with your horse.

Celiac Disease Awareness Day is Sept. 13. Celiac disease is an abnormal immune system response that damages the intestines. Symptoms can vary widely from going unnoticed to impacting daily life. They include, gas, abdominal swelling, bloating, abnormal stools and/or diarrhea, unwanted weight loss, fatigue, weakness and vomiting. These symptoms can be helped or alleviated by avoiding gluten foods. Gluten foods contain wheat, rye and barley, and are proven to be the culprit in causing such stomach distress.

Last week I talked about the many reasons affecting and causing non-compliance with respect to pet owners failing to medicate their pets properly. Certainly, the more pet owners understand about their pet's disease or condition helps them become more likely to medicate their pets properly. Often, if a pet owner does not understand the details of the disease process, they fail to follow their veterinarian's recommendation for treatment. The problem is that some disease processes like diabetes are extremely complicated.

Heart disease in dogs and cats has some similarities to heart problems in people. However, there are some significant differences. Heart failure is the inability of the heart to sufficiently circulate blood to meet the body's needs. This usually means there is failure of either the heart muscle or a valve inside the heart. The most common cause of heart failure in dogs is mitral valve insufficiency. It is more common in small breeds. Mitral valve disease is estimated to account for up to 80 percent of all dog heart disease cases.

The Clark County Health Department will begin its diabetes self-management class series Thursday, which will teach participants about what the disease is, its complications, and how to monitor and manage it. The classes are part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, said Carol Hisle, diabetes program coordinator at the health department. The classes will start Thursday, and then continue on May 3, May 10 and May 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Health Department, 400 Professional Ave. Hisle will teach the classes, and a dietician will teach the nutrition segment of them.

All breeding cattle 18 months of age and older that are offered for sale at Kentucky stockyards are required to be identified with the state veterinarian’s office effective Feb. 14, state Veterinarian Dr. Robert C. Stout announced. “When disease is identified in Kentucky cattle, it is important to identify affected and exposed animals as quickly as possible and with a minimum of cost and inconvenience to producers,” Stout said. “This requirement will make it easier for the Office of the State Veterinarian to pin-point outbreaks and eradicate them while unaffected producers can carry on with business as usual.

As a kid growing up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, I would often question the explanations given to me by adults, mainly my parents. I wasn't being disrespectful, I simply did not always accept their explanation as definitive facts. Also, I rarely questioned them out loud. I would simply struggle within my own mind and consider the possibility of another explanation. Possibly, the other explanation was beyond their current knowledge. Living in the mountains back then, it was not unusual for older people to stay at home once they became ill or disabled.

In general, cats get the raw end of most situations. Cats take the back seat to dogs in almost every media exposure. I am guilty as well of writing more about dogs than cats. It's about time for all the cat owners to have an article solely about cats. Unfortunately, feline diseases are very complicated and often devastating. There are some extremely prevalent and deadly viruses that cats are susceptible to. In the 1980's two viruses were detrimental to the feline population.

Each growing season, many different diseases threaten Kentucky vegetables. However, by practicing good management techniques before and during planting, home vegetable growers can minimize disease risks, said Kenny Seebold, plant pathologist with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Diseases usually are caused by fungi, bacteria or viruses. While they can appear anytime during the growing season, many favor wet, cramped conditions for development. "The longer the leaves stay wet and the more plants that are jammed together in one area, the greater the disease risk," Seebold said.