Over the past year or so, you’ve probably handed your pet over
to a veterinary technician outside and waited to be called when the visit was over. If we couldn’t be there to comfort our pets, we trusted our vets and their teams to take “care” of our pets in our absence just as if they were their own.
While we may not give much thought to the term care, by definition, it sounds like pretty big shoes to fill— “the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare,
maintenance and protection of someone or something.”
Whether your pet needed a checkup, emergency care or routine vaccinations, your veterinarian was there, meeting all of the aforementioned needs of not only sustaining life but also maintaining quality of life—and doing it with the utmost concern. In fact, many of our featured vets are Fear Free certified, helping ease pets and pet parents, and they share more about what that means in this article.
From curbside drop-offs to video visits and online scheduling, we all had to adjust. Our DVMs went to great lengths to continue providing the same quality of care in the most difficult of circumstances. Now more than ever we are grateful for the work of our veterinary care community, and we’re proud to spotlight them here in our annual feature.
From all of us at TulsaPets, to our DVMs, thank you!
Animal Acupuncture and Canine Sports Medicine Facility
Heather Owen, DVM
Animal Acupuncture has evolved into
Animal Acupuncture and Canine Sports Medicine Facility. Over the years, we have seen a rise in pet parents wanting to not only help their pets’ pain but also help get them back to full performance level, whether it is being a family pet, field trial Lab or even an agility athlete. At our facility, we incorporate state-of-theart diagnostic technology, such as stance analysis, digital thermography, Pain Trace and musculoskeletal ultrasound, in addition to traditional diagnostic capabilities, such as radiographs.
We address and treat pain utilizing acupuncture, photobiomodulation (laser therapy), shockwave, neuromuscular
stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, regenerative medicine (platelet-rich plasma and stem cells), targeted pulsed electromagnetic waves, hydrotherapy and rehabilitation exercises.
Our goal is to treat not only the problem the pet is having but also all of the compensatory changes your pet has undergone. We see patients when they are paralyzed, when they are post-operative and healing, and when they are suddenly lame, in addition to arthritis patients that need extra care and support.
The best part about our day is seeing sweet patients start to walk again and do activities they have not been able to do in a long time.
Capron Veterinary Hospital & Dental Clinic for Pets
Ken Capron, DVM
Specialty
I am a general small animal practitioner and a board-certified veterinary dentist and oral surgeon. We offer general services for dogs and cats as well as special services of dentistry and oral surgery, such as periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, metal crowns, routine and advanced cleaning and polishing, and intra-oral digital dental X-rays. We have a complete on-site lab; we do vaccinations, Class IV therapy laser, and other medical and surgical services. We receive veterinary dental referrals from the four-state area. Helping a living being (animal) that cannot help itself is what I love most about my job.
Advice for Pet Owners
Over the years, I have found many times the longer a person waits to take care of a medical problem for their pet, the worse the situations become, and it becomes more expensive due to more
in-depth diagnostics, surgery, medications and dental procedures required.
A Very Surprising Oral Examination and Surgery
Recently, a client (a very elderly small dog) was referred to me by its regular veterinarian for a mass in the mouth. The client was holding the dog on the exam table as I was looking in the dog’s mouth. The mass appeared to be an oral tumor about the size of a person’s thumb.
I begin talking to the client about what I observed in the dog’s mouth. The dog seemed to be an intelligent patient because it would look at me “eye to eye” when I was talking to the client, and when the client spoke, it would look at its owner “eye to eye.”
I begin talking to the client about a diagnostic and treatment plan consisting of
pre-anesthesia blood work, gas anesthesia, intra-oral digital dental X-rays, surgical biopsy of the mass, and sending the tissue and a copy of the X-rays over to Oklahoma State University Diagnostic Laboratory for a histo-path diagnosis by a pathologist.
Then the dog really stared at me “eye to eye,” and then chomped down on the tumor and spit about half of the tumor out of his mouth onto the exam table. He looked back at me as if to say, “Here you go, Doc. Send it over to OSU path lab.”
The client and I were both very surprised, and the mouth
bled very little. The client agreed to get the path report. So I packaged the tissue up, sent it over to OSU and got the results back in about a week. It was a malignant form of oral cancer.
I recommended to the client that we take intra-oral digital X-rays and remove the rest of the tumor—before the dog performed a repeat surgery. I gave the client two copies of the lab results so she would give a copy to her regular veterinarian. I have not heard back from the client yet. This is a “very” intelligent dog, doing his own oral surgical biopsy—and not even using sutures.
What I Want Readers to Know
I discovered about 35 years ago that the more I learned about taking care of the “port hole” to the body (inside the mouth) of an animal (just like in people), the better the overall health of the animal.
Care Animal Hospital Mark Higgins, DVM
By Care Animal Hospital Staff
“A leader is a dealer in hope.” –Napoleon Bonaparte
At Care Animal Hospital, we are fortunate to have a great practice owner and veterinarian leading the way for us. Our hospital was founded in 1994 by Dr. Mark Higgins with the simple yet essential vision of serving both pets and their owners.
Dr. Higgins graduated from the University of Missouri with a doctorate in veterinary medicine and has been practicing compassionate care since 1981.
The last 15 months have brought new challenges to our profession that have allowed us to grow in unexpected ways. Dr. Higgins has spent a great deal of time during the pandemic researching ways to keep both our staff and clients safe while still providing the care upon which we have always prided ourselves.
And as a truly great leader, he worked hard to ensure we, the staff, were not only financially secure but also emotionally secure while countless other Americans were living day to day in uncertainty and losing their jobs.
Making the transition to a more virtual way of operating is challenging for veterinary medicine, but Dr. Higgins helped us navigate the path. From implementing online scheduling, forms and payment options, to opening an online pharmacy, we have worked hard to make taking care of your pet just a little easier.
Throughout most of the pandemic, our practice allowed clients to accompany their pets inside to best accommodate every pet’s individual needs while still keeping safety measures in place.
However you choose to visit—indoors or curbside—you will still receive quality customer service, and we will always care for your pet like it’s one of our own. We are committed to partnering with our clients in their pets’ care so they are informed on treatment options and preventions.
Our No.1 focus is always on patient care and making clients feel welcome. We are proud to know most clients by name the moment they walk in the door, and we are grateful for your loyalty throughout the unprecedented past year.
We are excited to offer new ways to make taking care of your best friend easier, and we are so eternally grateful for our leader, Dr. Higgins.
From all of us at Care Animal Hospital, we say thank you.
City Veterinary Hospital
Chet Thomas, DVM
Timely advice to pet owners:
Remember to have adequate water supplied constantly to your outdoor pets. If you like to run with your dog in the summertime, please do so only in the early morning or late evening hours to avoid heatstroke, thermal pavement injuries, etc.
What do you love most about your job?
What I like most about veterinary medicine are the people and pets that I get to interact with on a daily basis. We constantly attempt to build long-term relationships with our two- and fourlegged friends.
Crestwood Crossing Animal Hospital
Phil McKinney, DVM
For Dr. McKinney, no story can top his most memorable
and terrifying moment of veterinary practice. An “oldie but goodie” classic—the time he boarded a snow leopard.
“Over 30 years ago, I owned a small animal/farm animal practice on the shores of Lake Keystone near Mannford and treated the occasional exotic pet as well,” he shares. “I had a client at that time who owned a snow leopard, weighing approximately 100 pounds, and the client needed to leave town unexpectedly and asked if I could board the snow leopard for two to three days. I reluctantly agreed to help him out of a jam and took her in.
“Everything went well until the third day when “Sasha” the snow leopard decided she had enough and wasn’t going back in her cage—she was having none of anything. She positioned herself menacingly in front of the kennel room exit so that myself and my kennel attendant could not get out. We brilliantly decided to get up into the bathing tub and remove a ceiling tile from the suspended ceiling, hoisting ourselves up into the crawl space and through the facility into the front office. “But there was one problem: the snow leopard decided she would jump up into the ceiling as well! Now we could hear her walking above us and out into the common overhang above the sidewalk, and, in moments, she had passed the medical doctor’s office next door and eventually fell through the ceiling tiles into a human pharmacy two doors down from my vet office! People running everywhere! The facility was abandoned and the doors locked.
“Meanwhile, Sasha just hung out in the pharmacy until her owner arrived within the hour to retrieve her and take her safely home. I am happy to say that neither Sasha nor any persons were harmed in this most embarrassing of moments.”
Danner Veterinary Hospital
Dan G. Danner, DVM, BS
Tulsa has been blessed
with a large community of high-quality veterinarians and veterinary hospitals. I have seen explosive growth in the quality and care that evolved over the last four decades! The vast majority of DVMs in the area have always been gracious and sharing in the care and needs of Tulsa’s pets.
It has been a pleasure to work with and assist these individuals since I moved back to Tulsa in 1980. I am
honored to be highlighted in this DVM edition of TulsaPets along with the other featured veterinarians. Many cities only have one emergency clinic, if that, and Tulsa has several to choose from. Due to COVID-related concerns, people have acquired many more small pets and exotics for us to care for as well.
Fortunately, there are about a half dozen DVMs who treat many of these exotics. Please call and secure a relationship early. Do not wait until you have an emergency situation. It is surprising how important it is to have annual checkups and find information on general health care, nutrition and other various concerns early to avoid emergency issues. As far as the demand for the more advanced general pet care and surgeries go, it is being met as never before!
I graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1978 and have been practicing veterinary medicine and surgery for over 43 years. I came back to Tulsa in 1980 after treating exotics at a private practice that takes care of Lion Country Safari in the Dallas Metroplex. I also enjoyed several years at a 24/7 emergency practice that covered the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
This is where I learned the more advanced techniques and surgeries with which we are able to better care for our Tulsa friends and family pet members. It is important in doing general mouth work, which includes X-rays and root canals on “lions and tigers and bears, oh my” and monkeys, etc., taking our practice to a level that is top tier. That is just one level of services that we offer.
Please visit danner.vet to see many fun and unusual animals we care for and surgeries we perform. Clients come from all over Northeastern Oklahoma and beyond for our specialty surgeries, i.e., orthopedics and ear cropping. We have a loving, high-quality, caring staff for all of your pet’s needs.
As always, communication with pet owners and letting them know what to honestly expect is extremely important so they can best assist in the recovery of their family pet. Thank you, Tulsa, for all your support, especially over the last two COVID years!
Edgewood Veterinary Hospital
Hans Gann, DVM
Here at Edgewood, aside from providing exceptional veterinary care, our biggest asset is and always has been our amazing staff—from Kristi at the front desk to our technicians, Missie, Lillie and Sarah.
At Edgewood, we are a family. We strive to provide high-quality veterinary care in a relaxing, home-like environment that is not only comfortable for you but also for your furry family members as well. We want your pet to enjoy coming to the vet, and our biggest compliment is knowing that our patients love coming to see us.
Our wonderful veterinarians, Dr. Gann and Dr. Howard, specialize in everything from basic preventative care to thorough advanced diagnostics and surgical intervention. At Edgewood, we are here for the life of your pet, starting as puppies and kittens, all the way through their golden years.
Our main goal is to provide the care that will allow you and your pets to live long, happy lives together. We are honored to have served Tulsa pets and their people for the last 65 years and would love to add you to our Edgewood family
Good Shepherd Veterinary Hospital
Kristyn Nix, DVM and Emily Wilkinson, DVM
Good Shepherd Veterinary Hospital is excited to announce the addition of two new veterinarians and expanded hours. Dr. Emily Wilkinson joined our team on June 1, and Dr. Kristyn Nix started July 1. Our new expanded hours schedule also began on July 5. Please help us welcome Dr. Wilkinson and Dr. Nix to the Good Shepherd family!
Dr. Kristyn Nix was raised in the Tulsa County area with the blessing of going to local private Catholic schools for her love of education and science. She achieved a bachelor’s degree in animal science and doctorate in veterinary medicine through Oklahoma State University. Dr. Nix’s veterinary interests are the very
core and essential basics of small animal preventative and exotic medicine.
She is happily married to her husband Timothy, who also shares a great passion for animals. On the weekends, you can normally find them loving on their fur babies, taking nature walks or going to a local boba tea shop for a sweet treat.
Dr. Emily Wilkinson grew up in Bixby and graduated from Bixby High School. She attended Oklahoma State University where she received both her bachelor’s degree in zoology and subsequently her doctorate in veterinary medicine in 2021. She has a passion for ophthalmology and preventative care. In her free time, Dr. Wilkinson enjoys reading, outdoor sports with her family and exploring new parks and trails around town with her two dogs, Ky and Ellie.
Good Shepherd’s new, expanded hours started July 5. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., with select appointments available after 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Riverbrook Animal Hospital
Rachael Baldwin, DVM
Dr. Rachael Baldwin started
working at Riverbrook Animal Hospital in July 2020. Dr. Baldwin is passionate about the human-animal bond, which led her to become a Fear Free and Cat Friendly-certified veterinarian.
Fear Free veterinarians work to make the hospital a less scary place for all animals by learning where these fears arise from and how to mitigate those fears in a place busy with unfamiliar people, animals, sounds, sights and smells.
One of the many ways we help dogs and cats become comfortable and confident in this environment is by promoting fear free “practice” visits. If your cat or dog experiences anxiety when they are here, it can be helpful to set up some “practice” visits throughout the year to help them become more comfortable
with the clinic environment when they are not sick or having any procedures done.
The pet owner brings the dog or cat to the clinic, and they go around into different rooms and areas of the hospital where different people come up and say hello and offer treats and attention for about 10 minutes. Then the animal gets to go home without having anything done that could be perceived as scary, such as nail trims, vaccines and blood draws.
Incorporating Fear Free techniques like these into our practice not only helps make our patients more comfortable while they are here but also strengthens the human-animal bond. It makes it easier to bring fearful animals to the clinic, which, in turn, improves their overall health and well-being.
Southern Agriculture
“All things for all animals.” That is
the slogan of Southern Agriculture, Tulsa’s local family-owned group of feed stores and veterinary clinics—and it’s mostly because of a rescued wallaby named Walter.
More than 40 years ago, Dr. Nolan Gross and his wife Ginger lived on five acres of land in the Tulsa area. On that little farm, the Gross family cared for many animals, including Walter and another rescued wallaby named Olivia. Wallabies are herbivores and eat mostly grasses, but they need high levels of certain vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
Commercial wallaby food was not available back then, so Dr. Gross carefully researched and studied how to keep his wallabies healthy. Because of this, Walter and Olivia lived long, happy lives. In fact, the pair produced a joey named Hobbs, who as a baby was carried around by Gross family members in a pouch made especially for him.
Dr. Gross recognized that other people, too, had unusual pets or livestock with specific nutritional needs. In 1981, he decided to meet those needs by opening the first Southern Agriculture store at 3146 South Mingo Rd. He trained team members to help customers with a wide variety of pet and livestock problems. And Walter’s image was on the sign.
Since then, Southern Agriculture has expanded to seven locations, including Tulsa, Owasso and Broken Arrow. Each location carries hundreds of products for pets and livestock, with special ordering for hard-to-find items, such as wallaby food. In addition, each location has a veterinary clinic located in the store so
beloved pets may receive care.
Five veterinarians with over 150 years of experience staff the clinics. Like Dr. Gross, the veterinarians care for a wide variety of their own livestock, including horses, ponies, cattle, goats, chickens, pigs, dogs, cats, fish, birds and reptiles. Some of the veterinarians joke that they need to work at Southern Agriculture just to support their own personal zoo of animals!
While on duty, the Southern Agriculture veterinarians provide wellness and preventive care by appointment. Spay and neuter appointments for feline patients are available. Walk-in, low-cost vaccination clinics and heartworm testing are offered six days a week at various locations and times. Microchipping is available by appointment or at the walk-in clinics.
The staff veterinarians are very knowledgeable about the newest products for controlling fleas, ticks and heartworms in dogs and cats. They prescribe products, such as Bravecto and Heartgard Plus, which are kept in stock at all of the stores. They also work closely with pet parents to treat allergies, ear infections and other problems in pets.
In addition, the veterinarians frequently refer animals who need advanced care to full-service veterinarians and specialists in the area. For more information, visit southernagriculture.com or follow them on Facebook. Brochures with a full list of services are available at every store.
Southern Agriculture veterinarians and store team members strive to provide excellent service for every animal and their people. Happy 40th anniversary, Southern Agriculture! Walter, Olivia and Hobbs would be proud!
VCA Woodland Central
Allison Ruicker, DVM
One of seven veterinarians at VCA
Woodland Central Animal Hospital, where it is a standard to practice Fear Free techniques with every patient, Dr. Allison Ruicker is an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional along with numerous staff members who are Fear Free Certified.
Over the years, Dr. Ruicker has encountered many Humane Society dogs suffering from heartworm disease. She successfully nurtured them back to health by implementing heartworm treatments and utilizing Fear Free techniques.
While there are many animals that have touched Dr. Ruicker’s heart, two special dogs made a lasting impression—Leia and Boy.
Leia was adopted by her loving owners from the Tulsa Humane Society at the beginning of the pandemic. She was very nervous during her first visit to VCA Woodland Central, and having all services performed curbside by masked strangers only added to Leia’s stress. To make matters worse, Leia was diagnosed as heartworm positive.
During her first few visits and treatments, Dr. Ruicker and the caring staff at VCA Woodland Central implemented many Fear Free practices. While Leia did require sedation for her first treatment, by her last round of treatments she was comfortable enough to be treated without sedation.
In fact, when Leia returned for her follow-up testing, blood work samples were collected with no anxiety. She is now a healthy and heartworm negative dog.
Boy was found by a Good Samaritan on the side of the road. He had massive swelling on his abdomen and several puncture wounds that had developed into a severe infection.
After Dr. Ruicker performed an extensive examination of Boy’s wounds, she discovered that his condition was worse than expected. Boy’s abdominal muscles were shredded into many pieces, which caused a hernia. Dr. Ruicker was able to close his abdomen by carefully piecing each muscle layer back together.
Unfortunately, Boy was also diagnosed with heartworm disease. Once again, Dr. Ruicker was able to provide care to Boy and successfully brought him back to health.
Thanks to excellent care by Dr. Ruicker and everyone at VCA Woodland Central, Boy recovered with no complications. Throughout the duration of his treatment, Boy transformed from a terrified dog to a sweet, loving dog. And in the Good Samaritan, Boy found his fur-ever parent!
You can meet Dr. Ruicker and the rest of the wonderful staff by visiting VCA Woodland Central. For more information, call (918) 496-2111.
