Our own vets, 24 hours, here in the barn
Emergencies and out of hours
When something happens at 2am, you ring 01632 960 813 and one of our own vets answers. They know the practice, the kit and usually the animal, and they see you here, not at a hospital forty miles away. The out-of-hours fee is £160 on top of treatment, and we will tell you on the phone what it is likely to cost.
Most practices now send night-time calls to an emergency provider in a city. We kept it in-house because the animal that is bleeding at midnight is the one that most needs a vet who knows it, and because the owner who is frightened needs a voice they recognise. Five vets share the rota; there is always one on, with a nurse on call.
Ring the emergency line and say what has happened. The vet will tell you whether to come straight in, whether it can wait until morning, or what to do at home now. Things that cannot wait: breathing difficulty, collapse, a seizure that lasts more than a few minutes, uncontrolled bleeding, a bloated and retching dog, a cat straining to urinate, poisoning, a road accident, and a bitch or queen in labour that has stalled. The vet meets you at the barn; the car park is lit and the door is open when you arrive.
Out-of-hours costs more because it takes a vet and a nurse out of their beds: £160 for the consultation on top of whatever treatment is needed, and you are told the likely total on the phone before you leave home. If your pet needs to stay overnight they are in our ward with a nurse checking, not transferred. In the daytime an emergency is seen the moment you arrive at no extra charge; ring on the way so we are ready.
What is included
- One of our own vets answers, every night and weekend
- Seen at the barn, in the rooms your pet knows
- Likely cost told to you on the phone first
- Overnight care in our ward with a nurse
- Daytime emergencies seen at once, no extra fee
- Poison advice line and common poisons listed below
What it costs
Out-of-hours consultation £160 plus treatment, told to you on the phone first. Daytime emergencies seen at once, no extra fee. 01632 960 813 answered by a vet, every night and weekend. Prices include VAT and every one is on the prices page; the health plan takes 10% off all of them. Emergencies, day or night, are on the emergencies page.
Questions about emergencies
How do I know if it is an emergency?
If you are asking, ring. The vet would rather take a two-minute call that turns out to be nothing than see an animal that should have come in six hours earlier. The emergencies page lists the things that cannot wait.
Do I need to pay on the night?
The consultation fee is paid on the night; treatment can be settled in the morning. If your pet is insured we can claim directly from most insurers. If money is the thing stopping you ringing, ring anyway and tell us.
Can I come without ringing?
Yes, but ring on the way if you can, so the vet is at the barn rather than at home ten minutes away. The emergency line is the fastest way to reach them.
Register a pet, or book an appointment.
Registration takes five minutes and we request the history from your previous vet. Sick pets are seen the same day, emergencies at once, and out of hours one of our own vets answers 01632 960 813. Every price is on the website.