Grays Harbor Veterinary Services

11/28/2024

We will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

11/26/2024

....or more.

11/19/2024

Vigilance, biosecurity urged to prevent spread of disease
From the Office of the State Veterinarian – Over the weekend, the equine community in Spokane County was met with unfortunate news as two horses succumbed to the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) otherwise known as Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). This contagious, often fatal disease of horses has prompted the Washington State Department of Agriculture veterinarians to issue a warning for those who recently visited a local arena where other horses were present.

Two Spokane equine premises are under official quarantine with veterinary oversight. Horse owners who have commingled horses are encouraged to self-quarantine their horses and refrain from any transportation for the next three weeks to prevent the potential spread of the virus. The arena has closed temporarily to ensure a decreased risk in spreading this deadly virus.

Washington Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr. Ben Smith, emphasized the importance of vigilance during this period, stating, “The virus incubation period is highly variable and can be as long as 14 days.”

Precautionary measures such as isolating newly purchased horses or those returning from shows and seeking veterinary assistance if a horse exhibits a temperature of 101.5 or higher are strongly recommended.

Additionally, practicing good biosecurity measures, such as avoiding nose-to-nose contact between horses and not sharing equipment, is essential to protect all horses in clinics, races, and competitions. It is vital for horse owners and enthusiasts to remain vigilant and cooperative in implementing these protocols to prevent further outbreaks within the equestrian community.

EHV-1 is a common respiratory virus of horses, but the neurologic form causes Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) that can present with various symptoms, including fever, decreased coordination, hind limb weakness, and lethargy. These signs should not be taken lightly, and immediate veterinary attention is crucial. Taking temperatures twice a day can help with early detection and improve outcomes for exposed or infected horses.

The state veterinarian has approved the use of an experimental immunomodulator drug that has shown promising results to prevent the shedding of EHV-1 virus and protect exposed horses. Horse owners should contact their veterinarian for more information.

Work with your veterinarian to keep your horses up to date on vaccination. Although there is no vaccine for EHM, EHV-1 vaccines may be cross protective. Horse owners are urged to remain observant and proactive in safeguarding the health and well-being of their animals during this challenging time.

For more information on EHM and biosecurity visit the Equine Disease Communication Center and the Equine Disease Association for more information respectively.

The WSDA website was updated with a new blog post for your review: What Horse Owners Need to Know about Equine Herpes Virus.

10/24/2024

Just in time for Halloween! 🤢

Parasites are pretty gross in general…both the actual critters and the concept of them living in or on you. Some parasites are of pretty limited concern.

09/14/2024

Fall Is leptospirosis season and Grays Harbor is a hot bed for this disease. Please make sure that your dogs are up to date on this important vaccine.

Pet owners in Missouri are being more cautious after a vet issued warnings about a deadly disease uptick.

08/30/2024

07/06/2024

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/07/articles/animals/cats/listeria-contamination-of-raw-pet-food/

A recent recall of a raw pet food diet in the US has sparked some concern about the risks to people (and pets) that might have been exposed. In some ways,

06/25/2024

If you travel out of the country with your dog, the rules are changing! Please read about the changes below:

Well, ‘update’ maybe a bit of an oversell but here’s some more information on the recent changes that kind of came out of nowhere. We’re still trying to

06/19/2024

Huge shout-out to the veterinarians (& vet techs & assistants) out there! 🩺

While many people think of small animal vets taking care of pets like dogs🐕, cats🐈‍⬛, etc. Veterinarians take care of many species including wildlife🦊🐦🐟, lab animals🐭, exotics🐼🐘🐅, and farm/food/large animals🐄🐎🐔🐖🐑!

It's not an easy job regardless of the species they work with. So thank you!

Veterinarians play an important role on dairy farms, like my family's. They help us take good care of our animals and ensure a healthy & safe food supply. They help us develop an overall herd health plan to ensure the health and well-being of our cows, heifers, and calves.

Dairy Herd Health Plans include:
🐮Routine herd health visits ("check-ups")
🐮Vaccination schedules
🐮Reproductive exams for pregnancy checks and cows ready to breed
🐮Routine treatments/procedures
🐮Discussing any herd management issues
🐮Designing herd health/management protocols
🐮"Emergency/house calls" for sick/injured animals
🐮 Prescribing medications as needed and providing instructions on use to protect food safety

💥BTW All meat & milk in the store is antibiotic -free💥

All of this requires and forms what's called a Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR), which is just a fancy way of saying the farm and veterinarian are working closely together to meet animal care goals.

VCPRs are actually a required component of the dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, which my family's farm and the co-operative we ship our milk with are a part of. About 99% of the U.S. milk supply is part of the animal care portion of this program!

Again thank you veterinarians (especially large animal vets)!

National Dairy FARM program: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/zmLn1ozuvkRMMD4g/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Antibiotics FAQs:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/EvCdR4SeRy9TwLPP/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Biosecurity & animal health:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/AiHkFws8UnrEPBuk/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Vaccines:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/y937gFUfkCjgqNWu/?mibextid=xfxF2i

05/23/2024

This is a reminder that we will be closed on Memorial Day.

04/02/2024

OWNER FOUND.
Approximately 1-year-old male, not neutered, found somewhere in Elma and brought in by Elma Police Department. Not Microchipped. We are looking for his owners so that he can go home. We are a holding facility only. All requirements for release of this dog are by the City of Elma. Please Share so that we can get this young boy home.

03/22/2024

02/23/2024

Could you help a guy out? This young male was brought to us as an impound. He has been here for 2 months; a young dog should not be kenneled long term and the stress is starting to show! We would be willing to neuter him before he goes to his new home. We have had zero luck in finding a rescue or shelter that can take him--- they are all full. Please consider adopting this sweet boy. Spread the word and reach out to your friends that love German Shepherds!!

02/19/2024

It's a Lotus-type of week!

02/19/2024

We received the sweetest letter last week from a Simpson Elementary Student in Montesano. Dr. Sonnya was quick to write her back.

02/04/2024