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Pet Press KALISPELL JULY 2023 There’s Nothing Like America’s Birthday FOOD, FAMILY, AND FIREWORKS
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display, then turn around and wait for Bigfork to do theirs on the other side of the lake. The water is so smooth and beautiful this time of year, and it’s one of my favorite parts of summer. But everyone knows Fourth of July celebrations start well before the fireworks. Earlier in the day, we love heading over to Bigfork for their annual parade. The tiny resort town is packed beyond recognition every year. We always try to get there as early as possible to find a place to park, and we still have to hike a fair way to the parade route. The Bigfork parade always has such incredible energy. It’s a very patriotic small town, so they go all out. You’ve got firetrucks shooting water at spectators
“I can’t imagine a better way to
celebrate our nation’s birthday than hot dogs, watermelon, beer, and cowboys.”
Fireworks weren’t legal where I grew up; my family always went to professional shows for the Fourth of July, but we never had them at home. I still can’t comprehend why people spend hundreds of dollars every year on something that could permanently blind them! I’ve brainwashed my kids into thinking fireworks are unsafe and something they should never touch.
as they pass, countless food vendors, and narrow streets filled with people in lawn chairs watching the parade go by. Many of the participants on the floats have been doing it for 50 years, and it’s fun to see them — the entire scene is straight Norman Rockwell Americana. A few years ago, the town started putting on a holiday rodeo, which we love attending as a family. Watching the roping and bull riding in the stands with a big crowd is a lot of fun. It has turned into a much-see event for us. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate our nation’s birthday than hot dogs, watermelon, beer, and cowboys. If those rogue fireworks are the price we must pay, it’s ultimately worth it. Have a happy Independence Day! – Dr. Jevon Clark
As a veterinarian, I must note how constant firework noise affects our pets. Dogs, in particular, endure so much stress, and I prescribe more sedatives and tranquilizers during the last weeks of June than at any other time of the year. So, I urge you to adopt my attitude and not add to the neighborhood noise that causes our local animals distress. But you might call me a hypocrite because I love attending the official fireworks shows put on by the local towns. I have to admit it simply wouldn’t be the Fourth without them. And we’re lucky to have more than one spectacular display to enjoy.
My wife, Rose Ann, and I like to take our kayaks out on Flathead Lake to enjoy an unobstructed nighttime sky. We watch the Lakeside fireworks
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Leader of th
Hello! My name is Kittle, and I’m a pied black and white French Bulldog. Ma named me after her favorite football player, 49ers tight end George Kittle. I think that’s a pretty good indication I’m her favorite, too. When I first came home, it was just me and my Chihuahua sister, Bailey. She’s older and keeps to herself, so I was in charge. Then Ma decided to bring all these other Frenchies home! First came Walter and Rex. They’re almost 1 now and a couple of goofballs. The baby, Harlie, came a few months later. She’s only 6 months old and thinks she runs the place. I keep trying to tell Ma these dogs can go back to where they came from. After all, I was here first. But they keep sticking around.
Create a Slip-and-Slide! Want to Entertain the Kids This Summer?
During the summer, there’s nothing better than jumping into a pool to cool yourself off. However, if you don’t have a pool, the next best thing might just be creating your own slip-and-slide! Here’s how you can make yours so you can keep having fun in the sun while staying cool. Step 1: Purchase the necessary items. You can buy a 10-by-25-foot roll of plastic sheeting at home improvement stores for under $30. Choose 6 mil so it can withstand everyone running and sliding on it. Then, you want to get 10 regular-size pool noodles and one large pool noodle. Construction supplies you’ll need are Velcro tape, scissors, two hose sprinkler attachments, and several landscape staples. Step 2: Begin building your slip-and-slide. Once you have all the needed supplies, start by rolling the plastic sheet onto a relatively flat surface free of rocks, sticks, and any debris that could puncture the plastic or injure you and your family. You can cut the plastic to any length you like — you may want one long slip-and-slide, or you can create several smaller ones so you can play games. After rolling out the plastic sheeting, lay the pool noodles down on each side of the plastic and place the larger pool noodle on one end of the sheet. Wrap the plastic sheet around the large pool noodle, use Velcro tape to secure the plastic around it, then do the same for the other pool noodles. These will act as barriers so people won’t slide off the plastic.
So, I make sure they know I’m in charge. Walter and Rex are easy because they’re not as smart as I am. They always try to steal my cuddles with Ma, but I can keep them under control. They know I’ll tell Ma if they don’t listen to me! Harlie is more of a challenge. She’s very smart and can hold her own with us big boys. I have to keep my eye on her.
Puppy Peanut Butter an
Peanut butter and jam is a classic flavor combo — even for dogs! Your pups will love these PB&J frozen snacks to beat the summer heat. Inspired by Rover.com
Once everything is wrapped and taped, place landscape staples on the four corners of your waterslide and a few along the sides to secure it. Finally, set up your sprinklers on either side of the slip-and-slide. If you want the surface to be extra slick, drizzle some dish soap onto the plastic. Step 3: Slip, slide, and splash! Now, it’s time to have fun in the sun! The possibilities are endless regarding what you can do with your DIY waterslide. So, let your creativity flourish! Will you be creating your own slip-and-slide this summer? We would love to know the games you and your family play on your DIY waterslide!
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he Pack
MEET TOP DOG KITTLE
BUT SOLENSIA IS CHANGING THEIR LIVES CATS HIDE PAIN WELL
As long as the others do what I say, we get along well. Every day, we greet Ma at the door when she comes home from work. We each bring her a special toy as a present. She’s nice to all of us, but I can tell she always likes my gift the best. One of my other favorite things is going to day care at Pawsitively Perfect. Even the car ride is a lot of fun, and I like to tell Ma how excited I am the whole way there. It’s good to burn off some energy and spend time with other dogs — even though my younger siblings come, too. Ma has a roommate named Tina, and she’s one of my favorite humans. She’s so friendly and thinks it’s funny when we get
Cats are sneaky. They silently stalk prey, hide like champions when they don’t want to be found, and steal things they’re not supposed to have before you know what hit you. Unfortunately, they’re also masters at hiding when they’re in pain. Sometimes, they can suffer for years without showing any obvious signs something is wrong. Arthritis is common among cats and can subtly change their behavior. They don’t jump as high or far and become less active. We assume our cats are lying around
the zoomies. But my No. 1 job is to protect Ma. I make sure to let strangers know I mean business. It can be tough to be in charge of so many other dogs, but I make do. At night, I like to snuggle up with Ma under the cover. It’s just what I need after a long day, and it makes all my hard work worth it.
all day because they’re lazy, but often, they’re sore. Historically, there haven’t been many great options to treat this problem in felines, but a new drug called Solensia is changing the game. Solensia is a once-monthly injectable monoclonal antibody treatment that prevents osteoarthritis pain from reaching cats’ brains. A study found that 77% of cat owners noticed positive changes in their cats after use. Since Dr. Clark started administering Solensia at the Animal Clinic of Kalispell, he has seen radical changes. “You give them this drug, and suddenly they turn into a new cat,” he says. There are many signs your cat may need help with arthritis pain, and we often don’t know to look for them. Excessive scratching or licking can be an indication, as can any changing habits. Less activity is a telltale sign of pain, as is aggression. Dr. Clark says that some people report their cats “looking mad,” carrying their heads low and keeping their ears down. “They’re really nonspecific changes,” Dr. Clark explains. For that reason, he has begun using Solensia on some cats as a diagnostic tool. “If we try it and they start acting completely different, we can say they’re probably in pain, and sometimes we can find the source,” he explains. “But even when we can’t find it, by resolving their neuropathic pain, we can change these cats’ lives.”
nd Jam Frozen Treats
Ingredients
• • •
1 cup strawberries
is a sweetener sometimes found in peanut butter that is toxic to dogs.)
1/4 cup water
A few dollops of xylitol- free peanut butter (Xylitol
Directions 1. Wash strawberries thoroughly and slice off the tops. 2. To a blender, add strawberries and water and purée until smooth. 3. Pour the liquid into an ice cube tray or mold until each slot is 3/4 full. 4. Using a spoon, top each ice cube slot with a small amount of peanut butter. 5. Pop the tray into the freezer and leave until completely frozen. 6. Serve treats straight out of the freezer, and watch your pup enjoy!
If you think your cat may be suffering from arthritis, we’d love to discuss this monthly in-office injectable and how it might impact your cat’s well-being. We’re also excited to note that a version of this drug designed for dogs is expected to hit the market soon. “I always tell people, old age is not a disease,” Dr. Clark says. “But arthritis is. If we can fix the cat’s clinical signs of disease, sometimes they’re not ‘old’ anymore, and they’re back to being themselves.”
– Dr. Jevon Clark
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Inside
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How Dr. Clark Celebrates the Fourth
2 Make Your Own Slip-and-Slide!
2 Kittle’s Many Big Brother Duties
3 Puppy Peanut Butter and Jam Frozen Treats
3 A New Drug to Help With Feline Arthritis
4 The Swine That Dared to Defy
An Unconventional ‘Bacon’ of Hope
In the 19th century, Denmark and Prussia couldn’t agree on where to draw their border. Both
of the Danish flag. Needless to say, the Danes were not happy — especially the farmers.
These Danish farmers knew they had to protest this oppressive Prussian government, but they couldn’t just publicly wave the Danish flag. So, they got crafty. Danish farmers began to crossbreed their pigs to create a new breed, one that had the same markings as the Danish flag. These pigs were red in color, with one white vertical stripe and one white horizontal stripe. The farmers named their new pigs Protestschwein, or the Danish Protest Pig. This protest pig quickly became the mascot of Danish cultural independence, and their efforts didn’t go unnoticed by Prussian authorities. In 1881, a local Prussian police station sent communications back to the government in Berlin that farmers were breeding strange-looking pigs. However, while they could not prove that farmers were knowingly breeding the pigs to look like the Danish flag, “it was believed that the farmers were well aware of this and that this pig represented an affront to the Prussians,” according to records from the Red Holstein Breeders Association. Today, the Danish Protest Pig is recognized as its own breed but has a different name: the Husum Red Pied. And, the now- German state of Schleswig-Holstein supports the protection of this pig due to the cultural significance it offered its Danish ancestors so many years ago.
countries refused to concede or couldn’t reach an agreement on which country would ultimately control Southern Jutland, which today is Germany’s northernmost state called Schleswig Holstein. This refusal to compromise ultimately led to war, and in 1848, Denmark won control. However, their victory was short-lived, as roughly a decade later, the Second Schleswig War was underway. This time, though, Prussia was victorious.
THE STORY OF THE DANISH PROTEST PIG
After their victory, the Prussian authorities slowly began to
move into the peninsula, implementing new laws over the Danes living there. These new laws prohibited
anything Danish, including all uses
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