Scope of Practice

Dr Foukal limits his practice to canine and feline medicine and surgery. This also includes consultations in nutrition and behavioural problems. Whereas much of his practice is house call oriented Dr. Foukal has established hospital privileges at the Creekside Animal Clinic in Vernon for all procedures that require hospitalization. These include: surgery, radiography, dentistry, EKG, ultrasound, i.v. fluids and intensive care.

The following is a list of procedures that can be done within the home visit:

General exam and consultation
Vaccinations
Injections
Blood and urine sampling
Blood pressure monitoring
Nail trimming
Subcutaneous fluid therapy
Blood glucose testing
Pain relief
Minor biopsies and aspirates
Treatment and suturing of minor cuts
Euthanasia

Most of these procedures require at least one person to be able to assist in holding their pet. While the great majority of pets allow the above procedures the decision to hospitalize a pet is based on patient compliance and safety and is left up to Dr. Foukal's discretion.

Philosophy of practice

As a house call practitioner, Dr. Foukal believes in the benefits of building a strong rapport with his clients. This he achieves with good communication and through education. He feels strongly that both the prevention of disease and it's treatment is best served by a good basic understanding on the part of the pet owner of all aspects of a particular problem. This requires a holistic approach which is well served by a house call practice. It is in the context of a house call that a veterinarian can better appreciate a pet's environment, diet and family dynamics. It goes without saying that many pets, especially cats, are much more relaxed in a home environment. This not only benefit the pets and their owners but also importantly the veterinarian's ability to assess certain health parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

Finally, Dr. Foukal believes in a cooperative approach to pet care. The pet owner, once properly informed of a diagnosis, treatment and prognosis will make the decision that is best for the pet's welfare. This decision will be made without pressure with consideration to the family unit as a whole.