Latest news with #Elmhurst
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
America's hottest suburb is a midwest gem shedding its sleepy image as its property market BOOMS
Just 15 miles outside of downtown Chicago sits a suburb with charm and affordability that's now attracting city slickers. Elmhurst, Illinois, is quickly becoming a hotspot as it fills up with young families and professionals who can walk to the train and be in the middle of the city in 15 minutes.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Dogs and cats can also suffer from allergies, but there are ways to help our furry friends
Dr. Karen Woodard check's Gail Friedman's dog, Ms. Roxie, for signs of allergies in Elmhurst, Ill. on May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld) About five years ago, Gail Friedman noticed her Parson Russell Terrier was constantly licking his paws and seemed super uncomfortable. 'The poor dog. I would put baby socks on his feet so that he wouldn't lick them or bite at them,' said Friedman, of Oak Brook, Illinois. 'I was constantly changing the socks, washing his feet a lot. Nothing worked.' It turned out her canine companion, Mr. Friedman, had allergies. It's a common and tricky problem in pets — caused by various things such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals and food — but veterinarians say there are several ways to ease their suffering. What sorts of allergies do dogs and cats get? Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. Cats and dogs react to many of the same things people do, as well as pests like fleas. There are no definitive recent statistics on how many pets have allergies, but research suggests the problem is growing. 'I probably see allergic dogs and cats every single day, probably multiple times a day,' said Dr. Karen Woodard, medical director at Thrive Pet Healthcare-Elmhurst in Illinois. About 90 per cent of allergic pets react to environmental triggers, Woodard said, and the rest have food allergies only. Dog breeds that are especially vulnerable include various types of terriers, boxers and bulldogs; in cats, it's Persians, Siamese and Himalayans. Pets can even be allergic to other animals — cats to dogs, dogs to cats and either to another species. 'It's possible for them to be allergic to us, just like we are to them,' said Thrive's Dr. Anthea Elliott Schick of Scottsdale, Arizona, immediate past president of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. How can you tell if your pet has allergies? Allergic cats and dogs aren't as likely as humans to sneeze and cough. More often, they scratch and lick themselves, shake their heads and develop ear infections. Woodard said her Yorkie mix, Teddy, had the classic signs — scratching around his shoulders and getting rashes and ear infections starting as a six-month-old puppy. She lived in the South at the time, and he tested positive for allergies to various trees and grasses there. A common sign of allergies in her feline patients is 'overdoing their grooming,' said Woodard, who's on the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association's board of directors. 'Cats shouldn't be pulling their hair out when they groom. So if you start seeing bald patches on your cat, even though the skin underneath it looks normal, that could be a sign of allergies.' Even food allergies, often to chicken, beef, lamb or other protein sources, frequently show up on the skin, although pets can have vomiting or diarrhea, too. Rarely, pets can develop life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, perhaps after being stung by an insect. But most allergies are simply miserable for the animals. 'It breaks my heart because it gets to a point that not only do I have socks on poor Mr. Friedman — which is humiliating for him — he sometimes gets so bad he has to wear the cone of shame,' Gail Friedman said. 'And that's not fair because he can't move around right, he can't sleep right. It's terrible.' How can you help your pet? The first step is to get a diagnosis from the vet. This could involve allergy testing, or in the case of food allergies, an 'elimination diet,' which involves feeding limited ingredients the pet hasn't previously eaten. If the allergy culprit is environmental, there are medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and newer oral and injectable medications for dogs to block chemical signals associated with itchiness. Food allergies may be treated with special diets such as 'hydrolyzed' food, in which proteins are chemically broken down into tiny pieces. All this can get expensive. Friedman estimates she's spent about US$10,000 on testing, medication and care for Mr. Friedman and another allergic dog. But vets say there are also ways to help pets at home by cleaning their bedding frequently, wiping their fur with a wet washcloth and giving them baths. Outdoors, 'they're almost acting like little Swiffers, getting allergens on their skin, and it goes through their skin and actually becomes a problem,' Schick said. 'We say bathe your dog, at a minimum, once a week if they're allergic.' After she's tried nearly everything, Friedman's dogs are still vexed by allergies. But they're doing better. 'I'm going to keep experimenting until we find what stops it completely,' she said. 'All you can do is try.' The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Laura Ungar, The Associated Press
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Elmhurst University announces endowed chair in STEM, more
A married couple who have ties to Elmhurst University have established a $1.5 million estate commitment to create its first endowed faculty chair in science, technology, analytics and mathematics. The donors hope the endowed chair will help the university attract and retain brilliant scholars in mathematics and the sciences, highlighting 'the importance of faculty research, which at Elmhurst usually includes students, as well as the role of excellent teaching in shaping students' academic experience and long-term career goals,' according to a news release. 'Their commitment will leave a lasting impact by empowering Elmhurst faculty to innovate and discover through scholarship, and by inspiring our students to become the next generation of leaders in the critical STEM fields,' Troy Van Aken, university president, shared in the release. An alum who earned a degree in economics at Elmhurst is one of the donors and both have had distinguished careers in STEM fields – joining biotechnology and health care analytics in their early days. The endowed chair, once funded, would be awarded to a faculty member in the School of Science, Technology and Mathematics. La Grange Park officials and staff will host a State of the Village reception from 5 to 7 p.m. May 22 at Thirty North at Plymouth Place, 315 N. LaGrange Road. The evening will highlight La Grange Park's accomplishments and progress in the last year. All residents, business owners and community members are invited. RSVP by emailing sbakalich@ Those 21 and older with an interest in learning more about wine are invited to Blind Taste Race with Anfora Wine Merchants from 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 22 at Cheney Mansion Greenhouse, 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park. Participants can test their senses as they discover how to taste wine using all of the senses, starting with a pop of the cork to smelling its bouquet and enjoying it on the palate. Leaders will cover tasting basics, after which each table will work together to match each win with its correct set of descriptors. Admission includes light appetizers. If weather allows, the event will take place on the patio. Tickets cost $37 to $46. This program is offered by the Park District of Oak Park. Visit to register. Plant aficionados are invited to a plant sale hosted by the Darien Garden Club from 9 a.m .to 1 p.m. May 17 at St. John Lutheran Church, 7214 S. Cass, Darien. Perennials, annuals and native plants will be sold, as well as houseplants, herbs and vegetables. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Information is at Fulton Chamber Players perform at 6 p.m. May 20 at First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, 150 S. Ashland Ave., LaGrange. The performance is free. The Fulton Music Society aims 'to transform what music means in the 21st century by nurturing thoughtful, well-rounded students through dedicated music study. We are working to connect the dots between student life and the professional world by emphasizing skills and experiences that translate beyond their instruments,' its website notes. Information is at The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association presents The Best of Broadway at 1:15 p.m. May 19 in the second-floor ballroom of its building at 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park. It's part of the Monday Enrichment Series. Jacquelyne Jones and Devin DeSantis, accompanied by JoAnn Daughtery on piano, will perform selections from Broadway musicals. Although admission is free, donations are appreciated. Monday Enrichment programs feature art, literacy, science, music and social sciences. Information is at
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Elmhurst Care Home in Bradford closed as improvements not made
An "unsafe" nursing home has been closed after it failed to make improvements recommended by Care Home on Pollard Lane in Bradford was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a visit by the regulator in December said residents were "not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm" and placed the home into special Council said it recognised it was a "very distressing and worrying time for residents" but it was crucial they had to be kept safe. The owners of the care home have been contacted for December's inspection, the CQC found Elmhurst breached regulations around care, medicines and risk found residents were not receiving consistently person-centred care that met their needs, and decisions were often made for residents and not with them. 'Contract terminated' Sheila Grant, from the CQC, said the regulator expected "rapid and continued improvements" to be made at Elmhurst, and that it would be monitored closely.A Bradford Council spokesperson said it had terminated its contract with Elmhurst Care Home "with immediate effect, due to concerns regarding the required improvements... not being made in an appropriate timescale leading to increased levels of risk".They added: "Terminating our contract with Elmhurst Care Home is a not a decision that we have taken lightly, and we recognise this is a very distressing and worrying time for residents, their families and carers but it is crucial we ensure residents are kept safe at all times."The council's social work team supported all residents to alternative accommodation and have since followed up to ensure their care and wellbeing has been maintained throughout this time." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
