The Spay Clinic Des Moines Iowa – Veterinarian Shelby Campos (right) cleans up a canine patient after surgery, Dr. Jennifer Doll (center) spays a dog March 29 at the Iowa Humane Alliance clinic in southwest Cedar Rapids. The association works with shelters, rescues and local volunteers to help many animals including cats, dogs and rabbits. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
CEDAR RAPIDS – The Iowa Humane Alliance is starting 2022 with three doctors. But by that February there was only one.
The Spay Clinic Des Moines Iowa
A year later, the branch is still hiring — offering signing bonuses and loan repayments as incentives, Executive Director Stacey Dykema said.
Pet Veterinarian Care & Services
“We’ve tried a lot … and if we don’t have enough vets, we’re ready to do 15,000 surgeries a year,” Dykema said.
The Cedar Rapids-based institution opened in 2013 as Iowa’s first not-for-profit, high-quality, affordable, day hospital. Last year alone, 11,000 surgeries were performed.
The shortage of veterinarians is being felt across the industry, but some hospitals, such as specialty and emergency hospitals, are “the hardest hit,” Dr. Laurie Taylor, President of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Some of the challenges of recruitment, Dikema says, are that it is a specialized field and can be repetitive. “It takes a lot of strength to operate this long, so I think it takes a special person with strength and integrity and dedication to the mission,” Dykema said.
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Dr. Jennifer Doll was spayed March 29 at the Iowa Humane Union Regional Spa and Neuter Clinic southwest of Cedar Rapids. Doll is currently the only vet in the guild. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
The need for veterinary services in Iowa and across the country has increased due to increased pet adoptions and population growth during the pandemic. That need outstrips the number of medical graduates, creating a crisis in a system that faced shortages before the pandemic, experts told the Gazette.
Recruiting an additional physician can also help reduce physician stress and burden. The only physician on staff at Union is Jennifer Doll, Dykema said.
“If he wasn’t here, we wouldn’t be able to do the surgery,” Dikema said.
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Surgery is seen through the lens of a doctor. Jennifer Doll performs a spay/neuter surgery on a dog March 29 at the Iowa Humane Alliance’s regional spay and neuter clinic in southwest Cedar Rapids. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
“…He plans to retire at the end of this year, and if he doesn’t have a chance to work, he could really impact the community.”
Dykema worries that the progress and impact made over the past decade will be lost and that local shelters and rescue partners will be overwhelmed with animals.
“It doesn’t take long for animals to reproduce, and I think it will start again,” Dykema said. “We seem to be making no progress.”
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Dr. Jennifer Butterfly checks a dog’s ears for scratches and other conditions as it prepares for surgery at the Iowa Humane Union. Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic, 6540 6th St-SW, Southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Spay does not want to interfere with the normal services of doctors, because the purpose of the association is to improve spaying and neutering. services, but he checks the animal’s general health and gives limited medication or tells people there is a problem. The association works with shelters, rescues, and local volunteers to help cats, dogs, and rabbits as many animals as possible. The clinic is open to anyone who wants to help reduce overcrowding and lives within 50 miles of the clinic. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
Dr. Jennifer Doll examines a dog’s ears for benefits and other conditions after a spay operation at the Iowa Humane Union. Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic, 6540 6th St-SW, Southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Spay does not want to interfere with the normal services of doctors, because the purpose of the association is to improve spaying and neutering. services, but he checks the animal’s general health and gives limited medication or tells people there is a problem. The association works with shelters, rescues, and local volunteers to help cats, dogs, and rabbits as many animals as possible. The clinic is open to anyone who wants to help reduce overcrowding and lives within 50 miles of the clinic. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
A dog recovering from surgery at the Humane Union of Iowa is on “The Beach” at the Regional Spa/Neuter Clinic, 6540 6th St SW, southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Serving cats, dogs, and rabbits with local shelters, rescues, and volunteers helps many animals. The clinic is open to anyone who wants to help reduce overcrowding and lives within 50 miles of the clinic. (Jim Slocierek/The Gazette)
Last year, Bright Eyes Bushy Tail in Iowa City changed its care model from a 24/7 facility to a daytime operation, said clinic manager Jessica Martens. Bright-eyed bushy tails still see accidents and emergencies during business hours, including weekends.
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Martens, who led the system for 13 years, said it was a “very difficult decision” to make the change but necessary after the challenges of the disease.
“We are very busy, as are doctors across the country,” Martens said. “The least impact is extreme fatigue and mild pain and irritation.”
Currently, five veterinarians work at the clinic. A part-time doctor will be added in late spring, Martens said.
The change allowed veterinarians to find a work-life balance and feel better about the quality of the drugs they administered, Martens said. He never saw our doctors happy.
Veterinarians In Des Moines, Ia
“They breathe,” Martens said. “I don’t want to hurt the community, but I think the longevity of this business is more important than a Band-Aid right now.”
Martens said the hospital wants to offer more hours to the community, but will do so cautiously.
“I can’t say we’ll go back to a 24-hour model, but we’re sure there are organizational needs for emergencies and limited resources,” he said. “We’re slowly trying to do what we can for the community.”
Critter Crusaders focuses on providing medical and surgical care to sick or injured pets rescued by Iowans and sent to shelters. Last year, 756 admissions, treatments and surgeries were performed.
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The organization has seen an increase in demand for services and animals have had to wait longer to get appointments, said Jan Erceg, medical coordinator for Critter Crusaders.
Erceg said urgent care hospitals are doing the best they can but are facing high demand, especially on days when BluePearl closes its emergency rooms due to staffing issues. In Cedar Rapids, BluePearl Pet Hospital sends out a monthly list of emergency room closings to the local community – usually seven days a month.
Arceg shared a situation a few months ago when two pets were hospitalized at BluePearl Hospital in Cedar Rapids. But since the clinic is closed at night, pets will have to be transported to another facility 24/7. That means taking your pet to BluePearl in Des Moines.
“Can we see our pets for emergency care? Can we provide them with specialized services? And if we can’t, what do we do and where do we go? What’s happening in this area,” said Erceg Shelter – a Furry Friends Center The non-profit humane organization serving animals in Iowa is a taxable 501(c) organization and will be the first no-kill organization in the Des Moines area by July 1, 2023. , Furry Friends brings fostering services to pets in need in West Des Moines, Clive and Urbandale, Furry Friends continues to serve all animals for animal welfare in Clive and Urbandale. If we can provide the support needed to ensure sustainability in Iowa and across the country, we can expand to other neighboring communities that share our vision of building a safety net for the human community and all animals. necessary West Des Moines decided to end its partnership with Furry Friends in July 2023, against the wishes of many citizens. If you have a homeless pet in West Des Moines, please contact City Manager Tom Hadden at tom.hadden@wdm.iowa.gov.
Iowa Humane Alliance
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