When we arrived back at Alameda East the
next day, Dr. Holly Knor came out to greet us. We talked a little about the
Emergency Vets T.V. show. Dr Knor told me how important she felt the show was-
how it could educate pet owners on all the wonderful state of the art treatment
options available at many vet clinics now.
She also gave me some good tips on how to handle my suddenly dry skin! (Colorado air was pretty hard on me, having been spoiled by Florida’s extreme humidity.)
We took a few photos and she was off to resume her busy day.
Afterwards,
Ed and I spent some time at the Alameda Animal Lodge, getting the grand tour. I
found out the lodge is more than just lodging. There is a hydrotherapy room with
two large pools and two hydrotherapy tanks. Wet suits hung on the wall ready for
a staff member to don when a dog was ready for its treatment. The lodge also
houses a machine that measures a dogs body fat index and offers diet and
exercise programs and has a very impressive biomechanics lab set up to determine
a dog’s gait and the condition of his joints- all done by cameras set up around
the room. It is one of the first Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics
created for animals.
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 Hydrotherapy Tank |
 DEXA Scanner (A light weight, high resolution and precision, dual energy X-ray absorptions scanner for determining bone geometry and mass is needed.) |
 Biomechanics Lab |
 Biomechanics Lab |
 Biomechanics Lab |
The lodging itself is made up of a series of “cabins” housed within a single large room. We were there at “nap time” so all the dogs were in their cabins. Some of them were basic with a bed, food and water dish. The deluxe cabins had television sets playing the dog’s favorite video (often a video of the dog’s family) and a private exit to the outdoor play area. Our guide took us out to visit the play area- a huge sand filled lot where the dogs could go outdoors for some rough and tumble doggy fun.
There was also a large indoor play area- divided up with one section for the little fellows and one for the big guys.
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The feline boarding area was much smaller-
and currently occupied by a single sweet tempered ginger cat who had his own
birdfeeder right outside the window to keep him entertained.
Of course, there is a groomer on the premises to keep everyone looking their best.
We bid farewell to the Animal Lodge crew and headed across the parking lot back to the clinic to have a final chat and snap a few more photos with Dr. Fitzgerald.
He took us into one of the exam rooms and brought in a Colorado box turtle which he gave me to hold. (He was a cute little fellow- but spent the whole time trying to claw his way out of my hand.)
By now it was late afternoon and time to say goodbye. We promised to let everyone know once the photos were posted on our website, gave our gracious host, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, a hug and a handshake and rode off into the sunset, full of wonderful memories and much respect for the great individuals who make up the Alameda East Veterinary Hospital staff.
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Thank you for taking the tour!
