In An Emergency

Call your own vet first!

If you use a regular veterinary service, call them first.  If they're one of our partner practices, they'll have a recorded message with contact details for the nearest Vets Now clinic (we operate 52 of these across the country, so there should be one close to you). If you don't have a regular vet, you can still contact us, just use the clinic finder on this page to locate us.

We provide free advice over the phone - we'll ask about your pet's symptoms and advise if you can safely wait to consult your own vet when their surgery is open again.

If your pet does need emergency care, we'll normally ask you to bring them to our clinic where we have the personnel, equipment and medicine to provide immediate treatment. We will do house visits, but it can take a bit of time to organise and it is often best for your pet if you can bring them to us, so they have the best facilities and veterinary staff support available immediately.

We will need to ask for payment for your pet's consultation and treatment.  If you have pet insurance, all or some of the cost may be reimbursed by your policy - but cover varies considerably so you should check what is covered and what excesses apply.

View our video on what to do when you need a vet out of hours:

Emergencies & First Aid Advice

Unfortunately emergencies do happen, and usually when we are least expecting it. Although none of us like to think about anything happening to our pets, it’s important to be prepared. So, here's some advice to ensure you are well prepared in case of a pet emergency.

• Are you prepared for a pet emergency?
• What to expect if your pet needs to visit an out of hours vet
• What to include in your pet first aid kit
• Most common pet emergencies
• The most avoidable pet emergencies
• Pet emergencies - what to do, and what not to do

For more handy advice, FAQs and guides, visit our articles and advice page.