September, 2012 - The Nyack Villager

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At the Movies by Ric Pantale A Superhero Is Nothing But a Super Sandwich There seems to be an endless barrage of superhero movies today. You have to wonder when Mighty Mouse and Popeye will get their shot (oops forgot—Popeye was done ‘way back in 1980). Where and how did all this start? It seems as though every few months Hollywood finds another hero with unbelievable powers. Of course, superheroes are nothing new in movies; consider Tarzan. He is kind of a superhero without shoes—and he goes back to 1918—the last year of WW1. Tarzan's super powers included his ability to talk to animals. And he seemed to have a vine handy whenever he needed to travel. The first superheroes came from popular comic strips, often done as movie serials. Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers—even Superman thrilled Saturday morning movie goers. In the 1940s Superman and Batman, along with Captain Marvel were all done as film serials. Let's not forget Dick Tracy, the big city super detective with a crazy-looking nose. Comic book superheroes became superpopular during WW2. Every hero wanted to kick Nazi butt, especially Captain America. For some reason Japan escaped his wrath. By the early 1950s comic books came under serious fire from US congressmen who felt young minds were being poisoned by horror comics. Because of that, all comic books suffered. Superman and Batman continued but some of the other super heroes went into early retirement. Then, sometime in the 1980s, comic books were reborn as graphic novels, spawning a whole new generation of comic addicts. Every now and then a movie was made starring the new heroes —Swamp Thing, The Hulk and Super Woman—but they were invariably of poor quality, with low budgets and laughably bad special effects. This went on until the first serious superhero film appeared. Superman, The Movie came when newly-developing computer graphics, super sound and new, sophisticated visual techniques were all coming together. Although the Christopher Reeve was perfect in the role of Superman, he was unknown to movie audiences of the day. For the first time, a movie based on a comic book had a big budget and a supporting cast full of big stars—Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Glenn Ford. Soon thereafter came an unusually fine sequel, Superman 2. Hollywood producers were stunned by the box office success of these films and became convinced that, given a decent budget and first rate actors, people would flock to see a film about a superhero. Batman came next, with a young, imaginative director, Tim Burton, staring such notables as Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger. The success of these films created a new genre that is going strong today. I am still waiting for my own superhero, Birdman to make his appearance. He can't fly but is a great jumper. Ric Pantale writer and director, is an independent film maker. His latest film, “Delilah Rose,” is scheduled for release soon. ✫ 10 The Nyack Villager September, 2012
From Valley Cottage Animal Hospital by Midge L. Ritchie, DVM Nasty Little Worms and Your Best Friend’s Heart Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and occasionally in the right side of the heart of dogs, cats and other species of mammals, including wolves, foxes, ferrets, sea lions and (in rare instances) humans. Heartworms are classified as nematodes (roundworms), specifically Dirofilaria immitis. Dogs and cats of any age or breed are susceptible to infection. The disease is spread by mosquitoes that become infected with microfilariae while taking a blood meal from an infected animal. When the infected mosquito bites another dog, cat, or susceptible animal, the larvae are deposited on the skin and actively migrate into the new host. For about two months the larvae migrate through the connective tissue, under the skin, and then pass into the animal's blood stream. There, they are quickly transported to the arteries of the lungs. It takes a total of approximately six months for the infective larvae to mature into adult worms that begin producing offspring, microfilariae. Adult heartworms can live for five to seven years in the dog. The onset and severity of disease in the dog is mainly a reflection of the number of adult heartworms present, the age of the infection and the level of activity of the dog. Dogs with higher numbers of worms are generally found to have more severe heart and lung disease changes. The heart may enlarge and become weakened due to an increased workload and congestive heart failure may occur. A very active dog (working dog) is more likely to develop severe disease with a relatively small number of heartworms than an inactive one (a lap dog or couch potato). Occasionally, a dog with a large number of heartworms may not only have worms in the heart, but also in the caudal vena cava (large primary vein of the lower body) between liver and heart. If heartworms are not removed surgically, this syndrome causes sudden collapse and death within two to three days. In the cat, the larvae molt as well, but fewer worms survive to adulthood. While dogs may suffer from severe heart and lung damage from heartworm infection, cats typically exhibit minimal changes in the heart. The cat's primary response to the presence of heartworms occurs in the lungs. Cats typically have fewer and smaller worms than dogs and the life span of worms is shorter, approximately two to three years, compared to five to seven years in dogs. However, heartworms do not need to develop into adults to cause significant pulmonary damage in cats, and consequences can be very serious when cats are infected by mosquitoes carrying heartworm larvae (acute pulmonary inflammation response and lung injury). This initial phase is often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis but in actuality is part of a syndrome now known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD). Although at Valley Cottage Animal Hospital we believe that prevention is key, many owners unknowingly adopt dogs that are already infected with the disease; so what happens then? The only treatment that is approved by the FDA is the use of melarsomine, commonly known as Immiticide. This requires 3 injections over a course of 30 days, followed by strict rest for a total of 60 days. This is proven to kill 98% of the worms. In the past, many have tried using what is called a “slowkill” method, by using long-term heartworm preventive, or macrocyclic lactones. Slow-kill methods using continuous monthly administration of prophylactic doses of any macrocyclic lactone are NOT RECOMMENDED. While effective in reducing the life span of juvenile and adult heartworms, it appears that the older the worms are when first exposed to macrocyclic lactones, the longer it takes for them to die. It may take more than two years of continuous administration before adult heartworms are eliminated completely, and rigid exercise restriction would still be required for the entire treatment period. Throughout this period, the infection would persist and would continue to worsen. Another potential concern in using macrocyclic lactones long-term in heartworm positive dogs as stand-alone therapy is the potential for resistance in sub-populations of heartworms. Canine heartworm infection is widely distributed throughout the US. Heartworm infection has been found in dogs native to all 50 states. All dogs, regardless of their age, sex, or habitat, are susceptible to heartworm infection. At the Valley Cottage Animal Hospital we have seen an increasing rate of positive dogs within the last year; in fact, we have treated 6 already just this year. This is why we cannot stress enough the importance of monthly heartworm preventives and yearly checkups. Clinical signs that owners may notice include, but are not limited to, cough, exercise intolerance, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), syncope (temporary loss of consciousness due to poor blood flow to the brain), and ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity). If you note any of these signs, it is important to call your veterinarian. If you have more questions regarding heartworm disease, please feel free to contact us at the Valley Cottage Animal Hospital, or call your regular veterinarian. You can also check out the American Heartworm Society’s website at www.heartwormsociety.org ✫ Originally from Ohio, Dr. Ritchie trained at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She is part of the Valley Cottage Animal Hospital team. The Nyack Villager September, 2012 11
Page 1 and 2: TheNyack Villager ® An independent
Page 3 and 4: In this issue Departments 3 REPORTE
Page 5 and 6: The Nyack Villager September, 2012
Page 7 and 8: Letters An open community forum. to
Page 9: The App of the Month by Vicki Schwa
Page 13 and 14: Nyack Business Beat From the Chambe
Page 15 and 16: Rockland Historical Society Events
Page 17 and 18: The Nyack Villager Founded in 1994,
Page 19 and 20: BACK TO SCHOOL Fall, 2012 ● Saddl

September, 2012 - The Nyack Villager

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