Every Tom, Dick, and Harry with an Animal

12/14/2019

Office hours during which I’m available although maybe not in my clinic, Monday and Tuesday 930 to 430, Wednesday 1 to 430, Thursday 930 to 430. Possibility of some Saturday appointments but this time of year not generally open on Saturday

Sorry but we are not accepting any new Equine patients. I’m only able to provide quality care to a certain number of horses and we are very close to exceeding that number right now. We may be able to accept a few more small animal patients

Thank you for understanding. I’ve given my entire adult life to this job. I don’t really appreciate people coming here to unlike my page but go ahead, it just proves that I’ve made the right decision.

11/24/2016

💔💔💔💔

11/24/2016

Poor McKitty. He died today 💖of heart disease and its complications
💔💔💔💔💖💗💞💝

03/06/2016

Q: My cat/dog has tapeworms. When I get
them dewormed, even by my veterinarian,
the come back after a couple months. What
is causing this?

A: To understand the reason that your pets
have tapeworms, you need to understand
the life cycle of the tapeworm.

To simplify the life cycle, it's important to
understand that they have what is called
an intermediate host. What this means,
is that when the tapeworm eggs are shed
in the feces, the eggs are then consumed
by the intermediate host where they develop
into the infective stage. They don't get the worm
from eating the eggs directly.

Dogs often get the worms by eating fleas who
are the intermediate host for the dog tapeworm.
If you have dewormed your dog, but after a couple
months, they are back, this does NOT mean that
you are using the wrong treatment. It means that
you have fleas or lice in your environment. You may
not see them, but flea eggs and larva persist in your
carpets, and yards for a long time and your pet will
come in contact with them, and when biting at themselves,
they eat them.

Most cats and some dogs are infected with the tapeworm
by eating mice. If your cat is an outside cats, or if you have
mice in your house, your cat will be reinfected and start
shedding tapeworm segments in a couple months after
deworming.

There are multiple treatments that work for tapeworms,
so ask your veterinarian to explain the life cycle and the
reason why your pet keeps picking up the worms and the
treatment of choice for your pets.

Remember, that if you have fleas or lice in your environment,
you will have to treat your carpet, furniture, pet beds and yard
in order to get rid of them and you may not know that they are there!

11/13/2015

Today, I said goodbye to Lance, the Love Cat.

Q: When is it time to euthanize my animal?
How can I tell when the time comes?

A: I tell people that when you know that your
animal is not going to ever return to having
a good day now and then, it's time. We want
our animals to have quality of life, not just
quantity.

When old age sets in, there are always infirmities
that pop up. Liver, kidney, thyroid, digestion, and
mental capacity may fail. Cancer my be the problem
and very frequently, mobility issues cause the owner
to euthanize the animal.

Of the many problems of old age, mobility is one that
we can do a lot to improve. Be sure to ask about
joint treatments including Adequan, Hyaluronic acid, and
cortisone injections. Find out about NSAIDs for you animal.

For the organ degeneration diseases, there are treatments
and frequently diets that will help a lot.

When treatment becomes more painful than the improvement
it brings, it's time to stop. When you have tried the
treatments available to you and the pet is not comfortable,
then the time is near.

Take some comfort in knowing that the decision is the hardest
part; the procedure is kind an painless, except for you, of course.

Be sure to talk to your veterinarian about problems that your
animal may be experiencing as soon as you notice them so that
treatment can begin as soon as possible.

04/14/2015

The marijuana industry’s newest customers are sick and elderly dogs

Worth trying

Still an underground economy.

09/04/2014

Bird-brained? Cockatoos filmed making wooden tools to reach food - Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/11070134/Bird-brained-Cockatoos-filmed-making-wooden-tools-to-reach-food.html

Cockatoos have been filmed sculpting sticks to reach food that is out of their reach by Oxford University

07/29/2014

How to Identify a Horse by its Lip Tattoo

Q: My Horse has a tattoo on it's upper lip. Does that mean that it raced? How can I find out about this?

A: The lip tattoo is a means that is used to keep horses that race permanently identified. It is very important that the public know which horse is racing under which name so that betting can not be manipulated.

The lip tattoo has been in use since 1947. Other breeds besides Thoroughbreds have to be tattooed. They will have different combinations of letters and numbers, but they encode the same information. They let the identifier make sure that the correct horse goes to the starting gate. If not for permanent identification, people could enter one horse and then run another horse.

This business of having one horse pose as another is called running a "ringer". This can still happen if a horse has to have a qualified morning workout, but the horse can't do it, for some reason. It is completely illegal, but it has happened, that another horse that looks similar, will be called in to the clocker and the horse's workout time will go on the other horse's record! Yep, it happens, but it won't happen at the races!!!

You can research your horse's tattoo. Here is a page that has a lot of tattoo information.
http://horseracing.about.com/od/statisticsdata/a/aaliptattoo.htm

Most horse breeds racing in North America are required to have a tattoo inside their upper lip for identification purposes. This tattoo permanently links their registration and ownership information with the horse and can be used to find out the name of horses purchased or rescued without papers aft…

07/05/2014

Q: My dog doesn't do well with fireworks,
and every year, it's the same thing. My dog
is terrified and can scratch a hole in a solid
wall or door!!! Help, what can I do?

A: The first thing you need to do, is to train
yourself. Yes, really! Your dog reads you like
a book! If you anticipate trouble, seem agitated,
act scared and dread the day, your dog is going
to know. Don't think I'm right about that? Just
try to sneak out of your house without your dog
knowing it!!

So, start preparing ahead of time, so that the things
you do on the Fourth of July or New Year's Eve,
are common and routine for your dog.

The number one thing that you can do is to crate
train your dog. This means that you get a nice kennel,
which you can find at any yard sale, and start putting
the dog in there. Feed him in there. Make that his
safe spot. Dogs are denning animals, meaning their
den is their safe haven, so just make the kennel
the safe haven. You can move it around to suit you.

Next, use white noise. Play a radio, use a fan, use
any noise making device, even your air conditioner, to
keep things noisy inside and drown out the sound of
the celebration.

Cover the crate. Use a thick blanket or tarp to cover it.
Of course, make sure your dog can breathe!!!
Covering the cage is not just for birds! Start to do this
all year long, so that in case of emergency, like fire or
other noisy event in your neighborhood, you can contain
your dog and you won't lose him!!

05/20/2014

Q: I just found out that my horse Chiropractor
is not a chiropractor! Should I be mad or what??

A: The only reason that you should be mad is if
that person misrepresented themselves in regards
to their education and licensing Hardly anyone does
that, but lay people, the customer/clients frequently
do! Lost of people are called chiropractors, but only
graduates of chiropractic school are chiropractors. It is
possible for medical people such as veterinarians to
use body work on animals, but they are vets using
complementary techniques, not chiropractors.

Consumers would be wise to make themselves
aware of what chiropractic education consists of.
A student will have around 4 years of prerequisites
and then and additional 4 plus years of professional
school. A chiropractor is highly regulated by state and
national regulatory boards in order to maintain a
high standard of care. In order to practice on horses,
there are additional schools for them to attend
to learn about horses. Chiropractors use nutrition,
and supplementation in addition to manipulation,
but they are not licensed to prescribe drugs. Some
chiropractors may be veterinarians, or work with
a veterinarian. There are also veterinarians that do manipulations
but, unless they are graduates of chiropractic classes,
they are not chiropractors. It is legal for veterinarians
to manipulate animals, as it is for chiropractors to work
on the order of a veterinarian.

Osteopaths are doctors, and they are trained in medicine,
surgery, and specialties. They can prescribe drugs and they
may be surgeons, and other specialists.
They also do manipulations but they are not chiropractors!
Also, they do not work unsupervised
on animals. Osteopathy is taught as a specialty, to
licensed veterinarians, and they are able to work on
animals.

It is important that people who would like to provide
care for your animal be licensed. This assures that they
have to correct education to do the work they set out to do.
Animals and people do not get the same diseases,
and their anatomy is different, so it is important that
your health care provider is properly trained.

If you seek chiropractic care for your animal, because
you like it for yourself, check that the person is
licensed as a chiropractor. Just ask them. There are other professionals
that may be helpful to you, but they are NOT chiropractors,
so let's give medical professionals, incuding chiropractors,
their props!

©

03/23/2014

It's only been a week since the spooky house episode, and Dr Kaia had another rude, rude, rude Sunday! McKitty.

Sunday morning, 9 am. Some guy pulls up and blocks my driveway with his pickup. Dr Kaia goes and asks, may I help you>?

The guy says, I need to discuss my cat. You know my cat?
DrKaia: No, not off the top of my head.
Guy: Well, its a black cat. He had earmites, he still has em.
Guy: Jeez, I cant hear you.........(dogs are barking at him)
Dr Kaia: Were you supposed to come back for a second treatment?
Guy: I can't wash the bedding.......................Jeez, I CANT HEAR YOU(dogs are barking at him)
Dr Kaia: You are at my house on Sunday morning.(that's why the dogs are barking, duh) COuld you call back during business hours?
Guy: Ill just get another vet, I don[t' have a phone, I can't call never mind Ill ..............just................get another.................vet............as he drives off.........................

03/16/2014

This week, Dr Kaia had a very spooky dog rescue experience. Let her tell you about it-----McKitty
Yesterday, I was driving along in Naches, when I saw a very tiny Chihuahua in the middle of the road. A busy road, at a busy intersection, so I put my hazard lights on and stopped. I got the dog in my car, which wasn't hard to do, and went on to the office. I returned in about 5 minutes to knock on some doors to see where the dog might live.

The first house that I went to, with the dog in my arms, was the one closest to where the dog was, was a dilapidated trailer house. I had been there a couple times to take care of a dog that belonged to the people who lived there. There name was still on the box, but it did look pretty sketchy! I entered the back porch door. I wasn't sure if the floor would hold me, and the porch was filled with stuff; footlockers, cupboards, and some old chairs were there. One window had no glass. It didnt' look broken, maybe just open. The front door was slightly ajar. I knocked on the door, softly, and walked around the porch. I looked inside a big cupboard, trying to see if there was a sign of life, and a reason to knock again. It was empty.

I looked around and saw mostly old stuff, maybe stuff that was still there from when the older ladies who's dog I put to sleep lived there. As I walked out, I peeked inside the door and saw that the clock on the stove was on!!!! Maybe someone was around! Could be squatters, who knows? I asked, "anyone home?". No answer.

I went back to my car. At the house next door, I got lucky, the owners had not realized that the dog was outside, never mind on the road!~ I returned her and went home. LIttle did I know, that they had called the owner of the first house and reported me for trespassing!!!

Yup, when I got home I had a few nasty Facebook messages about my illegal activities, and asking me in no uncertain terms, never to go there again!

I know this lady, and I would have never guessed that she could be so nasty! I'm not sure what she thought I was doing, but she didn't believe that was trying to find the dog's home~! NO~ She told me that the dog's owner had told her that I had gone in the house and looked all around. She never mentioned that I came to her house next and left the dog there!~

I explained that I had been there before and taken care of these older ladies' dog. He had a terminal illness and I had diagnosed him and put him down. That isn't something I forget. She told me that those people never lived there and that they took the dog to dr x and that it never had cancer!!!! REally? How did she know that? I felt like a kid called into the office at school! Sure, I looked around while I was waiting to see if anyone was around, but I didn't touch anything really, or move anything~! I surely didn't do anything wrong!

She let me have it! " We are sure glad to hear that you will NEVER have a reason to go there again." Well, no, I absolutely won't.

11/29/2013

Porcine zona pellucida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An interesting concept/

Porcine zona pellucida is a form of zona pellucida extracted from the ovaries of pigs, often referred to by the initials PZP. It is a popular source of antigens for immunocontraception.[1]

06/12/2013

Timeline photos

03/25/2013

This week's column about Rattlesnake vaccine for dogs,
Q: Are there any adverse reactions
to the Rattlesnake Vaccine? Do I need
to get it every year for my dog?

A: Since the vaccine has been approved,
there have been only very few reactions
such as soreness at the vaccination site,
and no cause for concern. I, personally,
have never had a dog react.

The vaccine does need to be given yearly,
as the response is not one of the longer-
lasting amtibody responses. The best time
to do this is about a month before Ratllesnakes
become active, and this happens when the
temperatures warm up.

Rattlesnake bites should still be treated by
your veterinarian, but after vaccination, time
is less of the essence since the dog will
have it's own immunity. We have had
several dogs bitten each year and the
vaccinated dogs bitten did very, very
well with minimal reactions. The unvaccinated
dogs, or dogs that skipped a year had much
more serious reactions.

I recommend this vaccine to anyone who is
in the back country with your dog! It is great
for peace of mind when you are a long way from
town!~We have a lot of people who come to Central
Washington for recreation, and get their vaccines
from us, so be sure to contact me if you want an
appointment.
Kaia Sorem DVM 509-961-5854

02/23/2013

Never thought of this........................

02/15/2013

Equine Sports Medicine in Naches, WA | 203 Naches Ave, Naches, WA | Superpages.com

Here is the new listing for Equine Sports Medicine

Equine Sports Medicine in Naches, WA -- Map, Phone Number, Reviews, Photos and Video Profile for Naches Equine Sports Medicine. Equine Sports Medicine appears in: Veterinary Information & Referral Services, Veterinarians, Preventive Medicine Veterinarians, Dentistry Veterinarians, Large Animal Veter...

02/03/2013

This bears repeating

11/27/2012

Yay to all our new friends!!!! Thanks so much!!!

11/27/2012

Timeline photos

11/27/2012

Timeline photos

11/27/2012

Hi, this is McKitty typing to you today. Been too busy to fill you all in on Dr Kaia's adventures. But, now, I am back!!!! Here is her column for this week


Q: I don't vaccinate any of my animals
because I hear bad things about them.
I hear that they cause problems and that
we should just test them to see what disease
they have when they get sick.

A: Say WHAT? First, I would like to assure
you that these reactions are VERY rare. In
my personal experience, with almost 30 years
in practice, I have NEVER had a cat develop
a vaccine related sarcoma. Never. Ever.

I have, however seen a great many cats
sickened and killed by preventable diseases.
I would suggest that anyone with this concern,
especially if you are a breeder or have a multiple
cat household. Your cats are at risk of contagious
disease, even if they never go out of the house!
Even you could bring disease into your house.

Many People have spent their entire lives to
develop disease-preventing vaccines. We have
reduced the incidence of many disease, but they
are still around. Especially if you are a breeder
and you send your queen to be bred, ESPECIALLY
if your breeder doesn't vaccinate, either.

Please, please, reconsider your theories. I would
like to direct you to an article on line,