Do you know where to go in case of emergency?

By Jessica Driscoll
Certified Veterinary Technician at Pet Poison Helpline®

First Aid Vet and Vet TechDo you know where to go if your pet is having an emergency? Although pet owners hope to never have a pet emergency, it can be life-saving to have information handy on where to bring your pet during a crisis.

  1. Make sure you know where at least one, if not more than one, 24-hour veterinary facility is in your area. Especially if you are in a rural area, it is important to know where the nearest 24-hour veterinary emergency facility is located, as you may have farther to go for help.
  2. Keep the emergency veterinary facility’s information in an easy to locate place in your home, such as on the refrigerator. Many 24-hour facilities have magnets with their information that you can pick up for free.
  3. Know how to get there. Drive to these facilities when you have some free time so you know exactly where they are located and the best way to get there.
  4. If you own an exotic pet, pocket pet, bird, pig, horses, farm animal/s, etc. it is even more important to know where there is a veterinarian capable of taking care of your pet during an after-hours emergency as these veterinarians/facilities tend to be less common.
  5. A great place to start is by contacting your local day practice. Often the staff there will be able to let you know where emergency facilities are located in your area and their hours of operation. Day practices will also often have this information on their voice recordings when they are closed.

Being prepared ahead of time can make all the difference if an emergency ever does arise.