Petersen Pet Hospital - March 2020

Petersen Pet Hospital - March 2020

Monthly Pets First

March 2020

Spring Into Action HOW MUCH EXERCISE DOES A BORDER COLLIE NEED?

The weather is finally starting to warm up, and let me tell you, spring cannot come soon enough. While I like some aspects of winter — ice fishing, for example — this winter skipped all the fun parts of the season and left us with gray skies and freezing weather for months on end. I’m really looking forward to being able to spend more time outside again. Humans aren’t the only ones who look forward to warmer weather though. Our pets can suffer from cabin fever during the winter too. This time of year, we see a lot of pets come in who have put on a few pounds because they weren’t getting enough exercise during the winter. Spring is a good time to build workout habits with your pet. It will help them maintain a healthy weight, and it’s good for their mental well-being. Dogs and cats need mental stimuli as much as they need physical exercise. My dog, Sam, is a border collie; she’s a working dog who is smart and full of energy. Stacey and I have to make sure Sam gets plenty of exercise or she’ll go stir-crazy. I go to CrossFit four times a week in the mornings before work, and when I get back, I take Sam out for a walk. She wears this little backpack filled with a couple water bottles so she has to work a bit harder on her walks. I incorporate some obedience training by making her sit before we cross the street. Our walks are a great way to start the day, and Sam looks forward to them. She sees going on a walk with me as her job. Sam also comes to work with me and hangs out in the office during the day. During my lunch break, we go outside to play ball so she can work off more energy. We’ve also started puppy agility classes in the

“If you are working on getting your dog or cat more exercise, I recommend making it a daily habit.”

evenings so she can run around and get more mental stimulation. I cannot stress this enough: If you don’t have time to exercise your dog, don’t get a highly energetic breed. A lot of health and behavioral problems arise when pets don’t get the exercise they need. I’m fortunate to be able to take Sam to work with me and have the time to walk her in the morning. However, I know not everyone has that kind of time in their schedule. If you are working on getting your dog or cat more exercise, I recommend making it a daily habit. Every day after work, take your dog for a walk, no matter what the weather is like. If you have a cat, block out some time to play with them before bed. When exercising your pet becomes a habit, it’s easier to maintain. The good news is that it’s usually easier to build new habits in the spring. Maybe it’s just me, but spring is a very optimistic time of year. The days are a bit longer, the sun is shining more, and the birds are singing. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time outside with their dog?

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What’s Meant to Be BEHIND THE SCENES WITH KRYSTAL WUMKES There are two sides to running an animal hospital.“Side A”involves working with animals. This is the side our clients see every day when our veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants treat patients and keep them happy and healthy. Then there’s“Side B,”which makes sure Side A runs smoothly. Side B is human resources, onboarding, meetings, annual reviews, training, and policy procedure manuals. That’s the side that our practice manager, Krystal Wumkes, is in charge of. Krystal is celebrating her five-year anniversary with us at the beginning of March. It’s a real balancing act to keep Petersen Pet Hospital running each day, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have Krystal here to help. Any of our patients who have been with us for a few years knows what an impact Krystal has made. When Dr. Brad Petersen first opened the hospital, he was trying to handle Side A and Side B on his own. When he finally realized he needed more help, a fellow veterinarian referred him to Krystal. Dr. Petersen took one look at her resume and reached out to offer her the job. There was just one hitch.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

How Your Dog Makes You Healthier

“At the time, I was seven months pregnant,” Krystal explained.“I was upfront with Dr. Petersen. I told him it was my ideal job and a great opportunity, but I was expecting and wouldn’t be able to start full-time until after my maternity leave. Unfortunately, he needed someone to start right away. I was really bummed out, but life moves on. I welcomed my daughter, Kinsley, into

Bad news, cat lovers. Science says dogs really are better than cats — at least in terms of helping their owners live longer. Two major studies published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes have found that dog ownership can be beneficial to a person’s health. The first of these studies took place in Sweden, where researchers identified nearly 350,000 individuals who had suffered a heart attack or stroke between 2001 and 2012. In Sweden, dogs must be registered with the Swedish Board of Agriculture, so researchers were able to determine who on their list were dog owners. They found that individuals who owned dogs tended to have better health prospects than people without dogs. Of those who had suffered a heart attack, dog owners had a 33% lower risk of death. Dog owners who suffered a stroke were also 37% less likely to die than those who did not have a dog. The second study was a review and meta-analysis conducted by Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Researchers reviewed 10 studies that contained >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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