January 2020 www.surfacecreekveterinarycenter.com 970-856-4474
SCVC Pawprint
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT
WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND
doing?” we think about the people we’re helping by caring for their pets.
It sometimes seems like God plays a dirty trick on us. Humans live several times longer than our dogs and cats, meaning we have to watch many of our pets go to that big place in the sky over the course of our lives. It seems to be God’s way of telling us to enjoy every moment we have with our four-legged friends.
It’s the reason we created our Pet Care Plans. We were tired of seeing people in tough spots because of an unexpected hospital bill for their four-legged friend. We came up with these plans so that people could get their pets taken care of without getting slapped with a massive bill all at once. Our Pet Care Plans include a whole year’s worth of routine care in each package. We have three tiers of plans with different packages of care. When you choose a plan, you’ll be receiving a discount on recommended annual services, and you can pay at the time you sign up or break it up and pay monthly throughout the year so it easily fits into your budget. Imagine how you’ll feel when you bring your pet in for an annual or semiannual visit, and it’s already paid for! We want you to be able to do what is best for your pets, and we want it to be easy for you, so we designed these plans with you and your pets in mind. Inside the newsletter, you can read more about the different plans we have available and what each one includes. Happy new year, and here’s to a great 2020 with our four-legged friends! Dr. Susie and Dr. Jeff
In studies done about humans and their pets, researchers have found that people who have pets tend to live longer and have a higher quality of life than those who don’t. Our best guess as to why is because pets give us purpose in life. No matter how terrible a day we’re having, our pets need to be fed and walked. No matter how grumpy we might be, they are always happy to see us. Coming home after a crappy day to your little guy wagging his tail because he’s so excited to see you feels like therapy. Pets don’t care if you mess up; they just want to give you love and be loved in return. They’re always there for you. Personally, this is definitely what’s given us purpose in life. We know caring for pets isn’t just about the animals; it’s about helping their humans, too. In those moments of existential crisis, when we’ve wondered, “What are we
W e recently talked to a client whose husband passed away. It was her first Thanksgiving and Christmas without him, and it was very difficult for her to go through the holidays without the person who was her whole world. For our clients who’ve lost their pets, the holidays can have a similar tone — it might be the first Christmas in 12 or 15 years without their best friend. It’s sad to think about family being gone, whether two-legged or four-legged. That loss can feel like a gaping hole.
“IT SEEMS TO BE GOD’S WAY OF TELLING US TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT WE HAVE WITH OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS.”
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It’s hard to know what pets will get into. Even when we’re the best pet parents out there, some situations can’t be prevented. When those unexpected vet visits come up, don’t get left in a tough spot. Protect your pet with one of our new Pet Care Plans. We have three different options so you can find the right one for you and your pet. SILVER LEVEL MEMBERSHIP This plan includes: • Vaccines and heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention for the entire year THE BEST PROTECTION FOR YOUR PET Is to Have a Plan in Place This plan represents a 15% discount off regular prices, plus 5% off any additional services, visits, or surgeries. The cost of this plan is only $19 per month for dogs and $16 per month for cats! GOLD LEVEL MEMBERSHIP We recommend this plan for pets 5 years of age and older. It includes everything in the Silver Plan, plus a few additional benefits. In addition to routine annual care, your pet gets: The urinalysis and blood panel are recommended annually for older pets and are the best way to detect diseases and other issues early before they become a problem. This plan represents a 20% discount off regular prices and gives you an additional 10% off all other services. The cost of this plan is $36 per month for dogs and $32 per month for cats. PLATINUM LEVEL MEMBERSHIP This is the premium plan for the pet lover who doesn’t want to worry about anything except the best care for their pet. It includes everything in the Gold Plan plus: • Unlimited office visits, toenail trims, and anal gland expressions • One set of X-rays, a teeth cleaning, or other surgery with all our recommended upgrades • No emergency fees ever and a special welcome package and invitations to unique events sponsored by SCVC throughout the year This package represents at least a 25% discount off regular prices, plus you’ll receive 15% off any other services or products. The cost for the Platinum Plan is only $99 per month. When you select your plan, you can pay all of it upfront or break it up into monthly payments. We would love to answer any questions you may have about our plans and help you sign up. Give us a call at 970-856-4474 or visit SurfaceCreekVeterinaryCenter.com/pet-care-plans. • Two examinations • Two toenail trims • One comprehensive urinalysis • One complete blood panel • One fecal exam • One extra office visit and toenail trim
How Lilou and Animals Like Her Calm Stressed-Out Travelers MEET THE WORLD’S FIRST AIRPORT THERAPY PIG Imagine you’re navigating a vast airport on a busy Saturday, shouldering your way through crowds and struggling to hear the PA system over the clatter of 1,000 wheeled suitcases. Suddenly, you see a pig wearing a hot pink sweater waddling toward you on a leash. Do you stop in your tracks? Does your stress level drop? Do you laugh out loud when you see its pink nail polish? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you can sympathize with the passengers, pilots, flight attendants, and staff at the San Francisco International Airport. They get to enjoy visits from Lilou, the world’s first airport therapy pig, on a regular basis! As part of the Wag Brigade, the airport’s cadre of (mostly canine) therapy animals, Lilou wanders the airport with her humans, bringing joy, peace, and calm to everyone she meets. Lilou may be the only pig of her kind, but airport therapy animals have been a growing trend for the last few years. According to NPR, as of 2017, more than 30 airports across the U.S. employed therapy dogs, and these days, estimates land closer to 60. The San Jose and Denver airports have therapy cats, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport even offers passengers the chance to play with miniature horses before boarding their flights. Therapy dogs started appearing in U.S. airports after the 9/11 terror attacks, which changed American attitudes about flying. They did so well at helping passengers calm down that airports began implementing permanent programs. Some have pets on hand 24/7 to assist passengers, while others host animal visits every few weeks or months. These days, regular travelers have fallen hard for their local therapy animals, many of whom even have their own Instagram accounts and hashtags. So, the next time you’re traveling, keep an eye out for a friendly pup, cat, pig, or horse to pet. A bit of love from an animal just might improve your trip!
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HOW DEBBIE’S LOVE FOR ANIMALS LED HER TO SURFACE CREEK TeamMember Spotlight
day at a vet clinic, so Surface Creek Vet Center was the perfect fit. As Debbie shares, “Once I adjusted to the area, I felt the need to volunteer and share some of my experience in office management and organization while working with a cause I cared about — animals. In my younger days, I was a vet tech, but I wasn’t able to pursue it as a career, so being around the clinic has felt like home.” Since she started volunteering, Debbie has helped our vet techs and Dr. Jeff and Dr. Susie however she’s needed. Debbie says, “I admire Dr. Jeff and Dr. Susie’s teamwork, how they share their knowledge with the next generation of technicians and future veterinarians, and their compassion for people and animals. They are an inspiration to me, and I’m extremely happy to help in any capacity to make their clinic a success.” She sums it up by
lients Spreading the Word Thanks so much to these clients who referred new patients to us the past two months: Behind the scenes at Surface Creek Vet Center, some awesome folks help us keep things running smoothly by providing the best care to you and your pets. They are people who love animals and are excited to dedicate their time to working with them. One of those amazing individuals is Debbie, a volunteer who began helping us in October. She and her husband moved here from Hawaii for retirement and were looking for good veterinarians for their pets, which led them to Surface Creek Vet Center. “I was so impressed with Dr. Jeff and Dr. Susie’s compassion for my animals and the fairness in their prices. We felt lucky to have found them,” Debbie describes. Debbie loves animals and wanted to find a meaningful way to use her time and give back. She had worked as a vet tech before and had a good understanding of what goes on day to
saying, “I just think the world of Susie and Jeff. They are great vets and great people.”
Debbie, we think the world of you! Thank you for giving your time to Surface Creek Vet Center. We appreciate you (and so do the pets)!
INGREDIENTS Tasty, Chewy Cat Treats
Inspired by Joy the Baker
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Kathy and Elden Anders
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Lavonne Moser
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2 tbsp water
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1 large egg
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1 cup brown rice flour
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4 oz canned, wet cat food
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Holly and Lonnie Burton
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Trish Woolley
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1/2 cup cooked brown rice
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1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
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1 tbsp dried catnip
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2 tsp olive oil
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Cathy Carnahan
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Debi Smith
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, cat food, parsley, olive oil, and water. Add rice flour, cooked rice, and catnip. Mix until dough is thick but spreadable. 3. On the baking sheet, spread dough to 1/3-inch thickness. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 12–15 minutes. 4. Carefully remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to touch. Dough will still be undercooked. Slice dough into bite-sized treats and return to the oven. Cook for 8 more minutes. 5. Remove treats from oven and let them cool completely before serving. Treats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Our Life’s Purpose inside this issue
1 2
Meet the World’s First Airport Therapy Pig
The Best Way to Protect Your Pets
3
Team Member Spotlight
Clients Spreading the Word
New Treats for a New Year
4
The World’s Tiniest Animals
Now You See Them ...
THE WORLD’S TINIEST ANIMALS
TINIEST REPTILE: PYGMY LEAF CHAMELEON The pygmy leaf chameleon also calls Madagascar home, but at half an inch long at birth, it is much tinier than its primate neighbor and not much bigger than an ant. These reptiles are the smallest in the world. At night, they climb high into the trees to sleep — though, for them, this might only mean a foot or so off the ground. Just like their larger counterparts, the pygmy leaf chameleon uses its tongue to capture its prey. TINIEST MAMMAL: ETRUSCAN SHREW At an average of 3.5 centimeters long and weighing about 2 grams, the Etruscan shrew is the smallest living terrestrial mammal by mass. These timid creatures aren’t keen on being startled. In response to sudden noises, they’ve been known to jump, faint, and even drop dead. Don’t be fooled by their small stature though; relative to their body size, their brains are larger than most creatures (even humans), and shrews have a higher metabolic rate than any other animal. Because of this, they must eat 80–90% of their body weight in food each day. Of course, these are only the smallest known animals in their respective categories. As scientists and conservationists continue to explore remote parts of the world, it’s likely they’ll uncover many more natural wonders.
Often, it’s the big animals in the room — er, forest — that get all the attention. But a look at their smaller counterparts reveals a bustling world of fascinating creatures. From reptiles no larger than your fingernail to tiny primates that only come out at night, these animals are proof that size is not a limitation.
TINIEST PRIMATE: MADAME BERTHE’S MOUSE LEMUR Jumping from tree to tree, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur is a tiny ball of nocturnal energy. At 3.6 inches long and weighing in at just an ounce, this is the world’s
smallest known primate. First seen about 20 years ago in western Madagascar, it was named for charismatic conservationist and primatologist Madame Berthe Rakotosamimanana. While its body may be small, its large round eyes help it see in the dark, allowing it to catch insects for food. Found only in Kirindy Mitea National Park in western Madagascar, this species is identified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
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