Internal medicine cares for our “sick” pet cases that may consist of protracted vomiting, diarrhea, not eating, or just not feeling well. These cases may require in-hospital treatment. We have a complete on-site laboratory to quickly process needed blood and urine tests to help diagnose our sick patients. We have registered veterinary technicians who perform these tests and take care of our patients’ nursing needs. When needed, we have several specialists to consult with or refer cases to here in the Indianapolis area.

 

To accommodate those with after-hours emergencies we utilize the Airport Animal Emergi-Center with two of our doctors being involved as owners. The emergency center is open the hours that we are closed, and will refer all patients back here at the beginning of the next day. The emergency center is staffed with the most experienced ER veterinarians in the area.

 

 

This is an area of practice that is becoming its own specialty. We can help you with basic behavior counseling, but refer any case we do not feel comfortable with to a certified behaviorist. This is due to liability issues that may arise, such as bite cases.

 

 

We encourage all pet owners to check into pet health insurance, especially when they have just acquired a new puppy or kitten. It is very cost effective at this age and can alleviate “sticker shock” when an emergency or injury occurs that imvolves extensive care or surgery. There are several companies that now have it. You may call our office for information on some of them or go to VPI Pet Insurance or Pet plan.

 

 

During the economy of the recent years we have experienced the same downturn as many businesses. Veterinary medicine has become very advanced and it can get expensive to treat chronic or acute illnesses. Veterinary drug and equipment costs to the practitioner continue to rise unabated by the economy. We try to control these as best we can to keep cost to clients as reasonable as possible. We know that there are many veterinary clinic choices in the area with wide variation in pricing. Some are subsidized by donations (we are not). Many things that go into a specific surgical procedure are never seen by the client. Westwood does not cut corners. We utilize state of the art monitoring equipment, disposable, one use sterile equipment, and the best anesthetic agents that are the safest. Our goal is to provide the same care for your pet  that you as a patient would want. Pain medications are routinely used in all surgical procedures.

 

Labor cost are the largest part of the veterinary profession expenses. There are many clinics that do not have licensed, certified nursing staff. Westwood has one of the most tenured and licensed technical staff in the metro area. We have very little turnover in staff, so you will see the same personnel each time you come into our hospital. All licensed technicians must take continuing education each year to maintain their license. Many clinics that have non-licensed personnel do not send their “non-licensed technicians” to get continuing education. Our front office staff has close to 100 years experience at Westwood.

 

When choosing a veterinary team for your pet, these are things that you need to check into, not just the price. Your pet cannot tell you what goes on behind the closed door, you must trust in what you, the client can see. The Christian culture at Westwood will provide that trust. After each visit you are provided a survey that you may fill out anonymously, if you prefer, to evaluate your entire experience at the hospital. We take these very seriously and the staff reviews them to see where we may improve on our services. In this age of corporate practices and low cost clinics, we strive to set ourselves above the crowd. Our aim is to provide a full service, friendly experience for our clients and their pets at a locally owned hospital with a staff that cares about you and your pet.

 

Payment is expected at time of services. We understand that emergencies arise and we will be glad to work with you in these cases. If your pet requires hospitalization, a down payment may be required. We accept most major credit cards, along with personal check (with driver’s license or Social Security number provided) or cash.

 

Financing is available through CareCredit, which is a medical line of credit for you or your pet that is accepted by many providers. More information is available at CareCredit.com or through our office.

 

We try to provide an estimate for patients requiring surgery or hospitalization. This estimate can be sent you via mail, e-mail, or picked up at our office.

 

 

Westwood Hospital for Animals does have its own Home Delivery online pharmacy for refills of medicines and heartworm/flea preventatives, etc.

Westwood Hospital for Animals stocks most of the medications that are used in general practice. It is a convenience for our clients, and we know exactly what our patients are receiving. Our pricing is usually competitive with on-line pharmacies that solicit business through the media.

 

If you prefer, we can mail your pet’s medications to you for a nominal charge.

 

We do not honor prescriptions through faxed orders. If we receive a faxed request for a signed prescription from a pharmacy, we will ask that you pick up a written prescription from us, written on our own prescription pads and listing our license numbers. We do charge a fee to write a prescription for an outside pharmacy, as we still have to check the patient’s record to be sure the request is valid, and that no drug interactions may occur. The doctor must review the record and then document the request. The fee for this service is typically $5.00 to $10.00.

 

 

As our staff is involved in the community with various projects, Westwood Hospital for Animals supports many of our local charitable organizations. Some of these are Race for the Cure, Brownsburg Cheer Committee, Shop-With-A-Cop, Special Olympics, as well as others involving our clients and school projects.

 

 

Westwood Hospital for Animals is accredited to mentor students while they are in pursuit of their degree as Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or Registered Veterinary Technician. Mentorships are handled on an individual basis with preference given to students in this area. These programs are usually from eight to ten weeks in length and are a requirement for the student’s graduation.