Charleston has roughly 155,000 residents. The city has been named one of the top dog-friendly cities in the country. It’s safe to say that between dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, rabbits, and other creatures, the city has more pets than people. However, while there are roughly two dozen hospitals and emergency care centers in the city where humans can find medical care, Charleston currently has only three facilities that offer after hours emergency pet care, and only one of those offers it around-the-clock.
Part of the problem stems from what happened during the COVID lockdowns, according to Dr. Laura Maston with Island Pet Urgent Care in Johns Island. While people were stuck in isolation, many of them adopted pets. At the same time, veterinarians burned out because the demand for care was increasing and fewer new veterinarians entered the field because veterinary classes were limited during COVID.
“In short, there are a lot more animals and not a ton of people to care for them,” Maston said.
Dr. Sophy Jesty, cardiology medical director for the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, said she sees two reasons for the disparity.
The first is people. “Finding people to work 24/7/365 for emergency work is extremely challenging. You have to be willing to work evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays, and you have to be willing to see tough cases, some of which will need to be euthanized. Most people would prefer to work normal business hours with healthier animals and less stressed families,” Jesty said.
And for each doctor who will work emergency hours, he or she needs to have the support staff to run the operation and specialists who will be on call.
The second reason is the facility. Veterinary hospitals need much of the same equipment that regular hospitals need and that can be costly. “The investment cost in these facilities is incredibly high. It’s the reason that so many 24/7/365 emergency hospitals are corporately owned, and that number is growing,” Jesty said.
In the Charleston area, the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center is the only place offering around-the-clock emergency care for pets. However, urgent care facilities bridge the gap between primary care and emergency care. They aren’t open around-the-clock, and they aren’t as extensively equipped as emergency hospitals.
Island Pet Urgent Care offers care until midnight, and PawMed Veterinary Urgent Care is available until 10 p.m.
“We’re equipped to stabilize a pet, and we will see pets for any issue,” Maston said. “You don’t need an appointment, and you don’t need to be referred.”
However, if a pet needs more advanced care, urgent care veterinarians can refer them to Charleston Veterinary Referral Center for emergencies.
The lack of around-the-clock emergency care for pets is a national issue, which means it may take time to be resolved, if it ever is. It is a problem of supply and demand, and it takes time to train new veterinarians. Because they are in short supply, cities compete to attract them. It all depends on how attractive Charleston looks to a newly graduated veterinarian.
Jesty believes that urgent care facilities are relieving some of the pressure on the emergency care veterinary hospitals.
Clemson University is also in the process of opening a new veterinary school. This could be beneficial to Charleston to have a facility in-state. It hopefully increases the chances of graduates being familiar with Charleston and what it offers.
The shortage of care has also led to another problem: Patients are getting abusive and aggressive with veterinarians and their staff. It can include things like yelling, cursing, threatening to sue, or threatening to leave a bad review. This type of abuse increases the burnout for emergency care workers and makes the problem worse.
“These people and these situations make emergency work much less appealing,” Jesty said. “Sometimes the abuse is about the wait time, which we can’t control. It works like a human ER. Sometimes the abuse is about cost, which can be higher than they expect, especially as our own costs have increased in the last few years.”
Jesty recommends that if you want to be able to afford emergency or specialty care for pets, look into pet insurance. With the high costs of equipping and running a hospital, veterinarians shouldn’t be expected to provide care for free.
Maston agrees pet owners are taking out their frustrations on people who don’t deserve it.
“Be kind to your veterinary staff,” she said. “Know that we are doing our best to make your pet comfortable and take care of them.”
By: James Rada Jr.
