In a past blog post, I described the important role the kidneys play in a cat’s overall health. In addition to making hormones and regulating the blood pressure, the kidneys filter toxins from the bloodstream, creating urine in the process. So where does that urine go after it is manufactured by the kidneys? Anyone who’s waited in line for the…
Body Parts – The Spleen Ask most people what their cat’s heart does, and they’ll tell you it pumps blood. How about the lungs? They breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The kidneys? They filter toxins from the blood stream and put them in the urine. The spleen? That’s easy. It… it… Admit it: you have no idea what…
Body Parts – the Feline Heart The heart is the main organ in the circulatory system. Its job is to pump blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Similar to the human heart, the feline heart has four chambers. The two chambers on the top of the heart are the atria (plural for atrium). The…
Cat feet are fascinating. They function as shock absorbers when landing after aerial acrobatics. The pads on the paws are thick, with a substantial amount of adipose (fat) tissue just below the pad surfaces. This acts as a cushion, allowing for cats to walk quietly. To me, however, the most impressive parts of the feet are the claws. All members…
Body Parts – the Adrenal Glands I would venture that most people have heard of the adrenal glands. I would also bet that if asked about what the adrenals do, most folks would correctly guess that they make adrenaline, the “fight or flight” hormone that makes your heart race before that first big plunge on the roller coaster. But…
I’m sure you’ve heard of them, but do you really know what they are, or what they do? I’m talking about the lymph nodes, important structures that we don’t think about much, but play a crucial role in a cat’s ability to fight off infections. Lymph nodes are small, oval shaped organs that are dispersed throughout the body. They…
Body Parts – The Stomach by Arnold Plotnick, MS, DVM, ACVIM If you can’t stomach the thought of an article about the stomach, then this column may not be for you. But have no fear, I will make this material easy to digest. The stomach is an important part of the gastrointestinal tract. Food that is swallowed is propelled by…
Body Parts – The Kidneys by Arnold Plotnick, MS, DVM, ACVIM Like all mammals, cats have two kidneys, one on the left, and one on the right. They are shaped like…kidney beans, of course. Blood flows into the kidney through the renal artery, and leaves via the renal vein. As blood passes through the kidney, toxins are filtered from the…
Well, I had a mediocre night’s sleep. Ambien just doesn’t seem to work for me anymore. I was hoping for a good night’s sleep, because we have a grueling day ahead. Hours of sightseeing, then a few hours at the airport (our flight leaves at 10 minutes to midnight), then five hours on a plane to Beijing, seven hours on…
Our last morning in Mandalay. Rough night for my partner, Mark, though. The very spicy tomato dish we had for dinner last night at Too Too caused heartburn that kept him up half of the night. A handful of Tums and a couple of Rolaids finally did the trick and he got a few hours of sleep. We headed upstairs…
Today we got an early start. We were picked up at our hotel by Marn and our driver, and off we went. Sixty-five kilometers east of Mandalay, on the western edge of the lush Shan Plateau 1070 meters above sea level, is the town of Pyin Oo Lwin, sitting far above the dust of Central Myanmar. It was established relatively…
After an amazing day, jam-packed day, we went back to the hotel, chilled out a bit, and then grabbed a cab to see the Moustache Brothers. If you don’t know they’re story, you’re in for a treat. This is the venue where they perform. It’s their home, as well as their performance space. It stays open, and people can wander…
Our second day in Mandalay has been jam-packed. This morning we saw all the different craftspeople in Mandalay – gold leaf makers, woodworkers, bronze workers and marble makers. Then, a stroll down Mandalay Hill, a visit to the world’s biggest book, and a stop at an amazing monastery. All that activity makes one pretty hungry. Time to dine at Shan…
Our first day in Mandalay (yesterday) was spent in the ancient cities of Inwa, Sagaing, and Amarapura located not far from Mandalay. Today, we’re spending time in Mandalay itself. Most people have at least heard of the city of Mandalay. If they know anything at all about Mandalay, it is usually that it is Burma’s second largest city after Rangoon.…
It’s now late in the afternoon and time to cross back over the Ayeyarwaddy river, to head to Lake Taung Thaman where we can walk the world’s longest teak bridge, the U Bein Bridge, for atmospheric sunset photos. The drive through Amarapura to get to the bridge was interesting. Burma is a land of extremes, and on…