Community Practice
Providing exceptional primary care
Community Practice is a service for faculty, staff, and students of Louisiana State University and the general public. Community Practice is just like any private practice but within the walls of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Community Practice provides our fourth-year students with a unique opportunity to train to become proficient primary care doctors. The training takes place under the guidance of full-time faculty veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Community Practice teaches our students how to provide primary veterinary care, such as how to perfect a physical exam, effectively listen and communicate with clients, learn organizational and time management skills and perform technical skills. The students will accomplish this while experiencing the caseload, capabilities and limitations of a general practice. Clients benefit from the opportunity to receive primary care with the expertise and quality of a referral specialty hospital.
Services
- Annual check-ups
- Behavioral Services
- Preventative Health Care
- Vaccinations
- Flea/tick/heartworm prevention
- Heartworm treatment
- Microchipping
- Diagnosis and management of common diseases
- Health Certificates -both within the US and international
- Basic Dentistry
- Basic Nutrition
What to Expect
- Your scheduled visit to the Community Practice service at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine begins with a check-in at the reception desk. New patients will be asked to fill out a small amount of paperwork.
- You will be greeted in the waiting room by a senior veterinary student, who will take you and your pet to a private examination room. Our appointments generally take one hour, and we do our best to keep on schedule.
- In the examination room, the senior veterinary student will collect information about your pet’s history and current health and then perform a physical exam. We appreciate your patience and understanding in allowing these future veterinarians to interact with you and your pet.
- After the physical exam, the senior student will consult with a faculty member, who will conduct another examination. Together, the faculty member and student will make a plan for the health care and return to the room to discuss next steps, costs and options. The senior student working with the faculty member will then conduct any procedures required and dispense vaccinations and medications as needed.
- If animals need further testing or consultation with another service, they may be transferred or admitted to the hospital.
- We follow AAHA Canine (dog) vaccination guidelines and AAFP Feline (cat) vaccination guidelines.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty
Staff
Elizabeth Arnold
Thalia Matos, RVT
Education
RVT, Windward Community College University of Hawaii, 2020
Fear Free Level 3 Certified
CPR BLS/ALS Certified- Recover
Teaching Interest
I think it is important that our students have a solid understanding of canine and feline behavior as well as technical skills like phlebotomy/restraint.
Clinical Interest
I have a variety of interests, which is why I love general practice! My main interests are Small Animal Emergency, Surgery, and Behavior.
Hobbies
My hobbies include reading, hiking, and traveling.
Claire Weinberger, RVT
Claire received her Bachelor's degree as a student-athlete at LSU. She continued her veterinary medical career and education at Baton Rouge Community College, where she received an Associate's degree in Veterinary Technology. Shortly after graduation, she passed the national and state board exams where she earned her Registered Veterinary Technician/Nurse license in August 2023. Claire joined the LSU Vet Med team in November 2023 as a veterinary nurse in Community Practice. Her career interests include client relationships/communication, heartworm disease, small animal nutrition, and feline medicine. Claire lives in Baton Rouge with her mutt dog, Wren, and 2 fluffy cats, Lavender and Waldo. She enjoys lounging on vacation, physical fitness and eating everything. Her parents are arguably the best to ever parent.