West Shore Vet Clinic

West Shore Vet Clinic Est.

Sept. 2018
Owned by Dr. Heidi Heckler, a 1996 graduate of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Kellie Purucker, a 2021 graduate of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine

That's a wrap on NVTW 2025! 🎉A massive THANK YOU to all of our wonderful clients who participated this week by liking, c...
10/18/2025

That's a wrap on NVTW 2025! 🎉

A massive THANK YOU to all of our wonderful clients who participated this week by liking, commenting, and sharing their appreciation. Your support means the world to our entire team! ❤️

National Veterinary Technician Week was created to celebrate dedicated veterinary technicians and their many reasons for choosing veterinary medicine.

To our incredible technicians: Thank you for your compassion, technical expertise, and dedication to every pet that walks through our doors. You are the heartbeat of our hospital, and we couldn't do this without you!

We look forward to continuing to provide the best care for your furry family!

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🩺 Final Tech Spotlight: Meet Shelby Herber! 🩺Shelby is more than just a dedicated technician—she is a foundational pilla...
10/17/2025

🩺 Final Tech Spotlight: Meet Shelby Herber! 🩺
Shelby is more than just a dedicated technician—she is a foundational pillar of WSVC! With 13 years in veterinary medicine and a presence at WSVC since we opened 7 years ago, she was instrumental in helping Dr. Heidi start the clinic. Her experience is built into the very structure of our hospital.
✨ Her Expertise: "I specialize in surgical support and anesthesia monitoring. After 13 years, I know that you can't treat every patient the same—each pet is unique and requires individualized attention to be safe and comfortable."
❤️ Her Comfort Trick: "I rely on the simplest, most effective tools: high-value snacks and calm, steady tones. These methods allow me to gain a pet's trust and minimize their stress."
💡 Best Pet Tip: "The single best low-cost tip is consistency with Heartworm, Flea/Tick preventives, and the Lyme vaccine. These simple monthly steps are always dramatically cheaper than treating the complex diseases they prevent."
🏡 Fun Fact: Shelby has a 12-year-old Beagle, Prim, and a 5-year-old Chihuahua mix, Cozmo! When she's off the clock and not power walking her canine kids, she loves reading, camping, and coffee! ☕️
Drop a "Thank You" below to celebrate Shelby, one of our clinic pillars, and all of our incredible technicians as we finish National Vet Tech Week! 👇

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Makyla Seevers! 🩺Makyla is a beloved founding member of the WSVC team! She first came to us 7 yea...
10/17/2025

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Makyla Seevers! 🩺
Makyla is a beloved founding member of the WSVC team! She first came to us 7 years ago, transitioning from a receptionist role in human healthcare. Though she entered veterinary medicine without prior technical experience, she was mentored by Dr. Heidi and Shelby into the skilled, compassionate technician our clients adore. Her journey shows her dedication and why she truly has a heart of gold!
✨ Her Expertise: "I love helping in surgeries and running labs. I also love hanging out with animals that have to stay at the clinic to make them feel less alone."
❤️ Her Comfort Trick: "I gain trust by taking the visit slowly and at ease. I use a calm voice, let the pet approach me, and never force them to do things. I hope I'll become their favorite tech next time!"
💡 Best Pet Tip: "Don't let your pet become a 'Pitty Potato' like mine! Routine feeding and exercise are key to better health. Weight plays a big role in mobility, heart, and breathing, just like in humans."
🏡 Fun Fact: Makyla has two Pitty Potatoes (Kyzer & Zeeko) at home, and she once attended the 2012 Grammy Awards in LA when her favorite artist, Adele, won Album of the Year! 🎤
Drop a "Thank You" below to celebrate Makyla's dedication, growth, and compassionate patient care! 👇

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Christina Scraver! 🩺Christina is a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) with 14 years of experien...
10/16/2025

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Christina Scraver! 🩺

Christina is a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) with 14 years of experience in veterinary medicine! Her critical care skills reinforce the high standard of expertise our clients expect.

✨ Her Expertise: "I love assisting in surgery and drawing blood in critical patients. It's rewarding to know you're making a direct difference during the most vital moments."

❤️ Her Comfort Trick: "I offer calm pets and treats, and for very stressed patients, we can offer oral sedatives. My goal is always to make the experience as calm as possible."

💡 Best Pet Tip: "Core vaccines are much cheaper than treating illnesses, especially in puppies. Investing in basic, low-cost prevention saves pets from serious disease and owners from huge bills!"

🏡 Fun Fact: Christina is busy at home with 3 dogs, 2 cats, chickens, and a 30-year-old mare! Outside of work, she loves being a mom, playing volleyball, and fostering puppies and kittens! 🏐

Drop a "Thank You" below to celebrate Christina's dedication to critical care and long-term preventive health! 👇

10/15/2025

Ever wonder what your Vet Tech is doing behind the scenes? 👀 Today, we're pulling back the curtain!

Our technicians are truly making magic happen in the lab, treatment area, and surgery suites. From running complex diagnostics to ensuring safe anesthesia, their technical skill is the heartbeat of the hospital. ❤️

We take our job seriously, but we still have a lot of fun doing it! A great team atmosphere means great patient care.

Drop a 🔬 or a 💉 to show them some love, and tell us your favorite part of the clip! 👇

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Kassie Ayala! 🩺Kassie is one of our newest Vet Techs, bringing 7 years of experience to WSVC! Cli...
10/14/2025

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Kassie Ayala! 🩺

Kassie is one of our newest Vet Techs, bringing 7 years of experience to WSVC! Clients who value expertise and preventive care are thrilled with Kassie's skills.

✨ Her Expertise: "I personally love dentals. It's so satisfying knowing the impact we are making on the pet's future health, and the process is also quite satisfying."

❤️ Her Comfort Trick: "I offer food/snacks or give ear rubs, combined with low-stress handling. Every pet deserves to feel safe and calm during their visit."

💡 Best Pet Tip: "Do your best not to overfeed your pet. Long-term obesity can have negative effects on the joints and other bodily functions—it's the simplest way to save on future health costs!"

🏡 Fun Fact: Kassie has 5 pets at home (2 cats, 2 dogs, 1 rabbit), and in her spare time, she loves to crochet! 🧶

Drop a "Thank You" below to welcome Kassie to our team and celebrate her dedication to pet dentistry and long-term health! 👇

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Jessica Crist! 🩺Jessica is one of our dedicated Vet Techs, with 17 years in veterinary medicine a...
10/13/2025

🩺 Tech Spotlight: Meet Jessica Crist! 🩺

Jessica is one of our dedicated Vet Techs, with 17 years in veterinary medicine and 4 years right here at WSVC! Our clients value trust and compassion, and Jessica delivers both with every visit.

✨ Her Expertise: "My favorite tasks are drawing blood/labs and taking X-rays. We can get lots of information on a pet by doing these diagnostics, which is very helpful in finding the best treatment."

❤️ Her Comfort Trick: "Every interaction shapes the next visit, so I try to make it calm and positive by using low stress handling, high-value treats, a calm voice, and following the animal's cues."

🏡 Fun Fact: When Jessica isn't at the clinic, she's caring for her 3 dogs (Poppy, Mavis, Billy) and 1 cat (Banjo). Plus, she loves plants and has befriended and bonded with her local crows! 🐦

Drop a "Thank You" below to celebrate Jessica's commitment to low-stress, expert care! 👇

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week! 🐾 This week, we shine a light on the dedicated professionals who are the hear...
10/12/2025

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week! 🐾 This week, we shine a light on the dedicated professionals who are the heartbeat of our clinic. Our technicians do it all—from patient care to comforting nervous pets (and people!😊).

A huge shout-out to our amazing Vet Techs: Shelby, Makyla, Jessica, Christina, and Kassie!

Join us in showing them some love all week long! ❤️

🎉 Happy Birthday Ray Peabody! 🎉Today we're celebrating our incredible Practice Manager, Ray Peabody!From his days as a C...
10/03/2025

🎉 Happy Birthday Ray Peabody! 🎉

Today we're celebrating our incredible Practice Manager, Ray Peabody!

From his days as a Cal State grad to owning a regional motorcycle magazine for 20 years, Ray has a history of building and managing successful ventures. We're so lucky he brought his skills (and sense of humor!) to West Michigan in 2012.

When he's not keeping us organized, Ray is the proud pet parent to: the dogs Bug, Amos, and Benjamin, and the cats Rory, Sam, Ellie, and Marcel Marceau! 🐾

Join us in wishing Ray a fantastic birthday! We hope he has a great day! 🎂

10/02/2025

Happy National Walk Your Dog Day! 🐾 We believe even a quick walk is crucial for your pet’s health and happiness.

That's Dr. Heidi and Ray with their dogs, Bug and Amos, taking a break for some much-needed happy tail time! Whether it’s a gentle stroll for senior joints or a power walk for a puppy, daily activity is vital for both pets and humans to destress and boost our moods.

Drop a picture or video of your dog's favorite walking spot in the comments below! 👇

09/12/2025

It's Freaky Friday!

To kick off our new campaign to show off more "clinic life" or a day in the life of our clinic, we're sharing a glimpse into some of the more unusual cases we see here at West Shore Veterinary Clinic.

Case 1: This tiny 2-week-old kitten came in with a "bot-load" of trouble! 🤣Our medical team handled the case with total professionalism, carefully removing a botfly and making sure the little one was comfortable the whole time (although Blue had big words😉).

We're always ready for anything, and this job is never boring! What do you think of this week's freaky case?

On Patriot Day, we remember and honor the heroes we lost and the brave individuals who serve our country.Today, we pause...
09/11/2025

On Patriot Day, we remember and honor the heroes we lost and the brave individuals who serve our country.

Today, we pause to reflect on a day that changed us all. We extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders, military members and working canines who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities. Their loyalty and bravery are an enduring part of the story of this day.

From all of us at West Shore Veterinary Clinic, we stand with you and remember.

Address

17681 174th Avenue
Spring Lake, MI
49456

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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The West Shore Reason

As a clinic we are passionate about making every visit the best visit. We use a combo of treats, pheromones, and low stress handling techniques to help make your pet as comfortable as possible.

We are passionate and driven by the human-animal bond. All of us here at West Shore believe in animals makes human lives better and humans making animal lives better.

Our caring, compassionate Dr. Heidi has been working in the field for more than 20 years. Despite being a 1996 Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate, she continues to learn new medical and behavior techniques to increase companion animal welfare and clinical treatment. She specifically designed this practice to be a low-stress environment for humans and animals alike. Our open floor plan and creative use for space provides our clients and their pets with the foundation for a successful, comfortable visit. For more info on our clinic, our incredible doctor, or our team, please stop by the office, give us a call at 616-296-2364, or send us an email at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.