First Place: Best Veterinary Clinic

Dog have worms? Cat have a hair ball? Our readers know who they’re going to call: Pet Kare Clinic at 102 Anglers Drive.

Founded in 1989 by Sam Taliaferro and purchased by Paige Jacobi and Susan Colfer in 2001, the business’s philosophy is simple: Provide the highest level of care it can, for both pets and people. “We try to be as compassionate as we can to both the animals and their owners,” says Colfer, who shares her South Routt home with chickens, pigs, a dog, a cat and “plenty of mice.” “We’re also developing a series of specialty niches, from dentistry to acupuncture, so we can offer a complete spectrum of services.”

There’s nowhere she’d rather ply these services than here in Steamboat — both for the quality of life the town affords her and her customers’ pets. “We really have an unbelievable clientele here,” she says. “People here are very passionate here about their dogs. They’re part of their day-to-day lifestyle.”

Dr. Erica Dissmore was born and raised in northern Minnesota. She attended Montana State University completing a Bachelors in Animal Ecology in 2005. From there, Dr. Erica moved south to complete her D.V.M at Oklahoma State University in 2010 where she worked in private practice outside Tulsa, OK.

Dr. Erica's love of the mountains brought her to Steamboat Springs which she is happy to call home. She has expressed her pleasure in becoming part of the Pet Kare team and to Continue developing professional interests in internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, and geriatrics.

Most of her time is spent trying to keep up with her Golden Retriever "Rolo Blanco" and Australian Shepherd "Dusti Rose". Dr. Erica's love for the outdoors, skiing, trail running, backpacking and biking make her a perfect fit for Steamboat Springs AND The Pet Kare Clinic.

Dr. Rance Hampton was born and raised in Denver and instantly fell in love with the Colorado wilderness. While growing up, the Steamboat Springs area was a family favorite for summer and winter recreational activities and he has especially fond memories of fishing here with his best fishing buddy, his grandfather.

Rance attended Colorado State University, attaining a Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences in 1997 and his D.V.M. in 2002. After graduating, he moved to San Diego to explore his fascination with the ocean and surfing. There he pursued career interests in emergency medicine and surgery by helping a veterinary clinic expand to a 24hour emergency referral hospital.

Rance feels fortunate to be able to help people through their pets and has used his knowledge of veterinary medicine to help animals in Alaska, Baja, Central America, Colombia, and post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana.

Dr. Rance is very excited to call Steamboat Springs home and is looking forward to becoming part of the excellent Pet Kare Clinic team.

Susan Colfer , DVM

A member of the CSU graduate crew at the Pet Kare Clinic, Dr. Susan completed her studies at the Colorado State University Veterinary School in 1996. After that, she worked at a mixed animal practice in Laramie, WY before joining Pet Kare in 1998.

Dr. Susan originally hails from New Hampshire, and the love of the outdoors that often accompanies residents of that state applies to her. She enjoys skiing, travel, gardening, camping, and spending time with her husband Kelly and two boys Jimmy, 7, and Jack, 5. She also has an animal family with which she divides her time: her 10 year-old cat Squeak and her new puppy Maize.

Dr. Susan's Professional Interests:

House calls - I love doing wellness and preventative medicine in the home. It allows the animal to get care in a low stress environment, allows me to see how the environment may be affecting the overall health of the animal, and is a fun way to get to know the real personalities of the animals in their natural setting. Housecalls are very rewarding to me and a great way to practice wellness care. I like preventative and proactive medicine in the office as well!
Geriatrics
Endoscopy
Internal medicine
I am very interested in learning more about herbal and holistic medicine so that we can integrate alternatives with Western medicine.
I am interested in trying to start doing some wellness and vaccine clinics in the surrounding areas over the next few years, including Oak Creek, Hayden and perhaps Clark as well. If anyone has a suitable space or interest in hosting a clinic please let me know!

Colorado has been life's backdrop for Dr. Paige since she took her first breath. She graduated from college in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College. From there she went on to receive her D.V.M. from Colorado State University in 1995. After finishing school, Dr. Paige joined the now retired Dr. Sam Taliaferro in what we all lovingly know today as the Pet Kare Clinic. She has continued her education by becoming certified in animal acupuncture in 2004. She also provides a loving home for her new puppy Deets, and her feline friends Teresa and Kitty Guy. When she isn't in an exam room, making phone calls or scrubbed in for surgery, Dr. Paige lives an active life hiking, biking, skiing, and fishing.

Dr. Paige has special interests in integrative and holistic care, dentistry, surgery, and wellness and preventative care. Paige especially enjoys doing acupuncture house calls. She finds the pets respond better and really relax when they are in their own comfortable environment.

By Pet Kare Clinic Staff

What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's Upcoming Surgery

Many people have questions about various aspects of their pet's surgery and we hope this information will help. It also explains the decisions you will need to make before your pet's upcoming surgery.

Is the anesthetic safe?

Today's modern anesthetic monitors and medications have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Pet Kare Clinic, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics, to ensure that a fever or other illness won't be a problem. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet. The handout on anesthesia explains this in greater detail.

Preanesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. Every pet needs blood testing before surgery to ensure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If there is a problem, it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. Animals that have minor dysfunctions will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids or special medications during surgery. If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.

We offer two levels of in-house blood testing before surgery, which we will go over with you when you bring your pet in. Our doctors prefer the more comprehensive screen because it gives them the most information to ensure the safety of your pet. For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before surgery as well. It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food for 8 to 10 hours before surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.

Will my pet have stitches?

For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin. These will dissolve on their own, and do not need to be removed later. Some surgeries, especially tumor removals, do require skin stitches. With any surgery, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. Most dogs and cats do not lick excessively or chew at the incision, but this can become a problem you will also need to watch for. If there are skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet's activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery. Will my pet be in pain?

Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals. Pets may not show the same signs of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it. It is important to control their pain as pain slows wound healing and suppresses the immune system. Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed. Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations. For dogs, we may recommend an oral anit-inflammatory the day after surgery and several days after to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset and can be given even the morning of surgery. The cost of the medication ranges from $10 to $45, depending on the size of your dog.

Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them. Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before. We administer a pain injection 10 minutes prior to surgery. After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis. Any animal that appears painful will receive additional pain medication.

We use narcotic patches for some surgeries in dogs as well. The cost will depend on the size of the dog. Injectable pain medications may also be used after surgery on both dogs and cats. Providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet.

What other decisions do I need to make?

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as dentistry, ear cleaning, or implanting an identification microchip. If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please call ahead of time. This is especially important if the person dropping the pet off for surgery is not the primary decision maker for the pet's care.

When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need to 10 to 15 minutes of time to fill out paperwork and make decisions on the blood testing and other options available. When you pick up your pet after surgery you can also plan to spend about 15 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off and to answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions about your pet's health or surgery

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