Veterinary hospital saves lives during COVID-19 crisis
Dealing with the current pandemic is stressful enough, but imagine the added trauma of having a sick or injured pet during this time and worrying that you could lose your beloved companion.
Our dedicated staff in the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital quickly shifted to deliver telemedicine (diagnoses offered through assessing pet ailments via phone calls, videos and photos) and curbside services in early March.
They address the needs of about 30 sick pets per day in person—with cases ranging from ear infections to complicated surgeries for life-threatening conditions—and field more than 200 daily phone calls and emails.
One recent case was Taki, a Richmond SPCA alumna and regular patient since her adoption from our humane center in October 2019. One-year-old Taki likely ate a bit of the rubber ball that she had been playing with. And that eventually led to a very dangerous gastrointestinal blockage.
Our team performed exploratory surgery, removed the obstruction, and provided Taki with IV fluids and medication in order to save her life. We are happy to tell you that Taki’s guardians Harrison Wallace and Bria Hall report that their girl is doing wonderfully as she recovers at home.
Our hospital is the only charitably-operated, full-service, low-cost veterinary hospital in Central Virginia, and the need for our services is great.
To make our prices affordable for families of low income, our hospital is designed to take in less money than it costs us to operate. And with growing numbers of people out of work and needing access to this critical resource for their pets, demand for these crucial services will grow in the weeks ahead.
