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October 2022 www.surfacecreekveterinarycenter.com 970-856-4474
SCVC Pawprint The Best Medicine PREVENTING PET ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES
We all want the best for our pets. But unfortunately, bad things happen. We see them regularly here at Surface Creek Vet. There will always be freak accidents and medical conditions that appear out of nowhere. But often, the accidents and injuries we see are preventable. In honor of National Animal Safety and Protection Month this October, I want to share my advice on keeping your pets as safe as possible. One of the most important things you can do for your pet’s health is to keep them up to date on their vaccination. Before humans started vaccinating dogs, they regularly died from distemper, parvo, and rabies. And when a dog isn't properly vaccinated, they can still die if infected by these viruses. Meanwhile, cats can get upper respiratory infections, feline leukemia, and feline immunodeficiency virus (feline HIV). It’s tragic to see an animal and their family suffer when routine veterinary care would have prevented the problem. We also commonly see many dogs suffer an injury during an off-leash adventure. Dogs have a great time running around without a human getting in their way, but it’s not safe. We wouldn't let a 6-year-old child pull on a raccoon's tail, touch a random snake, or run into a barbed wire fence. Improperly supervised dogs get into all those types of trouble and more. Pets also get hit by cars all the time, and they often don’t survive. Dogs typically get into an accident when they’ve jumped a fence, escaped a chain, or been playing off-leash. They mostly don’t know any better and will run right into traffic. Cats, meanwhile, are often left to roam outdoors. While they’re usually warier of the road than dogs, cats have poor depth perception at far distances. So, they often misjudge how fast cars travel and get hit. Keeping pets inside and closely supervised when outdoors is the best preventive measure. Cats also must worry about natural predators like mountain lions, coyotes, and bears. I feed several feral cats on my property, and if they disappear someday, I’ll unfortunately never know what happened to them. Maybe they just wandered off — but they are more likely to have been eaten by
something bigger than them. Keeping cats indoors is safest, but if you want an outdoor cat, I strongly recommend bringing them inside at night when their predators are most active. Finally, I want to return to one of my favorite topics — oral health. So many conditions we treat in pets start with poor oral hygiene. Cleaning your pet’s teeth increases dogs' and cats' life spans because, just like in people, what goes on in their mouths affects their whole bodies. You can reduce your pet’s chances of developing multiple life-threatening diseases by bringing them in for a professional cleaning and providing ongoing oral care at home. We’ll sadly never eliminate every accident or injury to our pets — but each one we can avoid is a win. With proper veterinary care, supervision, and safety precautions, you can help prevent an unnecessary animal tragedy. Prioritize your pet’s well-being today to give them a longer, healthier future.
–Dr. Jeff
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Enjoying HRerodFeirost The Best Companion MEET ASHLYNN SMITH! Ashlynn Smith has loved animals from a young age and felt an early calling to enter the veterinary field. She is currently studying at Colorado Mesa University to become a vet technician, a lifelong dream. In the meantime, she’s working her first job in a veterinary office at Surface Creek Vet. As a kennel technician, Ashlynn is mainly responsible for walking the dogs and cleaning up after them. But we pride ourselves on having staff willing to step up as needed, and Ashlynn is no exception. “I restrain animals for doctors and technicians and help during surgeries or X-rays,” she says. “I help wherever they need help.” Unsurprisingly, Ashlynn notes that “seeing animals every day is my favorite part of the job.” But she also greatly enjoys her human coworkers, whom she notes are friendly and helpful. “They make work better,” she says. “When I walk into work in the morning, they put a smile on my face.” Ashlynn also spends as much time with animals as possible during her personal time. She recently adopted a puppy named Cinch, a pit bull, Australian shepherd, and border collie mix. “He’s a little terror,” she laughs. Ashlynn also has a rescue dog named Lucky, whom she notes “is really skittish but likes to play fetch.” Both pups enjoy playing with her brother’s dogs whenever they can. Three years ago, she also began horseback riding in rodeos, doing barrel racing and breakaway roping. “A friend has horses,” she says of her involvement, “and she keeps a horse for me that I ride all the time and use in competitions.” When she’s not riding or playing with her dogs, she likes to do other outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, and hiking.
GET OUT OF THE (HAUNTED) HOUSE
Halloween is just around the corner. You’ll soon have trick-or-treaters approaching your door requesting a healthy share of candy. Before then, you may want to go out and feel the thrills of the season yourself, but maybe you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy the cramped spaces of haunted houses. You don’t have to step indoors to experience a spooky attraction though. There are plenty of outdoor Halloween attractions to check out, and below are three of the most thrilling. Zombie Paintball We’ve all watched a scary movie and thought we could do better than some of the characters in these extreme situations. Now is your chance to prove it. There are zombie paintball courses throughout the country, and they can be a great time for everyone involved. You’ll step aboard a bus or trailer outfitted with paintball guns and proceed along a course full of zombies and creatures. Before long, your friends and family will get into the competitive spirit to see who can hit the most targets. Haunted Corn Maze Haunted houses are great if you’re trying to experience some jump scares. But if you want to get the haunted house experience in an outdoor setting, you should check out a haunted corn maze. You’ll hear screams coming from all around to help amp up the fear. It’s also a great way to get some exercise! HWailtl ho wTeheens eA3t tOr auct tdi oo onrs
Whether on horseback in
front of a crowd or caring for dogs in the Surface Creek Vet Center
Haunted Hayride So, what if you want the best of both worlds? You may want to feel scared without walking through a maze or using a paintball gun. That’s where haunted hayrides come in. On a haunted hayride, you’ll hop aboard a platform that’s being towed by a tractor or truck as they take you through a dark forest and possibly some barns. Performers will be woven throughout to provide scares at the perfect moments. It’s a great way to get the classic Halloween experience without having to walk through a house or maze.
kennel, Ashlynn gives everything she does her very best. We’re excited to have her as a part of the team and can’t wait to see where her career takes her.
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JUST A TRIM Clipping Pet Nails Prevents Problems Nail trimming often resides near picking up poop on a pet owner’s list of least favorite activities. It’s not as gross, but many dogs and cats are prone to throwing a fit during a routine clipping. It’s stressful enough for everyone involved that many pet owners might feel inclined to skip it. But is that a wise idea?
likely not suffering from painful nails because their active lifestyles of climbing and hunting will usually keep their nails relatively trimmed. But your indoor cat is a different story.
Has your cat ever gotten its claw stuck in your clothing, furniture, or curtains? They’re (mostly) not doing this to be a jerk. The longer a cat’s nails are, the more difficult it is to retract them. And in a worst-case scenario, the claw can overgrow into the cat’s foot pad. Ouch! So, pet owners should strongly consider trimming their furry friends’ nails at least once every two weeks. But as many who have tried can attest, that’s often easier said than done. Many animals don’t like people touching their feet and find clippers frightening. Fortunately, some patience and routine can make the process easier.
Leslie Bracewell Tim Carlill Maxine Maciel Clien th ts e SWpr o e r a d ding Trimming your dog’s nails should be a regular part of their grooming routine, whether done by a professional or at home. If you hear your dog’s nails clicking around on your floor, you know you’ve let them go for too long and need to get out the clippers. Not trimming can result in your dog’s nails pressing into the ground, causing discomfort or difficulty walking. Further, the longer your dog’s nails are, the more likely they are to get caught and break or tear off — an injury that can be very painful. Cats are much less dependent on us than dogs, and many live their entire lives outdoors. So, surely a trim is less necessary for them — right? The good news is that those outdoor cats are
Gradually, introduce the clippers to your pet and touch their feet without attempting a trim. Don’t forget to offer lots of praise. It will make the process a bit less scary when you finally start cutting. Stay calm, use treats, and don’t push your pet past their limits. Most crucially, know how to identify the quick of the nail and ensure you don’t come near it. And if you can't get the hang of it, remember professionals can help.
MDumogmTyrBeaotsnes
Inspired by TheCottageMarket.com
INGREDIENTS
• • • • • •
1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup all-purpose flour
• • • • •
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup almond milk or water
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Yogurt chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, mix wet ingredients together (egg, honey, almond milk, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and peanut butter). 3. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together (flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and cinnamon). 4. With your hands, combine the wet and dry ingredients until the dough is pliable. 5. Roll the dough until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. 6. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes of your choice. 7. Place “bones” on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. 8. Flip the bones and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool. 9. In a small bowl, melt the yogurt chips in the microwave, stir, and use as icing. 10. Serve to your pups — and watch them enjoy!
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inside this issue
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Celebrating National Animal Safety and Protection Month
3 Outdoor Halloween Attractions Guaranteed to Spook
Meet Kennel Tech Ashlynn Smith
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Is Trimming Your Pet’s Nails Necessary?
Mummy Bones Dog Treats
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A Cat Helped Write a Physics Paper?
THE TRUE STORY OF F.D.C. WILLARD New Appointment Cancellation Policy When you cancel with less than 24-hour notice, we now require a prepaid $50 deposit to reschedule. If you keep your rescheduled appointment, we will apply the deposit to your veterinary bill. If you miss your rescheduled appointment, the fee is nonrefundable. A Cat Coauthored an Influential Physics Paper
Domesticus Chester. The last name, Willard, was the name of Chester’s father. The professor didn’t feel too guilty for
Cats defy the laws of physics all the time, so it’s only fitting a cat would teach us physics more directly — by coauthoring a highly cited, influential physics paper. In 1975, Jack H. Hetherington was a professor of physics at Michigan State University, and he completed a paper on atomic behavior. However, he had a problem: As a sole author, Hetherington had used “we” throughout the paper. A colleague pointed out that publishers reserved that language for papers with multiple authors. With today’s software, this would be a minor inconvenience. But to fix his error in 1975, Hetherington would have to retype the entire paper manually on his typewriter. Time was short, and Hetherington had done all the work himself. According to Hetherington’s 1982 book, “More Random Walks in Science,” he explained, “After an evening's thought, I simply asked the secretary to change the title page to include the name of the family cat." And that’s what happened; the professor named his Siamese cat, Chester, as his coauthor. Of course, the name Chester wouldn’t look convincing as a scientific paper coauthor. So, he invented “F.D.C. Willard.” The initials stand for Felis
trying to deceive the publisher: “Why would I do such an irreverent thing? … If it eventually proved to be correct, people would remember the paper more if the anomalous authorship were known. In any case, I went ahead and did it and have generally not been sorry.” The journal loved the paper, but the ruse stayed secret among his close colleagues until a visitor arrived to meet the authors. When Hetherington told them the truth, they laughed, and not long after that, the feline coauthor became quite famous. F.D.C. Willard not only saved Hetherington from rewriting the entire paper, but also continues to inspire cat-related academia antics. On April 1, 2014, the American Physical Society (APS) announced all cat-authored papers would be made freely available. “Not since Schrödinger has there been an opportunity like this for cats in physics,” they wrote. We couldn't agree more.
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