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Whether treating guinea pigs’ eye issues or a cat’s heart condition, these animal docs are experts in their fields.
Dr. Tiffany Tapp
Specialty: Dermatology
Patients: Dogs and cats
Services: Many of the hundreds of skin diseases recognized in cats and dogs look alike, but Dr. Tapp has the capability to tell them apart. She provides consultations, intradermal skin testing, immunotherapy and more. Since these diseases are usually lifelong, she’ll stay
in touch with your veterinarian and schedule follow-up appointments. Veterinary Healing Arts, 2740 South County Trail, East Greenwich, 885-1163, d4a.org
Dr. Henry Wietsma
Specialty: Exotics
Patients: Mainly small animals, including reptiles and rare mammals
Services: Dr. Wietsma offers a wide range of care, from treating beak and feather diseases to routine check-ups and wellness exams for any animal. Expect to see a little a bit of everything coming through this office. Wickford Veterinary Clinic, 7440 Post Rd., North Kingstown, 295-9739
Dr. Mark Stamoulis
Specialty: Cardiology
Where: Travels for consultations in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts
Patients: Mainly smaller animals
Services: The only board-certified veterinary cardiologist in Rhode Island and one of only about 150 in the country. Offers echocardiograms, ultrasounds, and other technology used to treat humans to get a comprehensive look at your animal’s ticker. Ask your vet for a referral.
Dr. Elizabeth Hassinger
Specialty: Holistic Medicine
Patients: Mainly dogs, cats and horses
Services: Dr. Hassinger founded Wolf Rock in 1997 as a place where owners can seek a more holistic approach to their pets’ medical care. In addition to acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicine, the center also provides the services of a traditional vet’s office, such as surgery and general care. Wolf Rock Animal Health Center, 710 South County Trail, Exeter, 294-0102, wolfrockanimals.com
Dr. Vint Virga
Specialty: Behaviorist
Patients: Dogs and cats
Services: Can’t figure out what’s behind your pet’s problematic behavior? After you fill out
an extensive behavior description form, Dr. Virga will help you apply appropriate behavior modification techniques and also prescribe medication if necessary.Veterinary Healing Arts, 2740 South County Trail, East Greenwich, 885-1163
Dr. Cathy Lund
Specialty: Cats
Animals Treated: All attention is devoted to frisky felines
Services: In a non-threatening environment that includes funky fifties cat decor, Dr. Lund conducts wellness visits, treats medical and surgical problems, and helps cat owners learn how to manage chronic diseases at home
with medication. As she likes to stress, pun intended, the staff at this clinic is both atten-tive and non-dogmatic. City Kitty Veterinary Care for Cats, 18 Imperial Place, Providence,
831-6369, city-kitty.com
Dr. Ken Abrams
Specialty: Ophthalmology
Patients: Mostly small animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and “pocket pets” such as hamsters and guinea pigs
Services: Dr. Abrams uses advanced equip-ment to ensure that your pet will always be able to see the smile it puts on your face. He treats problems similar to those in humans, such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases, and tumors of the eye. Some patients have traveled from as far away as Bermuda to take advantage of his expertise. Veterinary Ophthalmology Services, Inc., 42 Benefit St., Warwick, 738-7337, peteyespecialist.com
24-hour vets
Facilities that cater to pet emergencies
at all hours of the day, or night.
Ocean State Veterinary Specialists
1480 South County Trail, East Greenwich,
886-6787, osvs.net
Open twenty-four hours a day, they offer specialty services like oncology and surgery,
as well as CTs and MRIs. They also see
small animals and exotics. $105 from 8 a.m.
to midnight; $120 from midnight to 8 a.m.
Mass-Rhode Island Veterinary ER
477 Milford Rd., Swansea, Mass., 508-730-1112
With at least two emergency veterinarians per shift and board-certified specialists called in for crucial cases, this twenty-four-hour hospital, which does x-rays and ultrasounds, can get your pet in and out quickly. They’ll take domes-tics as well as some exotics. $95 from 8 a.m. to midnight; $110 from midnight to 8 a.m.
Bay State Veterinary Emergency Services
76 Baptist St., Swansea, Mass.,
508-379-1233, osves.net
Board-certified surgeons are on-call, and internal medicine specialists handle the ultrasound equipment. Dogs, cats, reptiles and other small animals and exotics can all be treated here. The basic treatment fee is $95.
Emergency Veterinary Services of
Rhode Island
205 Hallene Rd., Warwick, 732-1811
This West Bay facility offers basic treatment, including x-rays and blood tests. They primarily treat cats and dogs. Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and twenty-four hours on
the weekends. The basic treatment fee is $78.
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Copyright 2012 Rhode Island Monthly
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Reader Comments:
I with to emphasize the "specialist" concept in veterinary meidicine, as there is often confusion on this matter. Veterinary specialists, be they surgeons, internists, radiologists or dermatologists have undergone extensive rigorous training beyond the general veterinary degree, and pass a difficult certification exam afterwards. Drs Lund and Hassinger, while talented and competent veterinarians, are not specialists, and I am sure do not refer to themselves as such. In addition, Ocean State Veterinary Specialists is the largest vet hospital in the state, has 10 full time specialists on staff (of the 17 total in Rhode Island), and none of which seem to have made your list. Is that an intentional oversight? Or just incomplete research?
Susan M Newell DVM, MS, DACVR
Specialist in radiology
Being a retired citizen with many wonderful pets through the years; I have had the opportunity to use many of the services of the vets listed on this page and many others. There were also those emergency visits to the Ocean State Veterinary "Hospital" that many of us pet owners eventually have to face. Susan M Newell DVM, who posted here, works at the "Hospital" and I think as a professional she should have mentioned this. Further she apparently does not know that Dr Vint Virga on the above list is the "Hospital's " behavior "specialist". Dr. Tiffany Tapp use to work there.
Dr Hassinger may not be a "specialist", but she took two of my pets from death's door, when even "the Ocean State Hospital" had no other solutions; to live an extra 4 to 5 years. Although Dr Hassinger services cost more than the average vet; I never felt this was the focus of the practice. Ocean State Hospital however, and I know it's a business, nonetheless can be downright rude when it comes to money. I pay my bills, but the office manager called me by mistake; and I could not believe her tone before she realized the error. Is it too much to ask that posts be helpful and not advertisements?