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November 2023 www.surfacecreekveterinarycenter.com 970-856-4474
SCVC Pawprint Ga rBa tiigt uGdree, eGnaEmg ge s , a n d OUR FAVORITE THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS
Many families spend the day after Thanksgiving shopping, but the Hirsch family heads to the clay
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and with it, the rest of the holiday season. I always look forward to this time of the year and its family, togetherness, and gratitude themes. Sometimes, we all need a reminder to consider how fortunate we are and create special memories. We’ve visited Jeff’s brother at his home in Tennessee for several years for Thanksgiving. We adore it down there and fell in love with the small town and giant trees that we decided to purchase a vacation spot. So, we’re fortunate enough to visit several times a year to enjoy the scenery and each other’s company. Our kids and their cousins are always excited to see each other and have had fun playing games together ever since they were small. In my view, Thanksgiving is more about family than food, but we have the requisite big meal. Jeff always smokes a turkey in a Big Green Egg barbecue, which tastes delicious. We love eating leftover turkey and cranberry sandwiches for days afterward. But while the rest of us enjoy a tasty homemade variety, Jeff only likes the cranberry gelatin that pops out of the can in one big piece. It’s essential to have it on hand for him. One year, my sister-in-law said the stores in Tennessee were out of cranberry jelly and asked me to bring some of the nasty canned stuff. I learned the hard way that you can't take a sealed, store-bought can through security in your carry-on. I'm not sure what they thought was inside, or how they thought I got it in there.
pigeon shooting range instead. My brother-in-law’s employer has a fantastic shooting facility, and the company puts on a big tournament event for their employees every Black Friday. Jeff and his brother spend a lot of time setting up the course before Thanksgiving and trying to make it perfect for everyone. On the actual day, family members help out by working at the various stations. We have fun and get the course all to ourselves to enjoy uninterrupted shooting at the end of the day. As the owners of Surface Creek Veterinary Center, Jeff and I are so grateful to our clients, staff, and community members for their continued support. You are not only the reason Cedaredge is a fantastic place to live but also why we can provide for our family and enjoy the opportunity to take some time away together. Thank you so much for trusting and believing in us for so many years, and I hope your family has a joyous Thanksgiving.
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The Best Companion
Whether it’s your boisterous toddler or rowdy pup, a perfect pile of autumn leaves might be too good to resist! You probably remember the days when you also jumped into a crunchy orange leaf pile without a second thought. But why do humans and dogs love jumping into huge piles of leaves? The main (and most obvious answer) is because it’s fun! For kids, dogs, and even some adults, jumping and rolling around in the fall leaves is a satisfying form of play that releases energy. While this may be the simple reason for humans, there are a few more reasons your canine companion can’t resist a tower of leaves. Instinct to Dig Digging is a dog’s favorite pastime that dates back to their wolf ancestors. Just as natural as sniffing and barking, digging is an ingrained behavior for dogs, and they want to follow their instincts the moment they see a leaf pile. Whether they’re THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHY DOGS AND HUMANS CAN'T RESIST LEAF PILES
Gia Bushman began her career as a nurse’s aide, but her lifelong love of animals pulled her in another direction. “I love working with people,” she says, “but I wanted something different, and I think I do better with animals.” Earlier this year, Gia took her first role in a veterinary office by becoming a kennel technician at Surface Creek Vet, and the team has been glad to have her! She now cleans, prepares exam rooms, restocks supplies, and cares for hospitalized animals. Along with our other kennel tech, Gia helps to look after our two clinic cats, Stevie and Peek-a-Boo. She is being trained to safely restrain animals for examinations, which she notes is “a lot of fun.” “I really like learning, and you do a lot of that here,” Gia says. “I also love the people I work with. Everyone here is so welcoming and nice, and that is a huge plus.” Gia was raised locally by her great-grandparents. She now lives with her 3-year-old cat, Momo, and a 7-year-old border collie and American shepherd mix named Luna. Momo is a happy indoor cat who loves cuddling, but Luna shares Gia’s love of nature. “I’m really active, so I’m always hiking and going to see waterfalls,” she says. “And Luna is a very hyper dog, so the more she moves, the better.” HOW GIA FOUND HER PASSION AT SURFACE CREEK VET
digging in to rest in the cool leaves or demolishing the pile entirely, your dog is just doing what dogs have always done. Irresistible Seasonal Scents Our sense of smell doesn’t even come
close to dogs’ incredible scent skills. While we have 5 million scent receptors, dogs have anywhere between 125–300 million! This means they can smell countless other scents we can’t, and autumn may bring some exciting aromas your dog hasn’t experienced in a while. The result? They’ll dive right into a leaf pile and get sniffing! Marking Territory Another scent factor could be your dog wanting to claim a particular leaf pile. We already know dogs use their scents to mark territory, and rolling in a beloved pile of leaves is a way to infuse their scent. After diving head first into some leaves, they leave their scent behind so other animals can smell them and know that the leaf pile has already been claimed! Whatever the case, jumping into a pile of leaves is completely normal — and fun! — for both humans and dogs. 2 970-856-4474
Gia hopes to become a veterinary assistant someday but says, “Right now, I’m pretty happy with where I am. I love it!”
BEGGING BE GONE! How to Break Your Dog’s Annoying Tableside Habit It’s Thanksgiving, and your dog is family — what could giving them a little bit of turkey possibly hurt? A small, thoughtless action could lead to months of bad habits. Begging at the table is one of dog owners’ most common complaints, but they often unknowingly encourage the behavior. nudging, or scolding them. If you consistently act like they aren’t there, your dog will eventually get the message in several weeks. Distract
Telling dogs “no” doesn’t nearly work as well as instructing them what to do. If your dog is a beggar, they need something else to occupy their mind. You might try distracting them with a favorite toy they can only use during mealtime. Others train their dogs to go to a cozy spot during dinner, where they can’t see the food and you can’t see their giant eyes. Some people feed their dogs before dinner to make the human meal less tempting. Reward Even a dog who loves food will likely see a hot, fresh turkey as more compelling than their kibble. So, while distractions help, they probably won’t solve the problem alone. But positive reinforcement goes a long way toward correcting their habits. Get up from the table and give your dog a treat for staying in their designated spot. Done often enough, they’ll learn that good behavior equals a tasty snack. Remaining firm is the most crucial piece to this puzzle. If you crack and give your dog table scraps “just once,” they’ll remember it for a long time. Remember that you feed your dog well, and they will not die from turkey deprivation. Canines use human pity to their advantage, so stay strong, know you’re doing the right thing.
Begging isn’t only annoying for humans but deeply unhealthy for dogs and their weight. We’ve included some tried-and-true tips here for breaking your dog’s begging habit, but it will require as much work from you as from them. Ignore Giving into your dog’s begging is the worst thing you can do, but scolding might be almost as bad. Dogs generally consider any attention from their humans as positive reinforcement. The more you engage with them, the more likely they are to think begging might create results they want. Avoid making eye contact with a begging dog, S NCVew C Policy At the time of scheduling a dental or surgery appointment, a $250 deposit will be required. This deposit will be applied to the procedure bill. If you need to cancel the appointment, and you give us at least 24-hour notice, the deposit will be refunded.
Clients Spreading the Word Debbie Belden Chloe Owens Jennifer Craig Tatiana Dominguez Debra Shults We Reward Referrals!
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inside this issue
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Smoked Turkey and Shooting Ranges Mark Hirsch Thanksgivings
Explore the Instinctual Call of Crisp Autumn Leaf Piles
Meet Gia: A Former Nurse's Aide Thriving as a Kennel Technician
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Break Your Dog’s Begging Habit
Clients Spreading the Word
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The Heroic Hound Who Saved a Life in Japan's Tsunami
over their home. The house was destroyed, but Akanuma and Babu escaped with their lives. How did Babu do it? People have long suspected that animals can predict natural disasters, but the truth is elusive. Scientists agree that animals aren’t psychic but disagree on whether something else might be at play. Some attribute the supposed phenomenon to the “psychological focusing effect,” or a human tendency to emphasize one detail in our memories A Dog’s Intuition: How Babu Saved Her Human From a Tsunami 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.
disaster. But everyone agrees that Babu jumped into action. She instantly headed for a large hill near Akanuma’s home — the opposite direction of the pair’s usual walk.
The tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011 was unimaginable; the natural disaster killed nearly 20,000 people in minutes. But amid the chaos, there was at least one tiny miracle: an 11-year-old Shih Tzu named Babu. Tami Akanuma, an 83-year-old woman living in the coastal city of Miyako, had her typical morning interrupted by a 9.0 earthquake that shook her house roughly 200 yards from the coast. When it stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief, but Babu became extremely agitated. The small dog began frantically pacing around the living room, moaning, and jumping at the door. Though it was early for Babu’s morning walk, Akanuma decided to appease her. Sources differ on what happened next. Some say officials broadcast a tsunami warning, and Akanuma realized she must evacuate, while others state she knew nothing of the impending
while discarding others. But others point to dogs’ heightened senses of hearing and smell, suggesting animals may be able to detect small atmospheric changes that humans can’t. No matter the explanation, Akanuma credited her dog with saving her life, and the two gratefully celebrated Babu’s 12th birthday from an evacuation shelter only weeks later.
Akanuma did not dismiss the dog’s instincts. Babu tugged urgently at her leash, running as far as she could before turning to her owner. Akanuma said Babu seemed to be encouraging her to move faster, and the dog ran ahead every time Akanuma caught up. Akanuma later estimated they walked more than half a mile in a few minutes.
Only moments after the duo finally reached the top of the hill, they watched an enormous wave wash
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