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TMCNet: New vet clinic caters to all sizes

[November 22, 2009]

New vet clinic caters to all sizes

Nov 22, 2009 (The Lewiston Morning Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Dr. David Rustebakke identified the need for a new veterinary clinic about eight years ago after opening a practice that specialized in horses in a converted barn in the Clarkston Heights.

Rustebakke recently moved to a building along 15th Street, a couple of blocks south of Bridge Street in Clarkston. The 6,000-square-foot structure also looks like a barn.

But it was designed by Rustebakke as an animal clinic and has about four times more space than the location it replaces. "We're going to maintain the same homey atmosphere in the new clinic," he said. "That's our goal." The estimated value of the building was $485,171, according to the building permit.

His former practice was so low key that many of the neighbors on the same block didn't know it existed and the parking lot was so limited that three horse trailers could barely fit into it.

Still, more and more people found him, bringing not just their horses, but their dogs and cats. That prompted Rustebakke to add another veterinarian, Dr. Jessica Bell, who at first only worked a single day.

Eventually Bell's hours extended to full time and earlier this year, Rustebakke added another veterinarian, Dr. Josh Harper. All three can care for large and small animals, but generally Rustebakke and Harper tend to horses and cattle and Bell cares for cats and dogs.

Rustebakke upgraded the business in a variety of ways. He can now do surgeries indoors on horses, using general anesthesia. Previously he did that kind of work outside, and only in good weather.

He has a riding ring where he can examine horses for lameness, hopefully pinpointing causes early enough for treatment to lengthen the lives of the animals. And the ring will be a place for Rustebakke to pursue another interest, helping horses with behavioral issues.

The clinic has three rooms dedicated to small animal exams, along with a treatment room and a surgery room. The clinic used to have just two rooms, one for horses and another that served all other functions including as an office. The expansion is intended to make it possible for as many as three more veterinarians to join Rustebakke in the future.

Another service he now offers is boarding for cats and dogs.

Rustebakke also purchased new equipment to clean the teeth of cats and dogs, something Bell recommends doing annually for any animal more than 5 years old, or younger if the pet has bad breath.

The plaque that builds up between the teeth and gum of cats and dogs can become so painful it feels as if they have kernels of corn stuck in their mouth. At the same time it provides places for germs to grow that can infect the heart or kidneys.

The importance of oral health has long been known to those who care for horses, Rustebakke said, noting dental equipment for horses has been unearthed at archaeological sites dating back before the time of Christ.

Frequently Rustebakke discovers that potentially fatal digestive ailments in horses can be prevented by fixing their teeth. If horses aren't chewing correctly, it makes it more difficult for them to digest food.

Rustebakke has a long history of treating those problems and others in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. A graduate of Washington State University, he spent a few years practicing in the Army Veterinarian Corps. and at an upper-end equine clinic in San Jose, Calif., before taking a position at the Lewiston Veterinary Clinic in the 1970s. "I decided a Montana farm boy wasn't going to make it in California." He left the Lewiston Veterinary Clinic in 2000 and worked briefly for a start-up commercial venture before returning to practicing medicine for animals.

Rustebakke's practice is at 705 15th St. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The telephone number is (509) 758-0955.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

To see more of The Lewiston Morning Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lmtribune.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Lewiston Morning Tribune, Idaho Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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