First Aid and Emergency Advice
In the event of an emergency phone the practice on 01603 89 89 84 any time day or night.
Outside normal surgery hours, you will receive a message with the phone number of the on-call vet. Call this number; if you cannot get through straight away, keep trying, or send a text message with your phone number and we will call you back as soon as we receive it. Remember – always phone before you attend the surgery so that we can provide advice and be ready for your arrival. We do all our own on-call so you will be seen by your own vet, not a locum or stranger.
The following symptoms will require immediate attention, so phone us straight away:
- Breathing problems / choking / prolonged coughing
- Bleeding (place a pad on the cut and apply pressure)
- Broken bones (DO NOT attempt to bandage as this may cause more harm. Transport pet as comfortably as possible in a large cage, flat board on their own bed, to avoid unnecessary movement)
- Suspected poisoning (Please bring packaging or sample of substance if available for analysis)
- Fitting (Bring any medication along)
The following symptoms are usually less serious, but please still phone for advice as they may be indicators of more serious complaints:
Sickness and diarrhoea (Not always an emergency case, but will need seeing within 24 hours; it may be an indication of disease or infection. Let us know if you think your pet has eaten something, which might be causing a blockage. It may be useful to bring a sample of faeces (poo) for us to examine or test).
Itchy skin (Usually less of an emergency, but can still be stressful for all concerned Try to cover itchy spot, and phone for advice)
Don’t be tempted to give any medicine, unless directed by your vet. This applies especially to human medicines – pets can react very badly