Austinburg Veterinary Clinic

By ELLEN KOLMAN - Staff Writer - ekolman@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

February 12, 2008 12:03 am

— “A dog has the soul of a philosopher” — Plato
AUSTINBURG TOWNSHIP — Dr. Becky Salinger grew up in Concord Township around horses where her love and concern for animals snowballed.
“I have always enjoyed science and people,” Salinger said from inside her veterinary clinic located at 1568 Route 45 south. “When you are helping people’s pets, you are helping the pet owner.”
Salinger earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine 11 years ago at Ohio State University. In 1998, she took over Norm Lazor’s practice and moved it to its present location on Route 45.
“We bought this property and completely renovated this building to accommodate the needs of our clinic,” she said.
In the almost 10 years Salinger has been treating area cats and dogs, her staff and practice has grown to be a full service veterinary clinic that specializes in dermatology and dental issues.
“I just love helping the dogs with the really nasty, smelly, ugly skin problems that no one else has been able to help, because I know I can make them better,” she said.
“It has been an honor for me to have been in practice long enough to watch my patients grow from healthy puppies and kittens, to now healthy happy seniors,” Salinger said.
Salinger’s team is a staff of many talented people, including Barb Brandt, who has been the practice manager for seven years; Janice Augustyniak (five years) and Deana Kelly, (four years) who are registered veterinary technicians; Debbie Stocker (eight years) and Sarah Stehura, who are the veterinary assistants; Danielle Cook, a receptionist, Christy Brickell, a receptionist and kennel assistant; and Lauren Haehn, a kennel assistant.
The Austinburg Veterinary Clinic is a dog-and-cat hospital only.
“There is so much to know nowadays, I have limited the practice to dogs and cats because I want to provide them with the very best of care.” Salinger said.
The most common calls are wellness and general preventative care, including vaccinations. A regular physical exam for “Fluffy” and “Fido” involves a lot more than most people initially expect.
“We examine your pet from nose to tail,” Salinger said.
The first exam includes the pet’s weight, heart rate, respiratory function, a check of the body and abdomen, temperature, teeth, skin, tests for parasites and possible blood work.
“Dr. Salinger is very thorough and very good at making a diagnoses,” said Augustyniak.
Austinburg Veterinary Clinic is able to perform many services “in house,” such as:
n Surgical services with a state-of-the-art surgical suite provides for the performance of a wide variety of surgical procedures;
n Anesthesia, use the safest available anesthetics to provide an extra margin of safety, especially for our older or high-risk patients. Using the most modern equipment, the patient's vital signs are monitored during all anesthetic procedures;
n Radiology services with an on-site, modern X-ray equipment provides high quality radiographs to aid in the quick diagnosis of many disorders;
n Dental services include teeth cleaning and polishing, dental X-rays, tooth extractions and minor oral surgery;
“Dr. Barron Hall, a board-certified veterinary dentist from Washington, D.C., comes out here every three or four months to perform root canals and other procedures that are beyond our reach,” Salinger said.
n Laboratory facilities provide for serum chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis and parasite testing;
n Pharmacy, a complete inventory of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, shampoos, flea and tick control products and heartworm preventives to meet the needs of your pet, including a full line of prescription diet foods;
n Individualized flea control programs, for the specific needs of your pet and your own particular environmental situation;
n Dietary counseling, regarding your pet's nutritional needs for each life stage, including dietary requirements for growth, weight maintenance and performance;
n Behavioral counseling, regarding the correction of problems like excessive barking, chewing, spraying, scratching, digging, house soiling and aggression;
“The most common behavioral problems in cats is not using the litter box,” said Stocker, who works with pets and owners to resolve behavioral difficulties. “In dogs, the most common are fear, anxiety and aggression.”
n Boarding, as a service to our clients. All boarders receive personal attention from our caring staff;
n Bathing, routine and therapeutic bathing services are available;
“Dr. Jo Byron, a holistic veterinarian comes out every two weeks to perform acupuncture rehabilitation and alternative medicine treatments for our clients,” Salinger said.
In an emergency, Salinger tries to be available as much as possible for her clients.
“I go case by case, I am at least always available by phone to answer questions and offer advise,” she said. “I tell my clients to call me anytime with questions.”
Salinger will also offer referrals to an internal medicine specialist, Dr. Joy Hudson, who performs ultrasounds and endoscopic procedures, which help with the diagnosis of more complicated cases.
“I have a network of doctors I work with to draw information I need from,” she said.
Salinger gains the most satisfaction from getting to know her clients and their owners personally.
“It is truly an honor for me to be trusted with welfare of these animals,” she said.
Contact Austinburg Veterinary Clinic for an appointment by phone (440-275-1071) or e-mail www.austinburgvetclinic.
com.

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