BEDSIDE MANNER—Sheila Langrock, DVM, checks on a stuffed animal "patient," which is being kept warm by a machine called a Bair Hugger, in the Yosemite Pet Hospital's recovery area. Tours were given of the facilities and veterinary equipment during a recent open house. Housed in a glass cabinet inside the waiting room at Yosemite Pet Hospital is a tiny museum of antique veterinary equipment— artifacts found during a renovation of the hospital five years ago.

While the oldfashioned syringes and pins for broken bones serve as a reminder of the past, they sit in stark contrast to the new, high-tech machines the Simi Valley pet hospital now uses to treat people's animal companions.

The hospital, at 5918 E. Los Angeles Ave., opened its doors recently to about 100 regular clients and new visitors to show off its state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and to celebrate five years of operation.

The afternoon open house included a raffle, a pet photographer, a pet behavior specialist and vendor booths. Simi K-9 Officer Chris Martin was on hand with his German shepherd, Gino, to answer questions and demonstrate some of the K-9 unit's tactical gear.

While the pet hospital has been in business for more than 30 years, Dr. Sheila Langrock took over the cinderblock building in summer 2004. Before its reopening, the building underwent an extensive remodel that resulted in additional examination rooms, a larger lobby, expanded treatment facilities and a lilacandsagegreen color scheme.

"When we bought it, it needed a face-lift. It was older and run-down," said Langrock, who received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis. "This is the last place I'm going to work, so I really wanted it to be the best."

Along with the renovations came the latest in veterinary equipment, including a highfrequency Xray machine and a dental X-ray unit.

Langrock said not all animal hospitals have dental X-rays since they are fairly new technology, but the unit helps her catch diseases she may not be able to see just by looking in an animal's mouth.

Another uncommon aspect of Langrock's practice is that she's not in the surgical room alone— she uses an anesthetic nurse to monitor an animal's vital signs during surgery.

"Yes, we have machines that do great things, but I have a person watching because sometimes machines make mistakes," she said. "When I'm doing surgery, I want to focus on surgery."

In addition, Langrock uses a machine called a Bair Hugger, which surrounds the animal with warm air to maintain its body temperature during surgery and recovery.

The hospital also has a full pharmacy and an inhouse laboratory. A chemistry analyzer called Vet Scan can do a full chemistry panel, red blood cell count and coagulation panel with less than a teaspoon of blood.

Because the patient record system is fully computerized— Langrock even uses a computer tablet during exams—the lab is hooked up to software that allows the hospital staff to follow trends.

"That way we can see things as they progress, and we can compare a sick dog to when they were healthy," she said.

Yosemite Pet Hospital has been accredited for the past three years by the American Animal Hospital Association, the only association that provides voluntary accreditation to pet hospitals. Yosemite is one of just 3,000 accredited veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.

"It's a very rigorous test and standards that you have to go through, at least 800 different standards that you have to pass," Langrock said. "It's anything from client service to the medicine you practice and the quality of care that you give."

Hospital staff can give tours during regular office hours. For more information about the hospital, call (805) 526-3455 or visit www.yosemitepet.com.