EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A North Edmonton veterinary clinic wants area pet owners to know that they can get emergency care for their pets 24 hours a day. According to its Medical Director, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, VetEmerg maintains its state of emergency readiness, including state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services, at all hours of the day or night.
"A veterinary emergency can occur at any time, and owners must know where they can get an emergency dealt with quickly and effectively. Our 24-hour emergency clinic offers peace of mind even during a crisis," said Dr. Latif.
The practitioner states that most veterinary clinics adhere to strict daily office hours, which may mean that they are unavailable at night or only during limited hours on weekends. Pet owners facing a veterinary emergency, he says, may not realize this limitation until they have already wasted precious minutes bringing the pet to the facility. "While some clinics refer their clients to specific after-hours facilities, these facilities may have certain limitations of their own. For example, they may not provide 24-hour care, they may not be open on all major holidays, or they may not have ready access to blood," he added.
According to Dr. Latif, VetEmerg aims to eliminate these worries by providing the best-equipped, most accessible emergency care clinic possible. He cites the facility's prompt diagnostic response as one of the features that set the clinic apart, claiming that the team can engage in critical blood work within as little as two minutes. He cites the clinic's on-site pharmaceutical and blood bank services as other major resources.
The veterinarian advises owners to call the clinic, time permitting, to describe the nature of their emergency so that the veterinary team can give potentially life-saving advice immediately. He lists severe blood loss, neurological problems, loss of consciousness, difficult labor, abdominal bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, fractures and other acute trauma as prime examples of a veterinary emergency.
Dr. Latif is quick to point out that the clinic's round-the-clock emergency care is even available on holidays, not least because holiday celebrations pose a variety of threats to animals. He cites chocolate poisoning at Halloween, tinsel ingestion or electrocution associated with Christmas decorations, and traumatic auto accident injuries from impaired drivers as common holiday emergencies. He also notes that seasonal illnesses are not uncommon and may require emergency aid, even during a holiday. "For instance, a pet may develop heat stroke during a sweltering Independence Day weekend. On New Year's Eve, he might get hypothermia from cold weather exposure. We are standing by to take care of these situations even on the biggest holidays of the year," he said.
VetEmerg provides X-ray and ultrasound diagnostics, an on-site pharmacy, surgery, blood bank services, and other forms of emergency and critical care for North Edmonton pets.