What is TVEC?

Sometimes it's easy for those who are involved in a business day in and day out to forget that not everyone understands the details of that business. Frequently, the staff and doctors at TVEC are surpised when friends and family don't understand that our clinic is different from the traditional, local veterinarian. Many people are surprised when we tell them that there are such things as veterinary specialists. So this blog entry is an attempt to answer the question, "What is TVEC?"

Triangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic (TVEC) is actually two different types of veterinary facility rolled into one. As our name implies, we are a clinic that cares for pets who need immediate care at times when most local veterinarians are closed. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. If your pet needs care and your veterinarian is either closed or too busy to see you (for instance, if he/she is in surgery or otherwise dealing with another patient), your veterinarian may ask you to bring your pet to us, even if they are open.

But there is more to TVEC than that. We also offer care for 'critical needs' pets, similar to a human intensive care unit. This may be a pet who needs observation and fluids overnight after surgery, a pet that needs to be on oxygen, a patient that needs a blood transfusion, or a whole host of other conditions that need intensive care. We have the expertise, nursing care, and equipment necessary to provide this higher level of care.

The second part of TVEC is the veterinary specialists. Currently we have Board Certified specialists in Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Radiology. We'll have a more detailed post on this topic in the future, but basically, 'Board Certified' means that the veterinarians have received additional training beyond veterinary school, and they have passed a rigorous examination by the appropriate College (e.g., American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine). These specialists see only those patients that are sent in by local veterinarians. Reasons for referral include advanced surgical procedures, complicated diseases, ultrasound examinations, endoscopy, or simply for a second opinion on a difficult case. (Go to these links to see more specifics - Surgery, Internal Medicine, Radiology).

Notice what we did NOT list as a part of our services. We did not list vaccinations, wellness exams, parasite control, spays/neuters, etc. We are not a primary care facility. Your local veterinarian does that sort of thing all day, every day, and they are very good at it. We are very good at what we do - the complicated stuff.

At TVEC we consider ourselves a part of your pet's healthcare team. These aren't just empty words; we really take this philosophy to heart. We make sure to communicate with both you and your local veterinarian every step of the way. In some cases, this team approach may mean that the pet stays with us for a short period of time and then is further managed by the local veterinarian, while in other cases the pet may get the majority of its care here at TVEC. Each pet, each owner, and each situation is unique; we tailor our approach specifically for each pet after consultation with both the pet owner and the local veterinarian. Our goal is to do what's right for the pet.

Hopefully this helps to define us better, as well as to give you a little bit of our philosophy. What other questions do you have? Feel free to leave questions in the 'Comments' section.