Posted on | June 8, 2013 | No Comments
The scoop on me from Ellie; IT’S MY BIRTHDAY So Let’s Party!
Cake?
I’m 14 years old this month and that’s equal to 98 human years. Wow I’m old!!
My Occupation- Hospital greeter, loving companion to all and baby sitter for trouble maker terrier sister.
Favorite things – Hogging the bed, prewashing dishes in the dishwasher and belly rubs
Favorite Books-Old Yeller and Labs for Dummies
Favorite Musical-CATS Favorite toys- Inflatable floatable Frisbee-it’s my favorite
Favorite drink-Toilet water
Favorite song-How much is that doggie in the window?
Sports-All ball sports, swimming and long walks in the park (that’s where the nick name of Smelly Ellie comes from)
Dislikes- Blood transfusions and being late for dinner
Favorite Food-Anything that drops on the floor
The scoop from Dr. Sheree (mom); I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by pets throughout my entire life and have literally never been dogless. I find it so sad though that our pet’s lives are far too short. I have outlived so many pets through the years and I will outlive Ellie as well despite the best vet care, exercise routine and diet. She has been there for me for the last 14 years to celebrate the happy moments and make the difficult times survivable.
Ellie still loves to play and has maintained her love for a particular toy through the years. Her floatable Frisbee was consequently packed when the weekend coast trip was planned. She carried it on the beach walk but in the heavy winds it got buried and lost in the sand. Our searching was to no avail and she couldn’t believe it when we walked back to the cabin without it. The look on her face was so sad. Upon our return home, we immediately went to Petco and found the identical toy. The colors were bright instead of faded pastels and the smell was very different in a positive way but in her eyes, it was the long lost toy fortunately. She immediately grabbed in out of the basket and carried it out the store not understanding what the hold up at the cash register was all about. All was right with the world again and to this day, it is still her favorite toy.
Ellie and her frisbee
Age takes a toll on all of us. Ellie no longer can jump up on my bed without assistance, she uses a ramp to get in and out of my car and walks stiffly at times despite her medications and laser treatments. Ellie loves being at the office and I thank so many of you for giving her love. She has confessed to me that many of you are also guilty of slipping her wonderful morsels throughout the day but she won’t relinquish any names so you are safe.
Feel free to come by in June and wish her a happy 98th. Happy Birthday Ellie.
Lets party
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We all remember when our pets were young and had endless energy and physical capabilities. It is hard to watch the aging process knowing the end result. We want to be there with you to help with the trials and tribulations of puppy hood or kitty mischief through the years and even later to assist you with coping and grief counseling. However we can help you or your pet family, please just let us know.
Sheree Everett DVM and the devoted team of EVH & BH
Did You Know About How Important It Is To De-Worm Your Puppy? Top Questions Of The Week.
Posted on | April 20, 2013 | No Comments
Q1. Is it a good idea to vaccinate my dog against rattlesnake bites?
Rattlesnakes can be found in wetlands, deserts and forest, from sea level to mountain elevations. Dogs and cats can encounter a rattlesnake anytime they are in rattlesnake habitat. Rattlesnake venom is a complex mixture of toxins that spreads through a pet’s body following the bite, and is typically fatal without immediate massive intervention and use of specialized anti-venom.
Rattlesnake vaccine defends your dog or cat by creating an immunity that works right away to help neutralize the toxins — essentially it is pre-bite prevention that should a rattlesnake strike, acts as if they have a single dose of anti-venom already in their system, greatly increasing their chances of survival.
Rattlesnake vaccines are good for only 6 months, so their use needs to be timed with what your cat or dog’s needs are in terms of possible rattlesnake encounters. For dogs, the vaccine is given initially as a series of 2 vaccines, 30 days apart, and then a booster in 6 months to continue the protection. The only difference with cats is that they require an initial series of 3 vaccines to establish the proper level of immunity, and then 6 month boosters as needed by their potential rattlesnake exposure.
Q2. Why do you recommend having an exam done on my cat twice a year?
Pets age seven times faster on average than people do. One benefit is this allows your veterinarian to diagnose, treat and prevent health problems before they become serious and much more expensive.
Wellness exams are a great opportunity for you to ask your veterinary team about pet behavior, nutrition, flea and tick control, and other issues on a regular basis.
Q3. What are signs of inflammatory bowel disease?
The most common signs are vomiting and diarrhea for both cats and dogs. Inflammatory bowel disease (also called IBD) inhibits the animal’s ability to absorb nutrients from food, resulting in weight loss, lethargy, mood and behavior changes, and abdominal pain (which may manifest with specific behavioral changes like panting, yowling, hiding, etc.).
Q4. I don’t see worms in my puppies’ stool. Why would I need to deworm?
97% of all puppies are born with parasites. Most are so small you wouldn’t be able to see them.
Q5. Do raw foods help pets live longer?
There are both good and bad aspects to feeding a raw diet. We covered this in detail at our Pet Health Nutrition Seminar a few weeks back. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel to get all the information from that seminar (as well as all seminar and other videos as they are posted), and specifically you can view this video on feeding raw diets.
That’s it for this week! What would YOU like to know about your pet?
Heartworm Control: Understanding Heartworm Lifecycles in Dogs and Cats
Posted on | April 14, 2013 | No Comments
Excerpted from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar held Wednesday, April 10, 2013.
Today’s EZ Wellness Topic: Heartworm Control for Dogs AND Cats
Heartworm disease can be debilitating and deadly in both cats and dogs. This EZ Wellness Seminar focused on explaining new advances in knowledge about heartworms and how to prevent and treat them, as well as addressing the many myths surrounding heartworm prevention.
This video explains the fundamental elements in the heartworm lifecycle in dogs:
This video explains the critical differences in the heartworm lifecycle in cats, and why heartworm disease is potentially more serious and debilitating to cats than to dogs.
These videos are covering one of the topics from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar Series, presented by Dr. Tawnia Shaw of Everett Veterinary Hospital and Boarding House in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Links to the all the EZ Wellness Seminar videos are on our YouTube channel, Best Klamath Falls Vet. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you can catch the latest videos and topics as soon as they’re posted.
We welcome your comments, questions and feedback! Please let us know other topics you’d like covered in our presentations and videos.
Fantastic Fun at Furball 2013
Posted on | April 12, 2013 | No Comments
The 5th Annual Fur Ball was last weekend and was a very successful event once again. I know that everyone that attended, both 2 and 4 legged, had a wonderful time. The dog parade starting off the event and the dancing afterwards allowed a lot of tail wagging and butt wiggling.
Our community was very generous with their donations as usual and included an African vacation, a zip line adventure, Aerosmith Fender Guitar, 1984 Mercedes-Benz, wonderful dining experiences and many many more interesting items. The participants were also extravagant with their donations and no items were left unsold.
We are especially proud that one of our favorite patients was one of the stars of the evening.
Evee came to the Klamath Animal Shelter in 2011 at the age of 10 ½ years old when her owner was no longer able to care for her. Evee is a diabetic and requires 2 insulin injections every day making her adoption more difficult. After spending several months at the shelter, volunteers Anthony Igou and Debi Catron, took Evee home to see Debi’s dad, Jack Catron.
Jack is a WWII veteran and a widower and was looking for a special companion. It was love at first sight. Although Anthony and Debi give Evee her insulin injections every day, Evee and Jack are inseparable. They spend their days together watching television cuddling on the couch or sitting on their sunny deck giving each other lots of love.
There are so many animals that still need homes or simply someone to give them love during their interim at the Klamath Shelter. I personally have adopted many animals from our shelter through the years and have never regretted my decision.
Our hospital kitty, Jax, was adopted through the shelter last year and is a perfect fit for us. He loves our clients and other cats and constantly makes us laugh with his antics. His favorites are disconnecting phone calls, playing hide and seek and reorganizing paperwork on ones desk.
Thank you to everyone that has helped support the Klamath Animal Shelter in the past, present or the future. Homeless pets continue to need our love, support and help. 
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Here’s a brief video Sheree captured of Joanne Carson summarizing the success of the 2013 Furball!
Did You Know About How Important It Is To Keep Your Pet On Heartworm Prevention Year Round? Top Questions Of The Week.
Posted on | April 12, 2013 | No Comments
Note: If YOU have any questions about these topics or any others related to veterinary care, please call the office or feel free to comment below.
Q1. Can a Sugar Glider be spayed or neutered?
Spay surgeries are not recommend for Sugar Gliders because the pouch causes problems. Neuters are very simple and routine.
Q2. Why should I have my dog on Heartworm prevention year round?
We recommend prevention year round because heartworm is transmitted via mosquitoes and mosquitoes have been spotted during the winter months as well. Particularly in our area, we have those mid-winter thaws and the mosquitoes pop out immediately.
As soon as it warms up enough for the mosquito to fly, it is able to transmit the infection through a bite. Lots more detail on this on the handouts and videos from our Everett EZ Wellness Seminar on Heartworm Control. You can find those on our YouTube channel.
Q3. My cat’s eyes are dilated and he is bumping into furniture, what is wrong with him?
Call your veterinarian immediately as this could be a serious situation.
Q4. Why do you carry Heartgard for cats? I didn’t think they could get heartworms.
While the risk of infection in cats varies from one region of the country to another and even from one community to another, one fact remains: heartworm disease is a threat to unprotected cats in every state except Alaska. (American Heartworm Society).
Therefore we carry Heartgard to protect our clients’ cats. And even indoor cats are at risk, since as we all know those pesky mosquitoes can slip indoors to bug us (and our pets). For more information please check out our Heartworm Control videos on our YouTube channel, BestKlamathFallsVet.
Q5. What is the value of blood work when my cat is healthy?
Our beloved animal friends can’t tell us when they’re not feeling quite right, or something is hurting them, and they often act as if nothing is wrong until they are quite ill.
Healthy-looking pets may be hiding signs of a disease or ailment. Testing helps detect this kind of illness earlier when treatment is easier, less expensive and the outcomes are better. It also helps you avoid future problems. By testing when healthy we are providing a baseline for future reference.
That’s it for this week! What would YOU like to know about your pet?
Pet Healthy Coat: Pet Health Maintenance
Posted on | April 6, 2013 | No Comments
Excerpted from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar held Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Today’s EZ Wellness Topic: Pet Health Maintenance Nutrition
Your pet’s food should give them a nice shiny healthy coat, because that’s a leading indicator that…
This is another video covering one of the topics from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar Series, presented by Dr. Tawnia Shaw of Everett Veterinary Hospital and Boarding House in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Links to the all the EZ Wellness Seminar videos are on our YouTube channel, Best Klamath Falls Vet. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you can catch the latest videos as soon as they’re posted.
Did You Know About How Important It Is To Treat Ear Mites? Top Questions Of The Week.
Posted on | April 6, 2013 | No Comments
Q1. At what age can I start finding homes for my kittens?
At about 8 weeks of age the kittens should be weaned and ready to go to new homes. You should start the series of Feline Distemper vaccines at 6 weeks of age to ensure the kitties are healthy when you place them.
If this was an “ooops” litter, please consider spaying your female cats to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the hassles and expense of caring for and placing more litters of kittens. The Klamath Humane Society’s Shelter is overflowing with kittens needing forever homes.
Q2. My dog keeps getting ear infections, why can’t we stop these?
Some breeds, especially those with floppy ears, are more prone to ear infections due to the lack of air circulation within the ear. This allows dirt, yeast and moisture to collect within the ear flap and skin, providing a fertile breeding ground for all sorts of infections.
Other problem possibilities include allergies, which require testing to find out what set of things your dog is allergic to. Dogs are often allergic to a whole profile of substances, so we need to help you figure out if it is a set of food allergies vs. a set of environmental allergies.
We have the ability of doing allergy testing to figure out what your dog is allergic to.
Q3. How do you treat a torn nail that is bleeding?
Just like a human finger or toe nail, a torn nail can’t be saved on your pet. The torn nail needs to be cut off and then the bleeding stopped and the wound treated to prevent infection.
When torn nails are brought into the hospital, we cut the torn nail as much as possible. In a lot of cases we would use Lidocaine to numb the area to minimize pain for your pet and have our staff hold and stabilize the animal so we don’t cause further damage. We then put quick stop and a pressure bandage on the nail to stop the bleeding.
Depending on the extent of damage, your animal may also require additional treatment such as antibiotics to prevent infection. You may also need to prevent your pet from licking the wound, and you will want to keep it clean while it heals.
Q4. My dog is licking his leg raw. What can I do?
Fleas are VERY prevalent already this year, so that is a likely culprit, as well as other parasites. Fleas and ticks are a leading cause of self-mutilation, and these days there are good, safe products to eliminate them. Please call or stop in to take advantage of our April specials on parasite control.
Beware of buying flea and tick products from other than a veterinarian. Some products sold in the open market don’t work, some harm dogs, and some are not even what the label says they are. It’s a buyer beware situation, and your veterinarian is a real ally in getting the right treatment.
Some parasites that can make your dog itch and even suffer severe harm are invisible to the eye, and can be detected only by microscope. This is a job for your veterinarian. When a parasite cannot be identified, it’s time to start considering asking for a referral to a veterinary dermatology specialist.
Left untreated, this behavior can become a habit, and is very hard to break. At that point the wound will never heal as the dog keeps worrying it, even if it is no longer itchy. The dog will develop a lick granuloma and it requires patient and diligent monitoring and treatment to break the cycle of behavior.
Q5. My cat has black crud coming out of her ears. What is this?
It sounds as if your cat may be suffering from ear mites. Ear mites readily transmit from host to host by physical contact. She contracted the ear mites from some other animal with which your cat has been socializing.
Because mites are easily transmissible by physical contact, treatment for mites often must include all household pets. Treatments are easier now and quicker than ever before. Please ask us about the details so we can get you the right protocol to complete the treatment once and eliminate them from your household the first time.
That’s it for this week! What would YOU like to know about your pet?
Cat Bladder Health: Pet Health Maintenance
Posted on | April 5, 2013 | No Comments
Excerpted from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar held Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Today’s EZ Wellness Topic: Pet Health Maintenance Nutrition
Your cat’s food should be designed for and include ingredients specifically to support their bladder health and avoid problems like cystitis…
This is another video covering one of the topics from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar Series, presented by Dr. Tawnia Shaw of Everett Veterinary Hospital and Boarding House in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Links to the all the EZ Wellness Seminar videos are on our YouTube channel, Best Klamath Falls Vet. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you can catch the latest videos as soon as they’re posted.
Meat Myth: Meat is NOT all Your Pet Needs to Eat
Posted on | April 4, 2013 | No Comments
Excerpted from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar held Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Today’s EZ Wellness Topic: Pet Health Maintenance Nutrition
There’s a lot of myths out there about meat as the most/only important ingredient in pet food…
This is another video covering one of the topics from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar Series, presented by Dr. Tawnia Shaw of Everett Veterinary Hospital and Boarding House in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Links to the all the EZ Wellness Seminar videos are on our YouTube channel, Best Klamath Falls Vet. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you can catch the latest videos as soon as they’re posted.
Feeding a Homemade Diet to Your Pet
Posted on | April 3, 2013 | No Comments
Excerpted from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar held Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Today’s EZ Wellness Topic: Pet Health Maintenance Nutrition
Q: There’s a regional vet on TV that advocates a homemade diet. What do you think of that?
A homemade diet can be great for your pet, if it is done correctly and is balanced, and that is really a lot of work to do it right…
This is another video covering one of the topics from the Everett EZ Wellness Seminar Series, presented by Dr. Tawnia Shaw of Everett Veterinary Hospital and Boarding House in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Links to the all the EZ Wellness Seminar videos are on our YouTube channel, Best Klamath Falls Vet. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you can catch the latest videos as soon as they’re posted.
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