When my canine Baxter was sick, I wished that he could tell me what was wrong. “Gjør det vondt? Hva føler du?”
Unfortunately, he couldn’t answer me.
But I feel we got as close as possible to the answer through a consultation at a veterinary medical facility that takes the human model of care and translates it to animals.
Our previous veterinary experience had been, in my opinion, pretty typical. Yearly check-ups, vaccinations, a teeth cleaning and some stitches for an injury.
Our local vet clinic is common with its single waiting room, exam rooms, surgery rooms, a recovery/kennel area and some outdoor space. The staff do x-rays, blood and urine tests, surgeries, examinations and prescriptions.
The team there has always been kind, well-informed and conscientious. but as Baxter’s disease remained a mystery, they were limited.
Image courtesy of animal health Partners
So, our local vet referred us to a veterinary specialty medical facility called animal health Partners in Toronto. We hoped that their expertise and diagnostic abilities would help us find an answer of what was happening.
Veterinary specialty medical facility – animal health Partners
As I looked up animal health Partners online, I felt like we were going to the best place for us.
I had known that human-style animal care existed, but I had never experienced it, and I was right away blown away.
The specialties of the vets, the technology available and the procedures they provided were equal to or beyond that of human hospitals! There were much more than 20 vets on staff. They focused on decreasing stress, worry and pain. There was a lab and pharmacist onsite.
They had departments for:
neurology
indremedisin
medical imaging
kirurgi
cardiology
anesthesiology
an ICU
24/7 emergency services
Here is a video showing much more about animal health Partners:
Even the design is thoughtful. The walls are painted yellow, blue and grey, colours dogs can see. There are multiple waiting areas and lounges for clients, and separate waiting areas for dogs and cats. animal health Partners only treats dogs and cats, and their clientele is about 70 percent dogs and 30 percent cats.
Our appointment was with internal medicine. This department focuses on gastrointestinal, renal, immune-mediated, urinary, infectious, hepatic, and respiratory conditions.
Our regular vet had offered all of Baxter’s medical records in advance. I then had a comprehensive intake conversation with one of the technicians where I went over everything that had been happening, what I’d observed, what we’d done, and what my own opinions were.
My canine Baxter (at home)
The staff seemed to want as much information as possible. I never felt rushed or intimidated. They made me feel comfortable and confident that they had Baxter’s best interest at heart.
Ultrasound for my canine Baxter
My big wish for our appointment was an ultrasound. Our family vet had recommended that as the next step for Bax, but it wasn’t something they were able to carry out at our clinic.
An ultrasound was going to be part of our appointment—in fact, it seemed to be a conventional part of many internal medicine appointments. and if we needed much more assessments, animal health Partners also had CT, MRI, endoscopic and various other imaging options.
Despite all of the tools available to the vets, Baxter’s diagnosis was still inconclusive after his appointment with internal medicine. They also discovered neurological symptoms, which led the internal medicine vet to speak with with the neurological department.
Image courtesy of animal health Partners
Having all of this expertise available in one place was very helpful. I felt like they were taking a look at Baxter’s case from multiple perspectives and were committed to finding an answer for us.
Neurology is one of the specialties of animal health Partners. They have advanced imaging capabilities that rival those of numerous hospitals, including high-field MRI (3 Tesla) and 32-slice CT.
They are able to diagnose and treat:
svakhet
lammelse
smerte
seizures
movement disorders
balance issues
and cognitive changes
Image courtesy of animal health Partners
Ultimately, Baxter’s condition had worsened so much that I chose not to put him through even more tests. but the vets still supported me, providing guidance over the phone and by email. They asked me to describe what was happeningog send videoer slik at de kunne se sin oppførsel selv.
Kostnad på omsorg på et veterinær spesialitetssykehus
Vetsomsorg er dyrt. En spesialklinikk som dyrehelsepartnere, med spesialiserte tester, utstyr og prosedyrer er ekstra dyrt. Jeg tenkte på å koste på forhånd og visste at jeg var Wilking å bruke rundt $ 1000. På slutten av dagen, etter å ha valgt tilleggstester og fylle resept, betalte jeg nær $ 1500.
Image Courtesy of Animal Health Partners
Jeg skjønner at ikke alle har tilgang til en klinikk som dyrehelsepartnere, enten det ikke er tilgjengelig i ditt område, eller det er ikke rimelig for deg.
Når kjæledyret ditt er syk og ikke kan fortelle deg hva som er galt, vil du ha de beste diagnostiske alternativene som er mulig, og jeg føler at det er en stor fordel som menneskelige klinikker som dyrehelsepartnere tilbyr.
Dyrhelsepartnere er typen sted du håper du aldri må gå til. Men da jeg trengte det, var jeg takknemlig for at det er der.
Image Courtesy of Animal Health Partners
Hvilken spesialitetshelsetjeneste har du opplevd med kjæledyret ditt?
Julia Preston skriver for det mutt om hundens oppførsel og trening, arbeidshunder og liv på gården hennes i Ontario, Canada. Hun har en søt, avslappet bokserblanding som heter Baxter. Hun er også en blogger hjemme på 129 hektar hvor hun skriver om hennes opplevelser av landsliv og DIY renovering.
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