CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For many of us, our pets are like our children. There isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for them.
In fact, in 2015, pet owners spent more than $15 billion on vet care. That number just keeps going up, so we went behind the scenes at an emergency clinic where they treat everything from cancer to glaucoma and more.
“I was calling to let you know that Dewey is out of surgery,” said Dr. Laura Dvorak, staff surgeon at CARE in Charlotte.
Dewey, a 12-year-old lab just woke up after having surgery to remove a potentially cancerous mass.
"We were able to get the mass off."
CARE is a 24/7 vet clinic that only deals with emergencies or special cases. We’re talking cardiologists, ophthalmologists, oncologists -- all specially trained to treat your pets.
Erin is a seven-and-a-half-year-old cocker spaniel who had a serious case of glaucoma.
“We had to do an emergency procedure so she wouldn’t go blind," Dr. Josh Broadwater said.
About a third of the patients are in a dire situation; the rest are there for some very specialized care. None of it is easy on the families.
“There’s a lot of concern, a lot of anxiety when they first come in the door. My job is to work with them, calm them down and see if we can get to the root of the problem," added Dr. Broadwater.
“Ziggy just passed out one day on me,” Melissa Mitchell told NBC Charlotte.
Mitchell’s husband is in the military and often away. Ziggy is her constant companion, so when her beloved buddy passed out, she was freaked out.
“I actually called 911, so silly."
She and Ziggy ended up at CARE.
“They pretty much saved his life,” Mitchell said.
A cardiologist is now regularly treating him.
“I thought we lost him!”
Dr. Sayer, Ziggy's cardiologist, said medicine is often the easy part; it’s the emotions that are tougher to handle.
“A lot of times, it was their husband’s dog and he’s gone, daughter's dog now off at college. People have this enormous bond with their animals and unconditional love because a dog always happy to see you when you come home.”
Lilly may just be the happiest dog you’ll ever meet.
“She’s just kind and good natured and a very gentle soul, so as long as she is feeling well and doesn’t know she's sick, we’ll take care of her,” owner Elizabeth Turbyfill said.
Lilly has survived cancer twice, is deaf in one ear and now fighting kidney disease. She’s a regular at CARE, but she’s a happy girl.
“Our pets, for most people, become part of the family, so most of the time, they are doing everything they can to treat pet and have quality of life.”