Advanced Veterinary Care Center Doctors Work Together to Save Tommy
“Tommy just wasn’t himself,” recalls Dr. Yvette Giles Stuart and her husband Ricky Stuart of their sweet 8-year-old tabby cat. “He was very quiet and not wrestling with our other cats. I thought maybe he would get over it. But, when my pet sitter also noticed, I took him to our family veterinarian,” adds Dr. Giles Stuart.
Her veterinarian commented that she had not seen a cat that pale in quite some time. Tommy’s nose was pale and his color had changed. A blood test revealed that Tommy was severely anemic, meaning he had a much lower than normal number of red blood cells or hemoglobin in his blood. He was in critical condition.
The veterinarian suggested the couple go right away to Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie (Broward County). “She referred us to AVCC and we were so appreciative. Tommy was so anemic, he required blood transfusions. It was absolutely frightening, but we were just so impressed with AVCC’s level of professionalism and the extent of their expertise,” explains Dr. Giles Stuart.
After running further tests, it was revealed that Tommy had lymphoma, specifically in his spleen and also impacting his liver. Multiple doctors came together to collaborate on Tommy’s care, between emergency, surgery and oncology. “I haven’t seen that (type of collaboration) among veterinarians. They work so well together. They care and they know what they are doing. So, whatever model Dr. Toll and Dr. Rappaport have created in AVCC, it is very special,” she added.
Tommy’s lymphoma was an advanced, very aggressive form of cancer. His spleen was enlarged and therefore needed to be surgically removed. A personalized chemotherapy plan was also put in place as part of Tommy’s treatment. “Our experience with each of the doctors and nurses was…how they would come out and explain things to us, walk us through the options, give us all the info., and follow up in this emergency situation. They were tops in their field between the tests, the amount of detail they communicated, and their recommendations,” recalls the couple.
They also fondly talk about the strong bond they developed with the front desk staff, along with the doctors and the nurses who had fun nicknames for Tommy. “They just loved him and his personality and it made us feel comfortable leaving them with him. We developed relationships with them. They are such a good team….so caring. You know your baby is in good hands,” says Dr. Giles Stuart.
When chemo was complete, the team at AVCC marked Tommy’s special day with a Certificate of Hope. Today, he is back to enjoying some of his favorite things, including watching birds from his windowsill and wrestling his kitty siblings. Both Dr. Giles Stuart and Mr. Stuart are grateful they found AVCC. “This hospital should be a model for care of how we treat humans. AVCC is light years ahead of a standard human hospital. Extraordinary is the right way to put it.”
About Advanced Veterinary Care Center –
South Florida’s Premier Veterinary Emergency Hospital
We Have a Fully Staffed Veterinary Emergency Hospital
We have the largest team of veterinary emergency doctors and nurses in South Florida. Our emergency doctors are internship trained and have years of experience in emergency medicine. Every person on our ER team is RECOVER certified (basic and advanced life support/CPR training).
A Collaborative Approach to Veterinary Care
Our emergency doctors are supported 24/7 by our team of board-certified veterinary specialists. We work as a team to provide the best possible outcomes for pets and their people. Great veterinary medical care is a team sport – our collaborative approach and the quality of our team give patients the best chances for the best possible outcomes. We have earned a reputation for handling the most challenging cases because of our team and our approach.
Board Certification. It Matters!
Board certification in an accredited veterinary specialty is the only accepted standard for expertise in veterinary medicine. Our experts are all board certified in their specialties and they have collectively published over 30 peer-reviewed publications in veterinary medical journals.
We Have a State-Of-The-Art Facility
Including a full in-house lab, canine and feline blood products, a brand new 32-slice Fuji CT unit, surgical suites, minimally invasive surgical equipment, flexible and rigid endoscopy, mechanical ventilator, blood products and all equipment and services necessary for state-of-the-art care.
Centrally Located, Easily Accessible, and Worth the Drive.
We are 20 minutes from most of Broward County and 45-60 minutes from much of Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.
We are Privately Owned and Operated.
The owners of AVCC are full-time veterinarians and active members of our community.
Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie (Broward County) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. If you have any questions regarding our services, please feel free to call us anytime at 954-500-8387 or visit us online here