To assist in keeping up with the new developments in veterinary medicine, HOUSE CALLS is a member of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). VIN is an online resource for veterinarians that is like having a veterinary school in my office. I can access medical news, a medical library, consult with specialists and other practitioners and attend online seminars.
There is a version of VIN designed for pet owners that is called VeterinaryPartner.com. It is a tremendous resource for veterinary medical information on diseases, diagnostic tests, drugs, behavior and medical news. For your convenience we are including a link to the site on our "Links" page. The other site to bookmark is the American Veterinary Medical Association website, also on our "Links" page. This is the best site for breaking news about pet health including pet food recalls, emerging disease outbreaks and natural disasters.
For those patients that need an extra pair of well trained hands during their appointment and for those that we need to retrieve from beneath the bed or behind the couch, we try to schedule during our Certified Veterinary Technician Julie Nachtwey's hours, Monday - Thursday, 8 am to 4 pm.
Our condolences to Julie on the passing of Bailey, one of her Bernese Mountain Dogs. He lived to a ripe old age of 12, which is quite remarkable for his breed. He was always a very happy boy and is greatly
missed by Julie, Paul and the kids.
HOUSE CALLS Veterinary Service
has tweaked our phone system a bit this year. Instead of your call going directly to voice mail, it is forwarded to our cell phone. That way, Julie can often answer your call in person when we are on the road or in the office. When we are with a patient, you will continue to get the voice mail. As always, leave a message and we will call you back between appointments. We have found that occasionally the voice mail won't kick in until after a prolonged number of rings; please be patient and let us know if it is not working for you.
You can also now call directly or send a text message to the cell phone to contact us The cell phone number is 920-428-7826. Feel free to use it as a way to reach us directly. Note: Sending a text message to the land line (920-729-4828) will not work.
In lieu of a family vacation in 2010, Dr. Riedl reported to Theda Clark Medical Center on the beautiful Fox River for arthroscopic knee surgery. Surgery and rehab went well and he is once again crawling around floors and retrieving patients from behind couches and under beds. He's still playing trumpet in the Hasband. Check the band out live around the Fox River Valley now and then; find out about them at www.hasbandjazz.com.
Our partnership with Crossroads Veterinary Clinic in Darboy has continued and flourished. We thank the good folks at Crossroads for the use of their wonderful facility, their support and especially for seeing our patients when I am at seminars and on vacation.
And we thank you for your referrals to House Calls. They are confirmation that our practice is a valuable service and that we are doing well. We are continuing our program of waiving the house call fee for your next visit for every referral you give us. We appreciate your trust in our work.
News
New for this past year was the addition of digital dental radiography for HOUSE CALLS Veterinary Service and our clinic partner Crossroads Veterinary Clinic. This advance gives us faster and much better quality dental X-rays. As some of you have seen, the radiograph of a single tooth can be enlarged to the size of a computer screen. Our digital radiography capability compliments our state-of-the-art dental work station. I recently attended another dentistry and oral surgery seminar at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine to learn about the latest advances in veterinary dentistry.
