A Veterinary Emergency Room Visit: What You Should Know
November 23, 2016You never want to have an emergency trauma or illness with your pet. And certainly, you never hope to rush them into the ER. But sadly, pets can’t time their injuries or sicknesses to always allow for a scheduled, elective visit to see your primary care veterinarian. In those unexpected cases, WVRC is glad to be there to help your furry family members. Because these visits are often fraught with worry and panic, here are a few tips to help reduce stress for your animal ER visit.
Do your research.
It’s good to know information about your local animal ER – in advance. Have their phone number on-hand and perhaps even enter it into your phone, so you don’t need to go through the worry of looking it up during an emergency. WVRC is always available via phone at (866) 542-3241 to answer any questions or offer directions to help guide you to one of our three locations. Also know the address, and again, perhaps enter it into your phone or GPS. This preparation will allow for you and your pet to arrive at the hospital quickly and safely, easing some of the stress involved.
Know your pet's history.
Because emergency and specialty centers are typically their own entity, we don’t have access to your pet's medical records from other clinics. Knowing as much as you can about your pet will be incredibly helpful for the doctor and medical team. Has your pet recently been to the veterinarian? If so, bring any medical records that were released to you and any medications that were prescribed! The more information that you can provide to the technicians and doctors, the better we will be able to care for your pet.
What should you bring?
As we know, emergency room visits are inherently worrisome. Try to bring items for yourself to help keep you calm and occupied, such as a bottle of water, phone charger, book, or maybe a friend or family member to offer moral support. We want you to take care of yourself so you can be there for your pet.
Please be patient.
This is probably one of the most important considerations during an emergency room visit. Particularly in situations of stress, the minutes can feel like hours. WVRC, as with most human and veterinary ERs, operate using a “triage” system, where the most sick or critical animals are seen first. Sometimes, wait times can vary drastically from each visit. We truly appreciate your patience in these situations, to allow for excellent care of every animal that walks through our door.
Above all, please feel free to call anytime – we have excellent client service representatives who will be eager to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have about your pet or your visit.
We never hope that you have to bring your pet to the emergency room; however, we are honored to be there for you during those difficult times.
WVRC - ER Veterinarian