In moments of crisis, whether it's a sudden illness or an accident, every second counts when it comes to ensuring the well-being of our beloved pets. As has been shown in human healthcare, ambulances & pre-hospital care are vital for improving outcomes for human health emergencies, & it is Ready Vet Go's belief that pet ambulances & pre-hospital care will also play a crucial role in the world of veterinary medicine by enhancing health outcomes to our dog & cat companions. In this post, we'll delve into the significance of pet ambulance care and how it contributes to our pets leading longer, safer, healthier lives.
Imagine your furry friend has an emergency - they suddenly fall ill or sustain an unexpected injury. You're faced with the dilemma of transporting them to the veterinarian swiftly. This is where a pre-hospital care service or pet ambulance like Ready Vet Go steps in to provide life-saving intervention. Pet ambulances are equipped with the necessary tools, highly-skilled staff, and specialised transportation to ensure that pets receive prompt and appropriate care during emergencies.
One of the primary benefits of pet ambulance care is the ability to provide timely medical attention. Whether it's administering first aid, stabilising a critical condition, or transporting the pet to a veterinary facility, every second is crucial when it comes to a positive outcome. Ready Vet Go's pet ambulance is equipped to handle a multitude of emergencies, including trauma from being hit by car or being bitten by another animal, intoxications such as ingesting chocolate or household poisons, snake bites from Australia's notorious reptiles, breathing difficulties due to heart disease or pneumonia, heat stroke, and countless other issues. We ensure that pets receive the care they deserve.
To provide the best care, a pet ambulance should be equipped with specialized medical equipment tailored to the needs of animals - the equipment you'll find in a Ready Vet Go ambulance is identical to that found in many vet hospitals. Here we talk about some of the tools we have on board &their importance:
Human studies show that early intervention to provide oxygen support improves outcomes and reduces both mortality & morbidity, and we suspect the same would hold true if these principles of ambulance care were applied to our pets. One of the driving forces in the creation of Ready Vet Go was the implementation of oxygen support for pets requiring stabilisation at home as well as transport safely between vet clinics & hospitals. Even short durations without oxygen can lead to detrimental outcomes, including poor wound healing, longer hospital stays, and higher incidence of death. In situations where pets are too weak or unwell to breathe on their own, Ready Vet Go has the capability of providing mechanical ventilation with our specialised equipment.
Many of us have heard the term "shock", but what does it actually mean? Shock is defined simply as a lack of oxygen getting to or being properly utilised by the body's organs & tissues, and shock can happen for many different reasons. A major part of treating shock involves the use of oxygen therapy to improve blood oxygen levels in combination with improving a pet's blood flow or perfusion by administering intravenous fluids. By giving these electrolyte-containing fluids into the bloodstream, we can normalize blood pressure, help deliver vital oxygen & nutrients to the body's organs, and replace blood volume that may have been lost if a pet had significant bleeding. Ready Vet Go's ambulance is equipped with various types of intravenous fluids to treat shock, and we also utilise equipment to deliver safe but swift doses of fluid support on-site at a pet's home or en route while a pet is being transported to hospital
The benefit of having a veterinarian on-board our ambulance is the ability to perform certain Acts of Veterinary Science, such as prescribing and administering medications that require special licensing. We arrive equipped with medications such as analgesic / pain relief to manage severe pain, antimicrobials / antibiotic drugs to promptly treat severe infections or sepsis (cases where time is of critical importance), sedative medications to reduce anxiety & providing tranquilization, and anti-epileptic drugs to control seizures or fits. We carry the same medications used in veterinary hospitals to provide life-saving CPR and follow the ACVECC guidelines for veterinary basic & advanced life support to ensure pets have the best outcomes.
As you would see in a human emergency room, we utilise human-grade monitoring equipment to ensure that each pet's heart rate, breathing, oxygenation, temperature & blood gases are closely watched under our care. By doing so, we can identify health complications early & intervene rapidly. We also carry an array of hand-held diagnostic tools that provide rapid, on-site information to help us tailor a treatment plan to each dog or cat.
Transporting an injured or ill pet can be stressful for both the animal and the owner. Our pet ambulance is designed to minimize stress and discomfort during transit. Our vehicles are equipped with custom-designed kennels that provide a safe, comfortable, well-ventilated enclosure for any size of pet, from large breed dogs to newborn kittens. We even have enclosure designed to create an oxygen-rich environment for pets with breathing issues. As previously mentioned, we utilise sedative medications to reduce stress & anxiety for pets during their transport, and we use low-stress handling techniques to ensure that pets feel as safe as possible in our care.
Ready Vet Go works in collaboration with veterinary clinics and hospitals to ensure seamless care for pets. For transport between vet hospitals, we liaise with the sending & receiving veterinary clinics to ensure accurate communication of each pet's needs, and we put special emphasis on transparent communication with owners. Our attention to clear communication & inter-hospital collaboration ensures continuity of care. We'd like to think that of Ready Vet Go as a missing link in the chain of veterinary care by connecting community primary care vet clinics with specialist vet hospitals and ensuring that critically ill pets get the support they need to move safely from place to place.
Pre-hospital care & pet ambulance transport play vital roles in safeguarding the health and well-being of our beloved dogs and cats dealing with illness & injury. By providing early, rapid & convenient medical attention, and highly-skilled, compassionate veterinary critical care, Ready Vet Go contributes significantly to improving health outcomes and saving lives. We hope that increasing the awareness of our new & unique service will enable pet owners to seek the highest level of veterinary medical attention for their beloved pets.
