Most people don't know the difference between a regular vet and a veterinary specialist. I certainly didn't until I found myself in the unfortunate situation of needing a specialist. It was the mid 90s and I was living in NYC with my Old English Sheepdog, Maddie. She became very ill and was later diagnosed with Coombs disease in which the red blood cells are destroyed therefore depriving the body of the oxygen it needs to survive. My vet at the time told me there was nothing else we could do for Maddie and that we would likely have to put her down. To me, a very committed pet mom, this was an unacceptable choice. I asked him to please tell me if there was anyone else who could help me help Maddie. And he did. He referred me to the Animal Medical Center which at that time was considered to be the Mayo Clinic for animals.
My experience at AMC was harrowing, but it was also amazing. While Dr. Ann Houenhaus (I still worship her to this day) took care of Maddie's needs, the on-staff counselor Dr. Susan Cohen, took care of mine. The good news was that over time they were able to get Maddie into remission and fortunately for me she lived another three happy and healthy years.
A supplement, not a replacement
The point here is it's important to know the difference between Veterinary Specialty Practices and regular vet practices. VSPs are intended to supplement and complement the services offered by regular vets. When the cases become too challenging for these practices or they don't have the technology necessary to properly treat an animal, they have a resource like an AMC to whom they refer their patients.
The new kid in town
In 2004, in response to the growing need for emergency and specialty veterinary care in the New York City area, a group of vets set out to create a new specialty veterinary hospital -- NYC Veterinary Specialists. Their vision was to create a hospital that would be a close partner with the referring veterinarian community and would raise the level of patient and client care in the community. I had the privilege of visiting NYC-VS a couple weeks ago and it's an amazing facility run by an amazing team of people. It's very clear that their goal is to address pets' well-being by doing more than tending to their disease or illness. Compassion is the word that comes to mind. And what better combination than innovation, cutting-edge research, education and leading technologies, topped off with a healthy dose of both passion and compassion.
NYC Veterinary Specialists is located on 55th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Animal Medical Center is located at 62nd and York in NYC and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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