Emergency Exit: Don’t Get Left Behind!

Just last week I was climbing into bed after a long day at work when my pager went off. “Clyde is colicking,” the panicked caller said, “we need you right away!” After confirming that Clyde was a regular patient of our practice and was, in fact, in significant distress, I jumped in my truck and headed to the farm, where Clyde, his owner, and a group of concerned supporters were waiting. Sure enough, Clyde was extremely uncomfortable. He responded well to pain medications, but I was concerned about what I felt on my rectal exam. Although I didn’t think Clyde needed to head to surgery yet, I explained that his condition was difficult to predict, and it might be safer to transport him to a surgical facility for observation. The owner had thought about her options before I even arrived at the farm, had a trailer hooked up, and didn’t hesitate to follow my recommendation. Clyde would get the best care available.

‘The owner had thought about her options before I even arrived at the farm, had a trailer hooked up, and didn’t