Savannah Health

Archive for the ‘Savannah Health Care’ Category

Whether this is an unexpected or planned pregnancy, you can never start to early in taking the right steps for your health. The best start to having a healthy baby is to see your health-care provider before you conceive. There are lots of things you can do ahead of time: you can start taking prenatal vitamins, quit smoking, eat healthy foods, and get any illnesses you might have under control.

Once you’re pregnant, your health professional will have you begin with monthly visits that increase to once a week or more, closer to your due date. At each visit, the physician or nurse will perform a series of examinations and tests to determine any health issues for you or your baby.

Getting good care is very important since it is known that pregnancy outcomes are better in women with early prenatal care. Read these simple tips below to assist you in getting the best care as early as possible:

Write Down Questions. Write down all questions and concerns you may have and bring them to your appointments for your doctor to clarify. This will ensure that you won’t forget to ask about anything that may be concerning you. This will also help you have a better understanding of what is normal and what is not.

Get Educated. You can never know too much when it comes to the health of you and your baby. Educating yourself will help you to learn ways to deal with certain pregnancy discomforts and help you understand how your baby is growing.

Be Truthful. Make sure that you are completely truthful with your doctor. Some women are embarrassed to reveal all the information about their current habits or medical history which may put your pregnancy at a higher risk. It is vital that your doctor knows everything about you including any drugs (legal or illegal, prescription or over-the-counter) you may be taking or have taken in the past and any past illnesses or medical procedures you may have undergone. Previous pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, surgery or infections may have an impact on what happens in your pregnancy. The more your practitioner knows about you, the better he or she will be able to treat you.

Have a Happy Pregnancy. Relax and enjoy being pregnant because stress on you is stress on the baby. Find time to unwind and do things for yourself. Read, exercise and eat right. Being in good overall health will improve your chances of having a safe, comfortable pregnancy.

Old Southern charm and hospitality are the trademarks of Savannah, a mid-sized city in Georgia. Thanks to its warm climate and affordability, many people now relocating to Savannah are usually of retirement age.

Savannah borders South Carolina where the Savannah River and the Atlantic Ocean become natural boundaries. Encompassing 75 miles of land, the citizenry has been dwindling in recent years. The population was estimated at 128,453 residents in 2005, a 2.3% decrease since the 2000 U.S. Census. During the 1990s, the city lost another 4.7% of its people. Savannah is not as densely populated as other big cities in Georgia. One of the largest African American communities in the state is found here, with over 60% of the city’s population. White Non-Hispanic residents account for another 34%. According to U.S. Census statistics, the median age of residents was 32 years, 4.4 years younger than the U.S. average. In the city, families made up 59% of city homes that averaged 2.4 occupants.

The take home pay of Savannah’s workers is very low. Both median household and family income averages were over $15,000 below the national average. The annual household income was $30,887, compared with the U.S. average of $46,242. A good many retirees relocating to Savannah benefit from Social Security, with about 30% of city households already drawing that income. Savannah boasts low unemployment rates, as job growth is small but steady with a 3.1% increase in 2005, primarily in the service sector. As of 2004, the highest number of jobs for women was in health care, at 19% of the female job force. Construction was top of the list for men making up 13% of their jobs. As a right-to-work state, the average take home pay is low. The recent focus of job creation has been in hospitality, port services, tourism and convention, and information technology. Poverty is high with 22.8% of Savannah’s people considered poor by government estimations.

Manufacturing is the largest part of Savannah’s economy with plants like Gulfstream Aerospace, International Paper, and Georgia Pacific. With the city’s history and charm, tourism has grown rapidly with roughly six million visitors annually, adding more than $1.5 billion to the economy. Savannah also supports a military community with Hunter Army Airfield located within city limits. The army complex is part of an infantry division located at Fort Stewart, 40 miles away. Together, the installations find 22,000 soldiers and 3,500 civilians on government payrolls. With its seaports and cargo hubs, the Port of Savannah is the fifth largest container port in the country. Designated a Foreign Trade Zone, the port is a major distribution point.

The French revere Savannah, dubbing it “The most beautiful city in North America,” in Paris’s famed Le Monde newspaper. People relocating to Savannah flock here to experience the city’s mild climate, old world charm and atmosphere, moderately priced accommodations, and unique historic downtown district. Savannah is attracting retirees, too, who are usually looking for alternatives to an increasingly crowded Florida. A relatively inexpensive town in which to live and do business, the cost of living index is slightly below average. Housing can be affordable, with the median house/condo value at $108,100 in 2005. Two-thirds of the city is made up of single-family homes. The median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $1,052, while rent averaged $717 per month.

Savannah’s waterfront remains open to development. Located near the central business and historic districts is a large tract of land. Developers have already located a large convention center and resort here. Serious crimes like murder have traditionally been high in Savannah. However, the city had seen a decline is criminal activity is recent years. The FBI Crime Index report for Savannah in 2004 showed a number nearly double the national crime rate. Hot and humid describe some days in Savannah, but frequent afternoon showers in summer help beat the heat. With a semitropical climate, the city stays warm. Historically, there are seven months of the year when the average temperature is 70 degrees or higher. July averages 81.2 degrees, while January is 49.2. The average annual rainfall is 49 inches. Savannah-area historical tornado activity is significantly below Georgia state average. It is 39% smaller than the overall U.S. average.

Apart from the basics like good nutrition and safe environment, sound cat care demands that you keep your cat in good health, free of cat diseases and free of preventable cat illnesses. The first step in achieving this is inoculation or vaccination against common feline diseases.

Whilst your cat may develop immunity from disease by being exposed to the specific disease, this will result in them becoming sick, suffering permanent damage from the effects of the disease or worse yet, they could die.

A responsible and caring cat owner will ensure that their cat receives the relevant vaccines – apart from been the right thing to do, prevention is better than cure and a lot more economical too.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines work by stimulating an immune response to an infectious agent, but without causing the disease against which they are being inoculated.

When should you vaccinate your cat or kitten and against what cat diseases?
If you have purchased your kitten from a reputable cat breeder, your kitten will be around 10 to 16 weeks, in which case your kitten would have received all the necessary initial inoculations. They will provide you with the documentation and vaccine and de-worming certificates and advise necessary next steps.

In any event, vaccines are given at around 8 weeks. Cat vaccination requirements may differ from country to country but generally speaking the most cat diseases or cat illnesses to vaccinated against are:

Feline Leukemia (Fe LV) – to be given at 8 weeks, repeated 5 weeks later and annual booster shots thereafter.

Feline Calici Virus (Cat Flu/Snuffles) – to be given at 8 weeks, repeated at 4 weeks, again at 13 weeks and 1 year and annually booster shots.

Feline panleucopaenia (Feline Distemper) – to be given at 8 weeks, repeated at 4 weeks, again at 13 weeks and 1 year and annual booster shots.

Feline Rhinotracheitis (Feline Herpes- Cat Flu/Snuffles) – to be given at 8 weeks, repeated at 4 weeks, again at 13 weeks and 1 year and annual booster shots.

Rabies – This is given at 12 weeks, repeated 4 weeks later and then at 9 months with annual booster shots.

General Cat Vaccination Information

Consult with your local veterinarian to establish which vaccines are essential and in some instances required by law. Whilst some people may find the cost of vaccination prohibitive, you need to seriously weigh up the cost of vaccination vs the cost of treating the disease. Prevention is cheaper than cure! Your cat is worth every cent you spend.

You also need to keep in mind, that no reputable boarding cattery will accept your kitten or cat for lodging unless they have an up-to-date vaccination certificate. Feline health is a prime concern for them.

Your un-vaccinated cat poses a danger to other cats – do you want to be responsible for spreading cat diseases?

We always recommend that a new kitten stays with its mother until at least 12 weeks. Apart from gaining important life skills from the mother cat – it receives its initial immunity through breast milk.

Finally, do remember, that an indoor cat lives longer as it is less likely to be exposed to the above diseases. To avoid cat health problems and to provide essential cat health care – cat vaccination is essential.