Best Veterinary Practice: Douglassville Veterinary Hospital Douglassville Veterinary Hospital is a family-owned veterinary hospital which strives to provide patients with the highest quality medical and surgical care. In addition to state of the art medical equipment, the entire staff’s dedication to each patient is what sets Douglassville Veterinary Hospital apart. It is this philosophy of care which inspired Dr. JoAnn DeWire to open the hospital 18 years ago and continues to this day. Dr. DeWire, along with her son Dr. Geoff DeWire, lead a team of doctors and staff members who exemplify commitment and compassion to their clients and patients. “Every day, we feel honored that our clients have chosen us to care for their pets. We are proud to serve our community and privileged to be able to help so many patients, “ says Dr. DeWire.  Read full article on Berks County Living

Douglassville Veterinary Hospital Donates 500lbs Food to the ARL – original article from Berks Mont News
The Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Berks County received a big donation from the Douglassville Veterinary Hospital.
Thanks to a fundraiser on Facebook, the ARL received 500 pounds of Hill’s Pet Nutrition food for animals. The Douglassville Veterinary Hospital decided that for every new “like” they got on their page, they would donate one pound of food up to 500 pounds. The food in question was Hill’s Science Diet. The contest started on Nov. 20 and in one day alone, had reached 100 pounds of food. Within three days, they had already had enough new “likes” to reach their goal of 500 pounds.
“The speed in which we accomplished the ‘500 like’ goal shows the public support for animals in need and the ARL specifically. We were thrilled to be able to help the ARL and this Facebook campaign allowed us to promote our veterinary practice while simultaneously helping shelter animals,” DVH doctor Geoff DeWire said.
Judd Meinhart and Ashley Mikulsky of the ARL were on hand to receive the donation. Both were very appreciative of all the food that was being donated. According to Mikulsky, they have a “very active Facebook page” which was pushing viewers towards the Douglassville Veterinary Hospital page so as to help them reach their goal and benefit the ARL.

​Berks 69 News Story
Pam Cunningham | Reporter
Posted: 5:04 pm EDT May 6, 2010Updated: 6:09 pm EDT May 6, 2010AMITY TWP., Pa. — It’s been more than a week since two women were shot and killed at the Hillside Motel in Amity Township, Berks County.The Levan sisters were known for their big hearts.And now the Douglassville Veterinary Hospital is paying tribute to their memory.The hospital typically cares for cats, but it doesn’t offer them up for adoption.But some cats the hospital is caring for now are special. They lived at the Hillside Motel.People would probably dump cats there because they knew they had a big heart and they knew the Levan sisters would take care of them, as they always do, said Dr. Geoff DeWire, Douglassville Veterinary Hospital.Charlene and Carolyn Levan were found shot to death and covered with blankets last Tuesday.It tore everyone up, said DeWire. It was a huge tragedy in the community, especially here because we knew them so well.DeWire said for 13 years, the Levan sisters brought the motel cats to the Douglassville Veterinary Hospital.They would routinely have cats that would come onto their property, said DeWire. They would always raise the cats. They would name them, bring them in, make sure they were healthy, get them vaccinated.When the Levan sisters were killed, about 15 cats lost their mothers.Because they were such dedicated and selfless cat owners, said DeWire, the only way to honor their memory is to make sure these cats are healthy.The nurses are caring for about six cats right now. They are in the process of trapping the others.The Humane Society and The Animal Rescue League are inundated already, said DeWire. It’s kitten season coming up and we would hate to have any of these cats put down because they are indoor/outdoor, so it makes it harder for them to be adopted.They said it’s the least they can do.Speaking about them and passing along their legacy and telling how great of people they were is one thing, said DeWire. But they loved those cats like family members so in some ways it would be taking care of their family. And it’s the best we can do for them I think. I’m not giving up on Carolyn Levan’s cats.

Berks County can add another television celebrity to its roster.
Sure, it’s not his own reality show – but local veterinarian Dr. Geoff C. DeWire of the Douglassville Veterinary Hospital is being featured on two episodes of the new National Geographic Wild program “My Dog Ate What?”
As you’d guess from the title, the show chronicles the unusual items sometimes eaten by the type of dog who inhales its food rather than chews it, along with the lifesaving measures taken by vets to remove these dangerous objects.
In last week’s episode, viewers saw a dog eat a cow’s tongue studded with pins – left in a New York City park in what law officials on the program call a voodoo curse – several fishing hooks, and a metal soup spoon.
Or rather, they saw re-creations of those incidents, as well as the sometimes graphic surgery and other measures taken to remove the offending objects.
They also saw DeWire discuss a past case involving Sophie, an adorable pug who managed to swallow a jagged piece of bone, and her worried owner, Patsy Kreamer of Birdsboro.
It wasn’t DeWire’s television debut – a former football player with Amherst (Mass.) College, DeWire said he’s seen his share of cameras.
But he doesn’t particularly crave the spotlight: DeWire said he took part in the program mostly to educate owners.
DeWire said some owners are reluctant to bring their dogs in immediately for the kind of vague symptoms that can signal the dog has eaten something harmful: lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
Some owners have waited as long as two weeks after their dogs began vomiting to bring them in.
“That’s about one and a half weeks too long,” he said.
A foreign, indigestible item in the GI tract can cause a rupture, leading to an infection that can kill the dog.
“It can be a major health risk,” he said. “You really don’t want to wait.”
That point is amply illustrated in the show: Several owners rushed their dogs to the vet immediately after seeing them eat something harmful, and the vets were able to induce vomiting rather than surgically removing the item.
Of course, not all owners witness their dog eating something strange, having to deduce it from later symptoms.
And sometimes, even when owners witness the dog eating something odd, surgery is the only option.
That was the case for an Amity Township family whose segment with DeWire will be broadcast on Tuesday’s episode.
The Carr family’s yellow lab, Riley, managed to swallow a 6-inch corncob – with a metal skewer still embedded in one end of it.
Recalled mother Ann, “He had engulfed the whole thing in one swallow.”
The incident is re-created on the show – but with a fake corncob made from fondant, Carr recalled.
Filming the two segments was grueling, DeWire said.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” he said, laughing at the memory. “It was a marathon. It was like 12 hours of filming.”
Whether or not the show can remain fresh after the novelty of its premise has worn off is an open question.
But the show isn’t likely to run out of stories to tell, if DeWire’s descriptions are accurate.
He and his mother, JoAnn, whose practice DeWire joined about three years ago, ticked off some of the items commonly ingested by canines: fiber fill from stuffed toys, tinsel, coins, tampons, pantyhose, socks, underwear, squeakers from toys.
Besides Riley’s corncob, this week’s episode also sees several pairs of underwear, a 5-foot leather leash, 27 pacifiers and $800 all disappear down dogs’ throats.
And while these dogs’ exploits make for interesting TV, most owners would rather avoid the experiences seen on-screen.
DeWire has some advice on that end: audit what you have around the house, and if your animal is acting strangely, bring it in.
“If you have concerns, just don’t wait,” he said.