Reasonable Things to Expect From Your Vet: Round-the-Clock Care

If hospitalization is recommended for your dog, what kind of care will he receive overnight and on weekends? The fact that your dog is “hospitalized” doesn’t guarantee he will receive any supervision from closing time (perhaps 6:00 PM) until the first employees arrive back in the morning.

What if he manages to slip out of his Elizabethan collar and opens his surgical incision? What if he experiences pain during the night? What if he vomits and aspirates the material into his lungs? All these “what if’s” are what make me crazy whenever I think about hospitalized animals left alone for 8-12 hours at a time.

People don’t think to ask how their pet will be cared for when the clinic is closed, likely because they can’t fathom the possibility that supervision would not be provided.

Please know that it is perfectly reasonable for you to expect that your hospitalized pet receive round-the-clock care. While a 24-hour hospital staffed with a veterinarian is ideal, this doesn’t exist in all communities. Here are some other viable options:

-A veterinarian comes into the clinic multiple times during the night and on weekends to check on the hospitalized patients. Some vets prefer to take their patients home with them to help make monitoring and supervision more convenient.

-A skilled veterinary nurse (technician) comes into the clinic multiple times during the night and on weekends to check on patients and has access to contacting the vet should the need arise.

-Your dog comes home with you, but only after you receive thorough monitoring instructions along with a way to reach your vet should you have questions or concerns. As scary as this might sound, it is a better option than leaving your best buddy left completely unsupervised overnight. 

Imagine yourself lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to intravenous fluids, and no one stepping into your room to check on you for twelve long hours!

What kind of overnight/weekend care does your veterinary hospital provide? If you’re uncertain, no time like the present to find out.