THIS BELGIAN MALINOIS NEEDS A CAPE
Eva’s Stand-Off With a Mountain Lion
A commonly uttered phrase among dog lovers is that we don’t deserve them. This comes from the fact that dogs often give their all to protect their owners, even if that means putting their own lives at risk. Dogs seem to be instinctively wired to protect their humans — and it’s more proof they really are our best friends. In May 2022, Erin Wilson pulled off at a roadside picnic area and headed down a path toward the Trinity River in California with her Belgian Malinois, Eva. As Wilson walked down the slope, the dog ran ahead. Suddenly, Wilson turned around and realized she was being cornered by a mountain lion.
The mountain lion growled and took a swipe at Wilson’s left shoulder. As it lunged at her, Wilson screamed and shouted for Eva. At the distressed call of her owner, the dog came running back to Wilson’s aid. Without hesitation, Eva leapt between Wilson and tackled the wild cat. During the short tussle, the mountain lion managed to get its jaws around Eva’s head, but Wilson fought to free her dog by throwing rocks in an attempt to break its hold. When that didn’t work, she ran back to her truck and managed to wave down a passing motorist. With
their combined efforts — and a crowbar and lots of pepper spray — they were able to scare the mountain lion away. Wilson, though wounded, managed to carry Eva back to her truck and raced her to an animal hospital. Thankfully, Eva didn’t need surgery but still had some extensive injuries. Unfortunately, while Eva survived the initial attack, she passed away due to her injuries on June 8, 2022. Wilson said she would do anything for her dog, and that day, Eva proved she had done the same for Wilson.”
These attacks are incredibly rare due to the mountain lion’s reclusive and shy nature. In fact, since 1890, California has recorded only six fatal mountain lion attacks. However, recent drought conditions have made food scarce in some areas. Their preferred prey is deer, but these conditions probably made the sudden appearance of a slender woman look like an attractive option.
We can hardly believe it: After what feels like decades of waiting, there is finally a surgery-free, FDA-approved alternative to reading glasses on the market! In late 2021, the FDA gave its stamp of approval to VUITY eye drops, which have been clinically proven to treat age-related blurry vision (aka presbyopia). How does VUITY work? VUITY eye drops contain a medication called pilocarpine. When you add drops of VUITY to your eyes, the pilocarpine encourages your pupils to shrink — which helps your eyes focus, even if you have vision problems. The drops aren’t a permanent fix for presbyopia or intended to replace reading glasses long term, but they will help you read a book or work at your laptop without your readers for 2–3 hours at a time. The VUITY website recommends using no more than one drop in each eye once per day to improve your “near and intermediate” vision. Are these eye drops right for me? According to a Healthline interview with ophthalmologist Dr. Yuna Rapoport, VUITY eye drops are ideal for people in their 40s and early 50s. Younger people with vision problems may also benefit from the drops, but they rarely have to worry about presbyopia. If you’re older than 55, VUITY may not be strong enough to stand in for your reading glasses. Ultimately, you should ask your eye doctor if VUITY is a good option for you. (No, It Isn’t LASIK Surgery) The New Alternative to Reading Glasses
How can I get VUITY? VUITY is a prescription product, so you need to purchase it through your eye doctor (this can be an ophthalmologist or optometrist). You can’t buy VUITY off the shelf. To learn more about this process and find the answers to frequently asked questions, visit VUITY.com. You can also simply ask your doctor about the product at your next appointment. The FDA’s approval of VUITY in October 2021 was a big win for everyone with age-related vision problems. LASIK surgery can be expensive ($1,000–$4,000 per eye on average), and reading glasses are easily lost, broken, or forgotten. VUITY could be a good alternative for a big portion of the 128 million Americans with presbyopia. We can’t wait to see (pun intended) what our medical innovators come up with next.
2 • www.garryliday.com
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