Newtown Animal Medical Center:

A New Name And New Standards

By Nancy K. Crevier

Anyone traveling south along Route 25 may notice new signage springing up in front of 98 South Main Street when Newtown Animal Clinic is renamed Newtown Animal Medical Center. But the name change is just one of several significant changes to come, said Dr J. Chris Mixon, who took over the practice in January 2006.

Providing the best possible client and patient service to meet or exceed current veterinary medicine standards is the mission of the practice Dr Mixon has owned for two years. First he put together a team of compassionate, professional, and friendly people, and continued by envisioning a plan that will allow the practice to acquire state-of-the-art equipment and tools that can be used in an efficient and pleasant work space.

Dr Mixon stresses the quality of care and the importance of a positive experience for his clients and their pets.

“My vision is to continually outpace the standards of care, which are constantly increasing,” said Dr Mixon. “I have tried to build a staff with the ability to bring that standard of care up to what I want.”

To do so, Dr Mixon, a graduate of the University of Florida, provides training and education for the office and technical staff. In January 2007, Dr Mixon hired Tom Billini, a certified veterinary technician, to serve as his head technician at the hospital.

“Tom has worked in veterinary emergency and referral clinics and in advanced care. He has 15 years of experience,” said Dr Mixon. Having a certified vet technician on staff brings to the office a level of professionalism and skill that is needed to provide the quality care for which he hopes Newtown Animal Medical Center will be known.

Newtown Animal Medical Center provides full services for small animals, primarily dogs and cats. “I have solely focused on cats and dogs for ten years, so I feel that that is my area of expertise,” said Dr Mixon. “Pocket pets” like hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs make up only a very small percentage of his practice.

But the practice is much more than an in-and-out service center for simple procedures and vaccinations, and Dr Mixon believes that the new name will convey that to clients.

“The word ‘clinic’ in our old name did not reflect all we can do here. I want to overcome the perception that we only offer standard care,” he said.

Preventative care is a top priority for the practice, because it is so crucial to the long-term health of an animal, Dr Mixon said. Newtown Animal Medical Center also provides intensive care, laser surgery, on-site diagnostics, full orthopedics, surgery, and critical care. An internal medicine specialist comes from the New Haven area on Tuesdays to provide support on problem cases that would otherwise need to be sent on to referral clinics, a costly proposition and inconvenience for clients, Dr Mixon said.

“We can do nearly all of the same surgeries here for a lower cost than what it would be to go to a specialist out of town. I do practically everything except hip replacements right here, the client gets an immediate follow-up call following surgery, and the pet is right here where I can monitor it. It is better overall for the pet and the owner,” Dr Mixon pointed out.

There are other differences to the level of care Newtown Animal Medical Center offers, according to Dr Mixon. For example, most modern veterinarians who perform surgery on pets provide some sort of warming device under the animal to maintain body temperature during the procedure, but Newtown Animal Medical Center goes one step further. Dr Mixon utilizes the “bear hugger,” which circulates warm air around the animal during surgery, as well.

“By maintaining the core body temperature during surgery, it makes recovery easier,” Dr Mixon explained. “I try to provide the best of what is available. My clients are the ones who want the best care possible for their pets.”

To ensure that he and his staff are on top of the ever-changing trends in animal medicine that affect his 2,000 clients and their pets, Dr Mixon makes a point of attending veterinary conferences around the country, keeping up on reading of trade magazines, and having new editions of textbooks on hand for referral.

“Reading and going online to veterinarian information networks is important to keep up on the latest information, to get new ideas, and to learn about new techniques,” said Dr Mixon, who believes that education must go beyond the doors of the hospital. “I’m huge on educating the client, and I make recommendations based on each individual animal’s needs. Every breed is different, every animal is different, and I try to address that.”

That the comfort level of his clients and patients is important to this doctor is apparent from the airy, bright waiting room, complimentary coffee service, and cheerful staff. It is carried over into a new addition in the hospital, as well, the bereavement room.

“We believe in compassionate passing,” said Dr Mixon. “The bereavement room is a quiet, darker room where clients can spend the last few moments with their pets in an environment that is not noisy or intrusive when euthanasia is necessary,” Dr Mixon said. Newtown Animal Medical Center will also provide in-home euthanasia for regular clients upon request. “The last few moments of life should not be filled with stress and anxiety, for the animal or for its owner,” said Dr Mixon.

Providing ways to make the animal care experience better leads to the next step Dr Mixon plans to take, that of expanding the physical space of the hospital.

“The space I have is limited. To have a state-of-the-art facility, we need more open spaces, and better surroundings. It’s important to make a good first impression,” Dr Mixon said. Whether he will work on the current footprint of the building and reconfigure the rooms or whether he will completely rebuild the facility hinges on what is allowed by the town and his budget, but within the next two years he would like to see the building better able to accommodate his clients and their needs.

“We should have an intensive care unit separate from the rest of the hospital, or at least isolated from rest of the hospital. A true isolation facility with a separate entrance for in and out would be ideal, in case anyone comes in with a case that needs to be kept separate from other patients,” Dr Mixon said. The expansion, he hopes, will also allow for 24-hour intensive care and an emergency clinic with near-specialty quality of care.

“Right now, there is no local emergency care. If your pet needs emergency care, you have to go to Shelton or Danbury. I would like to be able to change that,” said Dr Mixon.

The name of the practice heralds a transformation of the practice, but Dr Mixon is adamant that future changes will only provide superior care for his client and for their pets. At Newtown Animal Medical Center, his goal is for care that exceeds clients’ expectations, Dr Mixon said. “I have had patients say to me ‘I’ve never had a vet do that for my pet,’ and that’s what I like to hear.”