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Monthly Pets First
October 2020
Hitting the Trails OCTOBER MEANS NATIONAL PARK SEASON I f you’ve read any recent editions of this newsletter, then it’ll be no surprise to you when I say that I love getting outdoors. We boat, fish, grill outside, and take Sam on long walks as often as possible. You just can’t beat being in the fresh air, and as long as weather permits, we’ll be taking advantage of being outside. But October is an especially exciting time when it comes to getting outdoors
aside, the trip was incredible because of the sheer amount of natural wonders and wildlife we experienced within the park. Visiting Yellowstone really is like stepping back in time, and there’s something breathtaking about it no matter how often you go.
More recently, Stacey and I took a trip together to Estes Park in Colorado, known as the base for the Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a bit of a road trip, but we made it a leisurely and enjoyable one by stopping along the way to visit plenty of attractions. And of course, the miles on the road were well worth it, as Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park were as beautiful as we could have hoped for. Even though we make a point of getting outdoors, we’ve been feeling cooped up lately because of the state of the world. That’s why we’ll definitely be taking a trip to a national park this month, although as I’m writing this newsletter, we haven’t quite decided on where. There are too many to choose from! I’d love to go back to Yellowstone because it’s always been my favorite, but the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota have also been calling to us. We’d of course make a stop off to see Mount Rushmore too — learning about the history of the area we visit is always one of our favorite parts of our trips. Now that we have Sam to tag along with us, we know we’ll be exploring the depths of all the hiking trails the parks have to offer too. As a young border collie with endless energy, she’ll just keep going and going all day, making it a challenge to keep up with her, but great motivation for pushing us to get the most out of every hike. And if I get to sneak in a little bit of fishing along the way, it’ll be the cherry on top of the trip. We hope you and your family have an opportunity to head outdoors this month so you can experience some of the wonder of this special season. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that a visit to a national park is a great way to have some fun while successfully social distancing.
because it’s always the month we like to kick it up a notch and hit the road, bound for one of America’s great national parks. Stacey and I have always enjoyed traveling in October more than any other time of the year. That’s because in just about every destination you can choose, you’re
likely to experience far fewer crowds of tourists than you would during the busy summer months. And because October is the beginning of the fall season, the weather during our trips is usually nice and cool without dipping into the less agreeable aspects of the winter ahead.
I grew up visiting national parks with my family, and we still plan those kinds of excursions together from time to time. My favorite trip we ever took as a group was about 11 years ago, when we rented two enormous campers and drove them out to Yellowstone to spend a few days in nature. Family fun and bonding
Happy trails!
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Border Col THE RIGHT WAY TO MEET A DOG FOR THE FIRST TIME
Hello, everybody!
October is a pretty spooky month, so let’s talk about something that can sometimes scare dogs more than you might think: meeting someone new. Here are
some important things to pay attention to when a dog and a human interact for the first time:
When a Dog Approaches
THE SPOOKY‘STARWARS’ SHORTAGE OF 1977
As dogs, we love our owners and the house we live in, so our natural instinct can be to get a little protective of them. We’ll do our best to behave, but if we feel overwhelmed or threatened by someone, sometimes we’ll bark and snarl at them. When that happens, just stand as still as possible, keep your hands in your pockets, and try to ignore us. Dr. Petersen says you
A long time ago … in October of 1977 to be exact, Halloween was fast approaching and many parents faced a major dilemma. That year, kids didn’t want to go trick- or-treating dressed as vampires, witches, or ghosts. The classic costumes simply wouldn’t do. That Halloween, almost every child in the United States wanted to dress as their favorite character from the new hit movie, “Star Wars.” Today, you can walk into a Halloween City on Oct. 30 and easily pick up a costume for Rey, Darth Vader, or Princess Leia. But in 1977, less than five months after the release of the first movie in the popular franchise, getting your hands on “Star Wars” merchandise was a bit more difficult. Ben Cooper, a costume company in Brooklyn, had the foresight to license “Star Wars” for costumes right after the movie came out. Unfortunately, they didn’t foresee how great the demand for these costumes would be. Retailers across the country were selling out of “Star Wars” costumes as fast as they came in. Some stores reported selling more “Star Wars” costumes than pumpkins. Kids who got their hands on an authentic Han Solo or C-3PO costume were considered lucky. But kids who arrived at the store to find the costume shelves empty didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they went and found some brown towels to make their own Chewbacca costumes. In the current age of cosplay, homemade costumes based on movie characters are commonplace, but in 1977, this was uncharted territory. Kids searched for white dresses to be Princess Leia and bathrobes they could cut short to mimic Luke Skywalker. Moms everywhere broke out their sewing machines and created costumes using only action figures for reference. It was grueling work, but it showed how much kids wanted to spend Halloween in a galaxy far, far away.
should “act like a tree.” If we do get too riled up and knock you Canine Candy Corn Treats Halloween is full of tasty treats, but chocolate and caramel are the last things your dog needs! Share the Halloween fun with your pup bywhipping up a batch of these dog-safe candy corn treats.
The “Star Wars” costume shortage marked a new era for Halloween — one where making your own costume was just as cool, if not better, than buying it.
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llie Corner
Meet Taylor!
Our Client Care Specialist
over, Dr. Petersen says it’s time to “roll like a rock.” Roll your body into a ball, cover your head, and keep still. Eventually we’ll realize you’re not a threat, and we’ll leave you alone.
Taylor is our client care specialist, meaning she works hard to make sure our pet moms and dads are just as happy as their pets! She grew up in the Quad Cities before attending the University of Iowa, where she received her bachelor’s in English. After college, Taylor moved back to the Quad Cities and worked in property management before moving to North Liberty with her fiancé, Kyle.
When a Human Approaches
We know you’re eager to give us a pat on the head, but if we’ve never met you before, we might find you intimidating. So, let us come to you — don’t chase us around trying to get our attention. When we approach you, hold one hand out to us in a fist without exposing your fingers and let us sniff you. Once we’ve had a good
Taylor always knew she wanted to work with animals, even if she couldn’t decide what role to play. So, when she discovered that Petersen Pet Hospital needed a client care specialist, she jumped at the opportunity, and it was the perfect role to combine her love of animals with her customer service experience. She’s thrilled to finally be surrounded by animals 24/7. Taylor has always loved being around animals and took it upon herself to teach the family pets new tricks growing up. She would even run through makeshift agility courses in her grandparents’ backyard with their miniature schnauzer and do obedience training with her family’s Boston terrier and puggle. She’ll soon be moving to Cedar Rapids with Kyle and their two dogs, affectionately dubbed “The Girls.”Their goldendoodle, Phoebe, is as sassy as they come. She regularly “talks back” and always lets you know when something is on her mind. She’s even got a sassy walk! Their Saint Bernard, Stella, is a happy girl who just loves to be included in everything they do. When she’s not snoozing in her bed, she’s leaning up against anyone and everyone for head pats and attention.
whiff and decide you’re okay, reach out slowly and start by petting us on the back or sides. We’ll work our way up to a head pat when we get to know each other a little better. Talk to us in a calm voice and pay attention to our behavior. We usually make it pretty easy to tell if things are going well or not. Meeting a dog for the first time can be a lot of fun, but it’s important to remember that our ancestors were wild animals, so sometimes those natural instincts are hard to shake. But if you refresh yourself on your greeting etiquette and teach young kids how to interact with dogs appropriately, it will make it that much easier for all of us to get along.
INGREDIENTS
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1 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt, divided
Fun Facts About Taylor:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin ( not pumpkin pie filling)
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• She loves interior design and home projects! She and her fiancé just bought a house that she can’t wait to make her own.
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1–2 small bananas
Special equipment •
Preferred silicone molds or ice cube tray
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She’s an avid reader and writer.
DIRECTIONS
• Her favorite television shows are “Gilmore Girls,”“Friends,” and “The Office.”
1. Using 1/2 cup yogurt, fill molds 1/3 full. Place molds in the freezer and let sit for 2 hours. 2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of yogurt with canned pumpkin. Pour pumpkin mixture over the frozen yogurt layer, filling each mold to 2/3 full. Leave enough space for a third layer. Return to the freezer for 2 hours. 3. In another small bowl, mash bananas and mix in
• She comes from a big family — she’s 9 years older than her closest sister, and 18 years older than her youngest brother!
• She prefers baking over cooking and has a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe she’s especially proud of.
• Her best hidden talent is organizing. She can make a cluttered closet look truly beautiful.
remaining yogurt. Pour over the frozen pumpkin layer and fill remaining space. Return mold to freezer for at least 1 hour or until set. 4. Pop out treats as desired and serve frozen.
• The most exotic pets she’s ever owned were chinchillas named Geoff and Jamison.
Inspired by 12Tomatoes.com
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1031 Kacena Road, Hiawatha, IA 52233 www.PetersenPetHospital.com 319-743-0554
Mon–Fri: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (Closed Fridays from 12:30–2:10 p.m. for teammeetings) Sat: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sun: Closed
Inside This Issue
Exploring America’s National Parks
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PRIMARY
When ‘Star Wars’ Invaded Halloween
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PMS4655
BLACK
50% BLACK
How to Interact With Unfamiliar Dogs
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Dog-Friendly Halloween Candy
SECONDARY
Get to Know Our Client Care Specialist
PMS292 Could a Llama Save Us From COVID-19? PMS5635
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PMS1215
Could a Llama Save Us From COVID-19?
Meet Winter, a 4-Legged Hero of Vaccine Research
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned to their four-legged friends for help and comfort. In Nebraska, an 11-year-old girl and her pony, Peanut, cheered up nursing home residents through their windows this spring, while in Pennsylvania, an award-winning golden retriever named Jackson starred in videos that kept thousands laughing. Pets like these have given the national mood a boost, but another four-legged critter deserves just as much recognition. Her name is Winter, and she’s the 4-year-old llama whose antibodies could help us beat the coronavirus. At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Llamas? Really? What will these scientists think up next?” But in fact, Winter wasn’t an outside-of-the-box discovery during the COVID-19 vaccine scramble. Llamas have been helping scientists battle viruses for years. That’s because, along with her fuzzy brown coat and long eyelashes, Winter has a unique virus treatment hidden in her blood: llama antibodies. According to The NewYork Times, Winter has participated in past studies for both SARS and MERS —diseases also caused by coronaviruses — and her antibodies fought off both infections. Llamas have also helped out with research for HIV and influenza. It turns out llama antibodies are smaller than the ones found in humans, which makes it easier for them to wiggle into the tiny pockets in virus- carrying proteins. This superpower gives them the ability to“neutralize” viruses, including COVID-19. Studies are now showing that using these llama antibodies in
humans could potentially keep coronaviruses from entering human cells as well.
At least two separate llama studies have
shown the effectiveness of these antibodies on coronavirus infections. This summer, a team of researchers from the U.K. discovered that llama
antibodies “have the potential to be used in a similar way to convalescent serum, effectively stopping progression of the virus in patients who are ill”when given to those patients
in a transfusion. They also suggested that a cocktail of llama and human antibodies could be even more successful at temporarily blocking the virus.
Studies of the latter are in the works, and scientists around the world have their fingers crossed for success. In the meantime, Winter will continue peacefully grazing in Belgium, unaware that she just might play a role in saving the world.
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