New equine emergency veterinarian there to take that phone call every horse owner dreads
Your mare has been restless all evening. Now she's down in her stall. It's 1 a.m.
Until recently, that phone call to the emergency line might have meant waiting hours for help — or driving hours to find it. Now, Southwest Virginia horse owners have something new: Two dedicated emergency veterinarians who actually want to work nights and weekends.
Robert McCarthy joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in September as the second member of the region's first dedicated equine emergency team. Emergency medicine requires specialized training and a willingness to work nights and weekends — exactly what drew McCarthy to the field.
"Both surgery and emergency medicine are just kind of a giant puzzle of things you have to put together," said McCarthy, who brings board-eligible surgical expertise to the midnight crises that keep horse owners awake with worry.
Why this matters
In just five years, demand for equine emergency services at the veterinary college has skyrocketed while the number of available emergency specialists has stayed flat.
"It's been difficult on the faculty to absorb that need while maintaining the daytime services, the teaching services, and the research enterprise," said Chris Byron, head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.
Local veterinarians faced a similar challenge, handling emergency calls while continuing to maintain their regular practices. By morning, everyone was exhausted and still had a full day ahead. Horse owners faced delays, and their animals couldn't receive the immediate attention that emergencies require.
What changes now
McCarthy teams with Carla Enriquez, who joined in August as the region's first dedicated emergency veterinarian. Together, they provide coverage designed explicitly around emergency medicine—not faculty members pulled away from other duties.
"We want them to know that if you bring your animal here, they're going to receive the best possible care 24/7, 365 days a year," McCarthy said.
The approach mirrors what's already working at the veterinary college’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, where dedicated emergency specialists have transformed care for horse owners in Northern Virginia.
The veterinary college has been able to hire a second emergency equine veterinarian because of a $4 million gift from Karen Waldron and Shawn Ricci, animal advocates who understood the gap in emergency care.
"The ability to have a second position is transformational for equine care because that allows us to position a dedicated service toward emergency and critical care," Byron said.
Who you're calling at 2 a.m
McCarthy completed his large animal surgery residency at Oregon State University in July. His path there included internships at academic hospitals and private practices across three states— experience that taught him to adapt quickly when every minute matters.
"I feel like it gave me a wider breadth of knowledge to bring into my career," McCarthy said.
Emergency medicine appealed to McCarthy because it combines surgical skill with rapid diagnostic thinking. Colic surgeries that require immediate intervention. Difficult births where cesarean sections save both mare and foal. Complex cases where experience with both medicine and surgery makes the difference.
The variety appeals to someone who refuses to accept limitations. Growing up on a Nebraska farm, McCarthy learned that philosophy from his parents.
"My dad always refused to recognize the word can't, because it just means you haven't learned it yet and you still have time to do it," McCarthy said.
What students gain
While horse owners get improved emergency access, veterinary students gain exposure to a specialty that desperately needs more practitioners. The national shortage of emergency large animal veterinarians creates opportunities for graduates willing to work unconventional hours.
"I love teaching students in the sense of watching things click into place," McCarthy said. "As an academic institution, we're investing in them, not just for now, but for the next 50 years of their career."
Students rotating through the large animal emergency medicine rotation learn to make rapid decisions, work with incomplete information, and manage psychological pressure. Those skills transfer to any veterinary career.
When crisis becomes routine
Three weeks into his new role, McCarthy represents something Southwest Virginia hasn't had before: a veterinarian who gets excited about the 2 a.m. phone call.
"We are here for our clients just as much as we are for the patients," McCarthy said. "I'm here for you just as much as your horse."
