Pittwater Life September 2018 Issue

Ms Makin’s local contribution
includes founding the Bayview
Church Point Residents’ Association
and acting as President
for many years, to being an
integral part of the Bayview
Baths Heritage nomination.
Margaret also founded the
Northern Beaches Garden Club
and has been a strong advocate
for the local environment,
being on the Pittwater Council
Natural Environment Reference
Group for 20 years.
Tracey Spicer for
Zonta fundraiser
Author, journalist and broadcaster
Tracey Spicer is the
guest speaker at The Zonta
Club of Northern Beaches’
fundraising advocacy dinner
at Dee Why RSL on October
11. Tracey is renowned for the
courage of her convictions,
passion for social justice, and
commitment to equality. Event
starts 6.45pm; ‘Early Bird’
tickets (before October 1) $70.
Email zontanb@gmail.com or
phone Marg 0416 182 393.
Devotional music in an inspiring setting
T
he acoustically spectacular and architecturally distinct
Bahá’í Temple at Ingleside will host 80 singers from
Australia, Europe, the US and New Zealand on Sunday
September 9 with the performance of two sacred choral
concerts. Commencing at 11am and 1.30pm, the choir will sing
15 songs a cappella in seven languages including English, Maori,
French, Japanese, Arabic, Spanis, and Persian. Interspersed
between prayers and readings from the world’s major religions,
all songs will draw their lyrics and inspiration the theme of
‘hope and happiness’. The free concerts are part of the eighth
annual Sydney Sacred Music Festival, to be held over the first
three weekends of September. The Festival draws inspiration
from the Baha’i sacred writings, including the quotation: “We,
verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means
whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high.” More
info bahaichoralfestival.org.au
Vet
on
call
with
Dr Ben Brown
Just like many humans,
animals can also suffer from
seasonal allergies, particularly
in springtime. Dogs and, less
commonly, cats can react
to allergens in the air or via
direct contact that can cause
health problems in a similar
way to humans with seasonal
hay fever. In pets we call this
‘atopy’ or environmental
allergies which is caused
by the immune system
overreacting to a substance in
the environment.
The most common sign
of this type of allergy in pets
is itchy skin, particularly the
feet, in the ‘armpits’ and in
the groin region. Dogs will
often scratch, lick or chew
these areas and subsequently
introduce bacteria and fungus
into the superficial skin layers
causing an infection which
further increases the itch.
Other common manifestations
of allergies are itchy or infected
ears and eyes. Animals can
also suffer from allergies to
certain types of food that
can also cause itchy skin and
can occur concurrently with
environmental allergies. It
is important to distinguish
between these types of
allergies as the treatment is
very different for each type.
Antihistamines are usually
not very effective in treating
allergies in pets. An important
part of treatment is resolving
secondary skin infections
using medicated shampoos
and sometimes antibiotics
and/or antifungal medication.
Many pets will also require
special medication to block
the signalling system within
the skin that triggers the itch
rather than suppressing the
immune system. Blood and
skin tests can be used to
determine the source of the
allergy and to desensitise the
animal to prevent ongoing
issues related to the allergy.
If your pet has itchy skin
drop in and ask our team for
some advice to help control
this frustrating problem.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
SEPTEMBER 2018 25