Visit Blue Valley Animal Hospital
for a variety of pet care services
By Ashley Puderbaugh
Published July 2010
Women’s Edition magazine
At Blue Valley Animal Hospital the message is simple: “Happy clients…healthy pets.” This phrase is written on the front of the building and on much of the literature available at the front desk.
“First and foremost we’re an animal hospital,” explains Owner Dr. Gary Keffer. “We offer a variety of services for pets’ needs, but it all starts with the hospital.”
The hospital is as sophisticated as most emergency rooms, he adds. Once pets are anesthetized, they are connected to machines that monitor their heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. The staff keeps a constant record of the pet’s vital statistics. They record their condition every two minutes for the first 10 minutes, and then every five minutes after that.
While working on the operating table, Dr. Keffer relies on his more than 30 years of experience in the veterinary field. His degree is from Colorado State University, and he also completed an 18-month surgical internship at Purdue University. His academic studies included general medicine and surgery, ear reconstruction, and emergency medicine and surgery. “We always want to take care of the pet’s needs while still working with what our clients want,” Dr. Keffer explains. “Any kind of surgery I recommend is the same surgery I would perform if it were my own pet.”
The most cutting-edge procedure being performed at Blue Valley Animal Hospital is an orthopedic procedure called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or TPLO. The focal point of Dr. Keffer’s certified postgraduate coursework includes complex orthopedics, joint reconstruction, total hip replacement, knee surgery, and complex bone plating. TPLO surgery for a dog repairs for humans what would be considered an ACL surgery on your knee. This surgery can lead to a more rapid recovery and better range of motion in the joint, he explains.
To aid in this surgery, Dr. Keffer has patented an orthopedic device that simplifies the very complex procedure, and this device is being marketed internationally. The metallic device works very much like a saw guide, but rather than cut a straight line, his device cuts a perfect curved line that is required to do the procedure. In the majority of other veterinary clinics, the TPLO surgery is performed with a doctor making a curved cut into the pet’s knee with a staff member stabilizing the leg in the air, Dr. Keffer says. He states that his invention eliminates errors by connecting the metal device to the knee and then making a precision cut every time.
They do a variety of different kinds of orthopedic procedures, and Dr. Keffer uses lasers for the majority of them. “By doing laser procedures, we’ve upped the ante on providing a service that should be in the best interest of the pet’s health,” he says. During surgeries such as a spay or neuter, Dr. Keffer and his staff ensure that your pet receives top-quality care through precise anesthesia monitoring, he says. The hospital also offers a breakthrough procedure for declawing that minimizes trauma and pain.
Before surgery, Dr. Keffer offers a free consultation so that you will know exactly what to expect before, during, and after your pet’s surgery. In fact, that’s one of the most important parts of his job, he says. The staff strives for open communication about the pet’s health, cost of procedures, and more. “When a client comes in, we listen to the client’s needs and then communicate what is needed for the pet’s health. We give them a written estimate of what it’s going to cost. We take the time to talk to the clients and families, and we believe it’s this personal relationship that allows us to offer the best care for their pet.”
One service that is popular this summer is dog day care. Dogs love to run, jump, and play together during the day, and that’s just what they encourage at Blue Valley Animal Hospital. Dogs spend time outdoors in a plush faux grass area that gives the feeling of grass without the mud. It also has the ability to be cleaned and sanitized daily. The play area features a kiddie pool and a running hose to continuously cool off those dogs that need it, as well as various shaded areas. On uncooperative weather days or when it gets too hot outside, the dogs have free reign over the hospital’s indoor deluxe playroom.
Benefits of day care include teaching young dogs invaluable social skills that will help them learn how to properly meet and interact with a variety of other dogs, says Dr. Keffer. It also enhances their mental health by allowing them to interact and romp around with each other. Best of all, he says, they’re getting the attention they might not receive otherwise.
Blue Valley Animal Hospital also offers group obedience training. Melissa French, who has 12 years of obedience training experience, says there is no prerequisite for beginner or puppy classes. For intermediate and advanced classes, the dog needs to have a relative understanding of commands such as “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “heel.” “The really good thing about having group classes that you don’t necessarily get from private classes is that we can take advantage of other dogs or other people in the class to teach a dog a proper greeting, behavior around other dogs, and behavior around other people,” Melissa explains.
For aggressive dogs, Melissa recommends private training first.
Besides socialization, Melissa can help you teach your dog proper bathroom habits, house training, and more. Or, if your dog has developed unwanted or frightening behaviors such as separation anxiety, territorial behavior, or unfriendly or aggressive behavior, she can help you get these things under control, she says.
“It’s just a matter of making it a convenient place for people to bring their pets,” Dr. Keffer states. For example, if you drop your dog off for day care, Dr. Keffer can also give your dog his yearly checkup that day so you don’t have to make two separate trips. “Blue Valley Animal Hospital is innovative. We provide complete health care plus ancillary support services,” he points out.
Dr. Keffer says that the staff at Blue Valley Animal Hospital really tries to live up to its motto: “Happy clients…healthy pets.” “We have a support staff that cares about people and their pets. It’s not just ‘Give me your money, see you later.’ We care about what we do. We don’t cut corners. We make sure that their pet is healthy and that our client is happy.”
For more information about Blue Valley Animal Hospital or to see the monthly specials being offered, visit the hospital’s Web site or call 913-681-2818. Blue Valley Animal Hospital is located at the corner of Metcalf and 162nd Terrace in Overland Park. Tours of the day care facility are available.
