MOST VETS ON CALL WHEN PETS IN EMERGENCIES

When Cape Girardeau police dog Greif was struck by a car last Saturday, police dispatchers scrambled to find a veterinarian for the injured animal.

Since there are no "emergency rooms" in Cape Girardeau for animals, a vet had to be summoned to the office to care for the dog.

Greif's regular veterinarian was not immediately available, so dispatchers called the St. Francis Medical Center on the chance that someone there could do something for the dog. No luck.

After making a few phone calls, police found a veterinarian on call with the Cape Small Animal Clinic who met officers at his office to treat the injured dog.

For many pet owners, their animals are family. When an animal is hurt -- especially at night or on the weekends -- emotions can run high in a fury to find a veterinarian.

"Knowing where you can take your pet after regular business hours in very important," said Dr. Ann Seabaugh, a veterinarian with the Cape Small Animal Clinic. "Unfortunately we are not blessed with the opportunity to provide 24-hour care in an open facility like hospitals.

"That is why most veterinarians in the area make themselves available 24-hours a day, year-round," she continued. "People ask us all the time, `What if something happens tonight, or over the weekend?' We assure them that someone from our office will be on call all night, and all weekend."

Most veterinarians either leave a message with phone numbers where they can be reached or have answering services who will forward phone numbers to a beeper worn by the doctor.

"You get calls at night and on weekends, more at certain times of the year than others," said Rose Nanney, a technician and assistant at the LaCroix Pet Hospital. "In the spring and fall when animals are very active we see pets who have been hit by cars. During hunting season, we see some dogs that have been shot by weekend hunters."

Seabaugh concurred that the number one emergency her office sees is animals that have been hit by cars.

"Second, we have people call when their animals -- especially dogs -- have diarrhea or are vomiting," Seabaugh said. "We also have people who call when their pet is having difficulty with birth and we have to perform a C-section."

But every time a person calls a veterinarian at home, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she will end up running to the office.

"Sometimes people can tell me what is going on with their pets and I can determine whether it is an illness that can wait until morning or something that should be looked at right away," said Seabaugh. "Veterinarians being on call is a definite advantage for pet owners, because we know their pets and their particular problems.

"If people have to take their pets to people they don't know in the event of an emergency, it may not always be to the benefit of the pets," she said.

Both Nanny and Seabaugh agree that somewhere down the road Cape Girardeau may see a 24-hour pet hospital designed to handle emergencies.

"But right now, we don't have the luxury of having a place staffed around the clock," said Seabaugh, "It just wouldn't be cost efficient for our clients."

Nanney added, "A facility like that would just be a wave of the future for us."

Greif was released from the animal hospital Thursday. Although he is getting around slowly and still has no feeling in his front left paw, both he and Officer Dennis Horn are glad he is home.