42
|
October/November
•
2009
back surgery. It's also helped animals
with pain following operations, swelling
and chronic ear infections.
"It can produce results," Lehr said of
alternative medicine.
"In many cases, it's as effective as
conventional medicine."
For Sugar, Deborah King's 8-year-old
English bulldog,
Lehr uses
acupuncture and
laser treatment.
When it comes
to alternative
options, pet
owners usually
request them,
Lehr said. He will sometimes suggest
a combination of alternative and
conventional medicine, but he does not
believe an alternative approach is the best
choice in every situation. And he won't
even consider it if owners resist the idea.
Lehr decided at a young age that he
wanted to become a veterinarian. As
a child, his family had dogs, as well as
large animals such as horses, sheep and
Academy Pet Hospital,
200 Owen Drive, is open
7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Mondays and Wednesdays,
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays, and 9 a.m. to noon
on first and third Saturdays.
For more information, call
484.7153.
cattle. He earned his degree at the School
of Veterinary Medicine of the University
of Pennsylvania, and has been practicing
for 35 years, the past 33 of those in
Fayetteville.
"Growing up, I had a lot of contact
with veterinarians. I always assisted them
when they'd come around," he said.
These days, he
treats strictly small
animals. Dogs and
cats make up the
bulk of his patients,
but he also sees
pocket pets such as
ferrets, hamsters,
gerbils and birds.
Lehr works with another veterinarian,
Dr. Brooke Allison Moore, and seven lay
staff.
Alternative medicine is not exactly a
passion for Lehr. Rather, it developed due
to client demand.
But he has seen the incredibly positive
results. "I feel that a good bit of it does
work," he said, "and I'm all for whatever
works."
CV
WANT TO
KNOW MORE
"Holistic is a term that
is often improperly
used... It means treating
the whole patient.
"
