Emergency Veterinary Care vs Regular Appointments
Knowing when to seek emergency veterinary care versus scheduling a regular appointment can save time, stress, and expense.
Emergency Care (Out-of-Hours Clinics):
- Breathing difficulties or choking.
- Severe trauma, such as broken bones or deep wounds.
- Signs of poisoning (e.g., ingestion of toxic substances).
- Continuous vomiting or diarrhoea, especially with blood.
- Seizures or sudden collapse. (Read Further [a])
- Difficulty urinating or signs of a blockage.
Regular Appointments (General Practice):
- Minor skin issues, like rashes or itching.
- Routine vaccinations and wellness checks.
- Behavioural concerns that are not urgent.
- Chronic issues, such as arthritis or weight management.
Understanding these distinctions helps ensure prompt and appropriate care.
If in doubt, always call your veterinary practice first, they'll be able to advise whether you should be seen as an emergency or, schedule a regular appointment.
[a] Always call ahead in cases of Seizures, as they may recommend waiting 30mins - 1 hour before traveling to a vet clinic, as that could put more stress, strain and discomfort on the animal, if you notice your pet have a sezuire, best course of action is, Turn off lights, and stimuli - i.e. TV, Sound devices, and lights, make it dark and comfy for them, and call your regular practice - Even OOH, their phone system will be diverted to their OOH Provider, be that their internal one, external one, or On-Call Vets & Nurses.
Reference list for this page is now live on: sykes.pet/animal-welfare/references