Q and A with Dr. Carla Andrews:
Q: Why did you choose to become a veterinarian?
A: Growing up I showed horses and wanted to spend every waking moment at the barn interacting with them and all the farm animals. This experience lead me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.
Q: Where did you obtain your degree?
A: I obtained my doctorate in veterinary medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA.
Q: When opening LVC in 1998, what ways did you want to make LVC different than other practices?
A: We wanted to offer state of the art services to our patients and the highest quality of veterinary medicine to our patients at all times.
Q: Are there any special interests in veterinary medicine that you particularly enjoy?
A: Veterinary behavior and the training of service, working and companion sport dogs.
Q: One thing you love about your job is…
A: I love nurturing the human-animal bond and establishing a relationship with my patients and the clients who own them. I really enjoy trying to come up with a diagnosis of an animal’s illness, treat the patient and see them happily go home to their family.
Q: One thing that is hard about your job is…
A: Seeing the pain a client experiences when they say goodbye to their pet.
Q: One thing you would like pet owners to know is…
A: Even after 30 years of practice, I still love serving them and their beloved pets.
Q: You have been influential in bringing Fear Free, Cat Friendly and Gentle Restraint practices to Longwood Veterinary Center. Can you briefly explain the importance of this to the pet and their owners?
A: Over the years I knew there had to be a better way to relieve a pet’s fear in general. Training my own dogs and having an interest in veterinary behavior sparked my interest in these topics. I began to observe my patients as they came into LVC and realized a lot of them are very anxious and afraid. I realized if my clients experience at the vet was less stressful to them and their pet, they would be more likely to visit LVC and receive preventative and non-routine care more quickly- thus providing better pet health.
Q: What is one thing you would like clients to do at home to aid the Fear Free initiative?
A: If medically able, bring your pet to LVC hungry since giving treats helps our staff reward them when doing our exam. If your pet is not food motivated and is very fearful we can prescribe anti-anxiety medicine to be taken 2 hours prior to their appointment.
Q: What is one fun fact people may not know about Dr. Andrews?
- I compete in agility with my standard Poodles: Francine and Arlo.
- I love country music and hiking.
- I help Delaware Humane Association with providing veterinary care to the under served population in Wilmington, DE monthly.
- I would love to train dogs in retirement!
