[speeder]

One thing that you can do proactively is to talk to a major veterinary school in your region BEFORE something catastrophic happens, see what their procedures are for getting your animal in for treatment.

Back in the mid-'90s, I was in Minneapolis for the summer w my German Shepard and he stepped on a broken bottle or something in the woods, (never did find it), cut his leg so bad right above the paw that he nearly severed it. Cut through the tendons, etc. Gnarly injury.

I scooped him up and brought him to the nearest vet, they told me that it was way above their ability to repair the injury and suggested I take him to the University of MN. agriculture campus and school of veterinary science. It's one of the best in the country.

I did and they agreed to operate on my dog, no guarantees but they would do their best. I picked him up a couple days later in a cast up to his shoulder but happy and limping along. He healed 100% and if I remember right, there was no bill because they used him as a training exercise. Of course, the greatest staff surgeon did the actual procedure w students all around him watching. They told me that he may never play the piano again but otherwise he'd be right as rain. What amazing people...it's all coming back to me.

I thought of that when the Dachshund injury happened recently but she did not want to take the time to research vet schools, it was too much of an emergency and she had already found a surgeon. I decided right there that it's a good idea too research it in advance if you have critters.