Yorktown Animal Hospital back in
business
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Drs. Phillip Raclyn (left) and Steven Kasanofsky look over
one of their patients at Yorktown Animal Hospital.
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by Martin
Wilbur
When Yorktown Animal Hospital was shut down for eight
months in 2001 and 2002, it left a large void in local veterinary care and
in the community.
Pet owners who were used to checking out their
dog or cat at the free-standing building on Veterans Road had grown
accustomed to stopping by whenever their companions weren’t feeling well
or needed a checkup.
But the hospital, now nearly a year into its
second incarnation, is again thriving just as it had for about four
decades.
“ It kind of made us feel that Yorktown Animal Hospital is
sort of an institution in Yorktown and when it closed down there was kind
of a big hole,” said Dr. Phillip Raclyn, who along with his partner Dr.
Steven Kasanofsky reopened the facility last year.
“ People found
band aids and when it opened up again people started flocking back,” he
added.
Like finding a pediatrician for a child, Raclyn said pet
owners want the same level of trust when seeking care for their animals.
Familiarity also plays a significant role in their choice of a
veterinarian. Raclyn and Kasanofsky have Dr. Theodore Hoch, the former
co-partner of the previous Yorktown Animal Hospital and a fixture at the
facility for more than 30 years.
While the surroundings, level of
care and Hoch’s presence as one of the attending veterinarians gives
clients a comfortable feel, there is one major difference people may
notice at the new Yorktown Animal Hospital.
Raclyn and Kasanofsky,
both Westchester residents, (Kasanofsky lives in Croton while Raclyn
resides in Briarcliff) have been pioneering integrative and holistic
medicine at their two Manhattan offices for more than a
decade.
They combine those approaches with conventional veterinary
practices.
Both veterinarians are certified veterinary
acupuncturists and have extensive training in traditional Chinese medicine
and herbology.
During the past 10 years, alternative methods have
gained steam as accepted practices to treat animals just as people have
slowly become comfortable with exploring alternative treatments for
themselves.
“Most vets around the country are not familiar with the
alternatives to conventional medicine, and sometimes a holistic treatment
is safer and more effective that a more traditional one,” Kasafonsky
said.
“We’ve handled so many cases that other veterinarians have
given up on, and we’ve been able to be successful simply because we have
more therapeutic alternatives and a more holistic outlook on health,” he
added.
Kasanofsky said he became convinced alternative veterinary
medicine can work shortly after he began practicing with Raclyn.
A
woman came to one of their Manhattan locations with an old cat suffering
from a multitude of ailments. The pet no longer ate or slept in its
favorite chair and its owner was desperate to put it out of its
misery.
After consulting with Kasanofsky, a round of acupuncture
was scheduled. The woman called later that same afternoon that the animal
had gone to its food bowl for the time in days and was resting comfortably
in the usual sleeping position.
Kasanofsky said although the cat
died several days later the fact a pet with so many problems could be
comforted so late in life was impressive.
Raclyn also saw
first-hand on his own dog how alternative treatments can augment
conventional care.
Despite what may still be considered unorthodox
methods, the new approaches are designed to work in tandem with
common-sense care like regular visits, vaccinations and a good diet, he
said.
Raclyn said as alternative treatments have steadily gained
acceptance in people’s health care, the same has become true with their
pets.
“There’s two ways to practice medicine,” said Raclyn. “One is
being a fireman where we’re always putting out fires, because the animals
are constantly getting sick one after another with things that are
preventable.”
“The other way to practice medicine is to be more of
a health engineer, to create an environment where the pets don’t get sick
that often. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”
The pair’s
Riverside Animal Hospital and Riverside Veterinary Group, both located on
the Upper West Side, have the distinction of being two of just a handful
of practices in Manhattan that have been recognized as AAHA hospitals by
the American Animal Hospital Association.
In addition to tending
to the pets’ health needs, the hospital also provides kennel care for
people who want their pets tended to while they are away.
In fact,
said Raclyn, some people will drop off their dogs just for the day while
they are at work as sort of a “doggie day care.”
Kasanofsky also
can help with smaller pets, like hamsters and gerbils, although that
represents less than one percent of their business.
He said the
challenge of helping people’s pets, who are like a family member in most
households, makes his job rewarding.
“ I like what I do. I like
getting up every morning and coming here,” Kasanofsky said. “The only
downside is not all the animals do well. Knowing you can make 15 animals
better, in a day and one won’t get better that’s the one you go home with
on your mind.”
Yorktown Animal Hospital is located at 271 Veterans
Road in Yorktown Heights, off Commerce Street. For more information,
contact 962-3111..
