Thirty years ago Blackie, Lucky, Shadow, and Spot were common names for the family dog. Nowadays, mans best friend is more likely to be dubbed Lucy, Jimmy, or Samnames usually reserved for human members of the family.


The names reflect a heightened desire by empty nester Baby Boomers to acquire petsand to make them a close part of the familywhich is said to be contributing to a boom in veterinary services in Spokane County.


The number of licensed veterinarians in the county has grown to about 96 from about 75 five years ago, according to the Washington state Department of Healths veterinary board of governors. Meanwhile, corporate chains such as Colorado-based National Pet Care Centers and VETsMART have entered the market. Despite that influx, one veterinarian here says, Its not a glut. I think were all busy.


Veterinary-related construction activity here has picked up. Two clinics worth a total of about $1.4 million have been completed here recently, and work either has begun or is expected to begin shortly on clinics that will have a combined cost of more than $1.9 million.


Increasing demand also has triggered a broader array of veterinary services being offered herefrom ultrasound, chemotherapy, and electrocardiograms to orthodontics, chiropractic, and even acupuncture.


Linda Lee H. Wood, of the Animal Clinic of Spokane, on Spokanes North Side, says that people now are more willing to take steps to extend the lives of their pets, through surgery, chemotherapy, or heart medicine, rather than euthanize them.


Spokane now has two veterinary specialists, a surgeon and an ophthalmologist, to whom veterinarians can refer special cases, says Brian Hunter, proprietor of Hunter Veterinary Clinic and president of the Inland Empire Veterinary Medical Association. Some laboratory work now is done in-house by veterinary clinics here, rather than being sent out, and Washington State University even has a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for pets at its Pullman campus, he says.


Christine Alstead, of South Grand Veterinary Clinic here, says she has a special interest in the growing area of pet geriatrics because pets are living longer.


Colette Bergam, who recently opened Sparkle Veterinary Care near downtown, also has an interest in specialized animal care. Though her practice focuses on the primary care of companion pets, such as cats and dogs, she also does herbology on pets and plans to practice acupuncture on small animals, she says. In herbology, a practitioner uses herbs as medicinal therapy to stimulate the bodys energy back into balance, Bergam says.


Sole practitioners like Bergam usually are unable to afford setting up a full-service animal hospital due to the high cost of sophisticated diagnostic equipment. Consequently, the emergence of corporately-owned veterinary clinics is an up and coming happening, says Jeff Watkins, of Bemis Veterinary Clinic, in the Spokane Valley.


National Pet Care Centers, of Fort Collins, Colo., bought Country Homes Veterinary Center in 1994 and North Park Animal Clinic last year. It merged the two operations last May. That clinic, now called North Division Animal Medical Center, occupies about 8,900 square feet of space in a new $920,000 building it built at 8714 N. Division.


Another new corporate player here is Portland, Ore.-based VETsMART, which leases space in Phoenix-based chain PETsMARTs stores. VETsMARTs veterinarians currently offer vaccinations on Saturdays at PETsMARTs two locations here, at 14024 E. Sprague in the Spokane Valley and at Northpointe Plaza.


Animal circus


Another industry trend showing up here is a change in the types of animals that are being treated.


Hunter says he now is seeing more cats than dogs, due to the fact that people with active lifestyles or who are in two-income families find it easier to care for cats. Bemis Veterinary Clinics Watkins says that some veterinarians are treating more exotic birds, reptiles, and little fuzzy things, such as gerbils and hedgehogs. The Animal Clinics Wood has seen an increase in protection-type dogs, such as Rottweilers. This trend has a concerning impact because many of those animals arent necessarily well-managed by their owners, she says.


Work with food animals, such as cattle, sheep, and pigs, is on the decline, says Jerri Ponti, who owns Ponti Animal Clinic, of Otis Orchards. Food-animal health is almost nonexistent around here, he says. While he used to work with six dairies in the Spokane area, he now is down to one.


Its unclear what effect the booming pet market has had, if any, on the adoption of abandoned animals cared for by agencies here such as Spokane County Animal Shelter and the Spokane Humane Society. Representatives from both agencies say that slightly increased adoption rates could simply correspond with the increased number of animals they handle. Fewer animals are being euthanized, however, due to better pet identification methods, increased spaying and neutering by pet owners, and pet licensing, says Nancy Sattin, animal control director, at Spokane County Animal Control. Diane Rasmussen, shelter director for the Spokane Humane Society, says that though adoption rates are up there, she doesnt think pet owners necessarily are more responsible.


New construction


In addition to the new North Division Animal Medical Center, recent, current, or planned construction projects include the following:


Deer Park Veterinary Clinic has begun construction of a new $1 million clinic at the northwest corner of Deer Park-Milan and Cedar roads. The 11,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed in the spring of 1999. Construction Plus, of Newport, Wash., is the general contractor on the project.


Manito Veterinary Clinic Inc. plans to build a 4,700-square-foot clinic just west of its current South Hill building at 2308 E. 57th. The $475,000 project is expected begin shortly and will take about four months to complete.


Lee and Christine Alstead have bought an 18,000-square-foot piece of property at 9321 N. Nevada, just south of Holland, and plan to build a 2,900-square-foot veterinary clinic there. Construction of the new clinic, which is to be called North Spokane Veterinary Clinic, is expected to begin soon, Christine Alstead says. The project is expected to be completed by December. Alstead declines to disclose the cost of the project. Steven Meek, of Spokane, is the architect for the project, and the Chattaroy office of Fife, Wash.-based Lugo Construction Inc. is the general contractor.


Pet Emergency Clinic, which offers after-hours emergency veterinary care at its clinic at 21 E. Mission, earlier this year completed a $450,000 expansion and remodeling project. The project included adding 1,700 square feet of space, giving it a total of 4,200 square feet.


Ponti Animal Clinic plans to construct a 3,500-square-foot clinic that will be located just west of its current facility at 4807 N. Starr Road in Otis Orchards. The project is expected to cost between $400,000 and $450,000, says Jerri Ponti. Construction is expected to begin this month and to be completed in about two months, he says.


The new clinic will contain four exam rooms, a large surgery room, a dental suite, and rooms for endoscopy and ultrasound.


Ed Morgan Construction, of Spokane, will be the general contractor on that project.