EMERGENCY CONTACTS
AND AFTER HOURSWHO TO CONTACT
If you require urgent advice, or you pet is involved in an emergency DURING surgery hours, please call us immediately.
We know your pet can become ill or suffer accidents at any time, and that you may have concerns about your pet when we are closed.
To make sure you have access to high quality care at night, weekends and bank holidays, we have chosen to partner with Vets Now and VidiVet, to provide a comprehensive choice of service to suit you and your pet’s needs.
Please read a brief summary of each service to decide which best suits you and your pet’s needs.
VETS NOW
The team at Vets Now are always there when we are closed and their fully qualified staff can provide free advice over the phone and advise whether you need to take your pet into their clinic for immediate treatment.
Please don’t hesitate to call them if you have an emergency situation with your pet and are concerned. Vets Now have a full team of veterinary staff based and are based at a comprehensively equipped hospital.
VIDIVET
If you are concerned about your pet, but maybe unsure if it’s an emergency, or it definitely isn’t, but you would just like some advice – All of our registered clients have COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE access to the VidiVet app!
This means that you can contact a vet at any time of the day or night, by sending a video, photo or written message.
You will always receive a video answer from a vet in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea!
Use the link here to sign up – or scan the QR code!
Pet Emergencies that require immediate veterinary attention
Major trauma
Poisoning – Contact the surgery especially if your pet is unwell. – Be ready to provide information on WHEN, WHERE, HOW poisoning occurred and QUANTITY consumed. Keep any packaging.
Road traffic accidents or severe trauma/bleeding.
Unconscious/collapsed animal
Eye injuries – Eye injuries are generally very painful. Do not touch eye injuries or investigate yourself further.
Bloat or gastric dilation/torsion – an enlarged tummy can be a sign of gastric dilatation/torsion. It is usually a problem in large dogs with deep chests such as Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Irish Setters etc. An excessive amount of gas builds up in the stomach and without release of the gas the condition is quickly fatal so urgent and immediate veterinary attention is needed. Affected dogs will often salivate or try to be sick.
Burns, scalds and heatstroke
Severe pain or extreme anxiety
Eclampsia – seen in pregnant or feeding bitches or queens. A low blood calcium level causes the mother to present with weakness and lethargy, trembling, twitchy muscles, fits and coma. Calcium treatment is needed and immediate veterinary attention should be sought.
Difficult labour (dystocia) – Prolonged straining to deliver a puppy, kitten. A green/brown vaginal discharge (a clear blood-coloured discharge is normal) without a puppy/kitten arriving are indicators of problems and veterinary advice should be sought.
Severe Diarrhoea with blood – Bloody diarrhoea or bloody diarrhoea with vomiting is an emergency because haemorrhagic diarrhoea often occurs with severe and fatal diseases such as parvovirus infection and enteritis often leads to severe dehydration.
Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
Fitting – Most fits last just a few minutes but some can last longer.
The list above are some of the more common emergency situations you may experience with your pet. However, this list is by no means exhaustive.
Ultimately, if you have ANY concerns about your pet’s wellbeing, please call immediately for reliable professional advice. During normal opening hours, one of our team will advise you further.