Wright-Patterson AFB's Veterinary Treatment Facility offers many cost-saving services Published June 9, 2016 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Active-duty military, reservists and retirees have a way to save money at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and it starts with friends with furry paws. The Wright-Patterson AFB Veterinary Treatment Facility, Bldg. 1425, Area A, just off Communications Boulevard near Gate 15A, does more than provide almost all facets of care of the installation's military working dogs, plus U.S. Customs and Transportation Security Administration working dogs. It also offers surgical services, laboratory tests, blood workups, allergy treatment, vaccinations, nail trims, X-rays, ultrasounds, microchipping and preventative medications for heartworms, fleas and ticks at a discount for the companion animals of people with military IDs, with those animals being dogs and cats. The facility falls under the jurisdiction of the Army's Public Health Command District-Ft. Knox, Fort Knox, Kentucky. The Army is the Department of Defense executive agent for all veterinary care. As a Tier II facility, Wright-Patterson AFB's facility has a military veterinarian, civilian veterinarian, two military animal care specialists and three civilian animal health assistants, when fully staffed. "We are much more cost-effective than you'll find at an outside practice," said Army Capt. (Dr.) Cassandra Kerwin, clinic officer in charge. "We estimate the savings to be one half to two thirds. "When I talk to people eligible to use our clinic, they tell me they don't live that close to our facility," she said. "For the savings we offer, it's worth driving a little bit farther." Potential customers are welcome to call the clinic for a "ballpark" quote. "Many people are unaware that we do basic surgical procedures, like spays or neuters and mass removals, here," Kerwin said. A side benefit of the clinic is it keeps up the veterinarians' and staff's medical and surgical skills to sustain their main mission of caring for military working dogs. Non-appropriated Funds civilian staff members keep the clinic running when the two veterinarians are training, working elsewhere or are on leave. A laboratory animal veterinarian from Area B fills in to perform surgical procedures when needed. Also working at the facility for 4½ years is veterinarian Capt. (Dr.) Jessica Clarkson, an Army reservist. Kerwin and Clarkson frequently confer to provide the best of patient care. Kerwin has been at Wright-Patterson AFB since the end of last August. Both vets own dogs, with Kerwin adding a cat and a turtle. "We tend to develop close relationships with our patients and clients so that your pets become a part of our veterinary family," Clarkson said. Military dogs are welcomed patients Not surprising is that the military working dogs are the best-behaved patients the veterinarians treat. "They are so easy to work with because they are so well-trained," Clarkson said. A large, color-coded whiteboard grid opposite the vets' shared office helps keep track of the working dogs' needs and their handlers. The prominent visual aid indicates the scope of the clinic's top mission. The MWDs' activity levels, weight and diet as aspects of overall health are carefully monitored. Kerwin provides training to the handlers as well as a tactical critical care evacuation team on the differences between caring for human versus animal evacuees. "Down range, if they ever need to care for one of our MWDs that might have been hurt and needed to be evacuated, then they would know what to do to provide on-site care until they are able to get the animal to another location," she said. "A lot of the injuries are the same, but the way you approach them is different for some things," Kerwin noted.