DAEGU GARRISON — The Camp Walker Veterinarian Clinic has been providing quality veterinary services to pets belonging to military family members, for years, and with a New Year now upon us, there's no sign of that changing.
That's why officials from the clinic want to share with the USAG Daegu and Area IV community, especially those newcomers who are now making the area their home, a few tips and suggestions that will aid in the care and well-being of their pet throughout their stay in Korea.
According to Capt. Daniel Christensen, Officer in Charge (OIC), Camp Walker Veterinary Clinic, there are a host of services the clinic has available to authorized users of the pet medical facility.
He gladly pointed out specific areas of importance to any pet owner by stating, "First, pet owners should make sure their pets are up-to-date on their vaccines. A lot of owners don’t pay attention to this, and sometimes they don’t get their pet the required shots or immunizations. This can result in animals becoming really sick."
Second, treats can pose a problem because what is really delicious for humans, can be perilous for pets. Raising pets to be healthy depends as much on what you feed them, as how you treat them. Owners must be careful not to feed foods consumed by humans to their pets, and should be equally careful not to leave foods like raisins or nuts around, as they could be harmful to the pet if ingested."
Tips for a healthy pet diet are not all that the OIC had to offer. He went on to share that among other services available at the pet care facility, animal surgery is among them. He explained that veterinary surgeries are carried out three or five times a week on average, and might include animals; dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, birds, and ferrets. "They are all treated here. I'd have to say that of these animals, ferrets seem to be especially difficult to treat when cancer is the cause of their illness. Cancers are, of course, difficult to treat in any animal," he commented.
As one could imagine, surgery takes time, and according to Capt. Christensen, even the shortest surgeries usually take 30 minutes, while the longer ones can take up to two hours. "It could easily take two hours if multiple procedures are applied to the same animal," said the OIC.
While the surgical procedures keep him busy, the duties of Capt. Christensen are not limited to just the surgeries in the clinic. In fact, there are times when he finds himself playing referee when two pets either want the same item or equal attention.
"Sometimes two dogs of the same sex will fight each other to obtain possession of food, or another pet's interest," he said. "It's important that while the pet is in the clinic, the owner maintains complete control of their animal."
While Capt. Christensen and the Camp Walker Veterinary Clinic staff certainly appear to have their hands full, their work doesn't end at the clinic.
Adding to the tremendous support they render to the USAG Daegu and Area IV community, they are also hands on when it comes to conducting food inspections.
"Anywhere food is served, we are there to ensure that it meets the established policy guidelines regarding storage and preparations," explained Capt. Christensen.
Finally, Camp Walker Veterinary Clinic is a major player in the quality of life of pets and humans alike. Located adjacent to the Camp Walker Lodge, this veterinary clinic is open to all authorized I.D. cardholders --including DoD civilians and retirees.
