Why was Isle of Wight Emergency Vet launched?
Your daytime vet previously was also your night-time vet. To ensure we can offer our registered clients the very best service both day and night we decided to open our own dedicated night emergency service.
The means your day vets can concentrate on delivering the highest level of care for your pet in the daytime while our Isle of Wight emergency vets do the very same at night and weekends when you need them the most. Find out more about how the Isle of Wight Emergency Vet service works here.
Can I use the Isle of Wight Emergency vet service?
We can only see cases from clients that are registered with either Pet Doctors or Medina. Other local practices will have their own out of hours arrangements and you should follow the instructions on their phone message.
How do I get help for my pet in an emergency?
If you are registered with Medina Veterinary Group or Pet Doctors Ltd then call the Isle of Wight Emergency Vet umber or follow the link on the practice website.
If you are not registered with either Medina Vet Group or Pet Doctors Ltd then you should follow your own practices Out of Hours instructions.
If you are at all concerned about your pet while your practice is closed you can call Isle of Wight Emergency Vet for free advice on whether your pet needs to be seen.
If we advise you that your pet should be seen we will ask you to bring him/her down to the surgery.
Can the vet come to my house to see my pet?
As is the case for human emergencies, the best place for your pet to receive emergency treatment is in our veterinary hospital. It is only there that we can have access to the full range of drugs and equipment that we need to give them the best chance of making a full recovery. Bringing your pet to the surgery will allow us to start effective treatment more quickly.
However, we will provide a house visit when necessary and in exceptional circumstances our vet may even advise that your pet is not moved without veterinary supervision. In these circumstances our vet will make arrangements to come out to you to further assess your pet and to help transport it back to the surgery for emergency treatment. As you might expect this service will incur additional costs and these will be discussed with you prior to the vet making the visit.
Please also be aware that our vets and nurses often have to balance the needs of several very sick animals and this can mean that there may be a delay in providing a visit where another case has to take clinical priority. In some instances we may even need to arrange for another vet to provide ongoing care for inpatients before our vet can leave the surgery to make the visit.
How will my usual vet know what treatment my pet received at Isle of Wight Emergency Vet?
Our team works very hard to make sure that we are a true extension of your daytime practice. We send a full copy of our comprehensive notes to your daytime vet before they open the following day and we provide hard copies of X-rays for you to take along to any follow up appointments. If we feel that there is any more information that your vet might need we will give them a quick call before ending our shift.
What happens if my pet needs to stay in for treatment?
The majority of cases that we see overnight will not require an overnight stay. If your pet does need to stay with us we will keep you fully informed of your pets progress and of the cost of treatment being received. We will also advise your day practice and update them as well.
If your pet is well enough we will then make arrangements to discharge them the following morning for ongoing treatment with your usual vet.
In some cases you may be asked to transport your pet directly to your daytime practice for ongoing treatment but if there is any concern at all about whether your pet is well enough to travel we will arrange for them to receive excellent ongoing care on site until such time as they are well enough to be moved.
Will I need to pay for treatment immediately?
We expect payment at the time of treatment in the same way as your daytime veterinary practice as unfortunately this is the only way that we can run a successful practice and be there for you in times of emergency.
However, your pet’s welfare will always take priority and if you are concerned about any financial difficulty, you should discuss this with our team. We can then work together to provide an appropriate level of care for your pet and if necessary we can discuss payment options with you.
Will my pet insurance cover the cost of treatment?
It’s not possible for us to say for certain that your pet’s treatment will be covered by pet insurance. However, the majority of insurance companies will provide cover for emergency treatment received at the surgery.
Pet insurance provides many different levels of cover and we would strongly advise that you check what is covered under your insurance BEFORE an emergency occurs.
