graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1975.
She has practiced for thirty-five years, married to partner Jim Latham, Jr., DVM, 24 of those years in the Napa Valley.
They operated an equine only general practice in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, before recently relocating to Fort Collins, Colorado.
Dr. Latham has published over 20 articles and cases, and features as a freelance writer for EQUUS
magazine, America’s Horse Magazine, and in the local paper as well as online. She is the author of Napa Valley Vets, The
Balance of Lives. They have three grown children also residing on the front range.
, graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1964 and saw active duty as a Naval Aviator from 1964-1970.
He also graduated from Colorado State University’s veterinary program in 1975. Jim and Patty were co-practice owners of
Trabuco Veterinary Service in Trabuco Canyon, CA, from 1975-1977, then owners and partners of Napa Valley Veterinary Hospital,
Napa, CA, from 1977-2001, until their move to Pagosa Springs
The Doctors Latham have a particular interest in Equine Dentistry as well as in preventative and general equine health, husbandry, and behavior.
Mill Creek Vet's Practice Philosphy:
To provide general equine diagnostics, medicine, dentistry, and basic surgery while remaining advocates for the horses and educators of their caretakers.
To be available to our clients for consultation by phone or email and to remain current with the progress of equine medicine, surgery, and pharmacology.
2015.02.15 - March North 40 Nicker, by Lily
"The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out…." Who, me? Worms? No way! So, uh, what is the scoop on deworming us horses these days?
Answer: Most adult horses have a few strongyles, but some of you are absolute Typhoid Marys when it comes to those small strongyles. And a lot of
dewormers are no longer effective. What’s a horse owner to do? Get a fecal "eggs per gram" test run on each horse March 15-April 1.
If negative, check a fecal again in midsummer and if still low or negative, deworm once right after Thanksgiving (talk about a yucky feast).
If the count positive but under 200, deworm with either an Ivermectin or a moxidectin product, recheck in midsummer, and deworm again after Thanksgiving.
What to use? If your horses are on pasture all summer, use a combo product with Praziquantel (Equimax, Ivermectin Gold, or Quest Plus) to take
care of those 14% of horses in Colorado who might pick up tape worms. If you have a completely isolated herd but you get a low positive egg
count on one horse, you may want to deworm that horse on a regular basis to prevent further pasture contamination, but keep checking everyone.
If, on the other hand, the positive egg count is over 200, deworm with Ivermectin every 8 weeks or moxidectin every 12 weeks for the next 2.5 years,
resting during freezing weather (Mid Dec-early March). Small strongyle eggs and larvae can encyst in the horse and in the pastures for up to 30 months.
Caution advised in old or thin horses or horses with very high counts—consult your veterinarian. Pretreatment with an anti-inflammatory may be advised.
Babies are a whole different bag of worms. Fecal samples can be done, but your veterinarian may advise specific dewormers starting as early as
4 or 6 weeks of age.
2015.02.01 - February North 40 Nicker, by Lily
Rabies! Egads! When should my horse buddies and I get our rabies vaccinations?
Answer: As early in the spring as possible. Why? Because skunks are active starting in late
February when they go through mating and on through the summer. Bats come out of hibernation in April.
In 2013, there were 54 positive tests for rabies in Larimer county including 1 horse, and 26 in Weld County
including 2 horses, 1 cow, and a cat. Last year, numbers were down, and Larimer County had more positive bats
than skunks. For those of you down south, La Plata County had 1 positive bat and Archuleta County did not report any,
but let’s not take chances with this disease, please.
2015.01.01 - January North 40 Nicker, by Lily
It’s cold out there!. We’re freezing our whiskers. What’s the critical temp for us horses that makes us start to shiver?
Answer: According to the National Research Council, adult horses in good shape
need more heat when the temp gets to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. For every 10
degrees below that, we horses need another 2 pounds of hay to metabolize for
heat production. Keep in mind that wind chill and getting wet makes things worse
for us and even with shelter and a blanket, we’re still going to need an extra 1 and
½ pounds. And for you recent transplants to northern Colorado, it’ll take you about 21 days to
acclimatize to our brisk weather, and that’s if you got here in the fall. Good luck if you are one of these
short haired, sleek show horses from the warmer climes.
2015.01.01 - January Tip of the Tail, by Lily
Those really small hole hay nets are just terrific for making us slow down and enjoy dinner, and keep us metabolizing into the cold, cold nights.
