Figuring out what’s wrong with a sick pet can be kind of like solving a puzzle, according to All Creatures Veterinary Clinic Owner Dr. Stacey Neils.  

"Dogs and cats — you have to kind of be a voice for them, because they can't tell you what's going on. So, it is a challenge, but it is rewarding too,” Neils said.  

Neils and her team are continuing to tend to cats, dogs, pocket pets and reptiles at their new location at 325 Lincoln St. in Kalispell.  

All Creatures Veterinary Clinic was opened by Dr. Greg and Linda Markellis in 1993, originally located on Reserve Drive. Greg Markellis retired at the end of 2020 and handed over the practice to Neils.  

Neils grew up in Kalispell and shadowed under Markellis in high school, long before she would take a position at the practice as a full-fledged vet. She attended Veterinary School at Colorado State University and worked at several practices in Alaska, North Carolina and Washington following graduation.  

But it wasn’t long before she found her way back home. In 2012, she got a job at the vet clinic that started it all.  

She worked alongside Markellis for more than a decade by the time she decided to buy the practice.  

 “I had been here long enough too that I knew I was going to stay here. I wasn't going to go anywhere else ... It's a scary prospect and it's hard, but it was kind of the natural progression of it,” she said.  

Along with Neils, Dr. Laura Thiel and Dr. Joanie Bechtle make up a team of veterinarians at All Creatures.  

Neils said no day is the same as before at the clinic. They often have pets coming in for routine preventive care, like annual exams, vaccinations, heartworm testing or bloodwork. They also do dental work and surgeries, like spay and neuters, mass removals, abdominal surgeries, knee surgeries and fracture repair. They offer emergency care during business hours. 

All Creatures is also one of the few clinics in the area that offer care for reptiles and pocket pets — like hamsters and gerbils. While those smaller animals don’t come into the office as often as cats and dogs, the veterinarians are still well-versed in different bodily systems.  

“Like a drug you use in one animal, you can't use it in a different one. Digestive systems can be very different, especially rabbits versus a dog or cat. A rabbit is more like a horse with their digestive systems,” Neils said. “So, we have the background of it, but we do have to look things up a lot. That's OK ... you learn where to look for things when you're trying to figure stuff out.”  

Because a pet can’t directly communicate with their doctor like a person, it’s up to the vets and the pet’s owner to piece together the symptoms. Neils said they go in with a history of health, then ask questions that will give them a direction to try next, followed by a physical exam and tests if needed.  

There’s a lot of pressure on veterinarians, Neils said.  

“It gets to the point where you figure something out and they respond to treatment. The [pets] that really get you are the ones where you don't know if they're going to make it or not. When they do, it’s very, very rewarding because there's a lot that don't, and that can be really hard,” she said.  

This pressure, coupled with long working hours, high student loan debt, and the emotional toll of euthanasia procedures are just some of the factors that contribute to poor mental health among veterinarians. Veterinarians are at an increased risk for suicide compared to the general population, according to Not One More Vet, a nonprofit dedicated to raising mental health awareness among veterinarians.  

Neils said most people who get into this line of work are already empathetic people, so it is easy to become emotionally involved when caring for a pet.  

“If something doesn't go right, we tend to blame ourselves, even if it wasn't anything that we did wrong. But the whole thought of ‘I just couldn't fix it’ is hard,” she said.  

Neils said there are resources for vets across the country who struggle with their mental health, but having a tight-knit team at All Creatures is helpful, too.  

“And of course, having wonderful people to work with ... We have a good support system, the other vets and our support staff are amazing as well,” she said.  

ALL CREATURES’ new location, north of Hutton Ranch, is tailored for the team and patients. The new facility is bigger and more accessible, with features that make it easier to do the jobs — like a bigger kennel area, a surgery room with two tables and an indoor area with fake grass, so pets don’t have to go outside in bad weather to use the bathroom.  

“There were several years of planning with an architect and making changes and adjustments. We made sure my surgery room was big enough because my previous one was like one-third of the size. I feel pretty lucky. It's a really nice place,” Neils said.  

To learn more about All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, visit  allcreatureskalispell.com or call 406-756-6513. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.