Check out our November newsletter!
Pet Press KALISPELL NOVEMBER 2020
406.755.6886 WWW.KALISPELLVET.COM
REBUILDING CAR ENGINES
An Idea for a Book — If I Had the Time
I love fixing up old cars so much that if I see a listing for anything that says ‘doesn’t run’ on Facebook Marketplace, I have to have it.
r November is National Novel Writing Month, which for many people, is a time to try and write a book of their own. I really like the idea of people challenging themselves to write a book in 30 days, and I’ve often been told I should write one, but if I did, it wouldn’t be a novel. I only read nonfiction, and if I had to write a book, it would definitely be in the same genre. As a reading teacher, my wife reads about 80 books a year, all on a variety of topics, but I can’t even remember the last time I read a novel. Now don’t get the wrong idea — I absolutely love reading, and I’m currently in the middle of three nonfiction books. The way my brain works is very utilitarian. Whenever I read, I want to learn something, no matter what that might be. I love reading through anything technical, and history is one of my favorite subjects. I find it very relaxing to sit down and read one of these books at the end of the day. Even though history is my favorite, if I were to write a book of my own, it’d be focused on a more technical topic: car repairs. It’s a topic and hobby that I’m very fond of and really enjoy. I love fixing up old cars so much that if I see a listing for anything that says “doesn’t run” on Facebook Marketplace, I have to have it. That’s where that book idea comes from. My brother has told me before that I should either write down everything I know about fixing up cars or start a YouTube channel and upload a few tutorials. He’s always telling me, “You have this knowledge base about old cars and how to fix stuff; you could save people a lot of time.” He started saying this back before my kids were in high school and we rebuilt their cars.
how much fun I had. This hobby took up most of my free time for a day or a week, as I rebuilt the engines and swapped them into other ones. The more I did it, the better I became at it. In fact, I eventually got to the point where people were calling me from church to ask about their Subarus.
I’m still very involved with rebuilding cars, but now, instead of Subarus, I’ve been rebuilding an old truck and British sports cars. I have a few myself that I’ve rebuilt, and I’m getting about the same amount of attention as I did with the Subarus. Back in August, I bought a little MG, and three weeks later, one of my neighbors walked over to me and asked me to take a look at the MG that they’d just bought. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I have the time to write a book on rebuilding Subaru or British sport car engines, let alone dedicate a single month to the effort. But I have really considered uploading tutorials to YouTube to teach people how to do those things. In a way, I think these videos are the “next generation” of books and reading. While physical books will always be around, I think people can really benefit and learn a lot from video tutorials. Whether you’re planning on trying your hand at writing a novel for National Novel Writing Month, writing a nonfiction or technical book, or working on uploading informative videos, I hope you all have a wonderfully fun November.
I’ve always loved Subarus, and when my sons entered high school, I knew they needed to get around, so I started rebuilding Subarus for them. I remember
– Dr. Jevon Clark
1
406.755.6886
Published by The Newsletter Pro www.TheNewsletterPro.com
MEET PRINC An 8-Year-Old P
Greetings,
Sadie’s Cheesy Dog Biscuits
I am Her Royal Highness Calla Lily Bloom, more commonly referred to as Princess Callie. I am an 8-year-old purebred Cavalier King Charles spaniel living in Bigfork, Montana, with my human family and my royal pack. My father, Tuffy, was a Grand Master Agility Champion in California, and when he was 8, the breeders sent him to live with me in Bigfork.
My human family was out of town when Tuffy passed away. It was really hard on Sadie because she was Tuffy’s human. After Tuffy was gone, my humans decided we couldn’t be a one-dog family. They wanted a rescued dog, so they went in search of one to adopt. They focused their search in two places: the National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) and the Cavalier Rescue USA website. The NMDR in Colorado had four Cavaliers up for adoption and our family desperately wanted one. But, because we weren’t local, they gave them to families in Colorado. So, my humans searched the Cavalier rescue site for local dogs, and that’s when they heard about Daisy and Danny in California. As we were waiting to find out if we could adopt Daisy and Danny, the NMDR called Mom and told her she could adopt one of the four Cavaliers — the one named Gracie. My family said, “Absolutely!” Then something crazy happened. Mom had been off the phone for 15 minutes when she got another call. The Cavalier rescue people said that Daisy and Danny were ours, too! Suddenly we went from a one- dog family to a four-dog family! Gracie is from a puppy mill and lived the first 6 1/2 years of her life in a cage. Because of that, she is very shy; it has taken her almost two years to finally trust our family. She likes me, though,
INGREDIENTS • 1 1/2 cups oat flour •
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
•
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
•
1 egg
•
1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2.
In a large bowl, combine the flours and cheeses with the egg. 3. Slowly add water a bit at a time until desired dough texture is formed. You may need to add more liquid to get it just right. 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. Then cut into your favorite shapes.
and we cuddle on the bed together every night. I’m trying to teach her to behave like a princess, but she has recently learned to bark at strangers — which I find annoying and not princess‑like at all. Danny and Daisy easily adapted to life in Bigfork. They are much bigger dogs than Gracie and me, although we are all purebred Cavaliers. Danny and Daisy love to cuddle and be patted; they nudge Sadie’s hand when she tries to stop patting them. They always want more, more, more ! When we play with our toys, run, fetch, and play tug-of-war, our humans call us the “Trio of Trouble.” I like them very much except when Danny tries to cuddle up next to Mom — that is my place. I am the princess.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the biscuits on the parchment. They can be close together as they won’t spread while baking. 6. Bake until golden brown (20–25 minutes depending on size and thickness). Check your first batch starting at 10 minutes, spin the tray around so they bake evenly, then start to check again at 15, 18, and 20 minutes. Once you know how quickly your oven bakes the biscuits, you can make notes on the recipe so you’ll know how long to bake them next time. 7. Let the biscuits cool completely on a rack before serving to your pups. Store the biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Note: If your dog has a wheat allergy, substitute the all-purpose flour with brown rice flour or almond flour or use all oat flour.
WWW.KALISPELLVET.COM
2
CESS CALLIE
TELLING SIGNS AND AVAILABLE TREATMENTS For Cognitive Dysfunction and Dementia in Dogs
Purebred
We’ve briefly discussed dementia before, but Dr. Ball recently did some deeper continuing education on that topic. Just as the risk
of dementia increases for humans as we grow older, so too does the risk for dementia as our pets age. Unfortunately, cognitive dysfunction, like dementia, is commonly misdiagnosed in older dogs. Although it’s most recognizable when a dog is 11 years old or older, the first signs of cognitive dysfunction occur between the ages of 6–8.
Now that’s a royal family!
If you’re ever at Wayfarers State Park on Flathead Lake, you might see us all walking on the trails. We’re easy to recognize as we all have matching harnesses and collars, and we’re a royal family of four Cavaliers. As purebreds, we all tend to have health issues, which is why we’re so happy to have Dr. Clark at The Animal Clinic of Kalispell. Dr. Clark and his staff know us really well and give us the royal treatment.
Signs to Look For
There are several signs that indicate your dog might be suffering from cognitive dysfunction. Here are some indicators to look for: a change in your dog’s sleeping habits, an increase in pacing or doing abnormal activities, an increase in how often they get lost, and any changes in their overall behavior. If a dog that was previously housetrained is now suddenly having accidents, and their urinalysis comes back normal, that’s a big sign too. Anxiety is also a big indicator. Dogs that have been anxious their whole life but then become increasingly anxious, or dogs that experience a sudden spike of anxiety when they have never shown signs of stress before, may be showing signs of a cognitive dysfunction.
I have pancreatitis, which means my body can’t digest food. We have to wait 20 minutes for each meal while the enzymes do that for me. It’s quite tedious, really. Daisy has the loudest heart murmur Dr. Clark has ever heard. Every time he listens to it, he says, “Wow!” Danny is allergic to everything. He gets very itchy and needs lots of medication. I get jealous when Mom gives him ointment and rubs his ears. Dr. Clark has figured out just the right formula of food and meds for Danny, which is good because itching isn’t princely behavior. Gracie is the healthiest of us all, although since she lost all her teeth at the puppy mill, she has to eat soft food and treats. Mom says, “I would love to find a doctor for myself that’s as good as Dr. Clark is for our dogs.” It’s true, he takes very good care of us and treats us like the royalty we are. Now that we’re a noble four-dog family, Sadie has become famous for her dog treats at our family’s bakery Lake Baked in Bigfork. Our favorites are the Sadie’s Cheesy Biscuits which are delicious! (Check out her recipe on Page 2!) I am grateful my family decided to adopt rescued dogs. I love my family so much — the humans and Cavaliers alike. I am a lucky princess indeed!
Treatment Options
While treatments will not necessarily prevent cognitive dysfunction completely, there are treatments available that will help manage and slow its progress. One of the more common treatment options for your four-legged friend is medication, but there are other options too. Just as we do puzzles on our phones to keep our brain functioning well, there are puzzle toys that our dogs can use to help keep their brains as active as possible. When paired with medical management, the symptoms and impact of a cognitive dysfunction can be reduced fairly significantly. Studies have shown that diet, too, can impact your pet’s cognitive abilities. Specifically, medium chain triglycerides in your dog’s diet will benefit their cognitive health. And there are some other nutritional supplements that could potentially slow the progression of cognitive disorders.
If you’ve noticed any of the telling signs above in your dog and want to learn more about cognitive dysfunction and how to prevent it, call the Animal Clinic of Kalispell today.
406.755.6886
3
406.755.6886 WWW.KALISPELLVET.COM 1408 AIRPORT ROAD KALISPELL, MT 59901
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Inside
1
Nonfiction Books or Tutorial Videos?
2
Sadie’s Cheesy Dog Biscuits
2 3
Meet Princess Callie
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction: Signs and Treatments
4
The Stories Behind 2 Iconic Animal Heroes in Video Games
The Stories Behind 2 Iconic
Entertainment System (NES) stalled that idea until Nintendo released Super Mario World for the Super NES. The inspiration for Yoshi traces back to the 1984 video game Devil World, which featured green lizards that hatch from eggs, eat enemies with large mouths, and emit the very same signature Yoshi giggle when they hatch. Yoshi has received a positive reception since its introduction, making it Japan’s third-favorite video game character in 2008. A few fun facts: Yoshi is often referred to as male, but its gender remains unconfirmed. Also, Yoshi and K.K. Slider (from Animal Crossing) have the same voice actor! Sonic You could say that random New Yorkers chose Sonic’s ultimate design. When Sega sought to create a flagship series to rival Nintendo’s Mario, Naoto Ohshima took character designs with him on a trip to New York. He asked random passersby in Central Park to choose a design, and the spiky blue hedgehog won. That wasn’t the end of Sonic’s design alterations, though. He had a rock band phase! Initially, Sonic had fangs, was in a band, and had a human girlfriend named Madonna. The team at Sega of America, led by Madeline Schroeder (who calls herself “Sonic’s mother”), removed those elements to “soften” the character for American audiences. While this led to heated internal debates, Sonic game designer Yuji Naka admitted it was for the best.
Your family might have had the chance to play more video games
Animal Heroes in Video Games
lately and interact with some of the most famous animal heroes in video game history, like Yoshi or Sonic. But have you ever wondered about their real-world backstories? Yoshi Or should we say, T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas? That’s Yoshi’s full name according to Nintendo’s official character guide published in 1993. Ever since the first release of Super Mario Bros, Nintendo wanted Mario to have a dinosaur companion. However, the limitations of the Nintendo
These famous characters make our video games more energetic and fun, and their origin stories are just as unique!
4
WWW.KALISPELLVET.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software