24 Hour Veterinary Care Saved My Dog

I’m sure that when you work in any hospital you see things that most people don’t see everyday. But, working in a 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital in NJ is just a bit different.  We see up to 20 pet emergencies a day here in Monmouth County. But, we have seen pet emergencies from Ocean County, Mercer County, Burlington County, well we have seen pet emergencies from all over NJ, PA, and NY.  Each one with a “tail” behind it.  Each one with a journey to endure, each one with a fate that is sometimes pre-determined before they get to our treatment room.

Before I landed this position at NorthStar VETS, a 24 hour emergency center in NJ I was a recent college graduate working in a human hospital.  I thought it was time for a companion and decided to get my Siberian, “Rogue.”  She was 4-months old and adorable when I got her and the absolute definition of her name: playful, mischievous, energetic, fun, loving, friendly etc.  We had our routine, sleep, run, eat, run… (repeat as necessary).  On one particular day when I went to work, my 2-year old nephew wanted to play with the “puppy,” and decided to let her out of her crate and out the front yard.  Well, you could only imagine what happens when you let a Siberian outside. They RUN! Rogue ran and got hit by a car at 5-months old. All I could think was “my dog got hit by a car,” I was at work when I received the call and not only was I devastated I also  just couldn’t’ understand how someone could hit her (in a residential area no less) and kept going.  Think about if you dog got hit by a car. Its terrifying.  To this day I’ve never even hit a squirrel or bird.  But, I was that owner whose dog was hit by a car.

The impact of the car caused her eye to pop out of her socket and a  a minor fracture in her hind leg.  The veterinary ophthalmologist was unable to save her eye so an enucleation (removal of her eye) was necessary.  Rogue left the veterinary emergency room with one eye and a small fracture however, now she is now 2-years old and healthier than ever.  Losing her eye did not change her personality and if anything only heightened her senses.  She is still a hunter and has no trouble trapping the intruders of our backyard.

You’re probably thinking, ok where are you going with this, Nicole? This all happened BEFORE I worked for NorthStar VETS. Before I knew about a 24 hour emergency hospital in NJ that provided veterinary care just for pets.  Before Rogues accident I had no idea where to go in NJ in the event of an pet emergency.  But, now working as the Marketing Director at a 24 hour  veterinary emergency and specialty hospital in NJ I feel it is extremely important to make my own impact.   And not the kind that requires a surgery.

My impact includes generating a special message to every pet owner. Having a pet is like having a child.  If you’re child was playing outside and got hit by a car, or had a severe illness you would know that in order to get the help they need you would have to get to the hospital, right?

Similarly, as a responsible pet owner you should also be aware of your local 24 hour emergency vet hospitals.  My advice: Pay particular attention to the ones that have a surgeon or an internist available 24/7 in addition to an emergency and critical care team like, NorthStar VETS.