Shoal Creek Animal Clinic featured in the Athens Area Humane Society Newsletter

(This article was originally published in the Summer 2002 edition of Mews and News, the quarterly newsletter of the Athens Area Humane Society. Reprinted with permission.)

This quarter's featured vet clinic is Shoal Creek Animal Clinic located at 2226 Barnett Shoals Road, Athens. Serving the veterinary needs of our community since 1993, the clinic's focus is to offer the best veterinary care possible and to maintain an attitude of service to its patients and clients. The clinic emphasizes the importance of client education and believes that when a pet owner's knowledge grows, the health of his or her animal companion will benefit. Shoal Creek's clients can attest to the doctors' habitual use of white boards, anatomical models, and other teaching aids. Said one long time client, "Going to see Dr. Askren is like going to school...only he makes it enjoyable." The staff of Shoal Creek Animal Clinic have a motto which captures the essence of their practice philosophy - "Be a life-long learner, always pay attention to the details, and maintain an attitude of service to patients, clients, and each other." Veterinarians Dr. Ralph Askren, Dr. Elizabeth Nesbit, and Dr. Cheri Roberts provide general practice in small animal medicine and surgery and emphasize preventive health care for companion animals.

Dr. Askren, Kari Hunt, and Cali

The doctors are members of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, and the Northeast Georgia Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Askren is a charter member of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). VIN is an on-line resource for veterinarians that offers continuing education, specialist consultation, access to research journals and medical periodicals, and interactive case discussions with thousands of veterinarians around the world. In keeping with Shoal Creek's goal of client education, the clinic maintains a web page with informative articles on a variety of pet care subjects. The clinic's web page was honored by StudyWeb as one of the best educational resources on the Web. StudyWeb is one of the Internet's premiere sites for educational resources for students and teachers. Since 1996, their expert reviewers have scoured the Internet to select only the finest sites to be included in StudyWeb's listing of educational links. Shoal Creek's web pages may be viewed at http://www.shoalcreek.com.

Dr. Nesbit, Jason Ballenger, and Sadie

Shoal Creek Animal Clinic has been a dedicated supporter of the Athens Area Humane Society since opening in 1993, regularly donating time for office visits for shelter animals that are ill as well as spay/neuter surgeries. We asked the doctors and staff at Shoal Creek Animal Clinic to answer the following questions for us:

What is the most important part of keeping a pet healthy that you find people often neglect?

Two of the most important things a pet owner can do to keep their companion healthy is to insure proper identification and restraint. More animals meet a tragic end each year as a result of these two reasons than for any single medical cause. Be sure your pet has a collar and identification tags. Microchipping is another affordable (and permanent) way of ensuring a pet's safe return. When outdoors, make sure your pet is either on a leash or in a properly secured enclosure.

What do you wish more people did for their pets?

Most are familiar with that old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This could not be more true in the care of animals. Preventive health care is the single most rewarding investment in the life of our animal companions. Specifically, annual physical examinations, vaccination against preventible infectious diseases, use of heartworm preventive, and regular parasite examinations. It is surprising how many pet owners decline in providing these things for their companions. Often cost is cited as the reason for this choice. However, the average annual cost of preventive care for a dog or cat is 42 cents per day.

What do you see as the number one issue facing animal rescue groups in the Athens area?

The main issue facing animal rescue groups in our area is not unique. It is economic support. A successful animal rescue operation requires adequate funding. Traditionally, rescue groups have repeatedly tapped in to the same resources for funding and support. Veterinarians and concerned citizens will always give of their time and resources for this cause. However, newer and novel sources of economic support need to be sought out. The pet overpopulation problem is a community-wide concern and needs the support of all facets of our community. Non-animal related businesses, from the very small up to the corporate giants, should be approached. Community organizations (Boy/Girl Scouts, Rotary Clubs, etc) should be approached for participation in fund raising and other volunteer efforts. If the base of support for animal rescue can be broadened to include all aspects of our community, there is little doubt that greater success will be achieved. If you are reading this article and you are a member of such a group or a business owner, call the Humane Society and ask how you can help.

Can you share a funny or heartwarming story that has happened while you were seeing a patient?

While working on some paperwork late one evening I heard a tapping on the front door of the clinic. A young woman and her little boy were standing at the door. The child held a shoebox in his hands. "Can you please help us? My son's hamster isn't feeling well." My first thoughts were that my skills in treating exotic pets were limited and it was after-hours...perhaps I should just refer them to the emergency clinic. However, that little boy looked up at me with tears in his big brown eyes and my heart broke. "Come on in, " I said, "I'll see what I can do." Upon opening the shoebox, I was saddened to find a hamster, cold to the touch and unmoving. "I'm so sorry...but I'm afraid it is too late." As the young mother began to console her child with promises of a new hamster, the boy cried, "I don't want another hamster...I want Speedy back!" They left in tears with the little boy clutching his empty shoebox. I walked to the back of the clinic to properly dispose of Speedy's earthly remains. I'm sure you can imagine my shock when, upon setting "Speedy" down on the exam table in the treatment room, he jerked twice, and started moving his feet! I certainly believe in miracles, but thought this amazing recovery might benefit from the expert advice of an exotic animal specialist. I called a good friend who was the Veterinarian at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. She coached me through a proper physical exam on a hamster and we discovered his teeth were not wearing correctly. He was suffering from malnutrition and hypoglycemia. A little orthodontic work and supportive care had Speedy running around the cage and eating like a horse! Sharing the news of Speedy's recovery was one of the most heart warming moments of my career. There simply are not words adequate to share the joy reflected in that little boy 's eyes as he embraced his furry friend.

Speedy

AAHS wants to thank Shoal Creek Animal Clinic. We couldn't do what we do without them!

Caroline Angelo