It’s a weekday evening or weekend when your dog decides to eat a chocolate bar you have inadvertently left on the counter. You are a bit panicked, wondering if you should rush your canine to the Kawartha Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Peterborough.
Not so fast, according to Minden Animal Hospital, which has added an after-hours emergency service through its local, 705286-2919, number.
Owner and veterinarian, Dr. Jenn Morrow, said they are using a third-party company, called VetWise, to answer their phone after hours.
She said when you call, a veterinary professional can answer your questions, and help triage the situation.
“Is this something that can wait until tomorrow when we’re open? They can book that appointment for you. Is it something potentially urgent? They can connect you with a telemedicine veterinarian. Is it an emergency? They’ll help you get to the emergency clinic and let them know that you are coming.”
Morrow said pet owners can experience a lot of anxiety deciding whether or not to take an animal to an out-of-town emergency clinic. “Do I need to go? Is this truly an emergency? How much is it going to cost? How long am I going to be waiting?”
She said VetWise will help to alleviate that anxiety.
The clinic owner said 70 per cent of situations don’t actually require a trip to an emergency clinic. For example, an ongoing ear infection. She said the animal can be triaged virtually from home. Perhaps an owner will be advised to monitor their pet overnight. Perhaps they will be given a script for an antibiotic they can fill at the local pharmacy to tie the pet over until Monday.
She said the service “is helping people understand which is which…because if it’s a true emergency, at least when you are going there, you understand.”
She added there is no fee for the initial call, although you will pay for a telemedicine appointment with a vet. “There’s no fee to ask questions. There’s no fee to book an appointment the next day.”
Morrow added emergency clinics are for true emergencies, and don’t need to be overrun with non-urgent visits. Things like bladder infections can be treated at home – not doing so can cause long waits at emergency clinics, Morrow said.
The Minden-based vet has also added a new team member, Dr. Alicja Larisch, and as a result, been able to extend hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., rather than closing at 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Morrow said she recognized that in difficult financial times, not everyone can take time off work to bring their pet to the vet. The new hours allow people to come from 5-7 p.m.
She added it is helpful for when people have a sick pet and come home from work to find their pet’s condition has changed. They can bring them in.
They now have three full-time and one part-time vet.
Morrow said for some it’s still a “sore point” Haliburton County vets are not open on weekends; however, she believes in a work-life balance for herself and her employees. However, she thinks the afterhours service and extended hours is a good offering.
“It might not be a fair comparison, but you also have to travel outside of the County to give birth. I learned that myself. There are pros and cons to living up here. We love living up here, but we don’t have all the same services as Orillia or Peterborough, whether it’s human care or animal care.”
The clinic has also added an app for clients and broadened financing options.
