If you’re a pet owner, it’s bound to happen sooner or later—your pet needs to go to the vet, but you aren’t there to take them. Whatever the case, in situations like this, you need someone available to take your pet to the vet.
But can another person bring your pet to the vet for you? As long as your personal vet doesn’t have any rules about this not being allowed, the answer is yes. Your friend or family member should be able to take your pet to the vet without running into any issues.
However, if you’re having someone else take your pet to the vet, there are some things you should do to prepare them.
What Should I Do to Prepare Another Person to Bring My Pet to the Vet?
Often, someone else taking your pet to the vet will occur when you’re out of town, but the information below pertains to any instance where someone else is doing this for you. In any case (but particularly if you’re going out of town), you need to authorize a particular person to act on your and your pet’s behalf in case of a medical emergency. So, pick your most trustworthy friend or family member and let them know you’d like them to be responsible for any potentially needed medical care for your pet (and make sure they’re okay with being the responsible person!).
Depending on your vet, you may need to let your vet’s office know that you’ll be away and have authorized someone to bring your pet in if care is needed. However, other vets may not require that information at all. Check with your vet to see if they need any info from you about this before you leave town!
Once you’ve elected someone to be responsible for any emergency medical care that may arise, you should prepare them by ensuring they’re aware of your preferences for medical care for your pet. This may be letting them know what kind of medicine you prefer your pet to take, which vet to go to, and whether there are any financial limitations when it comes to your pet’s care.
Questions to Consider Before Letting Another Person Bring Your Pet to the Vet
Whether you’re dealing with a friend or family member, a pet sitter, or a kennel, there are some questions you should consider (and know the answers to) before letting someone else take your pet to the vet for you.
What kind of health conditions does your pet have?
This is important to consider because your pet may have a condition or chronic illness that could end up leaving them in an emergency health crisis. You should think about what sort of crises could occur because of any health conditions your pet has and what kind of treatment you would want your pet to have for these potential emergencies. You should particularly consider whether you have any financial limits on this sort of emergency care for your pet.
Do you have financial limitations?
Financial limitations have been mentioned a couple of times now, but it’s a vital consideration. Sometimes, no matter how much you want a procedure or test done for your pet, you simply can’t afford it. So, think about how much you could afford for treatment while someone else is responsible for your pet’s healthcare, and let them know what (if any) limits you have when it comes to finances.
There may be certain kinds of treatments you don’t want for your pet. If that’s the case, you should let the person responsible for your pet know this so they don’t authorize something with which you’re uncomfortable.
How will your pet’s healthcare be paid for?
If someone else is taking your pet to the vet, how are they paying for the visit? Will you be leaving them cash or a card to use in an emergency, or will they pay for it and let you reimburse them when you can? You don’t want your pet to be unable to see the vet because of a payment snafu, so be sure to talk with your authorized person about the best way to handle paying for the vet.
What do you want to do if your pet is dying?
This is a worst-case scenario, but it could happen. If your pet becomes incredibly ill or gets hit by a car and there’s nothing that can be done for them, consider whether you want them to be euthanized or not. Also, think about what you want done with their remains, and let the person responsible for your pet’s care know what to do in this situation.
A Few Last Things
There are a few last things you should do before leaving your pet’s health care in someone else’s hands.
The first is to write out a document outlining all the things above. You can tell the person everything, as well, but a written document will help them remember exactly what can be authorized or done to help your pet during an emergency. They can also show this document to the vet if necessary, or you can provide a copy to your vet yourself.
Make sure anyone responsible for your pet’s health when you can’t be is aware of all medications they are taking. They should also know when these medications should be given to your pet, how much should be given, and so forth. This way, you can avoid a medical emergency resulting from a medication mix-up.
Tell the person you’re leaving in charge of your pet about their health. Let them know about any health conditions your pet has, but also let them know how their appetite and energy typically are when your pet is healthy. Vets often ask questions about this sort of thing, and if the person bringing your pet to the vet isn’t around your pet often, they’ll have no idea how to answer basic questions like this.
Finally, if you’re leaving your pet in the care of more than one person and any of these people are allowed to take your pet to the vet for you, choose one person who can make final decisions about your pet’s healthcare. This will help avoid any kind of delay in care that could harm your pet.
Additionally, another option you have if you can’t go to the vet is to have a virtual vet visit.
Did you know you can speak to a veterinarian without having to travel? Just head over to PangoVet. It's an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
Final Thoughts
Having a dedicated person to bring your pet to the vet when you can’t do it should be fine at most vet offices. Check with your particular vet to ensure there are no rules against this happening, though, before you leave your pet’s healthcare in the hands of someone else.
If your vet has no issues with who brings your pet in, choose a certain person to take on this responsibility, and then think about all the considerations above. Once you know exactly what healthcare you want your pet to have when you’re unavailable, inform this person of what is fine to authorize and any financial limitations you may have. The more your person knows about your pet’s health and the care they should get, the better off your pet will be!
Featured Image Credit: Juice Flair, Shutterstock
