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Lying down is about all eight-year-old Buddy can do.
"He was limping since Friday, and now he lays and cries just when he tries to stretch his leg,” Joani Bevan, one of Buddy’s owners, said.
The 100-pound husky mix's pain was enough to drive his owners to the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital of Wichita.
"It's Memorial Day, of course, the vets are closed-- which everybody has the right to a day off-- thank goodness for emergency hospitals. However, the price is double what you would pay,” Bevan said.
And, the hospital's workload doubles on summer holiday weekends... when typical vet offices are closed.
"This will be our busiest weekend of the year, more than likely,” Veterinarian Brock Lofgreen said.
The exam rooms and the three I-C-U's are full. And the staff is busy with surgeries, like repairing a dog’s tongue after he bit into an electrical wire.
“We over-staff on the holidays. And usually, it doesn't end up being over-staffing, it's what we need to get by,” Lofgreen said.
The hospital will see anywhere from 40 to 50 patients today. On average, it sees about 15. They'll come in for all sorts of things, like bad allergies, dog bite wounds, even seizures.
"We've seen a lot of dogs getting into things and eating things that they wouldn't normally eat, because there's a lot of extra family around... extra hands feeding them,” Lofgreen said.
Lofgreen says if you have any question about taking your pet to the vet, don't wait, because your pet's condition could get worse.
"If your animal is lethargic, is running a fever, has a wound, or has drainage or anything like that, and it has gone on... especially 24 hours or more, it's probably time to see your veterinarian,” Lofgreen said.
That's how Buddy got here. He was prescribed some pain medicine and "slowly" sent on his way home.
Lofgreen says his best advice during the holidays… is keep an eye on your pet and know what your pet is eating at all times.
If you want to learn more about your pet's health or behavior, click here. To learn more about the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital of Wichita, click here.