Tulsa Emergency Pet Clinic Operates Animal Ambulance

If your family pet has a real emergency late at night, you might need to call an ambulance.

Know what? There is one.

You can't call 911 for the animal ambulance, but otherwise it's emergency pet care on wheels.

Dr. Troy McNamara, veterinarian, is working on a little guy who doesn't look very happy.

"A perfect case example of what a 24-hour center is all about," McNamara said.

The pup was attacked by other dogs late at night - he needed surgery, stitches and 24-hour monitoring and care.

McNamara is medical director for the Animal Emergency Center near U.S. Highway 169 and 41st Street in Tulsa. It provides 24-hour emergency care, 365 days a year.

"It's an IV pump, just like you or I if we were on fluids," he said, demonstrating his patient's care. "Just run it through a pump so you don't get too much fluids."

If the little guy had to be moved, you want to move him in some sort of emergency vehicle, and the Animal Emergency Center has one. The ambulance once belonged to the Chelsea Fire Department, and it's equipped to provide emergency care to pets on the go.

"We can provide oxygen, monitor EKG, blood pressure, administer fluids - whatever we need to do we can do it," Dr. McNamara said.

It's like a veterinary ER on wheels. They bought it about a year ago, and it's been fairly busy.

"The use of the ambulance for now is limited to transporting from our facility to a veterinary clinic," McNamara said.

But who knows how much more active they might be in the future. "Animal emergency center" is printed on the side of the ambulance, so it's an attention getter.

"I take my dog with me sometimes, my personal dog, and he sits up there," said Dr. Troy McNamara, DVM.

"I come to a stop light, and there's a dog sitting in the dog ambulance, and I've had so many people taking pictures."

So now when a little guy needs an emergency ride to get fixed up, he can get one.

Dr. McNamara's patient doesn't look very happy right now. Hopefully someday soon he'll have his smile back.