I guess we're pretty lucky here in Tallahassee, FL.  I've never had a
problem seeing a vet in an emergency or semi-emergency.  The one time I
truly had a ferret emergency, I called while driving there, went in the
back door, and they had an empty room waiting for me with a vet right
there.  Unfortunately, it was too late.  This was Lucy who died from
lympho nearly 4 years ago.  I never have a problem with vets fitting in
my wildlife babies in emergencies and they don't even charge a fee to see
them!  If it's not an emergency, but they need medical care, they have
always fit me in that very same day.  How's that for good, caring vets.
 
When Lily had a hematoma on her ear, I had no clue what it was.  All I knew
was that she had this huge, ugly growth that hadn't been there earlier.
Called the emergency vet, who happens to be a great ferret vet.  His office
said to come on in.  Before I even left the house, the doctor called me and
we talked.  He knew it was a hematoma from my description and told me to
save the after-hours fees and just take her to her vet in the a.m.  What a
great guy!
 
I've called the emergency vets when I've had dire, life-threatening
emergencies with wildlife babies and they have talked me through it over
the phone.  It hasn't always ended successfully but they were there to
help me.
 
You can get good service if you act politely and they know you're not prone
to overreacting.  Of course, I think I have single-handedly paid for my
ferret vets' new addition to their building <g>.
 
Katharine
[Posted in FML issue 2830]