When I moved back to Rockford, I didn't know where to go for veterinary care. Dr. Verace was highly recommended by a colleague, so I called and made an appointment. Dr. Verace always recommended an a... Read More
When I moved back to Rockford, I didn't know where to go for veterinary care. Dr. Verace was highly recommended by a colleague, so I called and made an appointment. Dr. Verace always recommended an annual physical exam including blood work. I didn't understand the reason for this, especially because my dogs were only about a year old, but I agreed to it. Now, seven years later, am I glad I did! Mandy started having some unusual elevations in her liver enzymes, but without a baseline measure, we wouldn't have known for sure it these were normal results for her or not. Dr. Verace continued to monitor them closely, and ultimately she referred Mandy to UW-Madison. UW-Madison couldn't make a definitive diagnosis, either, but we followed their recommendations of medications. Mandy's liver enzymes started to come down, but they were still too high, and she started having new symptoms. After consultation with an expert, Dr. Verace asked for a urine specimen, and she followed it up with a very thorough blood panel. The latest blood work indicated that Mandy had very high blood sugar, and she was diagnosed as diabetic. Even though Dr. Verace was going out of town early the next morning, she took the time to call me the night before in order to explain the urgency of getting Mandy started on insulin. She called in a prescription that night and also arranged for a techician to teach me how to give insulin shots the next morning--all this while Dr. Verace still had to get ready to leave for her trip! She is so caring and dedicated! The next morning, I took Mandy and her insulin to Perryville Pet Hospital. Allison, the technician, was an amazing teacher, and I felt completely confident to give Mandy her injections after that. (I'm sure the other technicians would also have been excellent.) My main reason to write this is to support the importance of an annual physical and blood work as recommended. This probably saved Mandy's life, and I will be forever grateful. We never know what the future may hold for our beloved pets, but we can do the best we can to provide the best preventive care to ensure their good health for a long, long time. I know this review is unusually long (!), but I hope that Mandy's experience can help improve your pet's future, too!Read Less