Finn at Dog Beach in San Diego California, September 14, 2014
Meet Erika Teutsch! We love to see her and her wonderful cats and dog!
From Dr. Stephanie Jones...
Erika Teutsch has been a client at Gentle Doctor for many years. She is the proud owner of 3 pets: Finn (a chocolate colored labradoodle), Scout (a maine coon mix), and Zooey (a domestic medium hair). Erika is a delightful, dedicated owner. Both Finn and Scout have had some time consuming medical issues in the past and Erika has diligently brought them in for treatments and surgery. Finn is a sweet, gentle natured labradoodle who loves his mom. ;) Scout suffered from some recurrent UTI’s in the past, and after a couple of surgeries by Dr. Merkley, he is now doing much better! Scout prefers to stay in his kennel during his vet visits, but our staff continues to work on making him more comfortable here. Zooey is also a sweet boy who prefers to be on his mom’s lap during his exams but is always cooperative when any tests are needed. We love seeing Erika and her pets at the clinic! Erika is always smiling, has a wonderful, upbeat personality and a kind word to share with our staff.
Finn and Erika in Colorado, September 13, 2014
Tell us about your family – humans and pets.
I am “mom” to three furry kids, Scout (Maine Coon, 12 years old), Zooey (domestic short hair cat, 11 years old), and Finn (Labradoodle, 7 years old). I grew up in Omaha and moved away to attend the University of San Diego before coming back to work with my family.
Scout and Zooey, August 6, 2014
What do you do for a living and for fun?
My family owns a company that designs and sells children’s stickers mainly for the medical field. After college, I came back to learn the business; I wear many hats at work—mostly HR and general administrative things, but sometimes I am entering orders for customer service or picking orders in shipping.
Finn at Arroyo Burro Beeach in Santa Barbara California, September 17, 2014
For fun I love to read, go to live theater, take Finn for hikes and travel. Last summer, Finn and I went on a two week road trip to California so he could play in the ocean. He loves all types of water, and we both love to go boating on the Missouri River.
Finn Boating on the Missouri River, July 4, 2008
Tell us more about the pets you have now and the pets you have had in the past.
Named for the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird, I adopted Scout from a rescue in San Diego California when I lived there during college. Scout was about five weeks old and so small when I got him - He could hide in my tennis shoes. He was one of three in his litter rescued with his mom, and when I picked him up, he crawled up and sat on my shoulder. He made the trip home to Omaha on a flight with my mom 11 years ago, and hasn’t really forgiven her for that. He is very cautious but also curious and loves to go out in our backyard and sniff around.
Scout the Day I Adopted Him, August 14, 2002
I adopted Zooey from the Nebraska Humane Society a few days before I started my job so that he could keep Scout company since Scout hadn’t been on his own much. Zooey is a snuggler, and doesn’t allow you to sit for more than thirty seconds before he crawls up in your lap and makes himself comfortable; he will only willingly jump down when the TV has been turned off. He prefers dramas over comedies because the shows are longer. Zooey is named for the main brother character in Franny and Zooey…not Zooey Deschanel.
Zooey, December 25, 2013
Although I mostly grew up with dogs, it took several years to be comfortable enough to try raising one on my own. I have a cousin who is a veterinarian in California, and he had recommended a Labradoodle when I started looking about 8 years ago. I found Finn online, and when I flew to Denver to pick him up at eight weeks old, he broke away from his breeder-mom, ran up behind me and wrapped his leash around my legs before I even saw him. Finn comes to work with me every day, and other than making the rounds to his favorite people, he hangs out with my dad (his Papa) or me. He loves running errands to the post office or going for runs with my dad on the Segway. Finn also hangs out with my parent's dog, Skip, at work. Finn’s name is also from To Kill a Mockingbird, though I took some liberties in changing Finch to Finn. His full name is Harper’s Finn.
Growing up, we had a Cockapoo named Scruffy; he was usually my dad’s co-pilot when my dad had his airplane. Scruffy lost an eye before I was born when he got too close to one of our horses while my parents were out of town. In addition to Scruffy, we had three Paint horses, about a dozen Simmental cows, and 2 Miniature Mediterranean donkeys, which we used to “loan out” for Palm Sunday parades. We brought one of my donkeys to show-and-tell when I was in Kindergarten—she fit perfectly in the minivan. After Scruffy passed away, we had a Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier named Codey.
Tell us about when you first met the Gentle Doctor team or a story about the team others may not know.
When I first moved back to Omaha, I took Scout to another vet in town that my parents used. However, Zooey hates being in the car, so I needed to find a vet that was closer. Luckily—for both Zooey’s and my sakes—the Torrey Pines location is in my neighborhood and only a three minute drive.
Scout and Zooey, May 11, 2014
Scout had a lot of serious health issues several years ago, and we spent a lot of time at Animal Emergency Clinic and at Gentle Doctor. Because of that, he is very skittish when going to the vet for even just his regular check-ups. Scout still has his back claws, and he growls and bites when he is unhappy; I’m so impressed with the techs that have to care for him when we come in.
Dr. Pete Bashara and Dr. Jones have both cared for Finn, and I love that they get down on the floor with him to put him at ease—especially when he is trying to hide behind me. Everyone I have met at Gentle Doctor has been so kind and caring. Finn loves seeing Kristin when he comes in, and everyone always asks about whichever pet I didn’t bring in.
What have you learned about pets that you did not know as a kid or before you had your own pets?
Pet food is really expensive when your pets have food allergies and sensitivities! But it’s also worth every penny.
Do you have wisdom about any medical conditions that you could share with someone who is perhaps just starting to walk their pet through a similar situation?
Scout had urinary blockages that ended up needing to be fixed with perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgery. He would be so sick that he would have to be admitted to either the emergency clinic or Gentle Doctor, but he would still be playful. I found I have to be hyper-vigilant with him, and bring him in at the slightest sign that he might be sick. However, even with several trips to the emergency clinic, 2 PU surgeries, and being so close to death by the time he acted sick, he was so resilient—he’d be back to his normal self soon after coming home. His illnesses were so stressful for both of us, but being able to trust the advice from the vets at Gentle Doctor helped a lot. Even when it seemed that the easiest or most humane thing to do would be to put him to sleep, his surgeries were ultimately successful and, despite needing special food, he’s still acts like a kitten almost nine years later!
Do you have a favorite breed or type of pet?
I do not have a favorite type of pet or breed—they all have their fun quirks about them. We treated our farm animals as pets, and I do love seeing calves playing in the field on my way to work. I always want one until I remember that they grow up.
Is there a cause you would like us to help spread the word about?
I have been on the Board of Trustees for The Rose Theater for a number of years and grew up attending productions at Emmy Gifford Children’s Theater. We have a great season of shows coming up next year, and memberships go on sale soon!
Finn in Hollywood, September 16, 2014