Whitefish vet opens integrative animal clinic
Heather McEvoy holds Rigley outside Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation in Whitefish.
Rigley, a border collie/Australian cattle dog mix, walks on the underwater treadmill at Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation in Whitefish on Wednesday, Jan. 29. (Casey Kreider photos/Daily Inter Lake)
Animal lovers know every pet is special, so Dr. Heather McEvoy is offering treatment options as unique as each pet at her new business, Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation Center.
As a specially trained veterinarian, McEvoy is debuting a range of innovative therapies at her new Whitefish clinic, including animal acupuncture, platelet-rich plasma injections and an underwater treadmill.
“There’s a variety of different treatments,” McEvoy said. “I felt like I needed a new space for all the different modalities.”
She explained her practice is not geared toward pet emergencies, but rather general wellness and long-term treatments for conditions such as cancer, arthritis and mobility issues. Her practice is particularly focused on using an “integrative” approach and eco-friendly products.
The main attraction at Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation Center is the underwater treadmill, a new-age device that looks like it was beamed straight out of a science fiction film. The machine reportedly is the first of its kind in the valley.
“That’s the big feature,” McEvoy said.
The large tank can hold 400 gallons of water and accommodate pets large and small. Animals walk through the glass doors—with the help of a few treats and some positive reinforcement—and then stand on the treadmill as the tank fills with warm water to the desired height.
Patients can spend anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes in the machine — walking, swimming or going through physical therapy movements with McEvoy’s assistance. The treadmill can reach speeds up to 9 mph.
The treadmill has a number of unique features, including the clear glass enclosure, low profile for easy entry, walk-through double doors and adjustable inclined floor.
Although the treatment may seem a little disconcerting to pets and their owners alike, McEvoy stressed that the treadmill is therapeutic for pets with issues such as joint pain or difficulty bearing their own weight. “It depends on what you’re trying to treat,” she explained.
She added this type of apparatus is common for rehabilitation facilities.
The treadmill isn’t the only feature to bark about at Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation Center. McEvoy also offers animal acupuncture, physical therapy and platelet-rich plasma regenerative injections, among other therapies.
Her new space includes indoor and outdoor rehabilitation spaces with equipment to help geriatric pets or those recovering from surgery.
In the nearby “Zen Room,” McEvoy uses acupuncture, massage and a therapeutic laser to address orthopedic and neurologic conditions.
She also has a centrifuge to develop platelet-rich plasma injections, which are supposed to improve healing by injecting an animal’s own blood into problem areas.
McEvoy said some of these innovative approaches can present a “learning curve for the pet to understand,” but with most patients, she said, “by the second time, they’re old pros.”
Everything about her new clinic is designed to be as friendly to pets and their environment as possible, including the non-slip floors, organic textiles and phthalate-free equipment. “I want them to be comfortable coming in and to be safe when they get here,” McEvoy stressed.
In the future, she wants to add “ozone therapy,” which she said uses oxygen molecules to pinpoint issues. She also hopes to use her certification in treating equine and farm animals to start going on barn calls in the area.
She reported patients are already traveling from Eureka and Bozeman to access her care.
“I just have different treatment options,” she said modestly, but her committed patients also know McEvoy has an impressive background in veterinary health and wellness.
The Whitefish native has undergone extensive specialty training in addition to her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University. She received certification as a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist from one of the only two institutions in the country that offer the accreditation, and she is trained in both modern Western and alternative Eastern medicine. She has also worked at a holistic wellness center in Olympia, Washington, Whitefish Animal Hospital, Bigfork Animal Hospital and the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force.
She also has three dogs at home: shepherd mixes Rohnen and Fern, and terrier mix Piper.
McEvoy hopes her new clinic will be fully operational by the end of February, and she plans to open the space up to the community to host events such as talks about pet nutrition or meetings with veterinarians and animal healers from around the valley.
“I’m looking forward to working with other vets, animal healers and animal advocates,” she said. “I want it to be a center for camaraderie in the valley.”
Flathead Veterinary Wellness & Rehabilitation Center is located at the corner of U.S. 93 South and Blanchard Road in Whitefish, and can be reached at 406-407-1735.
Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.