Vet Clinic settling into new home

By KELLIE ETHERIDGE
Turret Staff Writer
kellie.etheridge@us.army.mil
The Fort Knox Veterinary Clinic officially received a new home Oct. 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The clinic is located at Bldg. 1006 on 192nd Tank Battalion Road, across from Cadet Command headquarters.
“It’s a more friendly, more inviting facility,” said Dr. Detra Bryant.
“We have a surgery room, a large treatment room with pharmacy, a separate X-Ray room and the potential for five exam rooms,” said Dr. Bryant. “In the other building we had three exam rooms, no treatment room, and our X-Ray was with our surgery room.”
“We also have a room that we can keep hospitalized animals in if we need to. We didn’t have that in the past,” she added.
In the old facility, strays, animals up for adoption and hospitalized animals shared the kennels and the thought of disease was a worry. In the new clinic, kennels are strictly for patients recovering from procedures.
The vet clinic has also acquired another NAF veterinarian, bringing the medical staff up to four. Since Dr. Bryant and her military counterpart have food inspection responsibilities to attend to they aren’t at the clinic as much as they’d like.
“We travel quite a bit, so having the extra NAF vet here greatly opens up our ability to see more patients,” Dr. Bryant said.
The clinic mostly performs spay and neuter surgeries as well as vaccinations and preventative care, and other random procedures. Beginning this month, the vet clinic will also perform dental work for pets.
“If we have the ability to do it, we’ll do it,” Dr. Bryant said. “Obviously there are some specialty surgeries that we have to refer out to Louisville.”
As for the old building, it now houses strays and animals up for adoption. There have been some changes made to the stray facility to allow for more room for the large cat population the facility usually has. This includes community cat rooms, where the cats can interact with another and have more room to play and live. There is also a room where a potential adopter can socialize with the animals to help them decide on a new pet.
If a person finds the perfect pet or is picking up their stray, they have to report to the vet clinic to pay any fees and complete paper work, before returning to the stray facility to pick up their pet. It’s a minor inconvenience, which the clinic staff hopes to have resolved soon.
Dr. Bryant also wanted to remind Soldiers and their Families that having your pet registered on post is required. Another requirement is a microchip, which the vet clinic can provide, as well as a rabies shot.
“(The chip) helps the stray facility too. When a stray is picked up, the first thing we do when they come in is scan those dogs,” she explained. “If it’s microchipped, we contact the owner.”
Dr. Bryant also added that it’s important that when a Soldier or Family PCS’es to Fort Knox or another installation, that they update their address with the microchip company.
If you’re looking for a new furry friend or have lost your current one, stop by the stray animal facility or call (502) 624-5819. Keep an eye out in future issues of the paper for “Pet of the Week.”

Staff photo by Kellie Etheridge

CHANCE, OR SECOND CHANCE' AS THE STAFF LIKE TO CALL HER, paused from excitedly greeting veterinary technician Jennifer Easterling to pose for a photo. Chance is around two years old and recently underwent a surgery to have a too-tight harness removed. The harness had cut into her skin. Chance is available for adoption.

Photo by Detra Bryant

JASPER IS A 1 YR OLD MALE PIT BULL MIX and must live off post.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Benford

OZZY IS A BLACK & WHITE DOMESTIC Short Hair tabby neutered male about 1½ years old and is available for adoption at the stray animal facility. Some cats at the facility are free to a good home.

Staff photo by Kellie Etheridge

A VISITOR TO THE VET CLINIC UTILIZED ONE of the handy leash hooks to secure her pet’s leash while she signed in to the clinic.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Benford

A CAT RECLINED IN A PLUSH BED at the stray animal facility.

Staff photo by Kellie Etheridge

THE NEW OPERATING ROOM AT THE VET CLINIC is now separate from the X-Ray room.

Vet Clinic Hours
Monday–Friday
8 a.m.–4 p.m.
The 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month there are evening hours until 8 p.m.
 
Stray Facility Hours
Monday–Friday
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Facility is closed on the last working day of each month.