Stonebrook clinic specializes in small critters
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By Lindsey Bever
neighborsgo reporter
Dr. Craig Buffington treats small animals at Stonebrook Veterinary Clinic and Grooming, where he’s been since 1997.
Why did you decide to become a vet?
“I decided to become a vet because of my definite love of animals, but also because of my love of people. It’s a great way to interact with people through their animals. These animals are being taken care of by people. These owners are the people we go to help animals. If we don’t have good people skills, you’re going to have a frustrating career. You have to love people too.”
What kind of animals do you treat?
“We are small-animal exclusive, which usually pertains to cats and dogs only. We are a general practice. We do anything and everything, but we emphasize wellness blood testing and exams, not vaccines as much. The only way animals can talk to us it through their blood work. We also emphasize dentistry. We take X-rays to find out if something is going on in the gum line. We are constantly finding problems on dog’s teeth we didn’t know about. And then just internal medicine. We emphasize being very extensive with our care. And finally, there’s surgery. We do everyday surgeries, but we also bring in an experience surgeon for more complicated surgeries.”
What’s the strangest animal you’ve ever treated at the clinic?
“A 300-pound potbellied pig named Ethel at a practice in Fort Worth.”
What the best thing about your job?
“One thing I really enjoy is just the variety of things we do each day. Animals are so unpredictable. There’s no common outcome in veterinary medicine, which can be good or bad. Every patient is different. I think it’s the unpredictability I love, the mystery of solving problems and helping animals and the relationships. It’s just a great profession to be a part of.”
neighborsgo reporter
Dr. Craig Buffington treats small animals at Stonebrook Veterinary Clinic and Grooming, where he’s been since 1997.
Why did you decide to become a vet?
“I decided to become a vet because of my definite love of animals, but also because of my love of people. It’s a great way to interact with people through their animals. These animals are being taken care of by people. These owners are the people we go to help animals. If we don’t have good people skills, you’re going to have a frustrating career. You have to love people too.”
What kind of animals do you treat?
“We are small-animal exclusive, which usually pertains to cats and dogs only. We are a general practice. We do anything and everything, but we emphasize wellness blood testing and exams, not vaccines as much. The only way animals can talk to us it through their blood work. We also emphasize dentistry. We take X-rays to find out if something is going on in the gum line. We are constantly finding problems on dog’s teeth we didn’t know about. And then just internal medicine. We emphasize being very extensive with our care. And finally, there’s surgery. We do everyday surgeries, but we also bring in an experience surgeon for more complicated surgeries.”
What’s the strangest animal you’ve ever treated at the clinic?
“A 300-pound potbellied pig named Ethel at a practice in Fort Worth.”
What the best thing about your job?
“One thing I really enjoy is just the variety of things we do each day. Animals are so unpredictable. There’s no common outcome in veterinary medicine, which can be good or bad. Every patient is different. I think it’s the unpredictability I love, the mystery of solving problems and helping animals and the relationships. It’s just a great profession to be a part of.”
