Your Locally Owned Pet Emergency Provider
During the last 25 years, there has been a steep curve in the transformation of pets not just being valued companions, but truly “members of the family” who are entrenched in our daily lives. As the status of pets has evolved, the need for excellent after-hours healthcare has become essential. Veterinarians Dr. Lively and Dr. Mays have stepped forward to fill that gap in Knoxville with Sequoyah Veterinary Urgent Care – an affordable option for evening, weekend, and holiday veterinary services.
After completing undergraduate degrees from Vanderbilt University, Kristi Lively and Adele Mays met while attending The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and have continued to serve the Knoxville community and surrounding region. Although they are general veterinarians during the day at Knoxville Animal Clinic – seeing new puppies and kittens, providing senior vet care, performing dental and surgical services, and training new veterinary technicians and students from multiple vet schools – Dr. Lively and Dr. Mays have seen the “writing on the wall” with the need for pet care after standard clinic hours. Everything Knoxville spoke with them about opening this much needed additional care for our area’s beloved cats and dogs.
EK: Let’s talk about what first drew you to veterinary medicine and working together in general.
Dr. Lively: I have always had a love of science, and growing up in Atlanta, I attended Fernbank Science Center every summer. I did not consider vet med until I got my first personal dog (a black lab named Noodle) as a Vanderbilt undergrad studying gene research and molecular biology. When I started taking him to the vet, I realized, “I’d love to do this!”
Dr. Mays: I had always wanted to be a veterinarian but (unlike Kristi!) was intimidated by the math and science classes. I was an English and Philosophy double major at Vanderbilt, but when I graduated, I knew I still really wanted to be a vet and went back to complete my science credits. And it turns out, I was actually pretty good at science classes, so I was all in, graduated first in my class at UT, and never looked back. Once you have discovered your passion, everything falls into place.
Dr. Lively: Adele and I are blessed to have different strengths that make for a great working relationship. Mine run more toward details and marketing, and Dr. Mays is a “big picture” person that works well with HR and client contact. Together, our mission is to provide great care for pets along with superior client service for their owners.
Dr. Mays: I always wanted to be an animal hospital owner but knew I could not do it alone. Kristi is the true organizational director of our practices. We also both see the importance of working closely with community educational outreach, helping teach veterinary students and providing support for local animal shelters and the humane society.
EK: You have been serving the Knoxville community as veterinarians for decades, most recently at Knoxville Animal Clinic. What made your decision to add in after-hours care with Sequoyah Veterinary Urgent Care (SVUC) at your current location?
Dr. Lively: For years, we have been discussing the idea of branching out into the world of after-hours veterinary urgent care and emergency medicine because this kind of pet care is really necessary. There are a number of excellent emergency service groups in Knoxville that have veterinary specialists who are skilled in treating critical care cases. We saw that there was a deficit in other options on evenings, weekends, and holidays for sick pets who do not require critical care, and we wanted to fill that gap.
Dr. Mays: Having always been rooted in providing comprehensive, general practice services supporting best medicine for the life-long care of dogs and cats, an after-hours clinic seemed like the next best step for us – and Knoxville. Unlike human urgent care, at SVUC, we can perform all general emergency surgeries and support for internal medicine cases.
Dr. Lively: A typical night might involve surgically removing a toy, rocks, or socks that dogs have eaten, allergy cases, colds and coughs, and eye injuries or infection. We can perform most surgeries, including gastrointestinal foreign body/obstruction cases, urinary bladder surgery, canine bloat, dog fight wounds and other trauma, cesarean sections, etc.
Dr. Mays: We offer X-rays, ultrasound, in-house laboratory testing, and other diagnostics to care for patients with GI conditions, respiratory and heart disease, urinary tract infections and obstructions, eye/ear and skin cases, as well as orthopedic and neurologic pain. Fortunately, severe trauma and critical care cases can be stabilized and referred to local specialty centers.
EK: Where do you see the after-hours clinic going (growing) from here?
Dr. Mays: Dr. Lively and I encourage surrounding general practice veterinary hospitals to recommend after-hours emergency and urgent care clients to SVUC so they can be supported during the times their regular practices are closed. All records and cases are sent back to the pets’ regular veterinarians for continuity of care and follow-up. Our goal is to not only support pet owners, but also our veterinary colleagues who need to be able to leave work after a long day and know their clients’ pets will have the best, affordable care options after hours.
Dr. Lively: Our connections are strong within the veterinary community; we have long-lasting, respectful relationships. We have always strived to offer the highest quality care outside of a specialty setting. Our hope is that other area veterinarians see this and want to recommend us to provide urgent veterinary care at accessible hours for their own pets as well as their clients.
Dr. Mays: The community definitely needs the veterinary specialists and criticalists (board-certified specialist in emergency and critical care medicine who manage life-threatening, complex, or high-stakes conditions in animals) that operate after hours. They are an invaluable resource to our community, and we are blessed to have them. However, not all emergencies require specialty care. We see ourselves as an integral part of our area’s overall pet care and will continue to provide after-hours urgent care in a smaller setting, at affordable prices, and generally less waiting time.
Sequoyah Veterinary Urgent Care
Knoxville Animal Clinic
5312 Homberg Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
865.584.1588
KnoxvilleAnimalClinic.com
Weekdays: Open from 4 pm until midnight
Weekends & Holidays: Open from 10 am to 10 pm