10/19/2024
Choices We Make
Everyday we are faced with choices, and we try to make the best ones for ourselves, our family and our pets. You're two-legged, four-legged or non-legged friend is a part of your family. Their continued care is important 24/7. What veterinarian or veterinary clinic is right for you? Here are some considerations:
Location: How far do I have to travel in good and bad weather?
Office hours: Are they compatible with my schedule?
Pricing: Can I afford the expense of the visit and what methods of payment do they offer?
Professional staff: Do I feel comfortable with the staff and doctors?
Services: What range of services are offered, as well as types of pets seen?
New pets: Are they accepting new clients or additional pets with my family?
A very important consideration is what happens if my pet is experiencing an emergency. Where do I go? Is my veterinarian going to be there for me, or do I have to travel hours to find someone?
Several veterinary hospitals in the Eastern UP do not provide after hours emergency care for their clients, either referring you to Traverse City or much farther away in a crisis. Since opening 7 years ago, we were initially on call 24/7 until we began sharing emergency responsibility with Chippewa Animal Clinic and Mackinaw Straits Veterinary Hospital.
We will be the first to admit we are not perfect and have missed a few calls over the years. Steps were taken to try and rectify the problem since not being there for our clients is very disheartening. We never want our client's pets to suffer for lack of care.
Kinross Veterinary Center has assisted clients from other facilities that lack emergency services, but the continued influx from other clinics is draining to our employees. Many of us are short-staffed, but our clinic is still responsible for those late night or early morning emergency situations. With continuing to grow our clientele and pet family, unfortunately we cannot continue to see other hospitals clients after hours for emergencies unless they are part of our emergency veterinary rotation.
Please talk to your veterinarian and ask what they do or do not offer for after hours emergency care. This includes weeknights, weekends and holidays. You never know when your friend may be in trouble during non-business hours. Hit by cars, dog or cat fights, seizures, breathing trouble, C-sections and bloat are just a few scary situations that you never plan for, but you need to know what to do and where to go. Being prepared allows time saving steps in that crisis!
