When to Visit Your Vet Versus A Pet Emergency Hospital

There are many reasons you should visit your pet emergency hospital, like if your pet suddenly gets very sick, gets hurt or has a drastic change in behavior. But there are also many times a scheduled appointment at your local veterinarian would be just as fine as well for less threatening or non-emergency situations. Regular checkups from a local veterinarian are so important for your pet to potentially catch underlying issues that may not otherwise be seen because early detection can protect your pet from unnecessary treatments or surgeries or emergency trips to an animal hospital. So how do you know whether you should go to a pet emergency hospital or just call and schedule an appointment for a check up with your pet’s vet? We are going to share a few thoughts of when you should visit your vet instead of the local pet emergency hospital here and hope this helps answer some of your questions.

  1. Visit Your Vet For Regular Checkups
    Regular checkups should be scheduled with your local veterinarian to help prevent or catch concerns before they become a bigger risk. Often your veterinarian will be able to notice a change in your pet’s behavior or a small bump on the skin because they have regularly checked on your pet over time and gotten to know them. These checkups may seem like a small matter, but they can help prevent the need for an emergency trip to the animal hospital later on.
  2. Visit Your Vet For Day Visits
    If it is a small emergency during a normal weekday, you should head to your veterinarian. For larger emergencies or for emergencies that happen after hours, on weekends or on a holiday, go straight to the local pet emergency hospital. Your vet is there for smaller emergencies during the day, so they are your best option to quickly get an answer for a concern about your pet’s care. After hours animal hospitals are best for when your vet is closed or for large emergencies that need immediate care.
  3. Visit Your Vet For Shots and Vaccinations
    Shots and vaccinations are vital for your pet to stay healthy and protected from potentially dangerous and harmful threats, like rabies and distemper. While these are extremely important for your pet, these can be scheduled ahead of time and taken care of at your local vet. A trip to an emergency pet hospital is not necessary unless your pet isn’t up to date on their shots and vaccines and comes in contact with an animal that may have passed on rabies.

If you are not sure whether you need to schedule an appointment with your pet’s veterinarian or go to your local pet emergency hospital, the best thing to do is call your vet during office hours or the animal hospital for after hours incidents for an answer. It is better to find out if something is considered an emergency from a professional than to wonder if you should have taken your pet in to be checked.

If you are in the Greensboro area and are in need of a local vet or pet emergency hospital, AHVEC is an after hours animal hospital for all emergencies, and our sister vet clinic, Guilford College Vet, is a great local pet clinic for non-emergency situations. For more information on AHVEC or Guilford College Vet, contact our office, and our staff will be happy to answer any questions you have or help you schedule an appointment at our pet clinic. We look forward to meeting your furry friend and helping them in their most crucial times get better and back to their happy, playful selves.