New Fort Worth animal hospital a one-stop shop

Trish Yeates is thankful that her “nightmare” drive from Breckenridge to take her cat for cancer treatment is now an hour shorter.

Before Fort Worth Veterinary & Specialty Emergency Hospital opened at Interstate 20 and Bryant Irvin Road, Yeates was driving to Dallas for her cat’s radiation treatment for a tumor on her nose.

“The main thing is how they treat the animals,” Yeates said.

The hospital is the first multidisciplinary veterinary hospital to open in Fort Worth. Before it opened, many residents on the west side of the Metroplex and beyond would have to travel to The Center for Veterinary Speciality and Emergency Care in Lewisville for specialized treatment.

Yeates said her veterinarian referred her to the Fort Worth hospital because he did not have the necessary equipment to treat Uncle, her 15-year-old cat.

“It’s like people,” Yeates said. “He has cancer, and at his age he also has kidney issues.”

Brian Cichockia, veterinary ophthalmologist, performs cataract operations and treats various eye conditions in the same building where other veterinarians are treating dogs and cats for cancer or blood disorders.

“We’ve only been open for three months, and I’ve seen over 100 patients. Part of it is starting a new business, but a lot of folks don’t know that veterinary specialty care is an option,” said Cichocki, who wanted to return to North Texas after his internship in Georgia.

“I don’t know if we’ve advertised it well. It is a huge field that continues to grow.”

One-stop shop for pets

The hospital has specialty areas operated by groups of veterinarians, including an emergency center that is open at night where dogs and cats that are hit by cars or ingest poison can be taken for treatment.

Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center-Fort Worth has a location at the hospital, and Veterinary Services of North Texas — specializing in internal medicine — is also on-site.

Family veterinarians refer pet owners to the hospital for everything from kidney disease to chemotherapy. Animals can also have ultrasound, CT scans and X-rays. There are exam rooms, operating rooms and recovery areas much like those in hospitals for humans. There is also an isolation ward for animals with contagious illnesses such as parvo.

In one operating room, Sarah Bisgard, a surgeon is preparing to operate on Pepper, a dachshund with a slipped disc in her neck.

In another area, technicians are changing a golden retriever’s bandage as the dog is being treated for a wound on his foot.

In the spacious back yard, another employee is walking a Great Dane that is recuperating from knee surgery.

Bisgard, who has practiced with Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, which has been open for about 25 years, said the center wanted to open a location in Fort Worth.

“Fort Worth is sort of a little island out here,” Bisgard said. “The population is growing and changing so much.”

‘Market was underserved’

Since the Fort Worth facility opened, Derek Burney, who specializes in internal medicine, has treated dogs for kidney disease, blood disorders and more. He works with Veterinary Specialists of North Texas.

“The veterinarians in Fort Worth have been very supportive of us being here. We thought we would be busy, but the response has been overwhelming,” he said.

“Fort Worth is a wonderful metropolitan city. This market was underserved,” he said.

Tonya Stephens, a managing partner at the emergency center, said her practice ranges from animals injured by cars to one dog with an arrow lodged in his back.

“I came from the academic world; I’m used to having experts sitting around me,” Stephens said. “Here, we can have an immediate consult and provide the best care possible for the animals.”

Having a specialty hospital in the area gives peace of mind to pet owners, she said.

“Pets are providing a very important addition to people’s lives. Most folks in this day and age with computers, long distances [from families] and odd schedules are using pets as their emotional support,” Stephens said. “We have a huge number of folks deeply invested in their animals.”

This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 6:01 AM with the headline "New Fort Worth animal hospital a one-stop shop."