What are your views on the care that you feel should be available for your dogs (I'll stick to pets here) after normal hours? I'll not put a poll up, and await the answers with interest and trepidation....
Emergency Vet availability
- Thread starter Buchan
- Start date
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
24/7
If a member of the family falls ill, in extremis, I can always throw them into some A&E department.
Nice to know that the same was on offer for something that I actually cared about...
It is a well known fact that dogs will always develop critical, threats to life, at 'five past closing time' on a Friday night...
If a member of the family falls ill, in extremis, I can always throw them into some A&E department.
Nice to know that the same was on offer for something that I actually cared about...
It is a well known fact that dogs will always develop critical, threats to life, at 'five past closing time' on a Friday night...
I’m assuming you’re meaning provided by your usual practice, on site, by the vets that see clients during the day?
Animals in our care are always 24/7.
I am on call 24/7 to deal with RTC injured deer, so I would not wish anything less for my dog.
Ours and some of the other local vet practices contract after surgery hours provision to Woods Animal Hospital in Quedegely a local Veterinary Hospital in Gloucester.
Another local practice, Clockhouse provides 24hr care in its own hospital.
Alan
I am on call 24/7 to deal with RTC injured deer, so I would not wish anything less for my dog.
Ours and some of the other local vet practices contract after surgery hours provision to Woods Animal Hospital in Quedegely a local Veterinary Hospital in Gloucester.
Another local practice, Clockhouse provides 24hr care in its own hospital.
Alan
Last edited:
long_range_rob
Well-Known Member
24/7 agreed. That said I have found through experience that not all practices are equal. One vet I used to use were found to be utter 
when needed out of hours (multi-site practice only interested in 
) but the next one I used was superb (husband and wife team with a true love of animals)
when needed out of hours (multi-site practice only interested in ) but the next one I used was superb (husband and wife team with a true love of animals)
NoIDeer
Well-Known Member
Our local vet, 5 minute walk away, has just stopped doing out of hours and emergency work, passed us on to a practice 40 minute drive away. If we have to drive for emergencies we might start driving for jabs and scratches. There are better vets to choose from if we widen our horizons.
Jon P
Well-Known Member
Most of our local vets have signed to using one out of hours practice approx 30 mins away from my own premises. Had cause to use them once and it worked ok.
However I have heard of friends of mine being charged for transporting dogs between surgeries at the end of the day to out of hours and then being returned to the local surgery in the morning,
My biggest concern with this is transportation of a dog that has just had major surgery.
However I have heard of friends of mine being charged for transporting dogs between surgeries at the end of the day to out of hours and then being returned to the local surgery in the morning,
My biggest concern with this is transportation of a dog that has just had major surgery.
Magnificent 7
Well-Known Member
24 hr vets are needed
Last edited:
All practices are mandated to make provision for 24 hour cover.
There should be ,, especially the prices some can charge , they should be able to subsidise some of the costs as a service ,even if several clubbed together on a rota system , contracting in the borders 2 yrs ago, my WHV got impaled by a branch on clear fell, 1inch stick stuck out of her diaphragm , it was midnight by the time I got anywhere near base , Lockerbie vets were the nearest emergency vets ,,, absolutely top notch service , could not praise them enough ,, so it would be beneficial from working dog owners point of view
I was very disappointed by our vet last year. Had what I thought might be a serious problem with my HWV in Scotland, drove home on the Saturday, called vet Sunday morning and was told he didn't do out of hours and I had to call another national vet service who were using a practice for out of hours work half an hour away. Took him along, their conclusion was after doing bloods that I had to put him down, which is what I suspected.
You build up a relationship with a vet as you should a doctor and there is a large element of trust in them to look after what's effectively a family member. I don't expect to have to go and see a third party when it really matters.
You build up a relationship with a vet as you should a doctor and there is a large element of trust in them to look after what's effectively a family member. I don't expect to have to go and see a third party when it really matters.
To add some context, we’re an established practice of 80 years of history. We stopped large animal and equine work on 2016 when a director who did most of this retired . Up until two years ago we covered all of our own out of hours work. For years I argued with employees and a fellow director we should keep it this way and I fully expected to work on call until I retired, having done it for 23 years. However, times change. We found it impossible to recruit vets to a job that had OOH work. Polling young employees and prospective candidates, the feedback was all the same. The final year students were all, bar one or two, going to work in jobs with no OOH. That would give you maybe half a dozen vets out of 1000 graduating each year as potential employees. It just wasn’t sustainable to carry on expect employees that we already had to double their amount of nights and weekend work alongside full time day working. So for the last 2 years we’ve delegated to a dedicated OOH provider. There’s the occasional complaint, but in all honesty no more than we had before when we did it ourselves.
WH308
Well-Known Member
I would prefer to visit a dedicated OOH practice with a vet that is fresh on their feet for a nightshift, rather than dragging “my” vet out of bed in the middle of the night, after they have been working all day. Then presenting said vet with a complex case that may require nursing help, who needs also to be dragged out of bed to attend.
OOH referral is better for the animals and the vets imo.
Who on here actually offers a 24/7 service in their role?
OOH referral is better for the animals and the vets imo.
Who on here actually offers a 24/7 service in their role?
Access to an out of hours service is very important. Especially over weekends and say between 06:00 to midnight each day, I'll tempt fate... and say I've never had cause to call a vet practice between midnight and very early morning.
Crowstalker
Well-Known Member
Out of hours is very important for small and large animals. I don't think the practice of working all day during the day then being on call that night is a healthy or sustainable one. Its no wonder young vets don't want to do that I dont blame them one bit. It's honestly not a job I would like to see any of my children in.
Fosbery Holster
Well-Known Member
It’s not just my view of what care should be available (24/7) but most importantly what our Vets think what care should be available, that’s the difference !
Our chosen Vets have 24 hour emergency cover, they obviously care (haven’t had cause to use the 24 hour service) and after owning dogs for over 40 years there has to be trust between owners and Vets and we trust our Vets implicitly they have gone far beyond what you would normally expect from your trusted Veterinarian.
Our chosen Vets have 24 hour emergency cover, they obviously care (haven’t had cause to use the 24 hour service) and after owning dogs for over 40 years there has to be trust between owners and Vets and we trust our Vets implicitly they have gone far beyond what you would normally expect from your trusted Veterinarian.
Having had the “opportunity” to use my vet’s OOH referral service for my fitting Vizsla and the practice itself seeing my “paralysed” Teckel at closing time, I know what I prefer - the care, engagement and communication by the practice was so much better. However, I know exactly where you are coming from and as we left after 23:00, I felt very bad for keeping the day team at work - it cannot be easy.
Similar threads
