Hello and welcome to our online newsletter, where we hope to keep you up to date on activities, new procedures as well as new treatment options for all of our patients.

One quick review about emergency visits: If you feel you have a veterinary emergency during standard office hours, please contact our office (336)526-6013 and press option "1" to speak with our receptionist.  If you have a veterinary emergency after hours. please call our office and press option "2" to reach the doctor on call.  Dr. Schell rotates call with Dr. Roger Holt  on an every other weekend basis and may not always be available.  In the event that Dr. Schell is not available, the recording will advise you of your options.  When Dr. Schell is unavailable. Dr. Holt will be on call for large animals (horses/cattle) and the Carolina veterinary Clinic (336) 986-0902 will be available for small animal emergencies.  The CVS clinic is located of Hanes Mall Blvd, which is directly off of the Jonestown Road exit in Winston-Salem.

Alternative Health Care

Alternative or Integrated medicine has become quite popular over the past several years, but there are some misconceptions.  First, in most instances, alternative therapies are not utilized in place of traditional medical treatments, but more so are used along side conventional treatments or as main therapy when other options have failed. Second, alternative therapy is not "witchcraft", considered "voo-doo" or even Kwackery.  Alternative therapies cover many treatment options and include the use of a proper diet, vitamins/minerals, antioxidants, herbal therapy, acupuncture, and even laser therapy.  These types of therapy have been found to improve healing and recovery, increase overall health as well as reduce dependence on prescription medications.  in many cases, herbs, and other supplements can be implemented as part of a daily routine to help improve skin coat, reduce allergies, reduce pain and inflammation, modify behavioral problems, and even improve blood circulations.  Most herbs and supplements are considered non-toxic and are fairly effective when used properly.

Dr. Schell has been utilizing herbal and supplement therapy in patients for the past three years with increasing success.  He is also currently seeking board certification in herbal therapy through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society  to help improve his knowledge to help patients.

Currently, we offer alternative medicine examinations to all of our patients, especially those with long term health conditions such as allergies, asthma, heart conditions, chronic infections and even arthritis.  During these examinations, the patients are assessed thoroughly as well as a good review of their past medical history.  Various herbs and supplements are then recommended based on the conditions and the patients are rechecked every 2 weeks until stabilized.  Currently we utilize various herbs, supplements, IV protocols and cold laser therapy.  In most instances, patient improvement is generally seen within 4 weeks, but can be sooner.  One has to remember that many  conditions required many months to become severe and likewise will take some time to notice healing and recovery.  Not all cases can be helped, but it is always worth an attempt to help improve their health.

Photo by:Jenna Mackenzie

K-Laser Therapy

Cold therapeutic laser therapy has been utilized on the human side with chiropractors for many years with excellent results.  The laser itself is a small handheld unit that emits a laser of varying wavelengths.  When applied to the body, there have been improvements in the immune system, increased blood flow to those regions, reduce pain and reduce overall inflammation.  The laser is painless and localized in its application.  The overall process of laser application takes generally 4-6 minutes and can be repeated twice weekly for a few weeks to gain improvement.   Cold Laser therapy can be used for arthritis conditions, wound healing, post surgical pain management, fracture healing as well as allergy type conditions.  The results can be phenomenal and certainly improve quality of life in many conditions.

Vaccinations 

A quick reminder about vaccinations.  Vaccines are a vital component to health, helping boost the immune systems and protect the body against disease.  Keeping your pet current on their vaccines helps to not only protect them but may lower their overall incidence of future health problems.  Vaccinations can also create harm in the body when not used properly.  Examinations are required prior to vaccine administration in order to determine in the pet is healthy enough to receive the vaccine.  A vaccine should never be administered during a time of infection or when a fever is present, as this may lead to further health problems.  Keep in mind that some vaccines such as the rabies vaccine are required by law.  We have had several instances where pets have either bitten someone or come into contact with a wild animal and have not been current on their vaccines.  This can lead to either a costly quarantine or euthanasia based on state law.  This can all be avoided by maintaining your pets vaccines.

We always encourage feedback from our clients.  Feel free to contact us via email or by phone with an concerns or questions.

Thank you to all of our clients for your support and for trusting Timbercreek Veterinary Hospital.