/Bet you didn’t know?

Friday, May 22, 2009

Did you know that a Cancer patient is first to use Washington's assisted suicide law

SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer became the first person to use Washington's assisted suicide law, a nonprofit organization announced Friday.

Compassion & Choices, an organization that says it advocates choice for the terminally ill, said Linda Fleming of Sequim, took her prescribed medication and died Thursday evening at home with her family, her dog and her physician.

She had been diagnosed a month ago with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was told she was "actively dying," Compassion & Choices said in a written statement.

"The pain became unbearable, and it was only going to get worse," Fleming said, according to the organization.

It said Fleming had worked with the organization's volunteers to consider her choices. "I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death," she said, according to Compassion & Choices. "The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death. And I knew I would have to increase them."

Washington's law was approved by about 60 percent of voters in November. A similar law in Oregon passed in 1994.

Oregon says 401 people have died under the terms of its law.

Did you know giving a dog beans broccoli and cabbage can give the dog excessive gas?

Did you know that feeding a dog beans, broccoli, cabbage can cause dogs to have excessive gas. Remember if you are expecting company or live in a small apartment you may wish to skip giving the dogs these items!

Did you know that its not good to give dogs some bones? The most dangerous are small splintery ones like pork chop, fish and poultry bones which can puncture an intestine, causing an agonizing, expensive and life-threatening crisis. Don't give even large bones to dogs with powerful jaws, such as Rottweilers or Pit Bulls; small splinters chunked off big bones can lodge in the alimentary tract, causing more subtle problems. When you put bones in the garbage, add a slop of ammonia. This cuts the eventual smell as they decay, and may save a garbage hound from pain and death. Small bones from poultry or fish may be pressure-cooked until soft, ground up and added to dogs' diets, however. It's good nutrition for them.

Did you know that you should never feed cats raw egg whites? Egg whites can cause a serious vitamin deficiency in cats, as does a diet of nothing but tuna.

Did you know you should never feed dogs large pieces of onion? (a good reason to put larger pieces into the chicken broth rather than chopped). Large amounts of onion, cooked or raw, can cause hemolytic anemia in which the dog's red blood cells are destroyed. This is not a good thing! Too much garlic can also cause a similar problem, although small amounts are good for dogs and they love it.

Did you know it is good to remove any chocolate from your dog's reach. If a large dog steals a piece or two of chocolate candy, probably the worse that can happen is possible vomiting and/or diarrhea. If a small one eats a whole package of good chocolate, you're in deep doggie doo. Baking chocolate is the most dangerous; prepared chocolate candy actually has very little chocolate! According to experts, less than one ounce of good baking chocolate or cocoa can cause death in toy or very small breeds; four to eight ounces can kill a German Shepherd or Doberman Pinscher. If in doubt, call your vet, who can fix it as long as you get there promptly.