Pittwater Life March 2019 Issue

Inflate your boat For cancer
It’s time to get your ‘vessel’
ready for the Manly
Inflatable Boat Race, which
is back for its 15th year on
Sunday March 17 to raise
funds for Tour de Cure to
help find a cure for cancer.
The fun paddling event,
with prizes to be won, takes
place over a 1km course setting
off from Shelly Beach at Manly. Participants come in fancy
dress (the crazier the better), armed with a colourful inflatable
– anything from pool ponies to pink flamingos. Registration
and vessel pumping will be at the South end of Manly Beach,
just north of Manly Surf Club. Race starts at Shelly Beach, a
short walk along the foreshore walking path. Plus, there’ll
be a delicious sausage sizzle and prize presentation for all
participants. Minimum age 12 years (must be accompanied by
an adult). Water safety personnel will be on course. More info
on Facebook or call Dee on 0403 864 947.
of the $35 million Fisheries
Assistance and User Engagement
Package, will support
industries and communities
transition their operations
under the new arrangements.
A total of $5 million is available
in the first round for
grants ranging from $50,000
to $1 million. Applications
close on 12 March 2019. More
info parksaustralia.gov.au/
marine.
Ready for Clean
Up Australia Day
Clean Up Australia Day is
being held on Sunday March
3 around the country and Pittwater
locals are being asked
to do their bit in our area.
More info visit cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.
On-demand Keoride
is now Opal Active
Passengers are now able to
use their Opal card to pay for
the highly popular Keoride
on-demand transport service.
OpalPay allows customers
to ‘tap on’ with their Opal
card when boarding Keoride,
reducing the need for separate
payment methods and
making multi-modal travel
more seamless. Local MP
Rob Stokes said the recent
introduction of the B-Line and
other new bus services, as
well as the Opal card and the
Keoride on-demand service,
had seen an encouraging
increase in public transport
patronage. Customers are still
required to pre-book their
Keoride either by downloading
the Keoride App and
selecting ‘OpalPay’ during the
booking process, or by calling
1800 536 743.
Vet
on
call
with
Dr Ben Brown
Dogs are considered seniors
when they reach their
7th birthday, for cats it is
their 10th birthday. Just like
humans, older age presents
new health problems for our
pets and it is important to be
aware of the signs of aging as
early detection is vital.
Some symptoms of aging
may be obvious, like an
intolerance to exercise or
limited mobility, while others
are more subtle. It is important
to monitor your pet’s eating
patterns and body weight, as
obesity can cause many health
issues, including osteoarthritis
and diabetes in old age.
Similarly, if your pet is too
thin it could be having dental
issues, metabolic disease
or certain types of cancers.
Sleeping patterns and cognitive
behaviour are also things to
look out for; a cat or dog that
isn’t aware of its surroundings
or has difficulty recognizing
people may be experiencing
early cognitive dysfunction or
dementia. (The signs of old
age can be more difficult to
detect in cats than dogs due to
their sedentary lifestyle.)
How much your pet is or
isn’t drinking can be indicative
of many problems, from
endocrine issues to kidney
disease. Kidney disease is very
common in older cats. Water
intake is often difficult to
check, especially in multi-pet
households, but water intake
should be monitored closely
if possible. The normal water
intake for cats and dogs is
approximately 50ml per kg
bodyweight per 24hrs; any level
above warrants a check-up.
Because our pets can’t talk
to us, senior pets should have
a routine blood test every
year. This helps to determine
the health of many important
internal organs such as the
kidneys and liver and can
often be the first indicator that
something is wrong. Drop in
to one of our hospitals this
month to discuss our senior
pet health focus.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MARCH 2019 29