Petersen Pet Hospital - December 2020

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Monthly Pets First

December 2020

Together Is Always Better CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE TEAM We like to celebrate the holiday season in style here at Petersen Pet Hospital. It’s always been important to me and Dr. Saunders to make sure we give back to our wonderful team at the end of each year to let them know how much they’re appreciated and to celebrate all the incredible work they’ve put in over the past year. These holiday parties and month-long celebrations are some of my most cherished memories, and for good reason. We always kick off December with a good old-fashioned Secret Santa name- pulling. Each member on our team draws another team member’s name from a hat, and every week of December, they leave that person a little gift in secret. Then, when we do our big celebration at the end of the month, we pool together all the final gifts, and each person has to guess who their Secret Santa was. Every year brings endless surprises. When the big holiday celebration comes, we love when our team members bring their spouses and significant others along. It’s great for us to shed the doctor’s coats and scrubs we’ve been wearing all year and take the opportunity to get to know everyone a little more personally. The evening always starts off with a nice dinner where we can all reminisce about what a year we’ve had together and catch up on life. After that, the activities vary, but they’re always entertaining. We’ve gone to see stand-up comedy shows, chartered a bus to take us out to a casino for a night of gambling, and even spent an afternoon at our local mall, where everyone was gifted some cash to spend on themselves right then and there. Last year, we played a holiday game that has to be one of my all-time favorites. We bought about 100 fun little knick-knack gifts, then wrapped them all up inside one enormous cellophane ball. We wound layers and layers of the stuff around each gift, trapping them inside, and then each person was given an opportunity to unwrap the layers and access as many gifts as they could on a timer. The catch was that each person was wearing a set of oven mitts as they did it! It was a

hilarious game that I highly recommend for any holiday party that’s in need of a good laugh. No matter our celebrations each year, the reigning theme has always been about

bringing everyone together and giving

thanks. We have a truly wonderful team here at Petersen Pet Hospital, and the great work we do for our patients comes from the wonderful camaraderie we all share. The holiday season is a chance to let that camaraderie shine through, and that’s why I always try to make something meaningful out of it each year. This year, of course, will look a little different than most. It’s going to be a smaller celebration with just the members of our team right here in our own office. We’re going to close up shop early on a Friday and have a caterer bring food in for all of us to enjoy. We’ll still be doing our gift exchange and will come up with even wackier games to play together, I’m sure. In comparison to years past, this year’s party might seem a little more muted, but the truth is, I already know it’s going to be one of the best celebrations yet. That’s because no matter what we do, it’s being together that makes every year better than the last.

From all of us here at Petersen Pet Hospital, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!

www.PetersenPetHospital.com

Border Col PROTECT YOUR DOG WITH SIMPARICA TRIO

Happy holidays everybody!

I know dogs aren’t usually the biggest fans of taking medicine, but this one’s too important to not get excited about! Petersen Pet Hospital is now carrying something called Simparica Trio for dogs, and it’s the only product of its kind. If you haven’t gotten your dog on a regular dose of heartworm, flea, and tick prevention, now is a great time to start. Simparica Trio is a 3-in-1monthly chewable tablet that helps keep dogs from getting intestinal parasites, like hookworms and roundworms, and also helps us fight against the icky effects of bites from fleas and ticks. Before Simparica Trio, to get all three of these essential medications, pet parents always had to give at least two — or sometimes even three —

SAY HELLO TO DR. KNUTSON

The Newest Vet to Join Our Team

There’s a brand-new doctor for your pets to meet, and her name is Krystal Knutson! We’re thrilled to have Dr. Knutson join us, and we know her extensive background in caring for a large variety of animals is going to make a great addition to our team. Dr. Knutson is an Iowa native and completed veterinarian school at Iowa State. For several years she worked in rural mixed-animal practices, meaning she treated everything from cats and dogs to horses and cattle! “I grew up in Northern Iowa on an acreage and we always had cats, dogs, and horses,”Dr. Knutson says. “I’ll admit I’m that stereotypical story of someone who has always loved animals and has always been fascinated by their biology, so naturally, I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since I was young.” She and her husband hopped around to various cities in Iowa for a few years, during which time Dr. Knutson shifted to working for small animal practices. “Even though I don’t care for many cattle or sheep anymore, I still love the variety of general practice,” she says. “Each pet and owner is unique, and I love finding new ways to help them. It’s so rewarding.”Dr. Knutson’s philosophy is to treat every person’s pet as though they were her own. “I genuinely care about each pet I meet,” she says. “I also care about each pet owner, too. I will always take their needs into consideration because that’s the best way to care for the animals we love.” Outside work, Dr. Knutson has been plenty busy in the months she’s been preparing to come work at Petersen Pet Hospital. She and her husband just welcomed their first child in August. “I love being a mom,”Dr. Knutson says. “People weren’t kidding when they said having a baby is a huge change, but I’ve welcomed every single moment of it.”During the day, Dr. Knutson straps her little boy snuggly to her body and takes him around their homestead while she does chores. They have two dogs, a cat, and two horses to care for, and she’s pleased to say that all the animals have acclimated very well to the new tiny human in their midst. We might have another early animal lover on our hands, which could mean another fantastic veterinarian in the future, just like his mom.

tablets and topical medicines to their dogs. We know that giving pets medicine isn’t the easiest thing to do, so a lot of owners opt out of giving anything to their dogs. But that no longer has to be the case!

Holiday Pet Food Gravy

No holiday feast is complete without gravy to pour on just about everything — including your dog or cat’s food! Get your pets excited about their dry food by revamping it with this quick and easy holiday gravy recipe.

Inspired by Rover.com

Welcome to the team, Dr. Knutson!

llie Corner If you’re skeptical about needing to get your dog on worm, flea, and tick medicines in the winter and are thinking about just waiting until spring or summer when these bugs or more common, think again! Our doctors here always recommend keeping your dogs on these doses year-round, as fleas and ticks can survive in people’s homes and dog-boarding facilities. Intestinal worms can be commonly

Snowed In for Christmas? It’s Board Game Time! 3 New Games to Entertain You Through the Holidays

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the games are so delightful …”

found in rabbit and deer manure, which are even easier for dogs to access in the winter when those piles are just sitting on the snow. You might say, “Yuck!” but we dogs say, “Mmmm.” This holiday season, make sure you give your dog the gift of a healthy body that can fight back against worms, fleas, and ticks. Simparica Trio makes it easier than ever to do just that, so call Petersen Pet Hospital and schedule an appointment today!

Those might not be the exact lyrics from the famous Christmas carol, but it’s true that decks of cards and various board games get

many families through the holiday season. You can only rewatch“It’s a Wonderful Life” and“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” so many times before the jokes grow stale. While newmovie releases can be fun, many have been stalled this year because of the pandemic. Luckily, board games are still coming out on schedule.

If you’re on the hunt for alternatives to Monopoly, Clue, and Scrabble, check out these fresh 2020 games, which all come recommended by the experts at Thrillist.

1. The Alpha: A Nature Lover’s Dream Game If your childhood dream was joining a wolf pack like Mowgli in “The Jungle Book,” this is the board game for you! The Alpha is a beautifully illustrated strategic game where players act as pack leaders and compete with other players to acquire territory and snag the best food. Gameplay is done in rounds that include four stages: stalk, chase, resolve, and advance. The game is rated for 3–6 players ages 10 and up. 2. Half Truth: Brilliant Minds Meet Here If you’re a fan of Trivial Pursuit, you’ll love Half Truth. At its heart, it’s a trivia game, but it ups the stakes by giving players the opportunity to bet on how many correct answers they’ll get. Really though, there’s only one thing you need to know about this game, and Thrillist said it best: “It’s the brainchild of legendary Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield and 74-time Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings.”What a pedigree! Everyone 12 and over will want a seat at the table. 3. getCrewd: A Playground for Movie Buffs getCrewd is a card game that comes in a retro-style film can, and that single trait speaks volumes. In this PG-13-rated game, you play a film producer in search of the perfect actor, director, and crew to make your movie happen. However, the deck will keep throwing obstacles in your way, including everything from flash floods to writers’ strikes. If you have a competitive side, you’ll love this mad scramble to the finish line.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken or turkey broth

•

1 lb low-fat ground turkey

•

2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer.

2. In a skillet, brown ground turkey, breaking it up into small pieces.

3. When turkey is cooked thoroughly, strain off any remaining fat.

4. Sprinkle cornstarch or tapioca flour over meat and stir well to coat evenly.

5. Pour broth over meat mixture and bring it to a low boil until it thickens.

6. Let cool slightly but serve warm over your dog or cat’s favorite dry food.

With these games in your cabinet, you won’t even notice the snowbanks outside!

Enjoy the holiday feasting together!

www.PetersenPetHospital.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1031 Kacena Road Hiawatha, IA 52233 www.PetersenPetHospital.com 319-743-0554

Mon–Fri: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (Closed Fridays from 12:30–2:10 p.m. for teammeetings) Sat: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sun: Closed

Inside This Issue

Another Very Merry Holiday Season

PRIMARY

Meet Dr. Knutson

PMS4655

BLACK

50% BLACK

Protect Your Dog With Simparica Trio

Holiday Pet Food Gravy

SECONDARY

3 New Board Games to Try This Winter

PMS292 Meet Kismet, a Dentist’s Toothless Therapy Dog PMS5635 PMS1215

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Meet Kismet, a Dentist’s Toothless Therapy Dog

“The studies are very clear: People who sit and pet animals have lower blood pressure, and that’s what it’s all about,”Dr. Cameron Garrett told TODAY when the world found out about Kismet. Garrett’s dental practice employs the adorable 13-year-old Chihuahua rescue as a therapy animal patients can hold and pet while they get dental work done. Kismet’s life has not been easy. The Muttville Senior Dog Rescue has invested thousands of dollars into Kismet’s health — they diagnosed her with heart disease, removed a cancerous tumor, treated a hernia, and removed all of her teeth due to periodontal disease. Yet, Kismet remains a very sweet dog. She never barks and loves back scratches and being held. It’s especially amazing that the toothless Kismet found such a perfect new home with dental professionals! This past July, Cameron Garrett and his wife, Debra Garrett (a hygienist), adopted Kismet into their home as well as their dental

practice. The serene dog has provided a special experience for patients who come for exams, cleanings, and even root canals. Of course, some patients are scared of dogs. In those cases, Kismet relaxes behind a closed gate. But over 98% of patients happily take Kismet on their laps while they undergo their dental procedure. Cameron Garrett told CNN, “Quite honestly, as a dentist, I’m as much a psychiatrist or psychologist as anything else. Kismet has allowed us to have another tool in our toolbox.”They can even use the toothless pup’s story to teach patients about the effects of periodontal disease. Getting love from patients also helps Kismet. “She just wants to be with us,”Debra Garrett explained. The new owners suspect that she was abused in the past and is still recovering from that trauma. “When she is on a patient’s lap, she’s providing

them comfort, but she’s also getting comfort. It’s hard for me to describe how nice it is for me to be looking at her while I’m working. It’s just a win-win all the way around.”

Our hearts are officially melted. It’s only fitting for a pet hero to have heroic owners, too!

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