Perkins Road Veterinary Hospital is a well-established, full-service, small animal veterinary hospital providing comprehensive medical, surgical and dental care.

We provide a broad spectrum of diagnostic procedures through in-house testing and the use of external laboratories. We also work closely with local specialty practices when special diagnostic procedures are required. The facility includes a well-stocked pharmacy, in-hospital surgery suite, in-house x-ray capabilities, a closely supervised hospitalization area, and indoor climate controlled boarding kennels, outdoor day kennels and a very large exercise yard. Our special feline boarders are housed in their own area of the hospital away from all dogs.

At Perkins Road Veterinary Hospital we strive to offer not only sound advice, but also optimal veterinary care, thus allowing you the enjoyment of your companion for a maximum number of years. Our job is not only to treat your pet when he or she isn't feeling well, but also to help you learn how to keep your best friend happy and healthy.

Our Doctors
Dr. Curt Ritchie
Dr. Ritchie is a 1992 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a BS in Animal Science. He is a 1996 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Dr. Ritchie worked his first 4+ years as a mixed animal veterinarian at the Denham Springs Animal Hospital. In December of 2000, he and his wife Dr. Jennifer Ritchie, purchased the Perkins Road Veterinary Hospital. He now concentrates on canine and feline only medicine, surgery and advanced dentistry. Dr. Ritchie's interests are in small animal dentistry, surgery, pediatrics, geriatrics, preventative medicine, dermatology and pain management. Dr. Curt is currently in a residency program to become board certified in veterinary dentistry. Dr. Ritchie is a member of the AVMA, LVMA, AVDS, BRAVMA, VIN and AAFP. When Dr. Curt isn't working he loves spending time with his family, golf and watching all sports especially the purple and gold!



Dr. Jennifer Ritchie
Dr. Jennifer Hetzler Ritchie, a New Orleans native, completed her undergraduate studies as a prevet major st Louisiana State University. She earned her DVM from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998 where she met her husband, Dr. Curt Ritchie. Dr. Jennifer worked at several small animal hospitals following graduation until she and her husband purchased the Perkins Road Animal Hospital in 2000. She takes pride in their excellent staff and the high quality of medicine and surgery practiced at PRVH. Dr. Jennifer believes in an "open door policy" which encourages clients to tour the facility, visit their sick pets or boarding animals. Along with practicing veterinary medicine, Dr. Jennifer has developed and teaches companion animal medicine at Louisiana State University. Her special interests include internal medicine, pain management and dermatology. Jennifer's favorite pastime is spending time with her husband and daughters. She also enjoys running, gardening and swimming.



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What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's Upcoming Surgery
Many people have questions about various aspects of their pet's surgery, and we hope this information will help. It also explains the decisions you will need to make before your pet's upcoming surgery.

Is the anesthetic safe?
Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Perkins Road Veterinary Hospital, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics, to ensure that a fever or other illness won't be a problem. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet.

Preanesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. Every pet will have blood testing before surgery to ensure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If there is a problem, it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.

Will my pet have stitches?
For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin. These will dissolve on their own, and do not need to be removed later. Some surgeries, especially tumor removals, do require skin stitches. With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. Most dogs and cats do not lick excessively or chew at the incision, but this is an occasional problem you will also need to watch for. If there are skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet's activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.

Will my pet be in pain?
Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals. Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it. Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed. Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.

Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them. Each cat will receive pain medications taylor made for their procedure.

What other decisions do I need to make?
When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need to 5 to 10 minutes of time to fill out paperwork. It is important that the pet's primary care giver be the one who drops of the pet and fills out the paperwork. It is also very important that we have at least two contact numbers in case we need to get in touch with you. When you pick up your pet after surgery you can also plan to spend about 10 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off and to answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions about your pet's health or surgery.