STOUGHTON - If anyone has owned livestock, horses or a furry friend like a cat or a dog, chances are you have visited a veterinarian’s office, or they have made a house call to your place.
Stoughton Veterinary Services is located at the north end of Stoughton on Highway 47 and has helped farmers and pet owners since 1920. In May 1978, Dr. Anne Y. Kernaleguen completed her degree at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon and decided to start her career here in Stoughton with Dr. Don Pulfer. Kernaleguen was born and raised in Saskatchewan.
In January 1979, she purchased the clinic and made Stoughton her home. Along with her degree, Kernaleguen furthered her career in canine and feline dentistry.
It’s a busy time of the year for Kernaleguen, as calving season has begun, and being a rural clinic, the area this practice covers is large. It can run from Weyburn to Estevan, over to Montmarte and up to Kipling. Often the time driving to an appointment is much longer than the house call itself.
Their facilities are new, being built in 2016. It now houses two pens for large animals, for c-sections or any other large animal care. Kernaleguen said the main threat to calves is scours or pneumonia. It can spread through the herd quickly if not cared for in a timely fashion.
Kernaleguen has worked extensively with many cow-calf producers in the area, but it only provides 40 per cent of her business. Kernaleguen deals with some horse care, such as colic’s, foaling and vaccines, but the other 60 percent is through small animal care, and she has help with that area.
Dr. Michelle Anderson also completed her degree at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. Along with this, she has a major in zoology from Brandon University, then received a certificate in veterinary acupuncture. Anderson joined the practice in 2015.
Although she was born and raised in southwest Manitoba, Saskatchewan is home to her now. Anderson cares for the small animals at the clinic, but reptiles are not part of their specialties.
This clinic also employs three veterinary technologists, a clinic assistant, a kennel assistant and a receptionist. The vet. techs are responsible for laboratory procedures, first aid, drawing blood and more. Without these people the clinic couldn’t run smoothly. Someone needs to answer the phone, book your appointment and get as much history from the client, as this helps the veterinary with the result.
When the new building was put in place a kennel was also added. They offer large runs with outdoor access for dogs and kennel banks for the smaller breed dogs and cats. Currently, they do not have a groomer.
Just recently a stray cat was brought into the practice. He was estimated to be around seven months old, and it was obvious that he had a broken leg. Since the break was high up on his front limp, it needed to be amputated. Once healed, he was neutered and vaccinated, and put up for adoption. He has since been adopted by a lovely family. They regularly have strays at the clinic, which they find homes for.
In the past year they have seen nearly 400 new clients alone. Over 500 pets have been spayed or neutered. They are a busy place, yet the service is always friendly and caring. If you are expecting a new furry friend, book your appointment, so you won’t be disappointed that you must wait a little longer, as their calendar fills quickly.
Although this is a very busy place, they always have time to answer your questions and have regular office hours, but they also have an answering service for 24-hour emergency calls.
All animals are important to the staff members and their goal is to offer a caring and understanding environment, for both the animal and the owners, in a timely manner. They enjoy educating pet owners with the knowledge that they have.
Just like humans, animals need regular care, exercise and good food. To help the pet population please spay or neuter your pet.
