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 Knowing who to contact in an emergency can save an
animal's life.For 24 hours inspectorate assistance or out of hours
emergency veterinary service, please call our hotline: (852)
27111000. For general information or veterinary appointments,
please call one of our centres, NOT the hotline.
Like any other veterinary clinic, the SPCA operates an emergency service at
night and on holidays. While we try to respond to every call for help, this
service does sometimes get tied up by pet-owners who don't really have an
emergency.
How does the emergency service work?
All out of hours calls are answered first by the SPCA inspector manning the
emergency hotline. As soon as he knows that veterinary not inspectorate help is
required, he passes the caller's name and telephone to the duty veterinary
assistant (V/A). The V/A then calls the client to get detailed medical
information which he relays to the veterinary surgeon on call. Sometimes
professional advice is all that's needed, but if not, the V/A will arrange a
time and place for the pet to be seen. These depend on where the vet is coming
from and whether other emergency appointments have already been arranged. The
SPCA doesn't operate on the same basis as an accident/emergency unit at a public
hospital with fresh staff on special duty round the clock.
It is important to remember that this is purely an emergency service. The vet on
call will have been working all of the previous day and at night and will have
to be woken for advice. If it's a holiday, he or she will be handing all the
unwanted animals coming in as well as all emergencies involving members' pets.
It would be difficult and unwise to try to list conditions that are not
emergencies, but situations which always need immediate treatment are:
difficulty in giving birth, not passing urine, prolapsed eye, poisoning and
traffic accidents.
We do not want to deter members from using the out of hours service when their
pet is genuinely in need of emergency treatment. We do ask, however, that you
keep certain points in mind:
1. Always call the hotline first. The number is (852)-27111000;
keep it somewhere you will be able to find it in an emergency. Don't rush your
pet to one of our centres expecting to find a vet on duty.
2. Our out of hours service is for emergencies only. Please don't exaggerate
your pet's condition because you don't want to come in during normal clinic
hours. Our vets will not give vaccinations or routine treatment if they see your
animals for an "emergency" out of clinic hours.
3. If your dog is normally treated by a private vet, he or she will have your
animals records. Call that vet first. All private vets offer an emergency
service. Your animal's medical records may be vital in treating an emergency
condition and it is unethical for a vet to see another vet's clients without
good reason.
For emergencies outside normal hours please phone:
27 111 000 |
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