Monday, December 22, 2008
After-hours vet is a gift to pet owners
A collie-shepherd mix with back pain. An elderly cocker spaniel struggling to breathe. A Boston terrier puppy with swollen anal glands.
Those were just three of the five animals needing treatment at Emergency Veterinary Service of Roanoke on a recent Saturday night. They also had a three-legged kitten with severe diarrhea and a tiny Chihuahua, the loser in a battle with a bigger dog, ripped open from one shoulder to the other.
And they called it a slow night.
Just like in an emergency room for humans, the furry patients were triaged and treated according to the most urgent need by the veterinarians on duty, which on this evening included Tanya Woloshin, Myshelle Van Ore and Maureen Noftsinger, the clinic’s medical director.
The Chihuahua required surgery. The spaniel needed an oxygen chamber. The kitten was kept for observation; the puppy and the collie mix were treated and released. After that, the staff waited for the next worried pet parent to come through the door during the graveyard shift of veterinary medicine.
“Everyone who works here is very passionate about animals and emergency and critical care medicine,” Noftsinger said. “We get accused of being all about the money, but that’s not why I am here away from my family on holidays. It’s really all about the animals.”
Emergency Vet Services, founded and owned by Roanoke-area veterinarians, is at 4902 Frontage Road, off Peters Creek Road near Interstate 581, and is open during the hours a typical vet’s office is closed: 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. on Monday (Saturday morning walk-ins are limited to referrals from other vets).
The clinic is open Christmas Eve and all day and night on Christmas.
“We are very busy on the holidays,” Noftsinger said. “We usually have a wait [to be seen] on the holidays. Christmas is typically a very heavy time for us.”
After-hours vet care can be expensive; the emergency fee is $70 in addition to charges for any treatment administered.
“We aren’t subsidized by anyone, and I think a lot of people think that we are,” she said. “Unfortunately, in order for us to be able to be here, we have to charge for our services.”
We found that out last Christmas Eve, when my husband and I took Coral, one of our greyhounds, to EVS to be treated for a deep, ragged gash in her side. We didn’t think it could wait until our vet’s office opened more than 36 hours later.
A year after Noftsinger put nine stitches in Coral’s side, she has only a small, Harry Potter-like scar to show for her injury.
The five veterinarians employed at the clinic work 12-hour shifts on nights, weekends and holidays, 365 days a year.
“It’s a hard job because of the hours and the clients that can be difficult,” Noftsinger said. And by clients, she means the humans who bring in the patients.
“I had an 80-year-old man try to punch me,” she said. Due to the late hours the clinic keeps, Noftsinger said they also deal with pet owners who are inebriated as well as agitated.
Noftsinger said the staff members know they are dealing with pet owners under the worst circumstances, when they are worried about their sick animal and the unexpected cost of the care. That anxiety can be exacerbated by the general stress of the holidays.
“We do as much counseling with the owners as we do taking care of the animals,” she said. “We are dealing with delicate issues, sometimes euthanasia, and that can be very traumatic. There are definitely times when we have all broken down in a room with a client.”
By contrast, Noftsinger said most canine and feline patients are cooperative with the care they receive.
“I really think they know we are here to help them,” she said.
Sometimes counseling can be as simple as a visit from Nim, a calico tabby who has been the clinic’s resident cat for the past three years. Noftsinger said the friendly feline can be a comfort to forlorn clients.
“She seems to know when people are upset,” Noftsinger said. “She just comes by and struts her stuff. Sometimes when people are checking out, she will just sit on the counter and talk to them. She’s a perfect clinic cat.”
But even when tensions are high and emotions are raw, Noftsinger said helping people deal with their pets’ problems is rewarding.
“We are trying to help the animals and the people that love them. It’s cool to see the relationship that people have with their pets,” she said. “They are members of the family.”
The staff tries to assess an animal’s needs over the phone with the owner, but Noftsinger said it is nearly impossible to properly diagnose a problem that way.
“Basically, our philosophy here is that if you are concerned, bring [the pet] in,” she said. Calling ahead, however, is a good idea so they can be prepared, especially in trauma cases.
Noftsinger said they most often treat animals for bite wounds, injuries from being struck by vehicles, and stomach illness.
“Vomiting and diarrhea is absolutely the most common thing we see here,” she said. “We see a lot of it, every single day.”
What steps can owners take to minimize the chances of having to make a late-night trip to the animal ER?
“Vaccination is big. Using a leash is big, and [don’t] feed pets what they are not supposed to [eat],” Noftsinger advised.
NOTE: The Dec. 8 Happy Wag column included a recipe for peanut butter dog biscuits. A reader pointed out a typographical error in that recipe. It should call for a teaspoon of baking powder, not a tablespoon.
