By Janet Mcafee
On November 1, 2016, I had the pleasure of attending the open house of Paws and Claws Urgent Care in Palm Desert. The warm and inviting atmosphere and homelike décor are in striking contrast to most sterile medical facilities. The exam rooms furnished like living rooms signal that this new veterinary clinic is a special and unique place for animal lovers to bring their pets. Their staff are professional, friendly, gracious, caring, and informative.
I recently sat down with Dr. Shakira Jameson, D.V.M., to find out more about her new successful veterinary clinic. Dr. Jameson explains, “We wanted to create a vet clinic with a family orientation and a welcoming atmosphere. We tend to be informal, we laugh here, and we treat people and their pets like family.”
Dr. Jameson knew she wanted to become a veterinarian from the time she was 8 years old, growing up in Spain. Going on walks with her grandfather, she was fascinated seeing bulls, horses and other animals grazing in pastures and knew she wanted to help animals. She immigrated to the United States, and settled in the Coachella Valley, graduating from Cathedral City High School. Surprisingly she never had pets growing up, getting her first dog as an adult.
In April, 2018, Dr. Alexis Rambaud, D.V.M., joined the practice. The two veterinarians already had a good working relationship when they practiced together at VCA Valley in Indio. Dr. Rambaud reports, “I’ve worked in several vet clinics, and I can honestly say this is the warmest clinic with the best staff and working environment. We treat our pet patients like they are our own pets. Rather than putting them in a cage during recovery, we often keep them near us for comfort. We try to make the clinic ‘fear free’ for the animals.”
Utilizing state of the art equipment and procedures, Paws and Claws was the first local animal clinic to provide pets with advanced imaging utilizing CT and Fluoroscopy (a real time x-ray that shows images while they are happening). A cold laser machine is used for physical therapy, post-operative pain control, wound care, and arthritis. Their services consist of preventative, wellness, and non-emergent health needs backed by a well-stocked pharmacy.
Dr. Jameson offers the following advice, “If you have a new pet, it’s important to find a vet to get an initial exam. You don’t want to be scrambling in an emergency. Consider getting pet insurance to help you with costs. Insurance plans I recommend include Trupanion, Nationwide, and the ASPCA policy.” One of the most difficult challenges for veterinarians is seeing those cases where they can’t do everything needed because of financial constraints.
My friend Lynne Lockwood recently took her dog to Paws and Claws for an exam and neutering. Lynne reports, “We were happily greeted by the friendly front desk staff. The vet came in the exam room and sat on the floor to make Rocky more comfortable. The dog assumed a play position, and he went willingly with her with his tail wagging. He was sitting calmly with the vet when I picked him up. They carefully went over after care instructions with me, and even provided special dog food.”
Paws and Claws Urgent Care is located at 73345 Hwy 111, Suite 111, in Palm Desert. The clinic takes walk-ins, but best to call for an appointment. Contact them at (760) 610-2454, www.pawsandclawsurgentcare.com. Paws and Claws is a welcome addition to our pet loving Coachella Valley community. They believe that healthy pets equal happy families!
