dECEMBER 19, 2012
Animal Hospital of Terravita joins Operation American Patriot
CAREFREE – Dr. Teresa Juetten, is the practicing Veterinarian and owner of the Animal Hospital at Terravita, she describes herself as not only an animal lover but as a deeply patriotic American.
She was born and raised mostly in Mesa, Arizona by her beloved parents, a career U.S. Air Force officer and his World War II British War Bride. As a child she traveled through many duty stations overseas and then later returned to the states to attend Veterinary Medical School in Colorado.
“On almost a daily basis I’m amazed at all that we have in the United States, such as comfort, safety, moral and ethical strength, and financial and military strength,” she says. You truly get to appreciate those blessings when you travel around the world as I did as a military dependent.”
She is especially grateful to our military service members: “They’re the most responsible for all this.”
Starting next spring, Dr. Juetten will have a new way to express her gratitude to Veterans looking for work or a new skill set. In particular, by helping to train them to work as veterinary technicians.
Dr. Juetten has joined the clinical team at Operation American Patriot (OAP), a nonprofit organization based in Sun City whose stated mission is “to serve our military, Veterans, and their families by fortifying and uniting existing resources.”
In a new program – unique in the country – described by the catchphrase Vets Helping Vets, OAP is establishing a veterinary technician and service dog training program that will be college-accredited through Chandler University.
“I have very high standards for medical care in my animal hospital, so there’s always a need for outstanding veterinary technicians. We are going to be directly involved in the training of motivated Veterans to become veterinary technicians,” says Dr. Juetten.
Vets Helping Vets participants will earn their veterinary technician certification with a specialty in training service dogs, says OAP’s volunteer Chief Executive Officer Jerry Iannacci.
“OAP’s clinical team has identified the importance of having service dogs address the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and other medical symptoms,” says Mr. Iannacci. “We see this as a way to do something useful for our Veterans, and also – and this is particularly important to me as a Veterinarian, a dog lover – dogs love unconditionally and dogs love to have a job to do.
This program is a way to help both Veterans and dogs,” says Dr. Juetten.
For more information about Vets Helping Vets, please call OAP Clinical Director Dr. Renee Behinfar at (623) 374-2332 or visit their website at www.Operationamericanpatriot.org.
BY JOHANNA DEKING, DVM | DECEMBER 19, 2012
Holiday traveling with pets
It’s travel time for the family pets too as many of us are making plans to head out of town in the next several weeks. For those people lucky enough to get to travel with your furry friend, there are definitely some extra preparations to be made. If your pet will be traveling in the car, it’s important to be certain that they can ride without any extra anxiety or nausea. While some pets are great travelers, others become very nervous or sick in the car. In some cases, a light sedative or anti-nausea medication prescribed by your veterinarian can be used to calm them so that they’re not unnecessarily stressed or sick. Always have an idea of how your pet will handle travel before trying to go a long distance. If your pet isn’t usually in the car, take some small, short test trips first in order to determine whether a sedative may be necessary. Always test the sedative before you leave on your trip, and never give a pet a sedative for the first time as you set out on a long trip in case they have an unexpected reaction to the medication.
Long distance travel is much safer if small dogs and cats are in crates or kennels in the back seat and larger dogs wear safety seat harnesses. This prevents them from posing as a distraction, but it also keeps them safe should you need to stop or swerve suddenly. Always keep pets on leash when stopping along the way. Public rest areas and parks have many new smells, and even the best behaved dog can become easily distracted in these places and potentially run off.
You will be taking appropriate clothes for your travels, but remember that your pet can become cold in snowy places too. Body temperature can drop quickly, especially in small dogs and cats, and a coat or sweater will help keep them comfortable. Always travel with a water bowl and extra food in case your trip takes longer than expected, and remember that medications that you refrigerate at home like insulin need to be kept in a cooler when you travel. If you have a pet with special medical needs, have the name and address of a veterinarian on-hand in your destination city, in case of an emergency.
With the proper travel preparations, you can enjoy stress-free travel with your pet. If you would like more information please visit us at www.ahsvet.com or call Animal Health Services at 480-488-6181.
