FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2016
Berthoud Area Vet Moves to More Central Location Downtown
BERTHOUD, Colorado—Berthoud-area veterinary care practice, Animal Health at Home, moved from its location on Martingale Drive to the Berthoud Village Shopping Center on Oct. 15. Now located at 406 10th St. in the building just west of Hay’s Market, the practice now occupies 1,666 square feet, more than double its original size. The expansion was necessary to accommodate more in-clinic care, with a reception area, two treatment rooms, a surgery, an office, an open area for dental exams and procedures, and a separate room for dog kennels.
The practice’s mission is to provide exceptional, nurturing and affordable veterinary care, according to Mary Lou Kizer, DVM, Animal Health at Home owner and founder. In addition to house-call exams and vaccinations, the brick-and-mortar location provides a hospital with full surgical suite for spays and neuters, dentals, intensive care, x-ray and ultrasound diagnostics, and various inpatient and outpatient surgeries and post-surgical care.
“Even though we’ve expanded and increased our office hours, we want all our clients to know that we’re still offering the same quality standard of care,” said Dr. Kizer. “We’ve expanded our space to accommodate more pets in need, with additional hours now being offered on Saturdays.” The vet’s doors are open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays, and from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays.
Dr. Kizer has always made house calls, which resulted in the practice’s name, “Animal Health at Home,” coined when she first set up shop more than 20 years ago. What started as a practical way to get around her homeowner’s association rules (since she would drive to the pets instead of the owners making the trip to her—as a way to keep traffic down in her neighborhood), has become a practice mainstay.
“House calls started as a way to stay in business—since I opened the practice out of my home,” Dr. Kizer said. But through the years she’s found that house calls can provide a superior and exceptionally humane way of taking care of some of the animals in her charge.
“Home visits work especially well for cats,” she said, “because they can become traumatized by placing them in a carrier for an in-clinic exam. By the time they come to the clinic, they’re hysterical, sometimes hyperventilating, and you can’t do a reasonable physical exam to assess what’s going on. With a house call, most cats don’t even know they’ve been examined by a vet.”
But any animal in pain from osteoarthritis or other debilitating or chronic issues can benefit from the gentler demands of a home visit, she said.
Other benefits of a more central location include convenience for pet owners who live in town, with increased numbers of more mobile pets that can now be examined at the clinic. The new location also works better for those pet owners who have to pick up their pet medications on a regular basis.
With winter on its way, Dr. Kizer recommends that pet owners come in and get the medications for their older dogs re-evaluated, as a way to minimize pain associated with osteoarthritis and to enhance mobility. In recent years, strides have been made in geriatric medicine, she said, and there are more treatments available now for the pain associated with aging pets.
“There’s more we can do for DJD (degenerative joint disease) and osteoarthritis pain,” she said, mentioning glucosamine supplements for easing joint pain in dogs and cats, and analgesic pain relievers that help aging pets get around more easily. Even massage techniques and the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial, she added, along with a reasonable amount of exercise, and in some cases acupuncture treatments.
Dr. Kizer cautioned that there’s a lot of misinformation leading people to believe their animals need to receive dentals every year, “but that’s simply not true,” she said. “Some pets never need a dental in their whole lives—so the decision ought to be based on an examination.”
Animal Health at Home is located at 406 10th St., in the building just west of Hay’s Market (and sharing space with Berthoud Family Dentistry). For more information, visit Animalhealthathome.com, find them on Facebook, or call 970-532-4990.
About Animal Health at Home
Animal Health at Home is a full-service veterinary care practice for dogs and cats. Proprietor Mary Lou Kizer, DVM has been in practice for more than 20 years. In addition to house-call exams and vaccinations, Dr. Kizer provides a hospital with full surgical suite for spays and neuters, dental treatments, intensive care, hospitalization, x-ray and ultrasound diagnostics, and various inpatient and outpatient surgeries along with post-surgical care.
For more information, please call 970-532-4990.
Photo by Pam Martin
Stephanie Anderson (far left), Daniela Davis, Danika Spock, Dr. Shelley Finnegan (holding patient, Lacy) and Dr. Mary Lou Kizer welcome pets (and their people) to the new location for Animal Health at Home at 406 10th St., in the building just west of Hay’s Market.