in other words
march6
2014
7
Creature Comforts ~ Why Probiotics and Prebiotics for Animals
By Michal Smith
As we know there are two types of bacteria:
harmful, or even deadly, and “friendly” or beneficial to
an animal’s health.
“Friendly” bacteria such as Lactobacillus
acidophilus,
Bifido-bacterium
bifidum,
and
Lactobacillus bulgaricus are just a few of the helpful
microorganisms that live in the intestinal tract where
they help defend the body against disease and illness.
Factors that affect the natural balance and cause the
“friendly” bacteria to be outnumbered are: use of
antibiotics; stress; an inadequate diet; a compromised
immune system and the inhalation or ingestion of
fertilizers, pesticides or other chemical pollutants.
The most common way that the ratio of
friendly-to-harmful bacteria gets out of balance is
through the use of antibiotics. The use of these drugs is
not always avoidable, but unfortunately, antibiotics are
not able to distinguish between friendly and harmful
bacteria, so when eradicating harmful bacteria, they
also kill off a large number of friendly bacteria which
leaves the animal with even less of a defense the next
time he/she is exposed to harmful microorganisms.
Chemicals in the water supply and soil can have
much the same effect. Even the natural event of aging
can affect the balance of “friendly” and harmful bacteria
in the intestinal tract. Common symptoms of imbalance
are: gas, constipation, diarrhea, sluggishness, or skin
problems. Regardless of the cause, if an animal shows
any of the common signs of an unhealthy intestinal
tract, consider intervention of a probiotic supplement
to help get the intestinal ecosystem back on the right
track and the animal feeling better.
Probiotics are dietary supplements made of
different kinds of friendly bacteria. The ingredients in
them may vary from brand to brand, as do the methods
of delivery. For instance, probiotics may come in
capsule, paste, liquid, powder or tablet form. They may
even be included in some brands of food, although this
is not considered the best source since, according to
some studies, certain brands do not contain the amount
or even the kind of probiotics that are stated on the
labels. For this reason, supplements are considered the
more effective way to go.
Prebiotics are often mentioned alongside
“probiotics.” Prebiotics are the energy source or food
for the “friendly” bacteria that live in the intestinal tract.
They help the beneficial bacteria thrive. Prebiotics are a
specialized form of fiber that occurs naturally in foods
such as chicory, asparagus, artichokes, garlic, honey,
wheat and oats. One of the most common prebiotics
is FOS or fructooligosaccharides. Creatures pet store
carries a variety of pro/prebiotics for animals: ARK
Naturals and Pet Naturals of Vermont both make a
chew and a capsule for dogs and cats; Probias is a great
probiotic paste or powder for all animals including
reptiles, birds and large farm animals such as goats,
sheep and equine. Although this article is focused on
animals, much about probiotics is the same for humans.
Stores in Vernonia carry these supplements for us too!
Stop by the store 7 days a week for more
information or discussion Monday-Friday 10-6;
Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 12-4; 503-429-PETS(7387).
WOEC Current: Tree Trimming and Call Before You Dig
By Sarah Rossi
As Spring approaches it is a
good time to talk about our WOEC tree
trimming and right-of-way maintenance.
The seasonal shift in March can trigger
wind storms and other harsh weather
patterns, which can create power
outages. Last month’s snow and wind
storms were a good example of how
our increased tree trimming and line
maintenance program is paying off. We
only experienced several small outages
with a few members off at any one time.
West
Oregon
Electric
Cooperative has an aggressive
tree trimming plan and vegetation
management program in place to protect
our lines and keep power flowing safely
to your home. Our right-of-way (ROW)
maintenance keeps tree limbs and other
obstacles away from high voltage power
lines, and it is an important service that
we provide to you, our members. There
are three main reasons that this ROW
maintenance is so important: safety,
reliability, and cost.
Our primary concern is the
safety of our WOEC employees and
WOEC members. Properly maintained
ROW keeps our crews safe when they
are restoring service and maintaining
our system. Keeping trees away from
power lines also keeps your family safe.
We work hard to keep our lines clear,
but we need our members to help us
in that endeavor. Don’t plant trees or
tall vegetation under power lines, and
be understanding when trees on your
property may need to be trimmed back
away from the lines. If you see a tree or
tree limb that is touching or close to our
lines please call our office and report
it so that we can send someone out to
evaluate if it is a danger tree or not.
When our crews work in well
maintained areas, we can reduce the
risks for employees and equipment
which helps keep costs down. As a not-
for-profit cooperative, WOEC strives to
find ways to reduce costs and improve
reliability for our members. Fewer
and shorter outages save money for
everyone! Maintaining our ROW is a
priority for your safety and comfort.
Another important safety
reminder for Spring is our “Call
Before You Dig” number to request
underground power line and other utility
lines to be located and marked. Whether
you are gardening, landscaping, doing
a construction project, working on the
honey-do lists, making road repairs,
etc….if it evolves a shovel or big
equipment, you need to call before you
start to dig. Spring is a time of concern
for us here as we inevitably incur outages
from those who dig where our power
lines are located. This creates a safety
hazard and puts lives in jeopardy. It also
causes additional work for our crews
who have to drop everything to go repair
the line and restore power to our affected
members, and your neighbors don’t like
• Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels • Finish Carpentry
• Ceramic Tile Work • Custom Home Construction
• Additions • Commercial Tenant Improvements
Jim Morrison, Jr.
General Contractor
CCB# 112057
Ph: (503) 429-0154
MorrisonRemodeling@hughes.net
Vernonia, OR 97064
• Licensed • Bonded • Insured
having their power out because someone
forgot to make a call. All you need to
remember is call 811 before you dig!
The call will be directed to a Local One
Call Center where personnel will notify
affected utility companies, who will
send crews to mark underground lines
for free.
There is no cost to you to use
this service, and it will save you money
as there are penalties for not calling for
a locate. The penalties for not calling
beforehand are significant. The person
causing the damage to underground
facilities, (it is the same for telephone,
gas, electric, cable), will be charged for
the repair of the facilities. They will also
be subject to enforcement actions by the
Oregon Public Utilities Commission and
Civil penalties of up to $1,000 for the
first violation and up to $5,000 for each
subsequent violation. Civil penalties
for intentional violations of the Oregon
Excavation Law are up to $5,000 for the
first violation and up to $10,000 for each
subsequent violation.
So, let’s all be safe and call the
811 number before any digging around
underground utility lines. It will end up
saving us all a lot of time, money, and
possible injuries.
3/6 Dinner Show with Nikki Hill
3/8 Moody Little Sister
3/54 Wil Kinky
3/55 Scott Pemberton Trio
3/56 Crosby Tyler 5:00 pm
3/25 Cd Woodbury Band
3/22 Randy Oxford Band
3/28 Blue Skies for Black Hearts
3/29 RootJack
4/5 Britnee Kellogg
4/6 Britnee Kellogg 5:00 pm
Check for times at our Facebook page
“The Birk Birkenfeld Country Store”
503-755-2722
www.TheBirk.com
11139 Highway 202, Birkenfeld
