All There Is to Know About After-Hours Veterinary Services
If you own a pet, one of your top priorities will be to ensure its health and safety. When your pet develops a sickness, finding the best veterinary hospital is usually the best action to take. Unfortunately, this may not always be easy, especially if you just got your first pet or moved into a new area. Worse still, if it's an emergency in the middle of the night, you may not know where to take your beloved pet. Here's where after-hours veterinary services come in. After-hours animal care services operate beyond regular working hours. Therefore, if you're looking for an after-hours vet clinic, here is what you need to know:
The Hours Vary Across Different Clinics
Vet clinics handle after-hours emergencies differently. Generally, the after-hours include services beyond the usual daily working hours, weekends and even holidays. Not all vet clinics offer full after-hours services. For instance, some may only operate up to a specific time at night. On the weekends, some vet clinics may only run on Saturdays and close on Sundays. It's imperative to understand how the vet clinics handle their after-hours emergencies. That in mind, it would be best if you considered a clinic that operates 24/7.
You May Be Referred to a Different Clinic
Vet clinics also offer different services. Usually, most clinics will be able to handle common pet emergencies. However, if your pet requires critical care, you may need to be directed to another vet clinic. The referral clinic could be close by or kilometres away, so it's crucial to ask for the referral procedure or hospital when looking for an after-hours vet clinic. You will be better off with a referral hospital that's close to the vet clinic you went to because you don't want to drive for kilometres with a sick pet.
Ambulance Services Will Come in Handy
Not all vet clinics offer ambulance services. If you have an emergency in the middle of the night and you don't have a vehicle or can't drive in the dark, pet ambulances will be crucial. Therefore, ask whether the after-hours clinic offers pet ambulances when you're looking for a veterinary clinic. Ambulances will also be extremely helpful in cases where you are directed to a referral clinic that's quite far. Instead of driving alone with your sick pet, you will be assured that your pet receives the care it deserves while on the way to the referral clinic.
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