SERVICES THAT OUR EMERGENCY VET IN WINNIPEG PROVIDES
We know that you want the best possible care for your vet in an emergency. That is why we are a trusted emergency vet in Winnipeg that can provide timely assessments and treatments when your pet is in need. We offer everything from general first aid to overnight critical care monitoring. We also have an on-site blood bank in case your pet needs a blood transfusion as part of their treatment. Our goal is to ease your concern in an emergency and help you pet get on to the road to recovery as soon as possible. Contact our emergency vet in Winnipeg for the services below.
Soft Tissue Surgery
Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital frequently sees surgical emergencies, that have either been transferred by the regular veterinarian, or have been brought in by the owner who is concerned about their pet’s sudden illness. All of our doctors are familiar with the various types of emergency surgeries that can arise, such as: caesarean sections, gastric dilation volvulus, foreign bodies, bite wound repair, hit by car injuries, and haemoabdomen. These are but a few of the cases we have seen at WAEH, and our doctors are constantly expanding their skill sets through continuing education to prepare for whatever may walk through our doors.
Blood Bank
What some people may not realise is that animals can sometimes require transfusions of blood, or blood products, just like humans do. This need is met by the Canadian Animal Blood Bank (CABB) which is located right here in Winnipeg, and ships to veterinarians across Canada. They do have a satellite collection site located in Edmonton, AB, and have recently expanded into southern Ontario and Quebec.
Just like in human medicine, this service depends on volunteers and donors, and they are always seeking to screen new applicants to add to their donor list. You and your dog may be able to help if they are: 55 lbs or over, 1-8 years of age, current in vaccinations, has an even temperament. You can contact CABB at 204-632-2586 or cabb@outlook.com, for more information.
Now you may ask yourself ‘would a cat ever need a transfusion?’ The answer is, yes. Here at Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital, countless feline blood transfusions have been performed. The issue with most cats is that they require sedation for the amount of time collection takes, and the low volume drawn uses a type of collection bag called an ‘open’ system that requires the product to be used within 24 hours. To fulfill this need, the WAEH has a list of donor cats that can be called in at need when a patient requires a transfusion.
If you are interested in having your cat become a donor, here are the requirements:
Healthy and current on vaccines
1-8 years of age and at least 10 pounds
Never had a transfusion prior
Not used for breeding
Not taking any long-term medication (except for flea/heartworm preventative)
Indoor only
Cats have 3 major blood types, A, B, and AB, with Type A being most common to North American felines. We are currently searching for a Type B cat as our previous donor had to retire due to his age. If you have one of the following breeds, who meets the above requirements, and are interested in being added to our donor list, please contact WAEH to see if your cat is eligible!
Breeds with high incidence of B blood type are: British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, and Exotics.
Some of the benefits of becoming a WAEH feline donor are a free physical exam by one of our veterinarians, FIV/FeLV snap testing, analysis of a blood smear for Haemobartonella, a free small bag of prescription diet, and all active and retired donors are eligible for one free transfusion, if ever needed. All exam and test results are forwarded to your regular veterinarian.
Wildlife
Found orphaned or injured wildlife? The first thing you need to do is determine if human intervention is required.
Often young wildlife may appear orphaned or injured when they are as nature intended. For example, the Eastern Cottontail rabbit will leave her nest full of baby bunnies and only return, very inconspicuously, once or twice a day to feed them. This is a species better left raised by their mother as they fare poorly in rehab; therefore, a phone call to the Prairie Wildlife Rehab Centre is advised before interfering.
The Common Crow is another case of mistaken identity. Fledglings are quite large, giving them the appearance of full grown crows unable to fly. At this point their flight feathers haven't yet developed, so they hop about on the ground, waiting for their parents to come feed them. One way to identify these adolescents is look for a blue tint to their eyes, or observe their wings and tail for shorter feathers. Again, if you are concerned, please call the Wildlife Centre or Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital prior to attempting capture.
If you see the animal is visibly injured or in immediate danger, and it is safe for you to do so, you can move them into a cardboard box or carrier for transportation. A blanket, thick towel and leather gloves may be used to reduce stress, any further injury to the animal, and to prevent bites and scratches to yourself.
Please contact Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre to speak to a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator for further instruction or to arrange pickup or drop off of the injured animal.
Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Phone: 204-510-1855
Email: rehab@pwildlife.ca, pwrcentre@gmail.com
Website: www.pwildlife.ca
Please see website for more information regarding wildlife
Here at Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital, we accept orphaned or injured wildlife 24hrs a day and will examine then provide supportive care until they can be transferred to the Wildlife Centre.
Ultrasounds
Cardiac and abdominal ultrasounds done by referral from your regular veterinarian. Our ultrasonographer can also do biopsies and guided fine needle aspirations, making Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital one of the few clinics in the city to offer this service.
Orthopaedic Surgery
Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital is pleased to provide a wide variety of options for patients in need of orthopaedic surgery. Our surgeon, Dr. Scammell, has experience treating many orthopaedic conditions such as cruciate injury, fracture repairs, and hip dysplasia. Rehabilitation is an important part of our patients’ recovery process and helps pets get back on their feet quickly and safely after surgery.
Euthanasia
Euthanasia is, unfortunately, a very large part of what every veterinarian does. In emergency medicine, this is an event that we see quite often and though it is never an easy thing to go through, we encourage owners to think of humane euthanasia as a valid treatment option. Sometimes alleviating the suffering a beloved family pet is going through is the best thing you can do for them. Occasionally owners choose not to be present for the procedure, a completely acceptable choice, but here we will try to explain the process, in order to help decrease the distress that the unknown and pet loss brings.
Humane euthanasia is achieved through an intravenous overdose of an injectable anaesthetic. If a pet is agitated, or an owner requests it, they will be sedated before the procedure so it doesn’t cause them additional stress. Once the injection begins, the anaesthetic will render them unconscious before causing cardiac arrest; the entire process is complete within seconds. Once the doctor has confirmed that the pet has passed away, the owners can take as much time as they need to finish saying goodbye.
On occasion an owner will choose to bury their pet at a special location outside of city limits but if they’ve chosen cremation, the clinic will ensure their pet is sent to Precious Pets Cremation. If the owner has decided to have their pet’s ashes returned to them, they will receive a call for pickup at the clinic, in approximately one week. If they decided against this, the ashes are buried in a dedicated plot on the crematorium grounds.
Sometimes coping with grief on your own or attempting to share with friends and family is just not sufficient to recover from the loss. The Winnipeg Humane Society offers a Pet Loss Support Line where anyone can call to speak with someone regarding their loss.
Canine Rehabilitation
Kaitlynn Cooper was certified as a Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner back in 2017 and runs Head to Tail Pet Rehabilitation. Visit her website to find out more about services she offers!
Overnight Critical Care Monitoring
Here at the Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital we are equipped to monitor any critical patients that may need 24-hour care.
Our team strives to stay up to date on any continuing education related to emergency and critical care to offer the best care possible to our patients. We are equipped with:
Oxygen kennels to provide oxygen therapy
Paediatric incubator and Bair Huggers to provide supplemental heat
Ventilator to use in surgery or to maintain extreme respiratory cases
ECGs to monitor heart rate and rhythms
SPO2 monitors to monitor oxygen saturation
Blood pressure monitors
Digital x-ray
CPR trained personnel
Full in-house Idexx diagnostic services
Coagulation tests to check blood clotting times
Full range of blood products for transfusions
Blood gas analysis machine
SERVICES OFFERED WITH REFERRAL TO PEMBINA VETERINARY HOSPITAL
Acupuncture
Dr. Hawkes is certified through the College of Animal Chiropractors and performs consultations during the regular clinic hours of PVH. Chiropractic care can be useful for: heart disease, pancreatic disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, immunological diseases, and post orthopaedic surgery, to name a few.
Endoscopy
Dr. Hawkes uses new state-of-the-art equipment to perform upper and lower gastrointestinal, upper airway [and lower airway in large dogs], outer ear, and vaginal/urethra scoping. Though scopes are mainly performed during regular clinic hours on Pembina Veterinary Hospital, they are able to be done during WAEH hours for emergency situations.