How is Bassler Veterinary Hospital unique?

As a low-volume, high-quality practice, we love having time to get to know our patients well, and how to best care for them. Many veterinary practices schedule limited appointment times in an attempt to help as many pets as possible, some with appointments as brief as 10 minutes, but we believe in taking a slower, more thorough approach. Our standard appointments are scheduled for half-hour time slots, and we fill every bit of that time discussing your beloved companion’s care and how we can keep her happy and healthy for years to come. 

Qualified specialists for innovative treatments

In addition to longer appointment times for more comprehensive care, we see only cats and dogs, so we are knowledgeable about the most up-to-date practices for these two species and able to provide cutting-edge care. We have several certified veterinary technicians on our team, dedicated to easing your pet’s stress, providing nursing care, monitoring anesthesia, overseeing dental hygiene and radiology, and discussing the best way to provide optimal care for your beloved companion. Our veterinary technicians are also certified in companion animal laser therapy, which allows us to promote noninvasive healing and pain relief for pets with minimal side effects. Class IV laser reduces swelling and inflammation and stimulates the body’s natural healing pathways, which works to ease pain and speed up the healing process. We use our therapy laser to heal incisions and reduce recovery time after surgeries and dental procedures, and for chronic inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis.

Our veterinary assistants and technicians support our specialty veterinarians as well. For help with cases that require advanced imaging, Dr. McClellan lends her ultrasonography skills to obtain more information about a pet’s medical condition. We also enjoy the talents of veterinary surgeon, Dr. Zuckerman, who focuses solely on difficult surgeries, and veterinary cardiologist Dr. Casagrande, who provides cardiology consultations with advanced cardiology diagnostics. With the addition of three specialized veterinarians, we can offer even more advanced care for your pet. 

Our leader at Bassler Veterinary Hospital is Dr. Heidi Bassler herself. Passionate about dogs and cats, she strives to provide the most exemplary levels of care to promote their health, well-being, and comfort. As a general practitioner, she values building a relationship with clients and their pets throughout the course of their lives, paying special attention to pediatric and senior pet care. Although she is dedicated to every component of your beloved companion’s health, her special interests include dentistry, pain management, internal medicine, and dermatology. Throughout the course of her veterinary career, she has made significant advancements and pursued in-depth training to better the lives of animals, and our community is fortunate to have her caring for our pets. 

Advocates for feline-friendly care

We’re proud of our focus on feline-friendly care, as so many kitties don’t receive veterinary care because their owners don’t want to put them through a veterinary visit. As a member of the American Association for Feline Practitioners, Dr. Bassler and her entire team are skilled in “cat compassion”. To help soothe stressed cats in a veterinary setting, we have made the following changes to become more feline-friendly:

  • Separate cat and dog waiting areas, exam rooms, and wards to decrease stress
  • Low-stress handling techniques, usually meaning less is more
  • Proficient in reading feline behavior and understanding their stress signals
  • Ample time to allow cats to become comfortable with our voices and scent before handling 
  • Feline-appropriate medications and equipment to create the safest surgical procedures

We understand that cats are unique animals and require a different handling method than dogs. With our training and compassion for the feline species, we are able to design a veterinary experience that is minimally stressful and provides tailored care for these special pets.

Champions of excellent care

In addition to our feline-friendly skills and cutting-edge treatments, we are an AAHA-accredited practice. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) evaluates veterinary practices on over 900 standards to assess their patient care and facility in 18 categories. Unlike human hospitals, veterinary hospitals do not have to be accredited, and undertaking the rigorous accreditation process is strictly voluntary. We are the only veterinary hospital in the greater Newburyport area that has achieved this distinction,and we also serve the Salisbury, Amesbury, Merrimac, Seabrook, Newbury, Byfield, and West Newbury communities. 

If you’d like your pet to have a relaxed veterinary care experience, call us to schedule an appointment. As an AAHA-accredited hospital, we are champions of veterinary excellence, and champions of your beloved pet’s health.