JBER Veterinary Clinic keeps pets healthy

  • Published
  • By SSgt. Wes Wright
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  It’s a meme that’s all too common: a dog sitting in the passenger seat of a car on his way to the vet with a look of betrayal on his face. “I trusted you, and this is how you treat me?” Many children often share the same feeling upon discovering they’re on their way to the dentist.

However, in both cases, what both passengers may initially fail to see is the person in the driver’s seat loves them and is looking out for their long-term health.

For Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s furry residents, the JBER Veterinary Clinic offers a wide range of services to ensure the good health of man’s best friend.

“The first step to being a responsible pet owner is to ensure the animal’s health is taken care of,” said Army Capt. Natalie Erker, Army Public Health Command District, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBER Branch) Veterinarian.

While the JBER Vet Clinic’s primary mission is for the Air Force and Army’s military working dogs, taking care of JBER’s pets is also a priority.

“It allows us to maintain our skills for our military working dogs and provides members of the installation some reduced costs for pet care,” Erker said. “We offer basic wellness exams. I recommend pets come in annually to just touch base and make sure everything is okay, just the same way you or I would go to our doctor.”

At those annual appointments, Erker ensures pets are in good health and are current with their vaccines.

“We also do an annual heartworm test,” Erker said. “It allows us to prescribe heartworm preventative medication. Heartworm is a parasite that’s transmitted through mosquitoes. While heartworm itself isn’t native to Alaska, we have such a transient population, that it’s easy for someone to unknowingly bring an infected animal here. A mosquito bites the animal and then it spreads.”

While the risk of infectious diseases in Alaska is relatively low, according to Erkel, fleas can present a bothersome challenge to Alaska residents.

“Once flea infestations get into your home, they’re extremely difficult to get rid of,” Erke said. “I’m a believer in the mantra, ‘it’s easier to prevent than to treat.’ So, if I can give my dog a pill or apply something topical once a month, that’s the better route.”

Leptospirosis is another potential concern for Alaska’s furry pets.

“Leptospirosis is a bacterial pathogen found in the urine of wild animals,” Erker said. “There haven’t been a lot of cases here in Alaska, but certainly the wild population in Alaska can carry it. If your dog is out hiking with you and drinks from something contaminated with urine from a wild species they could be at risk. If you’re active outdoors with your pet, it’s a good idea to get your pet that vaccine.”

The clinic’s services run a wide range to include, X-rays, bloodwork, limited ultrasound, spays, neuters and tumor removals. For more complicated procedures or exotic animals, Erker said her services are offered on a case-by-case basis dependent upon availability of appropriate equipment. The clinic does not have emergent care.

While the clinic’s services are comparable or in some cases cheaper than off base, Erker said the goal isn’t to compete with civilian providers, but to consolidate military pet care into an efficient one-stop service.

“One of the big advantages we offer is we now have an electronic records system that can be sent directly to your gaining installation’s veterinary clinic,” Erker said. “It helps with maintaining continuity of care. We’re also able to do international health certificates that a civilian veterinarian is not able to fully complete because it requires multiple steps that take extra time and extra money. We can do it all in one go.”

Erker recommends pet owners who receive permanent-change-of-station orders, get in touch with the clinic as soon as they are received, as some installations may require a six-month quarantine if proper steps aren’t taken beforehand.

The clinic primarily sees cats and dogs as those two species constitute the majority of pets people tend to gravitate to. As such, Erker said people should take the health of their pets seriously and at an early age.

“With puppies we recommend starting vaccines at eight weeks,” Erker said. “There are two vaccines that are considered part of the core vaccines by the American Veterinary Medical Association: distemper combination (a combination of four different vaccines) and rabies.”

While pet health is an important owner responsibility, keeping them on post is a privilege and entails other responsibilities including sanitation and environmental concerns, Erker said. All pets on JBER must be registered with the JBER Vet Clinic.

The Veterinary Treatment Facility is in Building 47-815 on the Davis Highway between Fifth and Sixth streets on the JBER-Richardson side. Personnel may schedule appointments by calling 384-2865 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.