GOLETA, Calif., June 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airport Animal Hospital announced that the clinic is expanding its social media outreach in an effort to improve communication with patients. The practice actively uses social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to interact with pet owners. On Facebook, the vet clinic shares their latest blog posts on important animal health topics such as flea and tick prevention and pet dental cleanings. The vet clinic also encourages pet owners to post questions for the veterinarian. The clinic offers wellness care, emergency services and surgical care, pet boarding, and pet grooming.
Dr. Stephen G. Lewis, a Goleta veterinarian with Airport Animal Hospital, announced that the veterinary hospital is now on Facebook and Twitter. The vet clinic is expanding its social media efforts to improve direct communication with patients.
"I'm excited to announce the official launch of our Facebook and Twitter accounts," said Dr. Lewis. "As a veterinarian, an important part of my job is to educate pet owners about responsible animal care. Social networking is a great way to enhance outreach with patients and create a constructive dialogue. We can share pet care tips, owners can ask questions and we can respond in real time."
The vet clinic actively updates its Facebook page with veterinary care tips and links to the clinic's blog. Topics range from caring for aging pets to the importance of routine dental cleanings. The clinic also uses Twitter to share news articles on pet care.
"Whether it's passing on an informative news article or reminding pet owners about important seasonal care, a quick message on Facebook or Twitter is a great way to reach pet owners," said Dr. Lewis. "Social media is a unique platform for communicating directly with pet owners. It allows our veterinary team to stay in touch and share important wellness information that pet owners can access wherever they are."
Dr. Lewis also emphasized the importance of using social media as a tool for 24-hour communication with patients.
"Caring for a pet is a 24-hour responsibility, and pet owners often have health questions after our regular vet clinic hours," said Dr. Lewis. "There's a lot of pet care information out on the web, and not all of it is reputable. The goal of with our website, blog and social networking is to provide a place that pet owners can go for vetted knowledge and answers to their questions. Whether it's a question about emergency vet care or the right kind of puppy food, we want to empower pet owners with fair and balanced knowledge."
Dr. Lewis encourages pet owners to post a question for the animal vet clinic on Facebook or on the practice's blog. Individuals can also sign up for the vet clinic's e-newsletter, a summary of the latest veterinary health news and tips delivered bi-weekly to the recipient's in-box.
The clinic provides wellness exams, emergency care, boarding, grooming, dental cleaning and other veterinary care services to the greater Santa Barbara pet community.