VINTON–Vinton Veterinary Hospital received the Platinum award for “Best Veterinarian Services” in the valley this year from the Roanoker Magazine with votes cast from across the region.
Dr. Courtney Wiegard says that the pet hospital decided to make some improvements to the facility so that they would be” platinum” in appearance as well as in reputation. They will be celebrating those renovations at an Open House on Saturday, Nov.14, from 2-4 p.m.
“We are proud to be the Platinum winner,” said Wiegartd. “We have the best clients and we’re glad they feel the same way about us. We want to thank our loyal clients, remind people of the great services we provide, and preserve a legacy established 1973.”
Their Open House festivities will include a visit from Black Dog Salvage puppy Molly May. The SPCA will be there and canine behavioralist Dr. Jackson Savage will be speaking. There will be tours of the facility, children’s activities, lots of door prizes, a raffle, a photo pet booth, and goodie bags. Vito’s Pizza will have a food truck on site.
As part of the renovations, the entire hospital has been repainted top to bottom. Examination rooms and restrooms have been remodeled. A waiting room has been dedicated completely to cats and is now home to the Vinton Vet adopted cat Kiki who has an enclosure there built by veterinarian Dr. Derek O’Dell.
In addition to modifications to the building, Vinton Vet has made some significant changes to the practice.
The pet hospital now has six veterinarians on staff—Dr. Kathryn Neel, Dr. Wiegard, Dr. Emily Gallagher, Dr. Lara Hertweck, Dr. Eleanor Snead, and Dr. O’Dell. Dr. Jesse Webster and Dr. Gerald Buckland have retired from full-time practice. Three vets are orthopedic specialists. Dr. Hertweck brings a new service to the practice—pet acupuncture.
Wiegard describes their entire staff as a “cohesive team.”
The hospital has become a certified “cat-friendly practice”—one of only a handful in the area certified by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). Cat-friendly veterinary services take extra steps to meet a cat’s unique needs, understand cat behavior, and reduce the stress a cat feels on a trip to the vet. Their cat examination rooms have calming environments with blankets and pheromones. The entire Vinton Vet team has received special training in how to handle cat patients.
Not only are they cat-friendly at Vinton Vet, Wiegard says that they are now a “fear-free” practice where they endeavor to dispel the anxieties of pets with a low-stress environment from the time they enter the building until they leave.
Vinton Vet now offers Doggie Day care services during their regular business hours Monday through Saturday. They have expanded their advanced dentistry program for cats and dogs with special training for all staff members.
They also offer a 12-month wellness plan for pets which includes all the services a pet might need over the course of a year with monthly payment plans.
Vinton Veterinary Hospital is located on East Washington Avenue in Vinton.
