Why 24 Hour Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Care?

Breaking News! Today I write from a position of being Nicole, a simple and emotional human being like everyone else. I respect all living things and I have a deep love for animals, dogs especially.

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog than you know I am one of those pet owners who was unaware of 24 hour veterinary emergency and specialty medicine.  I feel guilty for being a pet owner and not being “in the know.” Surely, I would know where to take a child during an emergency so why didn’t I know my options when I decided to care for a puppy.

Taking care of a puppy is a much tougher job; I have to speak for her because she can’t do it for herself.  She relies on me to take care of her. And I gotta tell ya, at the time of her emergency trip to the hospital I didn’t feel like the best mom in the world.

Today, one of my jobs is to tell the world about one of the best veterinary specialty practices I know.  And No! This isn’t one of my marketing tactics.  At the end of the day I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. This is me being real, and downright honest about my feelings.

As a result of my position here at NorthStar VETS I have officially been deemed “the” go to person in my social network for anything pet related. They rely on me to tell them what to do when their pet “may” need special care, and their pets rely on them to find out where is the best place to go.  It is my job to spread the message, hoping that no one experiences what I did when I faced my own personal pet emergency.

This morning, I got word of a tale that brings me much grief, frustration and it down right riles me up!  The story goes like this:  A pet owner excitedly purchases a puppy.  The puppy is hyper, playful and loves to run but, (oops!) has an accident and (ouch!) fractures one of their legs.  Puppy ends up in the emergency room and receives an estimate for a completely repairable fracture.  The pet owner uncertain what to do returns to the family veterinarian looking for another option.  Understanding the financial constraints of the client the vet provides a second option though, not what was initially recommended.  This option included seeing  another doctor who travels to different locations doing different procedures daily, kind of like one of the doctors at our hospital but with one very BIG exception.

The Exception: Our doctors obtained specialty diplomate status having gone through rigorous training consisting of four years of undergraduate work, four years of veterinary schooling (graduate), one year of internship, and two or three years of residency in their chosen specialty. After completing their residency, they took an examination called “boards.” When they passed all portions of this exam they become a part of the particular college of specialists.

It is important to note that in many cases these other doctors do not possess the same credentials as our team of board-certified specialists but what they do offer, is to operate for a fraction of the cost.

I understand.  With the recession constantly at our heels we all want to get a deal when we can.  But, if you’ve ever bought a boot leg movie, or purse…than you know ”You get what you pay for.”

The end result of this sad story is that the surgery performed ended in amputation.

So now I pose this question to you, what is the cost of a happy, healthy puppy?  To me…it’s priceless.  I assume that most of you would agree with me and that is why I urge you to spread the word that Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Medicine exists.

Contrary to popular belief there are pet emergency rooms, and there are places to go when your pup breaks a leg, or swallows that T-bone from dinner.  If you’re having second thoughts about a medical condition your pet can even get a second opinion from a specialist.  There are even vets that specialize in cancer, eyes, hearts, breeding etc.

The point is this: As pet owners you have options, and I want you to be aware of them.

And if you feel so inclined…NorthStar VETS has all of those things I just mentioned.

We may not be a cheaper option but we do offer Care Credit and promise that we would never practice such an act unless it was in the best interest of our patient.  We even established Vet-I-Care (the hospital’s foundation to help families secure resources needed for specialty and emergency care for their companion animals) because we truly care and we want to help!

In closing, can you really put a price tag on your companions quality of life? Buyers Beware.

Today I need your help! Please share my story by retweeting, and reposting so we can join together in preventing situations like these from occurring to other unknowing pet owners in the future.