Michael L. Katz, D.V.M., Ph.D.
 

Hampshire Veterinary Hospital

260 Snell St.
Amherst, MA 01002

and

1 Broadhill Road
Leverett, MA 01054

(413) 549-5800

DAILY AND URGENT VETERINARY SERVICES

DOGS, CATS, HORSES, SHEEP, GOATS, PIGS AND ZOO ANIMALS

Veterinary care is available 24 hours/day by appointment..

 

We will maintain this site to provide a description of the veterinary service and notes which will, hopefully, be helpful to those who read it. Although we are attempting rapid dissemination of information, this internet mechanism is, of course, a bit behind the rapidly changing body of knowledge from which these notes are gleaned.

LOCATION :

We have facilities at 260 Snell Street in Amherst, which is at the corner of Route 9 and University Drive, and in Leverett at 1 Broad Hill Road.

The Amherst site is convenient to Hampshire County towns such as Hadley, South Hadley, Northampton, Easthampton, Granby, Pelham as well as Holyoke, and Sunderland.  The Leverett site is convenient to Franklin County towns such as Greenfield, Shutesbury, Montague, South Deerfield, Deerfield,Turners Falls, Wendell, New Salem, Sunderland, Athol and Orange.

Click here to see a map of directions to get to the Amherst location:

INTENSIVE CARE AND EMERGENCIES:

The Hampshire Veterinary Hospital in Amherst is fully equipped to provide intensive care and surgery.  We provide urgent care 24 hours/day, the majority of the time at our hospital but, if necessary, will refer to an emergency facility.

We are available by telephone 24 hours every day.   Most times a veterinarian will be able to make an appointment to meet you at the hospital once it is deemed necessary through a telephone discussion about your animal's problem.

If you arrive at the hospital without an appointment and the doors are open proceed to the desk and ring the bell.  A technician will contact a veterinarian.

If you arrive at the hospital and the doors are locked you can call 413 549 5800 and then press 0 to alert us that you have a need for urgent care.  A technician or a veterinarian will call you back as soon as possible.

24 hours every day you can call 413 549 5800 and press 0 - a veterinarian or technician will answer or will call you back as soon as possible.  You can also leave a message for a call back later in the case of non urgent matters.

The telephone number (413 665 4911) for the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital (VESH) in South Deerfield and maps to that facility are in the vestibule of our hospital in case we do not respond to your call soon enough or, for any reason, you need to contact them. The following is a link to their website:

http://www.veshdeerfield.com

 

DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPY:

As a full service hospital, we provide immediate laboratory work, x-rays and ultrasound most often at the time of office examination.  In this way only diagnostic and laboratory tests that are necessary are run and others follow if indicated by other tests.  All lab tests can be run within 15 minutes. We perform thyroxin assay (15 minute turn around) in house. Other chemical, cytological, endocrine and serological tests are performed with a 1-2 day turnaround time.  Since individual laboratory choices can be made as you go cost of care can be better controlled.

Our approach is to modulate disease by physiological manipulation which addresses homeostatic mechanisms. We do this by establishing protocols in such areas as feeding, exercise, housing, better bowel motility, nutrition and body conformation maintenance.  After examination, a provisional solution for a problem is provided and appropriate measures are begun which may include medications.

We try to keep the therapy as simple as possible and usually recommend changes in the pet’s life that will not allow recurrence of the problem.  If the problem persists beyond this initial therapy we then use more intensive diagnostic measures.  Again this cuts costs most times.

Most importantly, conditions often exist that are cyclical and supported by chronic inflammation.  This is addressed by establishment of one dose burst of therapy to control the inflammation immediately.  We attempt to avoid chronic administration of medications.

Through the use of non invasive techniques such as blood, stool and urine tests as well as EKG and ultrasonography insidious conditions can be manipulated allowing reestablishment of physiological well being.

 

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT:

Examples of diagnostic procedures that are available as we find them necessary are: Xray, ultrasound, EKG, laparoscopy and endoscopy.

VACCINATION:

Routine vaccinations are kept to a minimum, not exceeding frequencies that are known to provide adequate immunization.

HOSPITALIZATION:

Hospitalization is provided in state of the art facilities.  Ventilation and temperature are constantly controlled.  Dog holding pens are large and adjustable for ample size.  Only very small dogs are sometimes caged.  Cats are housed in individually ventilated condos to avoid cold virus contagion.  Only cats that are held in our intensive care ward are caged.  Animals that need oxygen are housed in roomy oxygen cages. 

SURGERY:

We have a full surgical suite with intensive care monitoring devices for the safety of your pet.  Most surgeries can be performed so your cat or dog can go home later in the day of the surgery.  

ANESTHESIA:

We use local anesthesia and mild sedation for many surgical procedures. This is safer for older patients.  By use of an ample variety of anesthetic protocols the physiological state of the animal is maintained as close to normal as possible during the procedure. Pain control is provided specifically for each individual case.