Winter Park Veterinary Hospital prioritizes a team approach in caring for pets ranging from dogs and cats to iguanas and rats, all while building great relationships with their families.

Veterinary medicine has seen some incredible advancements since the original incarnation of Winter Park Veterinary Hospital opened its doors in 1955. But its current owners have remained steadfast in the most crucial constants: ensuring that every pet receives attentively individualized care while encouraging pet owners to be active, well-informed partners in filling their feathered, furry and four-legged friends’ years with optimal health and happiness.

Since the Hess family purchased the practice in 1983, they and a team of dedicated veterinarians, nurses, technicians and office staff have all worked together to keep raising the bar for animal care in Central Florida. It’s just one reason why people and their pets keep coming back to the trusted professionals on the Winter Park Veterinary Hospital team.

“We’ve always focused on marrying the very high-touch client and patient service with high tech and making sure that we’re providing that next-level care,” says Bill Hess, hospital manager and son of practice owners Dr. Robert and Jean Hess. “We’re really committed to providing the best possible care for our patients and staying on the forefront of research, of technology, of investing in equipment.”

As companion animals become more deeply integrated into the fabric of a family, the technology, breakthroughs and philosophies guiding the best practices of their medical care has certainly kept pace with advancements in human medicine.

“We’re using CT scanners that started off in the human field, we’re using bloodwork lab machines in-house to provide really high-quality, fast-return blood results that started in the human side of things,” Hess affirms.

Trends in veterinary medicine also mirror those seen in human health care, such as investing in the assistive AI that serves as a second pair of eyes and gravitating toward minimally invasive procedures.

“We’ve expanded our use of some surgical equipment that makes invasive surgeries easier and makes the healing process go smoother,” Hess begins. “We’ve also invested in an endoscopy unit that allows for our veterinarians to actually go internally in a noninvasive, nonsurgical manner to potentially retrieve objects and to do scoping to see what’s in patients’ stomachs or intestines without having to do surgical procedures. It’s an investment in the comfort of our patients and peace of mind for our pet parents.”

Winter Park Veterinary Hospital’s love for animals extends beyond the domestic domain. Its work with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey means treating a range of wild avian species like raptors, eagles, hawks and owls with the same gentle, compassionate care they would approach a beloved family pet. As its team is also involved in rehabilitation and wildlife care, the hospital itself will accept “injured and orphaned wildlife” for assessment with the hope of eventually releasing a fully healed critter back into the wild.

Beyond their work with Audubon, the team also stays connected with its community by working with a variety of local groups.

“’We support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Winter Park, the Executive Association of Greater Orlando, University of Florida Vet School and countless other local organizations that help our greater Orlando community,” Hess notes.

The staff behind Winter Park Veterinary Hospital also continues to evolve, and freely shares knowledge among its members for everyone’s benefit. Hess describes “a great, great doctor team of over 50 years of experience” that combines the strengths of young and longtime practitioners; in addition to the hospital staff, the practice also offers a wellness center, doggie daycare and overnight boarding, all of which are staffed by devoted, well-trained professionals.

But no matter how much the Winter Park Veterinary Hospital staff grows, compassionately caring for creatures of all kinds remains the driving force behind a true team effort that clients appreciate, often for generations.

“We take a one-team approach: We have 85-plus team members, who are amazing at working well together to make sure we provide the best experience for our pet parents and patients,” says Hess. “It’s pretty amazing to see multi-generations both of pets and our clients, seeing kids grow up and come back and continue to use us like their parents did. It’s really neat to be part of our clients’ families and extended families.”

Comfortable and Compassionate Emergency Care

Winter Park Veterinary Hospital continues to elevate its level of emergency services to better serve the community.

Even the most vigilant, attentive pet parents know that accidents and emergencies can strike anytime, which is why Winter Park Veterinary Hospital has extended its seven-day-a-week emergency care hours—making it one of the few small-animal, family-owned veterinarians that’s open every day. Pets and their families will see a friendly, familiar face upon arrival, helping to both calm nerves and yield an easier, more comfortable visit.

Its hours are now 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekends.

Winter Park Veterinary Hospital
Winter Park
(407) 644-2676
WPVet.com