THE MORE
d of the Pack
MEET OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR!
WHY DR. CLARK LOVES CONTINUING EDUCATION It’s Dr. Clark here again, and I’m not done talking about education yet! I recently returned from Las Vegas for the 94th annual Western Veterinary Conference, which draws around 15,000 attendees every year. There are so many veterinary professionals in one place that I often wonder who’s taking care of the animals! But I particularly love this event because of the quality and variety of the sessions. There are hundreds of lectures to choose from, featuring the best researchers and clinicians. YOU KNOW
she says. “And that’s important in any business, but specifically in one that has this unique kind of intimacy with our clients.”
Andrea is married with two children in middle school, and her family loves spending time outdoors. “We love hiking, camping, and paddleboarding,” she says. “We also have a good network
of friends, and we have a pack of dogs. The dogs always have a blast together, and we have a blast with our friends.”
Andrea’s dogs are Freya, a Labrador Retriever, and Duke, a German Shepherd. She explains that “both dogs came to us via clients” after they needed to be rehomed. “Freya is my pride and joy,” she says. “She’s the best dog I’ve ever had.” For Duke’s part, she says, “I fell in love with him when he was here for a visit. He’s the most chill German Shepherd in the world.” She also has a cat named Beryl, who she adopted as a kitten. “She sleeps in my arms all night, every night.” Of her work, Andrea says, “The puppies and kittens and other animals are great to see, but it’s the people who make it really wonderful. We also have great clients.” Joining the clinic “has been the best decision,” she adds. “This is where I was meant to be, and I can see myself retiring in this industry.”
I think it’s fun to learn in a giant room full of people — and it’s extra fun to identify a medical mystery being presented before the big reveal. I’ve been practicing for many years now, and I try to make a point of learning from every new experience I have with an animal. A first-time diagnosis always goes in a file cabinet in my brain. Those experiences can be invaluable when I’m trying to figure out why an animal is showing abnormal symptoms or not responding to treatment as expected. It’s just as important that I don’t get stuck in my old ways, and the conference reminds me that medicine is a continuum. It would be great if every disease presented the same way every time and was always effectively treated with the same medication, but that’s not how it works. It’s frustrating to both my clients and me, but it’s much worse if I’m stuck in a rote pattern. The conference reminds me of all the assumptions I make and the drugs I regularly rely on, and it makes me question whether I’m serving animals in the best way possible. Further, medicine never stops changing. We follow the research, institute what we think are best practices, then find out years later that maybe what we thought was wrong. Sometimes, those changes happen after decades. I have to keep up and ensure I’m working from the best information. Often, I’ll attend lectures about medical conditions I continually see, just to confirm I’m current. I always return from the conference fired up to practice better medicine. I get to reset my assumptions, talk to other people who are passionate about animal health, and learn a little something along the way. Education is a lifelong process. You can’t improve without learning, and I never want to stop getting better at what I do.
Ingredients
• •
1 4-oz fresh salmon fillet
•
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oats
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. On a foil-lined baking sheet, place raw salmon and bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145 F. 3. In the refrigerator, allow salmon to cool completely. 4. Using a food processor, grind oats into a fine flour. 5. With 2 forks, shred cooled salmon into small pieces. 6. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, oat flour, and salmon meat. 7. Using your hands, form salmon mixture into 1-inch patties. 8. On a foil-lined baking sheet, cook patties for approximately 12–15 minutes at 350 F. Patties should be golden brown. 9. Allow the patties to cool completely before giving them to your cat. Store leftover patties in the refrigerator or freezer.
406.755.6886
3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator