Amanda1801
Senior Guinea Pig
Working the emergency service all this long bank holiday weekend, and seeing 15 emergencies on average each day, has inspired me to write an informative post!
Most veterinary surgeries are open during normal office hours Monday-Friday, sometimes doing a half day on a Saturday.
Animals don't care whether it's a weekend, a bank holiday or the middle of the night when they become unwell or have an accident (I have the vets bills to prove it!).
Veterinary treatment should not be delayed because the vet surgery isn't open. If you need veterinary advice for any animal outside of their normal opening hours, they will have an emergency service that you can contact. Often, seeking veterinary advice from the emergency service instead of waiting until the morning, especially in animals like guinea pigs that can go downhill very rapidly, can make the difference between life and death. Just phoning for advice can make a huge difference. You will speak to a veterinary nurse or a veterinary surgeon, who can assess the problem and give advice for you to follow at home, or decide if the animal needs to be seen urgently.
So what do you do if you need to contact a vet?
Call your normal vet surgery on their normal telephone number. You should always aim to contact your own vet, or use the emergency service that they provide. There will invariably be a recorded message, telling you what to do in an emergency, either a telephone number for the vet on call, or "press 1 to speak to someone" etc. Follow this procedure for an urgent appointment or telephone advice.
If you cannot contact your normal vet or their emergency service for any reason (e.g. their phones are down), or the emergency service for your surgery is provided at a practice that you cannot access due to transport difficulties etc. (although you may have to make some kind of effort to get there - chances are it may not be on your doorstep, and there will be no buses running! You may need to phone someone for a lift or get a taxi), then look for an alternative surgery that provides 24 hour care. Searching for "veterinary surgeons" in your local area on a site like http://www.yell.com/ is probably the quickest way. The listings will often say if they provide 24 hour care. The same information above applies, there will be a number to call, and instructions telling you what to do in an emergency (or if you need advice urgently).
There is no excuse for not seeking veterinary advice in the UK because your surgery is closed.
EVERY veterinary practice will have an emergency service that is contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Out-of-hours staff is trained to assess emergencies and if needed to give advice over the phone if you cannot reach them physically.
Most veterinary surgeries are open during normal office hours Monday-Friday, sometimes doing a half day on a Saturday.
Animals don't care whether it's a weekend, a bank holiday or the middle of the night when they become unwell or have an accident (I have the vets bills to prove it!).
Veterinary treatment should not be delayed because the vet surgery isn't open. If you need veterinary advice for any animal outside of their normal opening hours, they will have an emergency service that you can contact. Often, seeking veterinary advice from the emergency service instead of waiting until the morning, especially in animals like guinea pigs that can go downhill very rapidly, can make the difference between life and death. Just phoning for advice can make a huge difference. You will speak to a veterinary nurse or a veterinary surgeon, who can assess the problem and give advice for you to follow at home, or decide if the animal needs to be seen urgently.
So what do you do if you need to contact a vet?
Call your normal vet surgery on their normal telephone number. You should always aim to contact your own vet, or use the emergency service that they provide. There will invariably be a recorded message, telling you what to do in an emergency, either a telephone number for the vet on call, or "press 1 to speak to someone" etc. Follow this procedure for an urgent appointment or telephone advice.
If you cannot contact your normal vet or their emergency service for any reason (e.g. their phones are down), or the emergency service for your surgery is provided at a practice that you cannot access due to transport difficulties etc. (although you may have to make some kind of effort to get there - chances are it may not be on your doorstep, and there will be no buses running! You may need to phone someone for a lift or get a taxi), then look for an alternative surgery that provides 24 hour care. Searching for "veterinary surgeons" in your local area on a site like http://www.yell.com/ is probably the quickest way. The listings will often say if they provide 24 hour care. The same information above applies, there will be a number to call, and instructions telling you what to do in an emergency (or if you need advice urgently).
There is no excuse for not seeking veterinary advice in the UK because your surgery is closed.
EVERY veterinary practice will have an emergency service that is contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Out-of-hours staff is trained to assess emergencies and if needed to give advice over the phone if you cannot reach them physically.
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