Since we wrote this article the clinic has been taken over by new management and Dr. Sylvia Bell has moved on. She has joined the staff of North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic in Decatur GA. If you are looking for a vet you could not make a better choice. She is terrific. The clinic Phone number is 404-321-7756. Tell her Huey says "Hi".

(The dog in the photo isn't Huey)

I can’t say enough good things about Dr Bell and the staff at Dekalb-Gwinnett EMC, and the life-saving care they provided for Huey, but make no mistake about it, veterinary medicine is a business first, and a care provider second, especially in the emergency care sector. If I had not been able to hand over $3200.00 on the spot, they would have let Huey die, or put him down for me. No ifs, ands or buts about it, it’s payment in advance in this business.

This isn’t meant as a knock on them or any other medical provider. They are in business and they have to get paid for their services. In many cases, especially in emergency care, if they don’t get at least part of the money up front they will never see it. In a crisis, pet owners will often agree to pay any amount when the only concern is the pet’s care and survival, only realizing later that the cost is more than they can afford. In the event that the pet does not survive, there are some that will rationalize that if the vets did not save the pet, they didn’t do their job and don’t need to be paid, or will just duck out on the bill.
 
The point is, it is the pet owners’ responsibility to prepare for emergencies that may come up. There are only three ways to prepare that I know of:

• Have plenty of available credit
• Have plenty of available cash
• Have the right kind of pet health insurance

For those not having a plump bank account, a sizable line of credit on one or more credit cards is the next best thing. Huey’s total bill for four days in two facilities was $6500, and both places wanted the bulk of the money up front. It was just by luck that I had enough to cover the $3200 initial charge. I normally carry one credit card with a nominal credit line and a debit card. At the last minute as I was rushing to leave the house, I thought to grab another credit card with a bigger credit limit. Without that card I would not have had enough. I still shudder when I think what might have happened.

Insurance
Pet health insurance is growing in popularity, and more and more companies are offering it. If you are interested in insuring your pet, it is best to start by talking to your vet. There is no point getting insurance from a company that your vet does not accept. A lot of new companies have come into the market in recent years, and not all will survive. You don’t want to give your premium dollars to a company that goes out of business and is not there when you need them. Rates and benefits vary considerably from company to company, and you can research them online, but again, it is best to find out which policies are accepted where you will want to use them.

Savings account
An alternative to insurance, especially for those with multiple pets, is to establish a medical savings account for emergency care. By putting the premium dollars that would have gone to an insurance company into this account, you can build up a fund that will self-insure your pets.

Care Credit
General Electric Financial Services offers a credit card for veterinary care called Care Credit. Not all vets accept it, but it is handy to have in the event of a large bill. In the case of Huey, Dekalb-Gwinnett EMC did not take Care Credit, but Georgia Veterinary Specialists did. Ask your vet for information on it, or apply online at www.carecredit.com. The card can also be used for some personal health care procedures, including dentistry.

Research emergency clinics beforehand
Not all emergency clinics are the same. Some are just primary care and minor emergency facilities that are open when other vets are closed. They are available if an animal gets sick or suffers a minor injury during off-hours and are staffed by vets and techs that are able to treat situations like this, but these clinics are in no way able to handle real trauma care situations.

A trauma care emergency clinic is staffed with vets and vet techs who have special training in crisis management and are equipped with many thousands of dollars worth of diagnostic and support equipment to help keep the patient alive while care is being given.
It pays to know these things. In the article about Huey’s bloat I mentioned that I had a choice between two emergency clinics and made the right choice. Part of the reason that I made the right choice was because I was familiar with the other clinic and chose not to go there. Had I taken Huey to that clinic, he would have died.

A good place to get information about emergency clinics in your area is at your vet clinic. Talk to your vet, but also ask the staff some questions. They know what is going on, and they know people who work at other clinics who also know what is going on. Ask where they would take their pets in a life-threatening situation, and who they would avoid. They are pet owners like you, and want what is best for their pets, and they know where to find it, and which places to stay away from.

Do your homework in advance and hopefully you will never need to use what you have learned, but in the event that disaster strikes, you will know what to do.