Out of hours vets

[pigsDOfly]

I'm asking this on the back of someone talking about out of hours vets on another thread.

My dog has an ongoing condition that flares up from time to time. My own vet's out of hours cover is a vets that is 15 miles away - so a 30 mile round trip - we're fairly rural and there are no 24 hour vets locally.

I'm not a young person, I'm on my own with the dog and the thought that at some point I might have to do this journey with, what can be a very sick dog, in the middle of the night through unlit country lanes terrifies me.

I know there are 24 hour emergency vets half that distance away in the opposite direction that are accessible through a dual carriageway that I'd rather drive to.

My question is this: how would it work if I were to just contact a nearer emergency vet and go to them. Would my dog be referred back to my own vet in the normal way the next day as she would if I were using my vet's own emergency cover? And is it likely my vet wouldn't be happy about me going somewhere else? Does it make a difference to my vet where I go for emergency cover?

Sorry for so many questions.

[Flooffloof]

You use whichever vet you want to.
It makes no difference to the vet.
Possibly they would have different ideas on treatment but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Presumably you can stand your ground if you are set on a plan.
I have changed vets twice now, first one because they were incredibly rude to me, second because I got the operation £150 cheaper, still with cheaper vet.

[MsHomeSlice]

can you not get organised so in the event of a flare up you have whatever you need?

aside from that, I would want to have some sort of relationship with the vet if at all possible, so would not want to leave it until an emergency situation for them to see my pet and not know any history

[BiteyShark]

For me it would depend on the illness/accident. If it involved ongoing care I think I would travel the extra distance. If it was an accident/bleeding I would go to the nearer vets.

My vets OOHs takes me 25 mins to get there which is acceptable and I know that they have all the surgical equipment there.

[pigsDOfly]

Thank you Flooffloof for the reply.

I have considered changing my vet just for this reason tbh although there is nothing wrong with them otherwise. They also have no real facility for keeping dogs in overnight - there's about a 4 hour gap when the animal are left alone, which I'm not happy about and can make it difficult if the dog does need to be in overnight.

I'm happy with their treatment otherwise but I suppose, like you, if I did change to another vet and wasn't happy, I could always try somewhere else.

I've always been really happy with any vets I've been with in the past and any vet I've been with have always had 24 hour cover so I'm really unsure what to do now.

[Flooffloof]

It really depends on what you think may happen as to what you do. A PP said can you be organized so no emergency visits needed?
Do you have a pet taxi nearby?
Would a neighbour take you?
Would you just make the drive even if its was hard just to see that vet?
Now is the time to plan, before the emergency comes along.
You will panic less.

[pigsDOfly]

Sorry, didn't see the other replies before I posted.

I can't have what she needs MsHome as the treatment has to be administered by a vet.

Yes, the relationship thing is my problem, which is why I feel just going to any vet probably isn't ideal, I imagine if it's the vet's own 24 hour cover then they would have access to the vet's notes on treatment, or is that not the case?

Having said that, the treatment for her condition, when it flares up is standard for any vet, so that in itself probably wouldn't create difficulties.

[Tokelau]

One of my close relatives is a vet, and as a professional courtesy to other vets, they prefer not to treat animals that are registered with another practice.

People are welcome to switch to them from another practice, but you can't really use two at the same time for ongoing treatment. What if one vet prescribes something and is not aware that another vet might have prescribed something else?

I also don't think it's fair to use one practice solely for emergency treatment, but not use them for regular treatment.

If I were you, I would move to the practice that you prefer to use in emergency situation, and be a registered client there.

[pigsDOfly]

No neighbour to take me. No pet taxi as far as I'm aware.

I think I need to perhaps talk to other local vets and see what's available to me.

We had an emergency on a Sunday a few weeks ago, but I able to wait until the Monday so didn't need to make the journey, but she was in 'hospital' for nearly a week so it's uppermost in my mind at the moment.

I tend to panic over these things, which is not a good way to be when undertaking a journey, and she always seems to be ill overnight for some reason, don't they always?

Thanks for your replies.

[pigsDOfly]

Thank you Tokelau.

Yes, I agree it's not something I would be happy to do.

All the vets in my town use other, 24 hour OOH emergency vets, so going to another vet is what we all have to do OOH. But I'm guessing that it's not really on to use a vet that isn't my vet's registered emergency vet, which is why I'm asking the question I suppose, because it doesn't seem right.

It just happens that my vet uses this OOH cover that is 15 miles away and the whole journey is through unlit narrow country lanes. Most vet in the town use nearer ones, half the distance away, that are not so inaccessible.

I think I might just have to change to a vet that uses a nearer OOH cover.

[Flooffloof]

Assuming pet is chipped, all details (I think but this may judt be my vet) are stored with chip number.
So when ddog had operation he was scanned and the operation noted under chip number. You should ask.

Without knowing where you are I don't know if you have a pet taxi nearby.
They are not cheap by any means, I had to use one once as had a glass of wine and didn't want to drive in case. Was from memory £25 return. Which is extortionate for the journey but priceless too.

[pigsDOfly]

Tbh I've never heard of pet taxis I will look that up. I'd be more than happy to pay for it.

Yes dog is chipped. That's a fantastic idea to record all treatments under the animal's chip number, I didn't know that happened.

[pigsDOfly]

Well goodness me. I've googled pet taxis and of course, I've seen those vans all over the place. I thought they belonged to a particular local vet as there is one always parked on their forecourt.

Some times I think I live on a different planet from everyone else.

Thank you for that Flooffloof. I have made a note of the number and will keep it handy.

[Flooffloof]

Well if they have a website you can check prices and see that they do emergency fares.
Mine do but I live in metropolis and we would expect such a service.for a fee.
If you are in the barren wastelands it could be different.

Also check with vets that info on treatment is logged to chip.
Mine deffo do, but looking online not all do.

[Flooffloof]

Posted too soon. Make a plan, have numbers ready, carry case accessible (if needed) a means of paying taxi and vet. Taxi may only take cash?
Plan the journey in your head and you will not panic if the time comes.
I blubbered like an idiot when my stupid cat tried to drown itself.
Called neighbours, rang vet in a state, fell to pieces in fact.
Since I now have a plan, having used it for cat and dog, I no longer fall apart

[japanesegarden]

I am a vet. Most OOH providers don't have access to primary care practice records. Scanning the chip will just be how that practice files the information - there is no centralised chip-accessed clinical records system AFAIK. Vets pay a fee to OOH providers for covering the work for them, and then the client also pays the OOH provider. If it's more convenient for you to go to a different one, it makes no difference to your usual vet and is not in itself a reason to change. Where I work, most of our clients use OOH a, which is the one we have the arrangement with, a few use OOH b, which is another one in the other direction, and a few others use other nearby practices. We have no control over where people go and just see them when they next have an appointment regardless of where they've been in between. This is pretty standard.

[pigsDOfly]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, I have a tendency to fall apart when dog is very unwell, particularly when I've been up with her all night.

Japanesegarden You've answered my question, thank you.

I didn't want to offend anyone or tread on anyone's toes. I'm more than happy with the vet I'm with so really don't want to change as they're excellent and very caring, but the OOH service so so inaccessible.