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Pets First Monthly
June 2025
Paws, Passion, and Purpose A Celebration of Veterinary Vision
There are many holidays and special occasions this time of year, but June 18 is a special day on the calendar here at Petersen Pet Hospital.
Veterinary Appreciation Day is an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate veterinary professionals’ hard work, compassion, and expertise. With the big day right around the corner, I’d like to share a few words about the extraordinary people on our team. Our founder, Dr. Brad Petersen, grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Iowa State University in 1998. Since opening the hospital in 2003, he has been committed to serving our clients and the greater pet community. He specializes in laparoscopic surgery (a procedure in which a small camera is placed inside an animal’s belly) and soft-tissue surgery. You may not see him in the appointment rooms often, but he does a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the practice running smoothly. His favorite part of being a veterinarian is the variety of care he can provide and helping older pets. Away from work, he enjoys fishing, landscaping, and spending time with his dog, Sam. Dr. Steven McGinty grew up in Northwest Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University in 2012. In addition to being Dr. Petersen’s fellow laparoscopic surgeon, he loves performing other procedures to help sick pets feel better. When not helping cats and dogs, he cares for hamsters, rabbits, rats, gerbils, and other “pocket pets.” Away from the hospital, he enjoys getting and taking care of new plants and indoor/outdoor gardening. He recently became a partner at Petersen Pet Hospital, and we’re honored to have him as part of our operation. Originally from Forest City, Dr. Krystal Knutson graduated from Iowa State in 2014 and enjoys soft tissue surgery, dentistry, and senior pet care. Above all, she loves watching puppies grow and helping their families keep them happy and healthy. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and horseback riding. Since graduating from Iowa State in 2021, Dr. Hannah Green has been dedicated to working with pet parents to strengthen human-animal bonds. When not performing surgical and dental services, she can be found traveling, hiking, reading, or enjoying time with her family. Considering her love of board and video games, it’s no surprise that Dr. Sarah Young loves the challenge of solving pets’ medical problems. A 2007 Iowa State grad, she primarily focuses on preventive, senior pet, and palliative care.
Our resident expert in avian and exotic animal medicine, Dr. Justina Conrad, grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Iowa State in 2010. Since joining us last year, she’s made the workplace very interesting by allowing us to see — and hear — various animals we hadn’t treated in the past. She loves educating clients so that they can take better care of these unique companions. She loves reading in her free time and enjoying great moments with her family. A native of Oelwein, Dr. Lindsey Leo is a 2012 Iowa State graduate with a deep interest in animal dentistry, dermatology, and internal medicine. When not providing expert care to our clients’ pets, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and her pets. Last but not least, there’s me — Dr. Emily Saunders. I grew up in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and graduated from (you guessed it!) Iowa State in 2009. While it’s hard to pinpoint the best things about my job, I really enjoy performing abdominal and cardiac ultrasounds. It’s also a gift to see some of our clients come in with their kiddos and see the kids grow along with their pets over the years. Helping them build a stronger bond with their pets is what keeps me — and all of us here — going. We’re proud of our team here at Petersen Pet Hospital, and we’re so grateful that you’ve chosen us as your pet care provider. It’s a wonderful place to work — and a wonderful place to take your animal companions!
–Dr. Emily Saunders
www.PetersenPetHospital.com
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SUBWAY AVIAN FLU IS NO AD
Penni’s Sugar-Free Scare A Poisonous Pick
Hello to my cat comrades and friendly human readers! June marks the official start of summer, which is exciting for me and other pets. Unfortunately, there’s a risk that having too much fun this season could get us very sick. Not too long ago, some feline friends of mine warned me that a predominantly outdoor domestic cat in Hamilton County tested positive for H5N1 HPAI, otherwise known as avian influenza or bird flu. Never one to just believe rumors (especially since cats can be, well, catty with their gossip), I sought out some information from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. (If you think that name is a mouthful, just imagine what it was like for me to type it all into Google somehow!) I uncovered many facts and suggestions to help your cats and dogs stay safe this summer.
Penni is a sweet 7-year-old mountain cur mix whose owner contacted Petersen Pet Hospital after coming home to discover that she had eaten an entire package of Ice Breakers gum. After a quick product search, Dr. Conrad determined that the gum contained xylitol. Penni’s owner was instructed to bring her in immediately. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs. It causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver injury, which can lead to seizures, coma, liver failure, and death. Xylitol is often found in reduced-sugar or sugar-free gum, candies, breath mints, baked goods, pudding snacks, peanut butter, over-the-counter and prescription medications, toothpaste, and many other products. Once Penni arrived at Petersen Pet Hospital, Dr. Conrad performed a thorough exam.
Thankfully, Penni was not yet exhibiting signs of toxicity. Dr. Conrad and her team then gave Penni medicine to induce vomiting. She vomited many pieces of gum, but since they were chewed up, it was difficult to determine if all the gum was removed. Additionally, since her owners weren’t home when she ingested it, they didn’t know how long the gum had been in her stomach. This meant she may have absorbed some of the xylitol before the gum was vomited out. It was decided to keep her in the hospital to start her on IV fluids and run bloodwork to monitor for subclinical changes. While Penni’s blood sugar was normal, one of her liver values was starting to increase. She also had concerning electrolyte abnormalities, indicating that she had absorbed too much of the xylitol. Dr. Conrad recommended that Penni be
First, pet owners should discourage their animal companions from hunting, killing, and eating wildlife of any kind. Keep us away from potentially diseased wild birds or animals, particularly livestock and dairy cattle. Don’t feed us raw, undercooked, unpasteurized, frozen, or freeze-dried milk, eggs,
meat, or organs, and always cook our food at the proper temperature. If you interact with livestock, please wash
transferred to BluePearl Hospital for 24-hour
treatment and monitoring. She responded
well to her treatments and was able to be released with a liver supplement a couple days later.
A week later, Penni returned to Petersen Pet Hospital for a follow-up exam and bloodwork. She did great on the exam, and her bloodwork revealed that all her values had normalized and she had fully recovered from her xylitol toxicity. Penni’s owners did a great job of getting her veterinary attention quickly, which prevented her from developing much more serious symptoms from which she may not have recovered. Penni’s experience reminds all pet parents that it’s always important to seek veterinary advice whenever an animal companion ingests something not intended for them. —Dr. Justina Conrad
Contact us! 319-743-0554
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Y’S CORNER
DVENTURE
your hands and change your clothes before spending time with us. Common signs of bird flu in cats and dogs include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, red eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, tremors, seizures, lack of coordination, blindness, and even sudden death.
Bird flu is bad news. Pets love the summer as much as humans do, but we want to enjoy it safely. Please keep a close eye on us over the next few months — and throughout the year — to help us avoid harm. If you have any questions about bird flu, please contact Petersen Pet Hospital, especially if we start showing any signs of this nasty and avoidable illness.
The bonds we develop with our pets are unlike any other we experience. They depend on us for their every want and need, and we often give them whatever they ask for! We know they would do the same for us if the roles were reversed. As the years pass, that bond deepens, making us inseparable from our furry friends. Many of us have felt despair when we imagine life without our trusty dog, cat, or other pet. It turns out that some animals feel the same and will do everything in their power to protect their owner if tragedy occurs. An 84-year-old man in Washington state woke up one morning to the sound of his glucose machine telling him his blood sugar was too low. As he headed toward the fridge, he noticed his 13-year-old dog, Gita, wanted to go outside. Shortly after being let out, Gita took off toward the woods, and her owner followed in pursuit. After traveling 20–30 feet, the man turned around to head back home when dizziness overcame him. He fell to the ground, broke his hip, and immediately started shouting for help. Gita remained by her owner’s side for some time before realizing nobody would hear him in the secluded woods. She jumped into action, heading toward a well-traveled street, where she encountered a sheriff’s deputy. The deputy tried to get the dog in his vehicle to no avail, so he surveyed the surrounding area to find Gita’s owner. The deputy could not locate the owner but still felt something was wrong, so he turned his attention back to Gita. The two locked eyes before Gita stood up and ran toward an unmarked side street. Gita led the deputy directly to her owner before any more harm could come to him. After the event, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office posted “Hero Dog Saves Owner” and their account of the story on Facebook. Gita certainly proved her loyalty and bravery that day! Loyalty Runs Deep Gita’s Heroic Dash to Save Her Owner
FRUITY PUP-SICLES Inspired by Rover.com
INGREDIENTS • 1 1/2 cups of strawberries
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A splash of water
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Dog biscuits (bone- or stick-shaped)
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2 bananas
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1/2 cup coconut oil
DIRECTIONS 1. Add strawberries and bananas to a blender and blend until smooth. 2. Heat coconut oil in a pan until melted. 3. In a bowl, stir the fruit mixture and coconut oil together until it’s the thickness of soft ice cream. 4. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick. 5. Pour mixture into paper cups and cover with plastic wrap. 6. Cut a small hole with a knife in the cling wrap of each and push a dog biscuit through as an edible popsicle stick. 7. Place cups in the freezer, leave until frozen, then let your dog enjoy their cold and fruity snack to beat the heat.
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www.PetersenPetHospital.com
1031 Kacena Road Hiawatha, IA 52233 www.PetersenPetHospital.com 319-743-0554
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Mon–Fri: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (Closed Fridays from 12:30–2:10 p.m. for team meetings) Sat: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. | Sun: Closed
PRIMARY Inside This Issue
Our Trusted Team of Tender Care
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PMS4655
BLACK
50% BLACK
A Mountain Cur’s Major Gum Gaffe
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Bird Bug Basics
SECONDARY
Hero Hound Saves Owner
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Fruity Pup-Sicles
PMS258
PMS292
PMS5635
PMS1215
The House That Spite Built
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A Historic Tiny Home Built on Spite TRAFFIC STOPPER
Tiny homes may be all the rage for budget- conscious house hunters these days. But none has as engaging a history as the diminutive Alexandria Spite House in Virginia. Brickmaker John Hollensbury built this 7-foot-wide rowhouse nearly 200 years ago — not to live in, but to fill up the alley next to his splendid two-story brick home in what is now the Old Town district of Alexandria. Hollensbury was bothered by horse-drawn carriages trying to squeeze through the alley, scraping against the brick walls of his and his neighbor’s houses, and loiterers gathering in the area. Hollensbury decided to close the alley forever by building a house in it — not to create living space, but to block the alley — thus its name, the Spite House. The little dwelling
is squeezed in so tightly that its neighbors’ exterior walls serve as its interior. Its 25-by- 7-foot area is spread over two floors, producing a total floor space of 325 square feet. The little home is comfy enough that one couple lived there for 25 years. Its most recent owner bought it in 1990 for $130,000 and used it occasionally. The Spite House at 523 Queen St. is Alexandria’s best-known tiny home, but it isn’t the only one. Three other tiny houses, all 1–3 feet wider, were also built in alleys during the 19th century. This may seem like a cheap way to build since all that is needed is a roof and rear and front walls. Nevertheless, based on the latest available sales data from 2014, one of these alley houses sold for a cool $424,000!
Contact us! 319-743-0554
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