A Long Road

This August marks twelve years since I started at Wilderness Animal Hospital. It’s been great. I can honestly say I couldn’t have imagined a better career path. When I graduated (30 years ago!) I never thought I’d own a practice. I just wanted to follow in James Harriot’s path and work on every type of […]

Old & New

Embracing change I have been practicing medicine for 30 years and for all the ups and downs, joy and heartbreak, I wouldn’t change a thing. Being a veterinarian is a great profession and I’ve met so many amazing animals and made a lot of friends along the way.  I know I am showing my age […]

Pet Food Labels

Every year I have the pleasure of speaking to the Tahoma Animal Sciences students about careers in veterinary medicine. Part of my presentation discusses statistics associated with pet ownership and money spent on pet care in the United States. The 2017 results show in the US, pet cats outnumber pet dogs, 94 million vs. 89 […]

Veterinary Innovations Conference

For better or worse, change is constant and everyone who has lived in Maple Valley for even just the last few years are witness to so many changes. Medical knowledge is expanding exponentially also.  Where medical knowledge took 50 years to double in 1950, a 2011 study showed it only took 3.5 years to double […]

Fear Free Experiences

Hey Peeps! I’d like to introduce myself to you. I’m Dr. Deana McReynolds, associate veterinarian at Wilderness Animal Hospital. I’ve been given the (dubious) honor to take over the writing of this monthly article from the great Dr. Melanie McCoury, who’s moving on up to bigger and better things. I know I have big shoes […]

Toxic Algae

Hey Peeps! Many of you may have seen the recent media coverage of the devastating cases of dogs dying from exposure to toxic algae in the news recently.  It’s a very real, serious threat to the health of humans, pets and wild animals.  Most of the following information comes from the website nwtoxicalgae.org.  Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) […]

How I Learned To Love My Job

I was not one of those people who knew from a young age what they wanted to be when they grew up. I tried on many different hats – rescue animal farm owner, concert violinist, writer of the great American novel, math teacher, human ophthalmologist, professional organizer – to name a few. I found myself […]

February is Dental Month

Dental Month is coming up in February. Are you ready? Hey Peeps! Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. With the new year ahead of us, it’s good to make resolutions for improving our health. But what about your pets? Something that is often overlooked in our pet’s health is their teeth. It’s easy to ignore that […]

10 Facts About Senior Pets

Thanks to research and improvements in veterinary care, pets are living longer than they used to.  In honor of these seniors, we’d like to share some interesting facts and information about our elderly four-legged companions. From signs of aging and orthopedic beds, to the benefits of adopting an older pet, here are 10 facts about […]

Top 10 Dental Problems In Cats And Dogs: Periodontal Disease

Preventative dental care helps protect your pet and catch problems before they become more serious. Since most pet dental disease occurs below the gums, it is vital that pets visit their Veterinarian and have a dental exam at least once a year. February is National Pet Dental Month and to recognize it we will be […]