Come high water: Veterinarians from water-bound hospital make house calls
Valley Veterinary Hospital on the Lincoln Road is surrounded by water
Veterinarian Dan Cartwright is getting used to hopping into his rusty 2007 Corolla and plowing through a pool of water to reach sick cats and dogs at their homes.
Cartwright is part of a team of veterinarians and staff at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Fredericton who are making house calls to help animals in a region that is partly under water.
Not far from the St. John River, the animal hospital on the Lincoln Road is itself surrounded by water, making it inaccessible for animals.
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"There is a tree stump that's about eight feet high off the ground and about 10 inches is sticking out right now," Cartwright said. "It's unavoidable at this point."
Water's been shut off at the hospital, and animals have been removed from the building, including Rosie, the hospital's in-house cat.
"Rosie's not too keen on water unless it's served in a bowl," Cartwright said.
Delaying help 'not an option'
When they're out, the veterinarians are serving pets that need medication or prescription foods because of underlying illness.
"Health issues, just like with any issue, the sooner you get on top of it, the better the chances for a positive outcome," he said.
"Delaying it for a week is not an option."
Although the building is inaccessible, it hasn't been damaged.
"We've been using this as a base and we've been going out and doing our calls at people's homes," he said.
Each veterinarian has a doctor's kit and the tools needed to care for the pets, but the calls don't come without challenges, such as co-ordinating staff and clients.
"Trying to get to some of the homes of our clients has been a little bit tricky just in terms of the road closures," he said.
And then there's the issue of traffic.
"It's slower, so we can't see as many patients in the run of a day," said Rhonda Stone, another veterinarian at the animal hospital.
"That's a drawback of house calls."
Meanwhile, some animals aren't able to get the care they need.
"We can't really help the really sick ones," said Ally Finley, also a veterinarian.
If the animals' needs are too severe, other animal hospitals in the region have agreed to chip in and help.
Ready for anything
The vets and staff are hoping water levels won't get any worse. But if they do, they're ready.
"I have tall boots, so I'm OK to park and walk through water if I have to," said Finley.
And clients are grateful, which makes it all worth it in the end.
"I think people appreciate that we're able to go out to their homes … as opposed to them having to wear their hip waders and come to us, " he said.