Caring for the family pet

Healthcare and medical treatments are provided by doctors for people of all ages and sizes. Most want themselves and their families to be healthy—and that means all members of the family, including those with four paws. "We take care of family members—that's how we consider them," said Dr. Jamie Pursell, one of the two veterinarians at Edenwood Veterinary Clinic, 4686 SR 231, Tiffin. "Taking care of the pet also directly links to the psychological well-being of their owners. So, not only do we do behavior for (pets,) we also learn to incorporate what we need to do to help the owners," Pursell said. Pursell is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and she specializes in small animal medicine. She has also spent time being on the Farm Bureau boards and The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association from 1996-2022, where she worked to improve veterinary medicine. "I've wanted to do veterinary medicine since I was very small, so it's just been a lifelong career for me," Pursell said. "I really didn't want to do anything else." Edenwood Veterinary Clinic was initially established in 1976 and in 1997 Pursell joined the team as an associate veterinarian. In 2004, Pursell then purchased the business after the previous doctor retired and since then has brought many ideas to the practice. Ideas such as ultrasound capabilities, CO2 laser surgery, therapeutic laser, digital radiology, advanced in-house laboratory and diagnostic services, complete anesthetic monitoring systems and more. Pursell noted that CareVet bought the practice back in November of 2022, but nothing has changed at the practice or in their day-to-day operations. The practice provides various services including boarding, diagnostics, senior pet care, laboratory and pharmacy care, stem cell therapy, reproductive services, surgical services and urgent care to name a few. The clinic works on a variety of pets including small animals and pocket pets, excluding reptiles. Animals the clinic regularly sees include dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, bunnies, guinea pigs, flying squirrels and a few farm animals such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and some birds. In October of 2022, Dr. Beth Lorensen was welcomed to the Edenwood Veterinary team. Lorensen also studied and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked in a variety of areas within the veterinary field which includes small animal medicine, mixed animal medicine (large and small,) and education in which she taught in the veterinary technician program at Stautzenberger College. Lorensen said she has always had an interest in science and animals, which is what eventually led her to her veterinary career. "I like to figure things out, and I was always very interested in what was going on with animals and so I felt veterinary medicine would be a good fit for my interests," she said. As the two veterinarians work on a variety of different pet-related issues, they explained their tasks differ from day to day. Lorensen said they never know what to expect when they come to work, but they generally try to keep things on a schedule. For example, usually surgeries take place in the mornings, while appointments go into the afternoon. "We get everything from a broken toenail to routine vaccines, to major end-of-life medical related issues," Lorensen said. Pursell added, "As general practitioners, the world doesn't know but we handle behavior problems, orthopedic problems, dermatologic problems, neurologic problems, musculoskeletal problems, so our base is everything and anything. "We have the capabilities to do X-rays, ultrasounds and bloodwork," she continued. "We are your first line of defense in your animal care." Along with Pursell and Lorensen, Edenwood has a full staff of 10 employees including two Registered Veterinary Technicians (with one in training) veterinary assistants and customer service representatives. "We have an amazing staff," Pursell said. "Without them, we would not function. I just can't say enough about them—our technicians are highly qualified, highly empathetic and all of my employees go over and above. They know what's going on and understand the processes, what needs to be done and how to handle people." Pursell and Lorensen emphasized Edenwood's mission to provide quality, compassion and care for the family pet. "We really take that to heart," Pursell said. For more information on Edenwood Veterinary Clinic, visit edenwoodvet.com.