"Echo Elise Raley
Echo has been a vet assistant with VCA Woodland since February of this year, she graduated from Grand Valley with a bachelor’s in biology in 2018. She has 3 rescue animals, her pup Trixie and 2 FeLV+ kitties Acorn and Hazelnut as well as 2 rats Indrid and Onyx, and animal fosters who come and go. She is a chronic hair color changer and in her free time she can usually be found playing D&D with her friends or reading at home. "
Jenn Hazel started off at VCA Woodland about 2 years ago as a Client Service Representative. As far as Jenn could remember, she loved animals and has had a desire to work with them. However, she pursued several other careers and was not satisfied with her choices. She then decided to set her foot into the door of a veterinary clinic to start working around animals. After a year, she took it upon herself to pursue to career as a Licensed Veterinary Technician! She does not currently have any pets of her own, but she has plenty of plants at home. Her journey through VCA Woodland has preserved her passions.
Kiara started at VCA Woodland a few months ago after moving back from Arizona. She describes her experience as "living the dream", because she has been passionate about Veterinary Medicine for as long as she can remember. To her, there is nothing better than working in an environment where she is surrounded by amazing staff that share the same passion but even more so in an environment where she can pet 50 dogs in a work day.
Outside of her time at VCA, she is taking a hiatus from her Pre-Veterinary/ Biology program to complete an Associates in Veterinary Technology program. With whatever free time she can find in between the two, she enjoys spending time at the lake or on the couch with her amazing Fiancé and their little mutt puppy named Bonita. Essentially, her world turns because of our furry friends and she couldn’t wish for a better company to support that passion!
This fall VCA Woodland has decided to dedicate each Friday to spotlight our employees and give our clients the ability to know the faces behind the masks.
Dr. Martin is very excited to be taking over the role as Medical Director of VCA Woodland Animal Hospital. She spent the first 6 years of her career as a Chief of Staff with Banfield, The Pet Hospital prior to moving to Grand Rapids 5 years ago and accepting the position of Associate Doctor here at Woodland. She managed three different hospitals in two different states while with Banfield, and also spent time in an advisory role to multiple other hospitals in her region at that time as well. Dr. Martin is excited to resume a management role and contribute to the continued growth of the hospital while helping to maintain the high quality care that our clients expect and deserve at Woodland.
Over 300 search and rescue dogs participated in the most horrific event that took place on US soil on September 11th, 2001.
VCA Woodland would like to honor the fallen, first responders, and the search and rescue dogs on this day.
#neverforget #9/11 #heroes
Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28 is the day that we remember the pets that are no longer with us. The death of a beloved pet, whether it's the family dog, a furry kitty, or something a little more obscure, is a sad occasion.
We know you’re so excited to go on some autumn nature walks with your dog, but for this #FallSafetyTip, make sure you watch out for snakes, some of which can be venomous! They’re preparing for hibernation and may be a little crankier if disturbed by a curious pet! 🐍
When walking or hiking, if something happens to your pet, be sure to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. #VCApets
Today is Global Cat Day, a special occasion devoted to unowned, free-roaming “community” cats. These cats often get a bad rap but it’s important to understand that these cats aren’t so different from our beloved pets. As a matter of fact, many are living on the streets as a result of being abandoned by their families.
We've included some tips to help manage and care for the community cats in your neighborhood.
Helping these cats starts by being a responsible guardian! Spay/neuter your own cat and keep them indoors.
* In just seven years, a single pair of cats and their offspring could produce a staggering total of 420,000 kittens! #VCApets
Born and raised in Chicago, Kim relocated to GR after marrying her husband.
She worked in restaurant management her entire life and was really looking for a change. She responded to a job posting for a receptionist at Woodland Animal Hospital (before they became part of the VCA family). The change was challenging but well worth it. She has learned so much over the past ten years. She absolutely loves her job and has great respect for all of her coworkers. She has developed lasting bonds with many of our clients and on most days she has plenty of time to cuddle plenty of animals.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking, yoga and crossword puzzles.
Kim joined the VCA Woodland team in 2016 as supervisor of the rehabilitation department. She’s certified in both canine rehabilitation and fitness, being in the field for 14 years. Her rehabilitation certification was attained through Canine Rehabilitation Institute, her fitness certifications are through University of Tennessee and the American Kennel Club. In her free time Kim enjoys teaching pet obedience/fitness, biking and spending time with her 2 dogs, cat and husband.
Kristin has worked at VCA Woodland animal hospital since 2015. She has been working in veterinary medicine for 18 years, starting in emergency care. To sum her up: She has been dancing, listening to music, and taking care of animals her whole life.
In her younger days, she was a competitive dancer, teacher and choreographer. She will take any opportunity to listen to live music because it feeds her soul. She even helps with a local band selling their merchandise which gets her free access to live music woo hoo!
She (along with my dogs)has have fostered well over 100 kittens, with the occasional litter of puppies and rabbits thrown in and have loved them all! In her spare time she enjoys teaching, walking through the woods and hiking. She truly enjoys working with your furry family members!
✨Special Patient Spotlight!✨
Benny (four and a half year old Springer Spaniel) has been a patient at our hospital since early 2016 and has always been a staff favorite. He is a well mannered dog and is always as happy to see us as we are to see him. He went a few years seeing us for just preventative care, with the occasional minor illness, until mid-summer of 2019. Benny's parents noted that he was increasingly weak, lethargic, declining food, developing abnormal bathroom habits, and generally seeming unwell. Dr. Martin jumped right in to diagnostic work to try and give Benny's family some answers and, after running two rounds of labwork, she saw a significant decrease in his Packed Cell Volume (PCV), which is the percentage of cells that are in the blood. This meant that one of three things was likely happening to Benny: some sort of internal bleeding, rodenticide toxicity {https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/rodenticide-warfarin-poisoning-in-dogs}, or a disorder called Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA), in which the body's immune system begins to attack it's own red blood cells causing rapid, severe anemia.
Through some continued diagnostics and consulting with specialists, Dr. Martin was able to determine that Benny was suffering from IMHA. This is a life threatening condition in dogs, so Benny was immediately transferred to Blue Pearl for blood transfusions and 24 hour monitoring. At first, things didn't look very promising for Benny, but after his second blood transfusion and starting proper medications, he began to recover.
Fast forward two years to today and Benny is in great health. His condition is kept at bay by a dose of Mycophenolate twice daily and regular visits to see his friends here at VCA Woodland. We are reminded every time we see his big, goofy smile how fortunate it was that he was able to have a second chance at life due to a quick acting veterinary team and a loving family who was dedicated to finding answers for their fur-child.
This week’s puppy of the week competitors are too cute to handle! Vote for your favorite puppy by liking/reacting to their photo (1 point) or commenting on their photo (2 points).
We have Bon Bon the 17 week old Shih Tzu/ Poodle mix, Millie the 10 week old Catahoula Leopard Dog Mix, Blue the 9 week old Siberian Husky, Oreo the 11 week old Lab/ Poodle Mix and Bugzy the 18 week old Frenchie.
Congratulations to Kylo for being our puppy of the week winner this time! We can’t wait to see his little smile again soon.
Call our hospital at 616-942-6780 to schedule an appointment for your pup for a chance to win!
VCA Woodland Animal Hospital updated their business hours.
This week's Puppy of the Week competitors are here! A like/reaction to the photo of your favorite puppy is worth 1 vote, and a comment is worth 2 points!
Our competitors this week; Kylo (17 week old German Shepherd/ Husky mix), Taco (8 week old Golden Retriever), Draco (8 week old Siberian Husky), Rambo (9 week old and Siberian Husky) and Kane (9 week old Black Labrador Retriever). 🐶💖
Congratulations to Izzy the adorable German Shepherd, for being our third Puppy of the Week champ! We can't wait to see this sweetie to give her the prizes she won.
Book your puppy for an appointment with us for a chance to be entered in the next contest! 💓
