What you should know about the emergency veterinarian clinics, their vets and what they do.
In 2014, there were more than 102,000 vets in the United States and 510 American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Board-certified Diplomates (ACVECC). The American Veterinary Medical Association says that 24-hour emergency clinics, and veterinarians working in these hospitals are important for pet owners. What are these 24 hour vet emergency clinics, and which veterinarians run them?
A 24-hour Vet Clinic is what?
According to the AVMA, a 24-hour emergency vet is always open to accept animals in need of emergency care. The veterinary emergency hospital can function after the general practice has closed, or as an independent part of a large animal hospital. A general practice may only have limited hours on weekends and daytime, but it is unlikely to be able to offer specialized treatment.
You’ll want to check if the American Animal Hospital Association is accredited before you search for a 24-hour hospital. The 24 Hour Emergency Clinic is awarded to only 12-15 percent of animal hospitals, or about 3,500. This accreditation provides pets with higher levels of emergency care including:
- Monitoring requirements for anesthesia. Equipment that measures heart rate, blood-pressure, temperature, and pulse to provide painless surgical procedures.
- Practices for disease prevention. Is the hospital prepared to treat sick animals in advance? The animal clinics have dedicated rooms and staff for contagious animals. They also use personal cleaning and disinfection procedures to reduce the rate of infection.
Qualifying to be an ER Veterinarian
Emergency veterinarians are generally practitioners with a specialization in the ER’s diverse and often dramatic cases. It is not an official training program. The majority of ER veterinarians have completed a rotating, formal internship following their graduation from vet school. However, this is not required. Heather Loenser DVM, veterinary adviser, public and profession affairs, at the American Animal Hospital Association.
Veterinarians who wish to pursue board certification beyond the DVM/VMD level in emergency veterinary medical can do so by pursuing additional education. Loenser explained that Emergency/Critical Care vets were board-certified experts who had completed residency and passed a certification exam for Critical Care.
The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, or ACVECC, offers a three-year residency that focuses on the diagnostics and treatment of emergency patients. Students who successfully complete residency training and pass a two-day certification test are awarded the Diplomate of the ACVECC.
There are certain qualifications that all veterinarians who work at a 24 hour veterinarian clinic must possess. Loenser stated that “adrenaline addiction is an intangible requirement for ER vets.” Many of us thrive in a busy emergency room.
Does Your Pet Need Urgent Care?
The AVMA also recommends urgent medical attention if an animal exhibits any of these behaviors.
- Eye Trauma
- Food poisoning or any other type of man-made poison
- Bleeding that is profuse and persistent
- Evidence of extreme discomfort or agitation
- Consciousness loss
- Inability to defecate or urinate, particularly if you are in discomfort
The caseload in the ER is diverse, ranging from a’serious’ flea infestation to a life-threatening exposure to toxins, gastric torsions, or traumatic injury. Loenser says that having a wide range of experience in the field is essential for a vet.
Loenser says that general practitioners treat long-term conditions, which are not emergencies.
The general public might not be aware of the difference between a 24 hour veterinary clinic and a conventional veterinary office, other than their well-known operating hours. Loenser explained that the difference was in their mentality, and who they served. General practitioners are focused on building relationships that last with their clients and pets. Most of their interactions with pet owners and pets are aimed at preventing disease and promoting health. “When general practitioners cannot be reached, they will refer the cases to emergency vets based on clinical judgment and AAHA referral guidelines.”
The Guidelines for Veterinarians provide tips on.
- The highest standard of patient care
- Education and exceptional service to clients
- The veterinary profession needs to be educated on a regular basis
- Promotion of the veterinary profession
- Teamwork is important for veterinary professionals
A 24-hour clinic requires quick judgments. Loenser says that some veterinary professionals may question the validity of tests and judgments. She cites a base where emergency veterinarians could have guidelines for making medical decisions.
The generalists ask why so many tests were run, while the specialists question why not enough. We can make better clinical decisions when we have guidelines like those from the American Animal Hospital Association.
Using pain management guidelines, for example, emergency veterinarian clinics could use the AAHA Guidelines to develop a holistic approach to all levels of staff to identify the symptoms of animal pain.
The AAHA Guidelines prescribe a list for all staff members to help identify and treat pain, and to educate patients and pet owners on how to stop or relieve it. It is important for everyone, from the front desk staff to veterinarians, that they can identify the pain of the animal when the patient brings it into the clinic. This will allow them to provide a fast and efficient treatment. These guidelines are used by all staff members to determine the appropriate treatment, which includes medication. They help everyone from the front office staff, who alerts the medical staff of signs of pain, to technicians taking medical histories, to veterinarians evaluating patients.
“ One of the skills I admire most in my ER co-workers is a good ‘gut feeling’. Because we often see animals who are in dire situations and have suffered serious trauma moments before, we can be hyper-sensitive about the clinical state,” Loenser explained. As part of the rounds (the transfer of cases between colleagues), we often ask each other, “Who is your most concerned pet tonight?”