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Dear All,
On a purely local subject, I wonder if any of you know what the large bronze statue at the start of the new autovia from San Javier to Santomera is supposed to represent?
It is on the roundabout at the San Javier end. I took the following picture:-
The local people have no idea!
Gerry Sherry
A Must Read if you have a dog.
Very important information for dog owners.....
If you have a dog PLEASE read this. If you don't have a dog, please pass along to friends who do.
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
This week I had the first case in of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5-year-old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhoea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7 AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had the owner bring her dog in immediately. In the meantime I called the ER service at MedVet and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Centre and they said to give IV fluids at 1 ½ times maintenance and to watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal is less than 27) and creatinine was over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. We rechecked the renal values at 5 pm and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a litre of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given Lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 ... He continued to vomit and the owners elected for euthanasia.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison Control said that as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handlers. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocados and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Even if you don’t have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Lynda C
Dear Sirs,
I write following a recent visit to the Costas, as I was alarmed at the implications given by various newspaper and radio advertisements about the benefits of Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS).
It’s true that a number of overseas pension arrangements have been recognised by the U.K. tax authorities, HMRC, as ‘QROPS’ and that they have to be reported to the U.K. tax authorities for the first five years following an overseas transfer of any payments made to the beneficiary. However, this does not mean that after the 5 years the scheme/ arrangement can pay out the money as the beneficiary wishes.
The rules are that at least 70% of the fund must be used to provide an income for the life of the beneficiary. This is to provide individuals with flexibility should they emigrate and prevent people transferring to access their funds, without providing an income stream for life, only to fall back onto a state pension system. It is also the reason the U.K. tax authorities gave the scheme, and the individual, tax exemptions/ inducements to save for their retirement in the first place.
It is possible/ probable that if QROPS are found to be abusing the system that the reporting term could be increased, and/or, the specific arrangement could lose its status and suffer a significant U.K. tax charge, which could have dire consequences for those who have transferred and are yet to draw their benefits.
Currently, there is an issue with a Gibraltar-based scheme where income was deemed to be provided as tax-free income and the U.K. government is challenging this. It is reported that retrospective legislation will be introduced to change this so that the QROPS recognition is retained and the U.K. tax charge is avoided.
All I can say is beware; make sure that you are going to benefit from any such transfer because if you are not careful, the only beneficiary could well be the adviser by way of the commission he/she receives.
I wrote the above with the thought that you might like to publish it in your journal due to the misleading advertisements referred to above.
I am not looking to gain from this in any way and I have no axe to grind; my only concern is that clients are being misinformed and the only beneficiary in most cases will be the adviser.
Below is a link to an article confirming the Gibraltar case mentioned above and a link to an article about myself and a new position I have taken up giving my credentials.
http://www.citywire.co.uk/adviser/-/news/pensions/content.aspx?ID=382522&re=8514&ea=180402
http://www.ftadviser.com/FTAdviser/Advisers/Industry/IFAFirms/News/article/20100211/0b3b1658-1668-11df-95c1-0015171400aa/WE-HAVE-THIS-FIRST.jsp
Please feel free to circulate and contact me should you wish to discuss this further, or if you wish any clarification.
Kind Regards Alan Webb
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