* Our New Veterinarian in Newberry *

DR. SARAH SMITH

Please help us welcome Dr. Smith to our large doctor group! Dr. Smith has spent over a decade in emergency medicine and now enjoys using her experience to keep pets healthy. She is passionate about teaching, having spent several years as faculty with Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Her professional interests are pain management, toxicities, trauma, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Smith is certified in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture, which she uses as an additional tool to help keep pets comfortable, decrease anxiety, and improve appetite. Interests outside of the clinic are travel, yoga, paddle boarding, and any outdoor activities with her husband, daughter, and dog.

To read more about all of our doctors on staff, visit our website here.

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WORTH ANOTHER MENTION: In February of 2019, we posted on our NAH Newberry Location FB page how you could extend the life of your pet's bed by covering it with baby crib sheets. We were surprised by the amount of post sharing that resulted from that. See this 2019 post and new bed photos here: These 2 pet beds were purchased at Walmart in February of 2019, and the photos below were taken on July 1, 2021. The family dogs and cats have been using them both DAILY. Crazy, right???

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For anyone that doesn't want to visit our FB page from 2019, that's cool. Here is what it said:

"Pet Bed Tip: For anyone with pets that may not have seen this idea, credit goes to my mom. The Baltzley family has both cats and dogs, and we try to buy good pet beds so that they are comfortable and last. This is a medium size Serta memory foam dog bed we bought at Walmart. (We have two.) My mom told me that she covers hers with baby crib sheets so that all she has to do is switch it out and throw the dirty one in the washer. We’ve had this bed for 6 months and it still looks new. Thanks, Mom!! Pssst..Pass it on."

From now on, our home may not have babies, but we have several crib sheets!

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39TH AVE LOCATION BLOOD DRIVE:

Getting To Know Dr. Fletcher!

It's been a busy year, but one of our staff members, Marina, was able to sit down with Dr. Fletcher and ask her some great questions as we celebrated Dr. Fletcher's 2 year work anniversary with NAH.

Dr. Fletcher, you’ve been practicing for over 20 years. What is your earliest memory of a pet in your life?

Dogs, birds, cats; that was my normal household. My parents had this beautiful Collie. If he was told to guard the children, we knew we could not leave the area. If we tried to move he would very gently push or sit on us. He trained us to obey him. And no one could come close to us; he had a job to protect.

Is there something about you that most people do not know, but would be surprised to hear?

Most people don't know that I love drawing and painting. My drawings are abstracts so the distorted faces are thought to be on purpose. Also, yoga and meditation are a part of my morning routine. I love sunrises and sunsets the world is at peace.

If you could go back and have five minutes with your ‘younger self’, how would you use that time, or what would you say?

I would tell myself to be patient. Love AND hug your family since they won’t always be there, I miss them.

How do you want the world to be different because YOU lived in it?

The world should be happier since we are only temporary occupants. Look at the beauty around us, even the wind can caress your skin if you let it.

When you find yourself with a sudden amount of free time unexpectedly, how do you spend it?

There are so many things I can do in my free time like garden, read, dance, sing, teach the dog new tricks, and sleep.

Thank you for your interview! We always end it with a favorite quote. What is yours?

Before you speak, THINK…

T - is it True?

H - is it Helpful?

I - is it Inspiring?

N - is it Necessary?

K - is it Kind?

It's no wonder that some of her clients call her a pet whisperer! Special thanks to Marina for her time, and to Dr. Fletcher for sharing her thoughts and pearls of wisdom!

Helping Others is #WINNING

Meet Peanut! She is a 12 year old dog that presented to a local specialty emergency hospital after the owners noticed that she was walking funny and breathing differently. This facility did an evaluation and took x-rays of her hips followed by a diagnosis of arthritis, and given anti-inflammatory medicine for pain and sent home.

After no improvement over the weekend, the owner took Peanut to their family vet, and after additional X-rays, she was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia. After receiving a higher-then-anticipated estimate from the emergency hospital, the family vet reached out to us.

Very quickly, NAH confirmed the diagnosis, and provided an estimate that was substantially lower, so the owner approved and she and our surgeon agreed upon a plan to fix Peanut. On the day of surgery, and after going in, they found her injuries to be even more extensive than originally anticipated. Our surgeon found a portion of her liver, stomach and spleen had been traumatically displaced into the left side of her chest cavity. Ultimately, the surgery was a success with Peanut’s diaphragm repaired!