Touted as “Buffalo’s only low cost, walk-in wellness clinic for dogs and cats”, the West Side Pet Clinic (WSPC) aims to offer pet-related services to people who don’t want to pay high vet prices, but still need some routine pet maintenance that can be administered by a knowledgable staff. Think of it this way – would you be expected to visit a surgeon for a simple check-up? Of course not. You would go to a nurse practitioner. And if a serious health issue was diagnosed, then you would be sent to the surgeon for specialized care.
It’s the same with pets. There’s no reason to visit a vet if you only need simple, routine maintenance.
WSPC focuses on four major areas:
- Performing complete physical exams
- Administering vaccinations
- Diagnosing common ailments (fleas, ear infections, worms, etc.)
- Educating the public on preventing illnesses
“We know most people are concerned about regular family health,” says Dr. Reed Stevens, who also owns Ellicott Small Animal Hospital. “A pet is part of the family. We want to be sure pet owners understand their dog’s or cat’s health care needs, and establish a routine of regular attention at a reasonable cost. Not all pet owners need or want the care provided by a full service animal hospital. The concept for West Side Pet Clinic is similar to that of a human neighborhood clinic. Because we are focusing on routine veterinary visits, overhead costs are low, and the savings are passed onto the clients. There are not any surprises with our cost to the clients. The prices are clearly posted both at the clinic and online. It benefits patrons of both businesses creating a ‘one-stop-service’ for dogs and cats. We can work together providing quality, community-oriented pet wellness services and education.”
Often times, because vets have higher price rates due to escalated staff and medical-related costs, the prices of standard services can be reflected in rates for all services. This might prevent someone from taking a pet in for routine exams, if the prices are too burdensome. WSPC is actually considered a pet wellness center. “With the popularity of TV shows like The Dog Whisperer, pet owners are beginning to understand that they are (or should be) in control of their pet’s behavior,” says Stevens’ business partner, Dr. Susan Sickels, who also specializes in animal behavior. “It’s part of overall healthy lifestyle for the entire family and community.”
If you don’t take your pet in to a specialist for routine visits, then you can end up paying for that at a later date (and your pet’s health is at risk, more importantly). WSPC is set up in a more casual way – there are no appointments, if you can believe that. Pets and their people can just walk right in through the front door and ask to see someone. You can even go to their website and check out a real time video feed to observe the number of visitors in the waiting room (see here).
WSPC joins Pawprints by Penny II – a full-service day-care, groomer and kennel – that is also opening in the building. Now there are multiple pet-related reasons to pay a visit to this one-stop shop.
West Side Pet Clinic | 1245 Niagara Street | Buffalo, NY 14213 | (716) 882-1245 | www.westsidepetsbuffalo.com