400 LIFE DECEMBER 2021
Crestview Animal Hospital One of the most sought after clinics in North Georgia
Tips for navigating grief during the holidays
Also: Local lawyer offers advice on staying safe during winter | Warm guests with this apple cider recipe
2 | 400 LIFE | August 2020
contents from the editor
I remember the first time I walked into Crestview Animal Hospital with my Golden Retriever some 20 years ago. It was a quaint, somewhat quiet place. Dr. McGruder and his staff were warm and welcoming. Not to just me as — a new client — but anyone who walked in the door. I also remember the first time I met the ‘new’ veterinarian Dr. Sewell. He fit right in. Today, the practice has more than 50 employees and is busier than ever. Recently, they added a retail store — The Vetted Pet — where you can get anything you need for your pet outside of veterinary care. Toys. Treats. A harness or leash. Medicine. And most importantly, the right food for your pet. Food the veterinarians recommend. Thankfully I haven’t had to use Crestview’s rehabilitation and fitness center, but the people that I’ve talked to have been amazed at what the center and Tina Johnson, Crestview’s on-staff veterinary physical therapist, has done for their pet. One woman told me she thought her dog would have to be put down, but after doing physical therapy, he’s doing better than ever. As the holidays approach, some may be dealing with the loss of a loved one. It’s hard to navigate the holidays during a time of grief. Health and wellness coach Sudie Crouch shares some tips to help guide a family member or loved one who may be dealing with grief this holiday season. And local lawyer Steven Leibel walks us through a safety check. Whether it be vehicle safety, or homeowner protection, he can advise you. I hope everyone has a great holiday season. I look forward to seeing you all in the new year!
4 Crestview Animal Hospital continues to grow For more than 30 years Crestview Animal Hospital has been one of North Georgia’s most trusted and reliable veterinary clinics. Today, the clinic has grown into a sizeable practice with more than 50 employees, providing high-quality progressive care to the area’s small animals.
— Tracie Pike
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contributors Publisher Stephanie Woody Managing Editor Tracie Pike Contributing Editor Jennifer Colosimo Special contributors Sudie Crouch Photographer Jeremy Coleman @jcreative_media mediabycoleman.com
Director of Revenue Leah Nelson Advertising Tim Anderson Stacy Clark Stephanie Tanner This magazine is a product of the www.ForsythNews.com Sign up for daily newsletters at ForsythNews.com
Dealing with grief during the holidays The holidays can be a particularly challenging time for those who are grieving, especially if the loss is recent. Health and wellness coach Sudie Crouch shares some tips to help guide a loved one dealing with grief this holiday season.
11 KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS: Do these safety checks for the winter season.
14 400 EATS:
Warm guests with homemade hot mulled apple cider.
December 2021 | 400 LIFE | 3
‘No standing still in the world of medicine’ Photos by Jeremy Coleman | @jcreative_media
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The Vetted Pet, a retail store adjacent to Crestview Animal Hospital, offers veterinarian-researched and approved foods, toys, and accessories.
TOP DOG
How one local animal hospital sets the industry standard for pet care
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or more than 30 years Crestview Animal Hospital has been one of North Georgia’s most trusted and reliable veterinary clinics. Crestview was founded by Dr. John P. McGruder in 1988 as a rural area practice caring for Forsyth County’s animals both large and small. Three decades later, it has grown into a sizeable practice with more than 50 employees, providing high-quality progressive care to the area’s small animals. In 2011, Dr. McGruder was joined by Dr. David Sewell who brought many years of veterinary experience to the practice. Throughout the last decade, the Crestview team of now eight doctors and highly-trained support staff have added cutting edge technology to their expected level of veterinary care to thousands of pets in North Georgia. “There is no standing still in the world of medicine,” Sewell said. “If you’re not constantly striving to improve, you will very quickly fall behind and your patients will suffer.” Today, Crestview Animal Hospital offers a wide variety of vet
erinary services ranging from routine care and vaccinations to emergency care, advanced orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries, internal medicine and boarding and grooming. This service menu, their carefully curated customer care, and expert medical training continue to make them a top choice among North Georgia’s pet owners.
Making Pets a Priority In addition to routine veterinary care practices, Crestview Animal Hospital has made dentistry services a priority, heavily investing in state-of-the-art technology to provide the highest quality veterinary dental care. Crestview boasts a surgical suite dedicated solely to dentistry, fully equipped with digital dental radiography, that allows Crestview’s doctors to gather detailed imagery before, during, Continued, Page 6 December 2021 | 400 LIFE | 5
Dr. David Sewell said they created The Vetted Pet to alleviate the confusion and misinformation many of his clients experience at large chain pet stores.
and after dental surgeries. This ensures that no infected teeth or painful tooth roots are left behind in your pet’s mouth after a dental procedure. “Digital dental radiography is relatively new to the veterinary industry,” Sewell said. “Unfortunately, many practices still don’t routinely utilize dental radiology. Once you perform dental radiography on all your dental procedures and get to see all of the painful disease and infection you would otherwise miss under the gum line, you will never practice without it. “All of our doctors involved in dentistry receive training by a board-certified veterinary dentists to perform surgical extractions on abscessed and broken teeth, very much like a human dentist or dental specialists.” Crestview has also brought the latest in regenerative medicine, including platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy to pet owners in the area. This innovative treatment helps restore function by using an animal’s own cells to regenerate or replace injured, diseased, or defective cells and tissues, which helps to treat common issues like hip dysplasia or chronic arthritis in cats and dogs. This advanced, alternative treatment gives pets a chance to run, jump, and play more with their owners and enjoy a better quality of life as they age. “Since introducing regenerative therapy into the practice we have seen some amazing results,” Sewell said. “These potent but natural treatments have allowed us to go beyond merely using medications or surgery for chronic pain. We are able to address 6 | 400 LIFE | December 2021
the problem at its source by using the body’s own healing mechanism to rebuild damaged or missing tissue.”
Getting Physical While technology is leading the charge to make Crestview a sought-after clinic in North Georgia, the Crestview team maintains expertise in blending those traditional therapies with hightech solutions to help treat and improve surgical outcomes for their patients. With more than 1,300 surgeries performed each year, they now offer Crestview Rehabilitation and Fitness Center, complete with a sophisticated underwater treadmill. Physical therapy is a normal and expected part of recovery and treatment for humans, so providing that same level of care to pets is paramount to the staff at Crestview. “It is unlikely that a person would undergo a major orthopedic surgery or suffer from a chronic painful condition without some form of physical therapy being highly recommended by their doctor,” Sewell said. “It was a natural addition to our highly progressive practice and it has yielded great results for our clients and their pets.” Crestview also added laser therapy, massage, and stretching exercises to its post-surgery protocols. Incorporating these meaContinued, Page 8
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sures has dramatically improved recovery times and healing, according to Sewell. “Laser therapy offers benefits of accelerated healing while reducing pain and inflammation,” added Tina Johnson, Crestview’s on-staff veterinary physical therapist. “And the underwater treadmill reduces the weight on bones and joints while the warm water and motion help decrease swelling and improve circulation. All of this reduces recovery time after surgery and gets your pet back to their normal activities sooner.” Beyond Fur Babies In the past year Crestview has worked to focus its efforts beyond the confines of its hospital to help their clients via The Vetted Pet, a retail store adjacent to their main practice. The retail space features a curated offering of veterinarian-researched and approved foods, toys, and accessories. Sewell said they created The Vetted Pet to alleviate the confusion and misinformation many of his clients experience at large chain pet stores. Sewell said the idea of opening a pet retail store with strictly veterinary recommended items has been on his mind for many years, but he more recently has been compelled to address what he calls a “nutritional catastrophe.” Sewell said fads like grain-free diets popularized by marketers and pushed by big-box pet stores have yielded life threatening results for some of his patients. “Our profession has seen a significant increase in cases of cardiomyopathy, a condition that has been linked to grain-free and many boutique-nutritionally deficient diets that make it hard for the heart to deliver blood to the body and can lead to heart failure and death. “Time and time again I see people trusting uninformed pet store employees with their pet’s diet choices,” Sewell added. “Veterinarians should be a pet owner’s primary source for nutritional and pet-item recommendations for their pet, not a random employee from a pet store that has little to no input and education from the veterinary professionals.” The ability to be an advocate for Continued, Page 9 8 | 400 LIFE | December 2021
You can find anything your pet needs at The Vetted Pet.
pets and educate pet owners on proper diets and lifestyles that ultimately lead to healthier and happier animals is what drives the Crestview staff. It makes for healthier pets and happier pet owners. Likewise, keeping pets (and their parents) healthy and happy has been at the forefront of Crestview’s mission since opening, although Sewell said the last 18 months have been some of the most challenging of his career. These difficulties have been felt across the veterinary industry both locally and nationally, as clinics have struggled with the difficulties of adjusting to COVID19. As many pet owners have experienced, veterinary hospitals in our community and nationwide have struggled to keep up with the number of patients we are faced with seeing on a daily basis. Clients are experiencing extended wait times at many large referral centers and university hospitals. Many hospitals, small and large, are having to turn away emergencies at an alarming rate during this time. “We at Crestview Animal Hospital are grateful for the support, understanding Continued, Page 10
Dr. Sewell said fads like grain-free diets popularized by marketers and pushed by big-box pet stores have yielded life threatening results for some of his patients. December 2021 | 400 LIFE | 9
‘The underwater treadmill reduces the weight on bones and joints while the warm water and motion help decrease swelling and improve circulation.’ - Tina Johnson, Crestview’s on-staff veterinary physical therapist
The team at Crestview Animal Hospital maintain expertise in blending traditional therapies with high-tech solutions to help treat and improve surgical outcomes for their patients.
and grace from our loyal and trusting clients during these difficult times,” Sewell said. “Please continue to be patient and kind to your veterinarians and our amazing support staff as we work together to care for you and your pets. We are all in this together and working together we will get through this stronger.” That’s a pretty good way to define man’s best friend. —Sponsored content
Crestview Animal Hospital 307 Pilgrim Mill Rd, Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 889-2521, www.crestviewah.com
Vetted Pet (470) 297-4333, www.crestviewah.com/vetted-pet
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400 legal Keep safe during the winter season As winter approaches it’s time for us to take a safety check. We should look at the maintenance needs of our vehicles. Are they roadworthy? Have our tires been visually inspected? Did we put off replacing them? Have we checked our antifreeze? Wiper blades? Aside from looking at our vehicles, have we looked at the safety issues which may plague our homes? Do we have floor mats at the front door? Are the stairs rickety or unstable? Is the back deck structurally sound? Does your backyard fence contain your pets? Is your HVAC system leaking or emitting carbon dioxide? Weather makes all these defects worse. It’s important to look now and repair before they can cause harm to yourself and others. I advise folks to look at their policies of insurance starting with health insurance What are your deductibles? Do you have the resources to pay doctors if the deductibles or care is not covered? Do I have disability benefits to cover lost wages? Household expenses?
I then advise a look at auto insurance policies. Do I have medical payments coverage? Coverage for medical regardless of fault; coverage for family members even when they ride in some one vehicle and covSteven Leibel erage for passengers; coverage that fills the gap for health care deductibles. As part of my auto policy do I have adequate liability coverage? Will it be enough to protect my home and other assets if I cause an accident where others are injured? I then advise a look at uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Will those limits compensate me if the person hitting me doesn’t have any coverage or not enough coverage? Are minimum limits of $25,000 enough to take care of the family lifestyle including lost wages, mortgage payments when rehabbing. Will there be enough insurance to recover what was lost? Next it would be good to review homeowners’ policies. In addition to fire protection, these
policies protect against roof damage, water damage and other hazards. Importantly, medical pay protections are available under homeowners’ policies to protect guests who get injured on premises regardless of fault. The fact that these policies protect for liability claims is a major part of homeowners insurance. Most times homeowners only get policies based upon what the mortgage company requires rather than what is needed. Umbrella policies which add coverage are also available and should be considered based upon financial needs. After an accident is too late to have taken proper precautions to deal with weather and injuries. As we approach Thanksgiving, we should be grateful for all our blessings. We should also take time to assess our safety and insurance coverages. Steven Leibel is the Principal Attorney at Leibel Law. He is a Georgia Super Lawyer in personal injury and is rated AV preeminent by Martindale.com. If you have any questions, please feel free to email at info@leibel.com or call (404) 892-0700. — Sponsored content
December 2021 | 400 LIFE | 11
mental health
Navigating grief during the holidays By Sudie Crouch Health & Wellness columnist
For most people, the holiday season is one of the most festive times of the year. There’s parties, gifts to give, trees to trim. But even though there’s a lot of festivities and celebrations, this time of year also makes it increasingly difficult for people who are dealing with emotional pain, particularly grief. Grief is something we all have experienced at one time or another. It is a very nuanced emotion, too, as we often don’t have any warning when grief will hit us like a wave washing over us when we least expect it. The holidays can be a particularly challenging time for those who are grieving, too, especially if the loss is recent. Those “firsts” can be hard. The first Christmas or Hanukkah without a loved one can be extremely painful and hard to navigate. The first response often is too often want to cancel any celebrations — it’s hard to try to do those family traditions when a beloved family member isn’t there. It’s also normal to not want to participate in other festivities when you’re grieving. At the same time, the loneliness and pain can make it even harder to be alone during this time. If you are grieving
The website, whatsyourgrief.com, has some suggestions to navigate the holidays, with one of the most significant being to be honest about how you want to celebrate with loved ones so everyone will be in alignment. Even when others are experiencing the same loss, everyone’s grief and response and reactions to it can be vastly different. Creating those honest boundaries about what you feel able to participate in may feel challenging, but it also removes some of the stress that occurs during the holiday season. That added stress on top of grief can be overwhelming, so being honest with yourself about what you feel emotionally able to commit to can help alleviate some of that. If you do feel like celebrating, there 12 | 400 LIFE | December 2021
Joyce G, Unsplash
are some ways to help honor the loved one you lost. Remembering your loved one during the holidays is one way to still feel that connection to the love you shared. Lighting a candle in their memory, including one of their favorite dishes, or even making a donation in their memory to a favorite charity is one way to keep their memory present during this time. Allowing yourself to experience your feelings can also be a part of the healing process. During the holidays, you may feel happiness and sadness within the same moment. Try not to judge those feelings but accept them and know they are part of
the healing process. Since the traditions you’ve shared for years may not feel the same as you move forward, this may be an opportunity to try to create new traditions. Our traditions give us a sense of familiarity and structure, which can feel so disjointed when grieving. By creating a new tradition that honors your loved one, you can also include their memory in future holidays. Above all, give yourself some grace. This is something you may have seen me say before, but self-compassion can truly be a gift, especially when processing grief.
Lighting a candle in their memory, including one of their favorite dishes, or even making a donation in their memory to a favorite charity is one way to keep their memory present during this time. members who are mourning, but it can be healing to hear others remember them. Offering to keep them company if they’d like can also be helpful. For many people, the holidays can be lonely, which grief can compound. Knowing someone can visit with them without the pressure of the holidays can be a relief.
Some tips if you have a oved one dealing with grief this holiday season
One of the first steps to take can be simple. Ask them what they need and what they’d like to do. For many who are grieving, they may want to see loved ones during the holidays but worry they won’t feel up to celebrating. Grief can be very isolating. Letting them know it is OK to participate in a way that feels appropriate for them can help them feel included and wanted and can open the door for them to take that step. Ask how you can help them honor a loved one during this time, too. Sometimes, just being able to talk about the person they lost can be helpful, as the person grieving may have memories they want to share. Speaking about the loved one by name and addressing the loss can be helpful. Often, people worry that saying the name of someone who has passed away will bring more pain to the family
Gentle reminders about grief
Grief has been described as changing shape but never ending. Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross says we never get over the loss of a loved one, but we can heal and rebuild as we learn to live with that grief. Give yourself the time to grieve and ask for support if you feel like you need it, whether it’s from family, friends, or even from professionals like clergy or therapists trained in grief. Dyu Ha, Unsplash
Sudie Crouch is a health & wellness coach, helping clients create healthy, attainable changes using positive psychology and cognitive behavior approaches.
Resources:whatsyourgrief.com; www.psychologytoday.com; www.griefresourcenetwork.com
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400 eats Warm guests with homemade hot mulled apple cider
When hosting on nights when the mercury has dropped, a warm beverage can heat up guests in a matter of minutes.
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hen hosting friends and family at home, it’s understandable that hosts direct so much of their focus to the foods they plan to serve. The main course is often the focal point and most memorable aspect of a dinner party, and that’s true whether the get-together is a backyard barbecue, a holiday meal with the family or a formal affair with colleagues. Food might be a focal point, but guests also will need something to drink. Traditional spirits like wine and cocktails are the standard, but hosts who want to get a little creative should not hesitate to do so. When choosing a special beverage, timing is everything. Guests wil want to cool down on warm summer evenings, so something cold and refreshing can make for the perfect signature cocktail. When hosting on nights when the mercury has dropped, a warm beverage can heat up guests in a matter of minutes. On such nights, hosts can serve this version of ‘Hot Mulled (Sherried) Apple Cider’ courtesy of Laurey Masterton’s Ò’The Fresh Honey Cookbook.’ One added benefit to Masterton’s recipe is it can produce a welcoming winter aroma, helping hosts establish a warm ambiance for the festivities.
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Hot Mulled (Sherried) Apple Cider Serves 16 1 gallon apple cider 1 orange, unpeeled, cut into slices 1/4 cup whole cloves 4 sticks cinnamon 1/4 cup honey, preferably cranberry honey 1 cup sherry (optional) 1. Combine the cider, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, and honey in a large pot over medium heat. If you are picky about things floating in your cider, make a little bundle out of cheesecloth and place the cinnamon and cloves inside before adding to the cider. I like to chew on cloves, so I just toss everything in. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer over low heat for an hour or so to spread these lovely winter aromas around your home. 2. If you’re serving it to adults, add the sherry. It might make everyone want to go sledding. -Courtesy MetroCreativeConnection
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