Specialty Services

Now being offered at Fairfield Animal Hospital. Dr Jeffrey Brisebois will be offering cardiac ultrasound by referral. Dr Anna Huber will be offering Abdominal Ultrasound by referral. Information to follow soon, please contact the hospital directly to enquire, (250) 860-6550.

DVM, MSc, Diplomate ACVIM, Past Diplomate ECVIM, Adjunct Professor AVC

Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist

Dr. Hans Gelens is board certified in Small Animal Medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine as well as the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. After years of teaching at the Atlantic Veterinary College (University of Prince Edward Island),  as well as working in various specialty practices in BC and Ontario, Dr Gelens has settled in the Okanagan.

Dr. Gelens is available for internal medicine consults by referral at Fairfield Animal Hospital.

Referring veterinarians can fill out Dr. Gelens' online referral form below.

D.V.M., MS Diplomate, ACVD

Dermatology Specialist

Dr. Kinga Gortel has been in private dermatology practice since completing her dermatology residency in 1999. She practiced for 7 years in California and then relocated to Canada in 2006. A native of Edmonton, she graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and completed an internship, dermatology residency, and master's degree program at the University of Illinois. She became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 1999. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Gortel lectures in both the United States and Canada, and teaches veterinary students and interns. Her most recent publications include chapters in the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the Veterinary Clinics of North America. Dr. Gortel sees dermatology referrals at Westbank Animal Care Hospital several days a month.​

Referring veterinarians can find the link to the form below.

BSc, DVM, MSc, DACVO

Ophthalmology Specialist

Dr. Bauer graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 2002 and worked in small animal private practice in Toronto, Ontario for 3 years. In 2005 Dr. Bauer returned to academia to pursue a small animal rotating internship at OVC followed by a residency and Master of Science in Veterinary Ophthalmology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Following the residency Dr. Bauer worked as an Associate Professor at the WCVM where she taught Veterinary Ophthalmology and Communications to undergraduate veterinary students, interns, and residents until the fall of 2019. After leaving academia, Dr. Bauer decided to bring her skills to the Okanagan where she is the first Veterinary Ophthalmologist to reside and practice in the Okanagan.

Referring veterinarians can find the link to the form below.

BVSc & AH, Diplomate ACVS-SA

Surgical Specialist

Dr. Bhandal is an ACVS Board Certified Surgeon whose clinical practice is dedicated to surgery. He completed his ACVS-approved residency in Small Animal Surgery at Michigan Veterinary Specialists, Auburn Hills, and Southfield, MI. He also completed an Orthopedic Research Fellowship at UC Davis in California, and surgical internships in Vancouver and Saskatoon. Dr. Bhandal brings advanced surgical skills to Westbank Animal Care Hospital, allowing us to offer procedures that formerly had to be referred to specialist centers. Among the surgeries we are now able to offer are complex orthopedic procedures such as TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) for Cranial Cruciate Repair, Brachiocephalic Airway syndrome surgery for brachiocephalic dogs (English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Pekinese, etc.) and spinal decompressive surgery, to name a few.

Referring veterinarians can find the link to the form below.

Now being offered at Fairfield Animal Hospital. Dr Jeffrey Brisebois will be offering cardiac ultrasound by referral. Dr Anna Huber will be offering Abdominal Ultrasound by referral. Information to follow soon, please contact the hospital directly to enquire, (250) 860-6550.