As the main caregiver for your companion pet, you may at some point be faced with seeking out specialty veterinary services. Your pet’s primary care veterinarian may have advised this, you may just be aware and prefer a “next” level of expertise, or it may be a needed transfer from one of the associated emergency services. No one wants to have their companion in a position needing such care as it means that there is illness and need. We want to help you with the emotional considerations and surprise, understanding the financial implications, and the sense of uncertainty. We hope to be a comfort by having advanced care be available.
Your pet has come to us because something persists as unanswered, there is a combination of health issues, special diagnostic skills or tests are needed, perhaps critical care is required, or simply the expertise that comes with a specialist consultation is being sought. But what happens if there are unique medical or oncologic questions, or a complex cluster of issues? As the saying goes, “Not every patient reads the “book”? Well, for us at Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology (AVIM&O), we combine all of our team members’ experiences and expertise in a collegial environment. One way we enhance the exchange of ideas is via our getting together each morning. Our hospitalized patient stories are presented and discussed at “morning rounds”.
At our morning rounds, our technicians (ICU, receiving, chemotherapy, medical, procedures, etc.) and our doctors are present as may be scheduled for any given day. A patient’s case history is presented by their attending doctor so that the day’s medical plan is made clear. In addition, the internists and oncologists, and our very knowledgeable and experienced technical staff, ask questions, add the smaller details of planned care, make suggestions, and if needed, speak openly to any concern. Morning Rounds are a strong part of AVIM&O’s 25-year heritage. We build a team around your furry companion. We also ask each other about our difficult cases that are not hospitalized, or seek out thoughts on odd lab or test results. We have a sense of open-minded support from our colleagues. About 20-40 minutes of our standard mornings at each of our facilities (Towson, Columbia, Annapolis) is spent in this interactive process.
We strive to provide the best care we can by integrating our actions as a team with a clear focus on the patients. If you call and we are not available because we are in “rounds”, well, now you know that the delay is for a good cause.