Whisker Wellness Center

10/31/2026

See you next weekend! Gonna be a blast 😻

10/31/2026

Rabies is no joke! That’s why the vaccine is so important. Bats can come inside and even indoor cats can get rabies. The last kitty in our state to have rabies was an indoor cat in Chimicum 😭

10/29/2026

Thank you, American Association of University Women, for inviting me to serve as keynote speaker for this year’s Tech Trek! This summer camp offers STEM education to young women. The camp focuses on increasing the campers’ knowledge, interest, and confidence in STEM activities. The future of STEM is femme!

Learn more at aauw.washingtonstate and AAUW - including how to become involved in mentoring these middle schoolers :)

10/26/2026

Raw is risky!

There are so many documented cases of pets and people becoming ill from raw meat diets. Numerous published research articles on this topic as well as the risk of malnutrition-related illnesses from these diets, which are often developed without the involvement of a veterinary nutritionist. More telling, I haven’t read any published studies demonstrating health benefits from feeding raw meat to pets. Keep your family safe and feed a cooked diet. We can advise on commercially available diets or refer you to an online nutritionist service to help you create a custom diet for your kitty’s health needs.

According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation, a four-year-old child developed a serious Escherichia coli O157 infection following a household exposure associated with contaminated raw dog food.

The family dog, which was fed exclusively with Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, began vomiting one day before the child became ill. Although the child had direct contact with the dog, there was no known direct contact with the contaminated food. Investigators suggested that transmission may have occurred through contact with the dog or household surfaces contaminated by its f***s.

The FDA reported that whole-genome sequencing performed by a private third-party laboratory identified a genetic match between the E. coli O157 detected in the child’s stool and the bacterium found in an unopened sample of Darwin’s beef dog food recovered from the household freezer. The child developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of STEC infection that can cause acute kidney injury, and required hospitalization and extensive follow-up care.

Although the case was reported in 2025, it returned to the headlines following a lawsuit announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in August 2026.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction against Arrow Reliance Inc., which operates as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. The government seeks to require the company to make sanitation improvements and comply with federal food safety requirements before manufacturing or distributing additional pet food.

According to the DOJ, the complaint alleges that FDA testing detected pathogenic bacteria—including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)—in the company’s finished pet food samples collected between 2017 and 2025. The complaint also alleges that FDA investigators detected Salmonella at the company’s facility in 2024.

The allegations are part of an ongoing legal case and have not been established by a final court judgment.

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The DOJ press release is linked below for the full details of the lawsuit.

10/25/2026

Are you ready to join a practice devoted to feline health and happiness? Would you like to trade the sound of barking dogs for gentle piano music and maneuvering heavy patients for light-hearted play with kittens? If you believe ever cat deserves compassionate care at home and the veterinary hospital, you may be the veterinarian we seek.

Whisker Wellness Center, a privately owned, Certified Cat-Friendly feline practice in Gig Harbor, WA, invites a cat-centric veterinarian to join our growing team of passionate feline health providers. We opened in 2024 and our popularity has led to rapid growth! This position is ideally suited for an empathetic, approachable veterinarian who values building lasting relationships with cats and their families.

We seek a veterinarian who has:�* Devotion for cats – our clients expect nothing less!�* Strong dentistry and surgery interest/skills – we have a busy caseload.�* A learner mindset, comfortable collaborating with the veterinary team and centered on providing the very best care for cats and their families�* License to practice veterinary medicine in Washington state �* DEA license�* USDA accreditation or willingness to obtain�* DVM degree or equivalent
�Full time compensation and benefits include:�* Competitive base salary with quarterly production bonus, no negative accrual.�* 4 day work week. No weekends EVER!�* Employer-sponsored health/dental/vision/voluntary life insurance, 401(k) with employer match, generous PTO, continuing education allowance, reimbursement for professional licenses and memberships, discounted pet care, and more. �* Mentorship available for early career veterinarians.

Whisker Wellness Center is a privately owned, Certified Cat-Friendly feline practice in Gig Harbor, WA which opened in 2024. Our services include general and internal medicine, preventative care, surgery, dentistry, acupuncture, and behavioral therapy. Our fully equipped hospital and partnerships with multiple local specialists allow us to provide general practice and in-house specialty care in a cat-centric setting. We offer a supportive working environment that encourages growth within a team of like-minded professional cat lovers.

We know we’re unique because:
* 40 minute appointments are our standard – we take the time to let kitties feel at ease here. �* Our team of passionate cat people share your values – we utilize low-stress handling and you’ll never see scruffing here.
* We enjoy close relationships with specialists: radiologists, cardiologists, and surgeons perform diagnostics/procedures here in our hospital. A referral hospital is just minutes away. We coordinate teaching rounds with a local internist to stay current with the latest medicine.
* Gig Harbor, “the Maritime City”, made Smithsonian Magazine’s top five on their Best Small Towns in America list. Its natural beauty, welcoming neighbors, outdoor recreation, excellent schools, and proximity to Tacoma and Seattle ensure something for anybody to love about living here.

If your goal is to be known as an exceptional clinician, there’s potential for you here. Learn more about our practice at whiskerwellnesscenter.com. Send your resume and cover letter to Dr. Hicks at [email protected]

10/24/2026

Happy Vet Tech Week to our team that brings outstanding care to your families every day ❤️ We’re honoring everyone this week to recognize that every role in this hospital is essential.

Heather is a Veterinary Assistant who also used to work with Dr. Hicks at a previous job. Her favorite thing about veterinary medicine is seeing all the unique medical cases coming in and learning the different ways to treat them. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking and hanging out with her kitties.

Please share your appreciation for Heather here!

10/23/2026

Happy Vet Tech Week to our team that brings outstanding care to your families every day ❤️ We’re honoring everyone this week to recognize that every role in this hospital is essential.

Molly has been with us since the beginning and is a Licensed Veterinary Technician. In her off time, she enjoys reading, watching scary movies, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Please share your appreciation for Molly here!

10/23/2026

Happy Vet Tech Week to our team that brings outstanding care to your families every day ❤️ We’re honoring everyone this week to recognize that every role in this hospital is essential.

Jennifer is our most recent addition to the team and a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She likes working in vet medicine because she enjoys making animals and their people feel better. Plus it’s a bonus to hang out with cute kitties every day! In her time outside of work she enjoys reading, thrifting, tide pooling for octopus and camping with her family.

Please share your appreciation for Jennifer here!

10/22/2026

Happy Vet Tech Week to our team that brings outstanding care to your families every day ❤️ We’re honoring everyone this week to recognize that every role in this hospital is essential.

Savannah is our Receptionist/Veterinary Assistant/Handy Woman. She keeps Dr. Hicks from hurting herself trying to assemble furniture or figure out how the printer works 🤦🏻‍♀️ Savannah’s favorite thing about veterinary medicine is advocating on behalf of kitties. She estimates 97% of her life is snuggling her kitty, Boots, and vegging on the couch 🥰

Please share your appreciation for Savannah here!

10/21/2026

Happy Vet Tech Week to our team that brings outstanding care to your families every day ❤️ We’re honoring everyone this week to recognize that every role in this hospital is essential.

Carmen is our Lead Veterinary Assistant. She has worked with Dr. Hicks for years - they first bonded at their previous job together at another hospital. Her favorite things about veterinary medicine are the relationships she builds with clients, connecting over a shared love of kitties and personal interests! (Carmen brags that she can yap with anyone about anything.) In her free time, she reads, attends concerts, hikes, and paddle boards.

Please share your appreciation for Carmen here!