Medics refuse to take service dog

[hatelilpeepees]

I am not trying to hijack the thread, but since asys challenged me, I feel I must respond. The obese patient situation and this situation are entirely different, they are apples and oranges>

1. In the obese scenario I said I would have transported the patient because I have done it several times without incident, especially if it were an emergent scenario. I pointed out that in many areas of the country, 911 providers transport patients greater than 750lbs (what most stretchers are rated for) on the floor, as they have no other option. The OP in that thread had pointed out that her scenario was a nonemergent IFC transfer. I stated that if it was safe to transport the patient in a 911 ambulance on the floor, then it is safe to do so in a non-emergent ambulance (everyone was concerned about a MVC, the chance of MVC is greater during an emergent transport). This scenario involves a patient that needs transport.

2. Scenario 2 involves bringing the patient's pet to the hospital with them, the pet adds nothing to their care in the ambulance or the ER, it only brings potential danger and/or unnecessary work for all involved in this patient's care. No one has yet to explain the NEED to have a dog in the hospital, the patient can be transported by wheelchair or stretcher, or can be ambulated by a human who can verbalize any objects or hazards to the patient which is far better than a dog.

"Woof-woof", what is it lassie, is it an IV pole, a wheelchair, another patient, or stretcher in my way ? Woof-woof=woof !!!!

Think it through folks, and quit letting your love of pets get in the way of common sense, you are as bad as the patient.

[Asysin2leads]

You know, I'm really sensing a trend with you IHLPP. You have that arrogance of "knowing what its all about" despite what literature and the law and pretty much everything else says. I know its going to fall on deaf ears, but service animals are not "pets". Service animals are a necessity for people with certain disabilities. Now, I'm not going to debate whether dogs can sense seizures or not, or whether a patient needs one in the hospital or not, but basically if a physician tells me a patient needs something, and the law provides for its transport (like it does in PA), then unlike you, I'm not going to say "I don't care what them pointy heads think, I know that thar's a buncha BS." Kind of like how you don't really care if its unsafe and possibly illegal to transport an unrestrained patient, you "know" its okay. Or like how despite the rather obvious inappropriateness of watching hard or softcore pornography in the work place you assert "its all okay" because your firemen buddies do it. Ignorance and arrogance are a really deadly combination in the medical profession. I think you need to go back to school and grow up a whole heck of a lot before trying to be a manager of an EMS service.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Asysin2leads

[Richard B the EMT]

HLPP, again, I EMPHASIZE THAT SERVICE ANIMALS ARE NOT PETS!!!

Someone, earlier on, mentioned a wheelchair bound patient on the street, versus in the patient's residence. In residence, I ask the patient, family, or facility staff if I can leave the chair behind, as the hospital might inadvertantly borrow it (permanently). I actually, by accident, stole a privately owned wheelchair to bring someone in from the ambulance.

If the call is streetside, unless the chair is marked as being from a facility, it's the patient's property, and I am not getting charged the $600 or more to replace it by leaving it in the streets. Seatbelts can secure more than people, in the type 1 ambulances I had at FDNY EMS.

As for the training for service animals, I'll directly quote from a fundraiser letter from one of the training agencies, when I get a bit more time to do so, probably tomorrow

[hatelilpeepees]

You guys are smoking crack, again I ask, what can the SERVICE animal (pet) do for a patient in the hospital:

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, are they giving me toradol instead of morphine

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, should I order chicken instead of turkey for my dinner

WOOF WOOF. what is it lassie, are they putting a foley in me

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, is there a special in the gift shop today

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, is there an unrestrained obese patient in the room with me

[DFIB]

You guys are smoking crack, again I ask, what can the SERVICE animal (pet) do for a patient in the hospital:

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, are they giving me toradol instead of morphine

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, should I order chicken instead of turkey for my dinner

WOOF WOOF. what is it lassie, are they putting a foley in me

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, is there a special in the gift shop today

WOOF WOOF, what is it lassie, is there an unrestrained obese patient in the room with me

Now that is funny, I don't care who you are! I am not sure why it is funny but it made me laugh.

What is not funny is this tired, wore out, unrestrained obese person discussion.

[Bernhard]

For me (BTW: and for the law here) a dog including a service dog is a valuable item. As with other valuable items of patinets I as a medic have to take care in (assumed) agreement with the patient. This opens a bunch of options: i can take it within the ambulance (other regulation steps in: as long as I can safely secure it), i can pass it to family members or friends in (assumed) consent with the patient, I can pass it to law enforcement, I can organize another trusted transport (command car, fire dept, other available aid services) or I can secure it on scene (well, this may not sufficiently working with a dog but maybe with a bycicle or else).

I agree with Dwayne that a dog is no immedeate service for a man in the best care of EMS and hospital. I even agree with HLPP, if she is unsure about dogs in general or about securing it in the ambulance.

In the given case, when the injury is minor, I most probably would have taken the time to call and wait for law enforcement to arrive. They will take care for the dog, in which way ever (lots of own options).

In a more emergent setting, I may have choosen one of the other options - but mostly I would prefer the law enforcement option. The last option would be to take the dog in my ambulance, and I'm by no means scared by dogs and know how to handle them properly. We would even have the opportunity to have them secured in our ambulances, because we have special fixing places for bulky baggage as wheel chairs or other, a service dog with a harness (sp?) could be secured there pretty well. But I can't think of a reason to have a unknown dog in my ambulance - see above: I know how to handle them properly, this includes to not fully trust a strange dog.

I even would not take relatives/friends in my ambulance other than in the co-drivers seat (exception: if needed for immedeate patient calming as with kids). A typical sized service dog can't be securly placed there.

Anyhow, there would be no option to simply leave the dog on scene alone on it's own.

As with all other situations in EMS: know your tools and evaluate "cost"/"risk".

[Asysin2leads]

Maybe the service animal can go grab the remote control or the lube for when the soft core porn on Cinemax comes on. Oh wait, were talking about the hospital, not IHLPP's EMS station. My bad.

[Happiness]

So I am going to really try to disregard the stupid in this thread. I do not think that there is a service dog in my community, but I dont really know for sure.

I am not afraid of dogs, even if they are snarling and growling at me, I dont react and I have never been bitten by a dog. If not taking the dog is going to cause more stress on my patient then it will go with us. If my partner is afraid of dogs then they can drive and if the want to attend the call the dog is on the front seat with me. As for the safety of the flying dog, most service dogs wear harnesses. It may not be the best seatbelt but it can be manipulated to work enought so the dog dosn't go airborn.

Now if my patient is severly screwed the dog is going to be my last thought and I would hope that someone else makes sure that it is taken care of.

It all about the nature of the call and there is no right answer.

[hatelilpeepees]

You still have not answered the question asssssssyn, what value is the service animal in the hospital, you can make fun of me all you want, but until you answer that basic question you are an ass-clown

[nypamedic43]

You still have not answered the question asssssssyn, what value is the service animal in the hospital, you can make fun of me all you want, but until you answer that basic question you are an ass-clown

Your question has been answered MULTIPLE times HLPP. Climb off your double standardized high horse and READ!! And calling people names is highly unprofessional...oh but wait I doubt you have any professionalism so you dont know any better and you no longer have any credibility so the ignore button gets pushed from here on out.