Last night every emergency vet hospital closed their doors on us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are full, they are full. It's no different that a hospital ICU at capacity because of COVID, who can't take someone who gets in a car crash. If you don't have enough vets and enough staff and enough ORs and beds, you don't have them.

My brother was in a car accident during Dec and was rerouted to a hospital 20 min further away. He was the last patient they took that night. If one person had arrived before him, he would have needed a medical helicopter to another county. This is life in a pandemic.

Sure, for people, but the pet thing now anyway is still vague.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are full, they are full. It's no different that a hospital ICU at capacity because of COVID, who can't take someone who gets in a car crash. If you don't have enough vets and enough staff and enough ORs and beds, you don't have them.

My brother was in a car accident during Dec and was rerouted to a hospital 20 min further away. He was the last patient they took that night. If one person had arrived before him, he would have needed a medical helicopter to another county. This is life in a pandemic.

Most people would have the same problem finding emergency help as your dog OP.

Glad you finally found assistance. I had to do something similar with my elderly parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of us in the back, how has Covid interfered with getting help or emergency hrlp? Too many vets and staff quitting? And, while I understand the larger picture of veterinary stress and hours and pay, what's different now causing these closures and back ups? It's definitely different than human covid care. The animals don't have covid. Is it more animals?

More animals, for sure. But, Covid protocols often dictate that you can't see the same volume of patients, because you can't have the same number of people working in a closed space, as you did previously. Or you now need extra hands to get dogs in and out, because the dogs' humans are not allowed in. It also means that if any of the staff gets sick, they may have to shut down to disinfect, make sure other workers are tested, etc. which then means that there is an even bigger backlog. And if someone tests Covid +, they're out for 2 weeks. Lots of hoops to jump through.

I have been to the vet in Manassas for emergency and non-emergency visits, and have had very good experiences. I now know of a vet further out by Leesburg, who apparently is open 24/7, and did not seem overly busy. They're 40 minutes away, but is my emergency backup plan. I'm fairly certain that our vet has an 'on call' type thing, where you can call and they'll tell you whether you can wait or not to be seen, so that's super helpful as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bananas. OP is relaying a scary experience that we should all be aware of as pet owners in the area. Yes, a lot of us adopted pets during the pandemic. My dog was living under a truck... is it better if we don't give dogs loving homes because it's hard to find veterinary care? I'm sorry this happened to you, OP, and I hope your dog is doing ok.

The point is that other animals were ALSO experiencing emergencies. OP wants us to believe that she was "shut out" due to malice or laziness, but in reality the emergency vets were at capacity.

They can't bend space time to service OP.

So, yes, it's sad and frustrating and eye-opening but OP's tone sucks.

I didn't get that implication at all- malice or laziness. What I got is that she was frightened about possibly not getting help for her screaming dog. At no time did she suggest she was denied, she just couldn't get help. You, PP, inserted a tone that was absent from her post. I hope you aren't a vet.

NP here. Look at the last sentence of the OP:

WTF is going on. Are pets who need emergency care allowed to die?

This suggests that the vets and vet staff don't care if the pet has an emergency or not and that they are choosing to turn OP and her pet away.

That definitely conveys that OP believed that they were being malicious or lazy and chose not to take her pet in.

She also drove over to a hospital and was angry that they were at capacity and wouldn't let her in, instead of calling around from home and finding a vet emergency room that was still open and not at capacity. She drove 20 minutes each way to find a pet hospital at capacity when she could have found that out in 2-3 minutes by checking. She apparently seemed to think that they would have to let her in if she showed up at the door. But she could have found out 35 minutes earlier that they were at capacity and called the Manassas hospital that much sooner and been on her way.

I understand that OP was distraught, but she chose her wording very poorly if she was just complaining about capacity limits and Covid-precautions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bananas. OP is relaying a scary experience that we should all be aware of as pet owners in the area. Yes, a lot of us adopted pets during the pandemic. My dog was living under a truck... is it better if we don't give dogs loving homes because it's hard to find veterinary care? I'm sorry this happened to you, OP, and I hope your dog is doing ok.

The point is that other animals were ALSO experiencing emergencies. OP wants us to believe that she was "shut out" due to malice or laziness, but in reality the emergency vets were at capacity.

They can't bend space time to service OP.

So, yes, it's sad and frustrating and eye-opening but OP's tone sucks.

I didn't get that implication at all- malice or laziness. What I got is that she was frightened about possibly not getting help for her screaming dog. At no time did she suggest she was denied, she just couldn't get help. You, PP, inserted a tone that was absent from her post. I hope you aren't a vet.

NP here. Look at the last sentence of the OP:

WTF is going on. Are pets who need emergency care allowed to die?

This suggests that the vets and vet staff don't care if the pet has an emergency or not and that they are choosing to turn OP and her pet away.

That definitely conveys that OP believed that they were being malicious or lazy and chose not to take her pet in.

She also drove over to a hospital and was angry that they were at capacity and wouldn't let her in, instead of calling around from home and finding a vet emergency room that was still open and not at capacity. She drove 20 minutes each way to find a pet hospital at capacity when she could have found that out in 2-3 minutes by checking. She apparently seemed to think that they would have to let her in if she showed up at the door. But she could have found out 35 minutes earlier that they were at capacity and called the Manassas hospital that much sooner and been on her way.

I understand that OP was distraught, but she chose her wording very poorly if she was just complaining about capacity limits and Covid-precautions.

You are NOT a new poster.
Her comments about " allowed to die" still means, to me, that if there aren’t options that is what happens. This wasn't a thing even 1 year ago in the height of new pandemic, so the question is academic. She's asking what are the alternatives and choices not realizing, as I had, this was happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of us in the back, how has Covid interfered with getting help or emergency hrlp? Too many vets and staff quitting? And, while I understand the larger picture of veterinary stress and hours and pay, what's different now causing these closures and back ups? It's definitely different than human covid care. The animals don't have covid. Is it more animals?

More animals, for sure. But, Covid protocols often dictate that you can't see the same volume of patients, because you can't have the same number of people working in a closed space, as you did previously. Or you now need extra hands to get dogs in and out, because the dogs' humans are not allowed in. It also means that if any of the staff gets sick, they may have to shut down to disinfect, make sure other workers are tested, etc. which then means that there is an even bigger backlog. And if someone tests Covid +, they're out for 2 weeks. Lots of hoops to jump through.

I have been to the vet in Manassas for emergency and non-emergency visits, and have had very good experiences. I now know of a vet further out by Leesburg, who apparently is open 24/7, and did not seem overly busy. They're 40 minutes away, but is my emergency backup plan. I'm fairly certain that our vet has an 'on call' type thing, where you can call and they'll tell you whether you can wait or not to be seen, so that's super helpful as well.

Okay, that makes sense. The volume of staff, etc. Well, it's a crisis, yes it is, and it's scary.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t sound like your dog was dying and it sounds like all you had to do was make a few calls and drive 40 minutes. Vet care is not a public service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of us in the back, how has Covid interfered with getting help or emergency hrlp? Too many vets and staff quitting? And, while I understand the larger picture of veterinary stress and hours and pay, what's different now causing these closures and back ups? It's definitely different than human covid care. The animals don't have covid. Is it more animals?

More animals, for sure. But, Covid protocols often dictate that you can't see the same volume of patients, because you can't have the same number of people working in a closed space, as you did previously. Or you now need extra hands to get dogs in and out, because the dogs' humans are not allowed in. It also means that if any of the staff gets sick, they may have to shut down to disinfect, make sure other workers are tested, etc. which then means that there is an even bigger backlog. And if someone tests Covid +, they're out for 2 weeks. Lots of hoops to jump through.

I have been to the vet in Manassas for emergency and non-emergency visits, and have had very good experiences. I now know of a vet further out by Leesburg, who apparently is open 24/7, and did not seem overly busy. They're 40 minutes away, but is my emergency backup plan. I'm fairly certain that our vet has an 'on call' type thing, where you can call and they'll tell you whether you can wait or not to be seen, so that's super helpful as well.

What place is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bananas. OP is relaying a scary experience that we should all be aware of as pet owners in the area. Yes, a lot of us adopted pets during the pandemic. My dog was living under a truck... is it better if we don't give dogs loving homes because it's hard to find veterinary care? I'm sorry this happened to you, OP, and I hope your dog is doing ok.

The point is that other animals were ALSO experiencing emergencies. OP wants us to believe that she was "shut out" due to malice or laziness, but in reality the emergency vets were at capacity.

They can't bend space time to service OP.



So, yes, it's sad and frustrating and eye-opening but OP's tone sucks.

Agree. As a person who has had 3 animals experience bowel obstruction surgery over the years, some are far more “emergency” than others. What OP describes would be a drop off at my vet, and he would get to it when the more acute issues were under control, prob not surgical but needs to be checked. Could be many hours. I have seen the other kind too...that looks very different, like vets waiting for your arrival and have the surgical table prepped level...the animal is much more sick. And before anyone gets panties in a wad because I have seen this a few times, I have a farm that currently houses 50+ animals, and have for 40 years, so I have seen a lot.

Thank you for this. As a new pet owner with a puppy (first dog we've ever owned), how do we know when it's a real emergency versus something that will pass on its own?

If it is really bad they’ll fit you in, for one thing. You should still seek care for the symptoms OP saw, but you won’t be at the top of the cue....like a human ER, vets triage. But acute constant pain/distress (not just when having the bowel movement), lethargy/growling or oppositely, thrashing-type behavior, vomiting repeatedly, high temp, etc. are a few signs of an issue that needs swift action. Failure to eat or drink is a less acute sign, but still needs seen by someone. Keep a list of vets to call, not just one.

+1 Definitely take your pet in if they have symptom's like OP's dog! My cat had a bowel obstruction last June. I took him to Friendship Hospital for Animals Urgent Care. It took 9 hours total between my arrival and him being admitted to the hospital, which was fair because he wasn't actually experiencing kidney failure yet, but once they finally got him in and treated the said it was a bad one and that might have happened in a few days if I'd kept him home. OP definitely had a very sick puppy who needed vet care, just on a scale of hours/days, not minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our mini Goldendoodle puppy was screaming when she squatted down to potty last night. It was so heartbreaking and we had never heard or seen her behave like that before. She would squat and try to go and scream and cry. We got so scared and we called the nearest emergency vet in Vienna, who told us she likely has bowel obstruction but that they are at full capacity and cant take her. We desperately called 4 more places only to be turned down. We drove to Hope emergency vet clinic where we were standing outside the door with our puppy and the doors were locked. We called the number indicated and were told they cannot take us.

We were a mess thinking our puppy is going to die and finally an emergency vet in Manassas said they will take a look at her if we drive over. After a 40 minute drive, we finally got her medical care.

WTF is going on. Are pets who need emergency care allowed to die?

This is America! We let human beings who need emergency care die every day. You’re really shocked there isn’t better infrastructure for caring for an animal?

[Anonymous]

I agree that OP's tone was not the best considering vets in this country are in crisis.

OP, now you know it's not vets' fault. Keep the list of hospitals, and call from home next time your dog has an issue. Also do your own research, or ask on DCUM. Many of us could have told you that this wasn't a top of the pile emergency, but a potentially serious issue.

The most important thing is, your dog is better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our mini Goldendoodle puppy was screaming when she squatted down to potty last night. It was so heartbreaking and we had never heard or seen her behave like that before. She would squat and try to go and scream and cry. We got so scared and we called the nearest emergency vet in Vienna, who told us she likely has bowel obstruction but that they are at full capacity and cant take her. We desperately called 4 more places only to be turned down. We drove to Hope emergency vet clinic where we were standing outside the door with our puppy and the doors were locked. We called the number indicated and were told they cannot take us.

We were a mess thinking our puppy is going to die and finally an emergency vet in Manassas said they will take a look at her if we drive over. After a 40 minute drive, we finally got her medical care.

WTF is going on. Are pets who need emergency care allowed to die?

This is America! We let human beings who need emergency care die every day. You’re really shocked there isn’t better infrastructure for caring for an animal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bananas. OP is relaying a scary experience that we should all be aware of as pet owners in the area. Yes, a lot of us adopted pets during the pandemic. My dog was living under a truck... is it better if we don't give dogs loving homes because it's hard to find veterinary care? I'm sorry this happened to you, OP, and I hope your dog is doing ok.

The point is that other animals were ALSO experiencing emergencies. OP wants us to believe that she was "shut out" due to malice or laziness, but in reality the emergency vets were at capacity.

They can't bend space time to service OP.

So, yes, it's sad and frustrating and eye-opening but OP's tone sucks.

I didn't get that implication at all- malice or laziness. What I got is that she was frightened about possibly not getting help for her screaming dog. At no time did she suggest she was denied, she just couldn't get help. You, PP, inserted a tone that was absent from her post. I hope you aren't a vet.

NP here. Look at the last sentence of the OP:

WTF is going on. Are pets who need emergency care allowed to die?

This suggests that the vets and vet staff don't care if the pet has an emergency or not and that they are choosing to turn OP and her pet away.

That definitely conveys that OP believed that they were being malicious or lazy and chose not to take her pet in.

She also drove over to a hospital and was angry that they were at capacity and wouldn't let her in, instead of calling around from home and finding a vet emergency room that was still open and not at capacity. She drove 20 minutes each way to find a pet hospital at capacity when she could have found that out in 2-3 minutes by checking. She apparently seemed to think that they would have to let her in if she showed up at the door. But she could have found out 35 minutes earlier that they were at capacity and called the Manassas hospital that much sooner and been on her way.

I understand that OP was distraught, but she chose her wording very poorly if she was just complaining about capacity limits and Covid-precautions.

You are NOT a new poster.
Her comments about " allowed to die" still means, to me, that if there aren’t options that is what happens. This wasn't a thing even 1 year ago in the height of new pandemic, so the question is academic. She's asking what are the alternatives and choices not realizing, as I had, this was happening.

I most definitely was a New Poster. I hadn't even opened the thread until about 5-10 minutes before I responded.

Sorry, but OP comes across as a typical UMC/rich entitled person that thinks that they are more important than others and that it is unconscionable that she could be refused service. She could have easily called around before leaving home and likely would have found a place and been there before she had driven to the one that had their doors locked and wouldn't let her in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an awful situation. Even though it's awful, they can't care for more patients than they can care for, and if they were maxed, they were maxed.

OP, if they had admitted your dog, would you have been okay if they left your dog to take an unnoticed turn for the worse and die in the corner, just so they could keep seeing more emergencies that kept coming through the door? Would you have said "oh, well," or would you have argued that they had first responsibility to the animals already under their care?

I don’t understand what that means. Why can’t a vet come provide emergency care for a puppy? It’s an emergency

What do you think they were doing behind the closed doors? Playing with the other puppies?

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure the OPs story is completely accurate.

We had a potential emergency a couple weeks ago, we also live in Vienna so called Hope. They were as helpful as possible on the phone but they were at full capacity. They looked up the next closest animal hospital with space was. At that time it was as far as Woodbridge.