Which vet to use and when – a guide for anxious pet parents

Every year we support tens of thousands of pet parents and their furry friends to ensure they can access the healthcare they need to stay fit, well and active.

Kerri Murray, our very own expert and former vet nurse says, “there are sorts of reasons to take your pet to the vet, from regular vaccinations and allergy shots to traumatic illness and injury. But sometimes in the heat of the moment, particularly if your pet seems quite unwell, it helps to know what to do and who you might need to see.

“As with humans, pets need different vets for different reasons – your local vet will generally be able do all sorts of things including some surgeries, a little like an experienced family GP, whereas an emergency vet or specialist vet is available for treatment of major illness or trauma or things like knee reconstruction.”

“Our friends at the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) are encouraging pet owners to keep emergency veterinary clinics for emergencies only, so that pets that need urgent care can be seen as quickly as possible, and those that can wait a while get to see their usual vet. Your family vet has the advantage of knowing your pet’s health record and how your pet will likely respond to treatment.” See NZVA’s Think P.E.T advice below.

Pause. Think for a moment about whether your pet needs emergency care or could be seen by their vet during normal business hours.
Emergency call.  Phone your vet clinic for advice if you think your pet needs emergency care or you’re unsure. 
Take. Follow the advice you receive to either take your pet to an emergency service provider, or book an appointment during normal business hours. 

By following the P.E.T steps, you can help keep emergency clinics for emergencies only so that very sick animals can get the treatment they need quickly. 

But Murray says if your own vet is not available and your pet is showing any of the signs or behaviours below, you should give an emergency vet a call and get their advice on next steps:

• Bleeding: Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop within five minutes. If you have tried to bandage the wound to keep it clean and applied pressure to help stop the bleeding, but there’s no change – get to a vet
• Breathing: Difficulty breathing, especially if your pet has a history of respiratory disease or a heart condition 
• Vomiting or diarrhoea:  Vomiting or diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, or vomiting blood 
• Trauma:  Being hit by a vehicle, dog fights, bite wounds, falling from a large height
• Seizures:  Seizure activity or twitching 
• Collapse:  Fainting or collapse, especially if your pet is non-responsive
• Inability to urinate:  Straining to urinate or not producing urine 
• Foreign object ingestion:  Ingested foreign objects (e.g. fish hook, glass or toys)
• Toxin ingestion:  Suspected exposure to poison, medication, or toxin 
• Abnormal gum colour:  Pale or blue gums 
• Unusual behaviour:  Whining, shaking, or refusing to socialise “When your pet is stressed and unwell, it’s likely you will feel anxious too. But getting on the phone and having a quick conversation with an expert on what you can and should do next, is the best plan.”

Emergency vet visits can be pretty costly as there’s no subsidy for pet care as there is in human health.

“Even the most well-behaved pets aren’t immune to having accidents or getting up to mischief – but there’s no such thing as ACC or publicly funded healthcare for cats and dogs,” says Murray.

“We get quite a few claims for things you would never dream might happen and a lot of these situations can be very stressful for the animal and the owner.”

“In one customer’s case, Kaito the cat jumped out of the window onto the owner’s palm tree not once, but twice. The first time he had to get a 3cm palm spike removed from his nailbed. The second time he had to have surgery where the vet had to cut all the way back to his thoracic wall to remove the palm spike. $979!”

“Or thinking he’d take part in the family’s renovations, Tekka the dog needed surgery to remove lots of underlay pieces, carpet string, hessian and fur from his stomach. His vet said he was very lucky to not have swallowed something longer and linear. $3,975 later…”

“Our experience shows it’s important not to underestimate how much vet bills can cost. Pets give us so much joy but when they are sick or injured there’s no safety net unless you have the peace of mind of pet insurance, especially when you end up at a specialist emergency vet.”