Author Archives: Jill Adler

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late; Doggy First Aid

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My dog is Mighty Dog. The dog before him was Mighty Dog. Takoda’s predecessor lived to 16 without seeing more than swollen paws from running her heart out on single track; can you blame me if for some blond reason I forget dogs are just as human as we are. They get sick, they tear tendons, they succumb to cancer. Big stuff.

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I hear stories. Dogs bitten by rattlesnakes, blowing out knees jumping from moving vehicles, waking up one day with lymphoma. There are much less traumatic- but still consequential- tales as well. Eating poisonous mushrooms, ripping open a paw pad, suffering hypothermia. These things are avoidable or at least treatable and they can definitely happen to your Mighty Dog. Just because you’ve gotten lucky doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you.

It’s time to study up. I piled into the classroom at the Utah Emergency Medical Training Council in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Pet First Aid and CPR class. The one-day course is designed to help pet owners provide temporary, urgent care to pets until they can get to a vet; but what it really does is teach you just enough to freak you out about future injuries. Ignorance is bliss. It’s stupid but it sure was nice assuming my dog was impervious to harm.

The evening opened with a discussion and hands-on demo of how to take your pet’s vitals via their pulse in their leg ‘pit’, pants per minute and body temperature. Once you’ve got that as a baseline and saved to your pet first aid kit you can compare them in a stressed situation to determine if they are in trouble.

We practiced on the live, class cat and a resusci-rover but it would have been sweet to have our own animals with us, thereby completing the class with the bonus of having our own personal vitals confirmed by a more-experienced EMT.

We talked about personal safety when approaching an injured pet and how to minimize risks by creating a make-shift muzzle from a cloth or rope. We covered a wide array of pet emergencies including bleeding and bite wounds, choking, burns, poisoning, and trauma, and finished out the night learning doggy and kitty CPR. Did you know that to administer CPR correctly (and who would have thought a dog could even be given CPR) you have to break his ribs?! It’s either that or let him die the tech told me.  Gulp.

The biggest concerns (other than ticks and sore paws) when you are outdoors with your dog, however, are heatstroke and hypothermia. If your pooch has rapid panting, drooling, vomiting or collapses, she needs shade and cool wet towels to bring her temperature down. If he’s shivering, drowsy, and has a weak pulse, he needs warm blankets and hot water bottles to his torso.

Finally, it’s always a smart move to carry a pet-specific first aid kit in your pack (or your car if you don’t want the weight). You can create your own with a list like this one and stuff it in a Granite Gear Air Zipddity:
[gview file=”https://skiplaylive.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pet1staid.pdf”]

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Or make life easier by grabbing something basic like the Trail Dog Kit< from Adventure Medical. It’ll cover immediate cuts or paw injuries that might happen on a hike with dressings, bandages and a splinter/tick remover.

AMK Trail Dog_LT

Tuscan Style Artichokes

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I saved this clip for Tuscan Style Artichokes from a 1999 Food Section recipe but couldn’t find it online to Pin. So here it is for everyone!

 

Ingredients

  • 3 med artichokes, 8 to 10 ounces each
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbs white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Breadcrumbs/Parmesan for garnish

 

 

Directions

  • 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F

  • 2

Cut each artichoke into quarters lengthwise, dropping them immediately into a bowl of water with the juice of 1 lemon, to avoid discoloring. With a small sharp knife, scoop out and discard the hairy choke.

  • 3

In a large saute pan, mix the oil, vinegar, wine, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Arrange the artichoke quarters in one layer with one cut side facing down, in the saute pan. Place the pan on the stove top and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat for about 30 seconds. Then place the pan in the oven and roast the artichokes, turning once so that the other cut sides face down, until golden brown and barely tender, about 15 minutes total. The artichoke quarters may be prepared to this point several hours ahead and set aside at room temp.

  • 4

Pick the artichoke quarters (with tongs, if hot) and allow any excess oil to drip away, Grill the hearts directly over high heat, turning occasionally, until they are nicely browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Serve warm.

 

Afterschool Learn To Luge

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Get ready to have your kids’ socks blown off. The US Luge Association/Youth Sports Alliance After School Luge Program kicks off at the end of October so if you’ve got boys and girls with nuts of steel sign them up now. The luge program at the Utah Olympic Park is designed specifically for youth ages 8-13 (minimum height 52 inches), who have never been on a sled before.

Athletes start at Curve 12, the lowest point on the track to run sleds, and move up from there. They’ll take the first few runs on the last 4 curves (bottom 1/4) of the track. Once everyone is comfortable, they move up the track to the Tourist Start (one curve and straightaway higher).
The Learn to Luge program runs for three consecutive Fridays with registered participants sliding on all three of the dates. Athletes who drool for more are then invited to continue training with the Wasatch Luge Club’s Youth Training Program (meets Saturday nights). If you haven’t figured it out, this program can lead directly to national level competitions, maybe even the Olympics.

Transportation to the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) and athlete pick up from the UOP after sliding will need to be done by parents. For students attending Ecker Hill Middle School transportation to and from the UOP is provided. All athletes (students) need to be at the UOP by 2:00 PM. They will slide from 2:30-4:00 and be available for pick up at 4:00 PM. Parents are gladly invited to stay and watch.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Dates: October 30, November 6, and November 13

Time:
Arrive UOP 2:00 PM
Slide 2:30-4:00 PM
Available for pick up 4:00 PM

Cost:
$100, includes all equipment, coaching, track fees, and membership to USA Luge.

For questions or to get a registration packet call Jon Owen at the USA Luge Park City office, 435-647-3800 or email parkcityluge@usaluge.org. Registration deadline is October 16th.

Everest To Ban Newbies??

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Nepalese officials say they will ban beginners from making the trek up Everest. The decision to quarantine the epic peak was apparently made to lessen crowds and protect the safety of everyone else who makes the journey in the wake of recent catastrophes including last April’s avalanche. There’s also thought of preventing the disabled, seniors and climbers under 18 from reaching the top of the world’s highest mountain as well.

Kripasur Sherpa, the country’s tourism minister, told The Guardian the rules should go into effect by next spring when hundreds of climbers from around the world begin the 29,029 summit. Climbers wanting a permit for Mount Everest would need to show proof they have scaled peaks above 6500 metres (21,325 feet).

It used to be that only the best of the best attempted Everest. Now, anyone who can afford a guide or outfitter can pay to risk their lives. Sherpa related this to “legal suicide” and added that these people are a hazard not only to themselves but everyone there; as well, they would be incapable of helping other climbers in an emergency.

In addition to weeding out newbies, officials are also looking at stopping the “feeble” from the climb. “The disabled or visually impaired people usually need someone to carry them, which is not an adventure. Only those who can go on their own will be given permission,” Sherpa said. Enforcement plans, however, have not been disclosed.

“There’s a reason why they have to do this stuff,” said Park City, Utah’s, Chris Waddell and first parapalegic to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, “But I’d hate to see them categorically eliminate a group because of assumptions. I don’t agree with that. Eric Weinhenmayer climbed all seven summits blind. Don’t be so stringent that they eliminate people who could really do it.”

The World Travel Council states that tourists spent $508 million in Nepal in 2014, supporting 487,500 jobs. No telling at this time whether the ban will affect tourism dollars.

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