How Can I Talk With a Vet if It’s in the Middle of the Night? Online & Other Options

A pet owner’s worst nightmare is experiencing an emergency in the middle of the night when the local clinics are closed. Online veterinary services are great for many health concerns and for receiving general pet advice, but in an emergency, your pet needs to be evaluated in person. Ideally, have someone call the clinic to let them know that you are on your way with your pet and what the situation is.

However, there are some situations when online options can be helpful. Read on to learn more about online veterinary services and other ways to talk to a vet at night.

The Top 4 Ways To Speak to a Vet in the Middle of the Night

1. Vetster - Our Top Choice

Vetster is a Canada-based, app-based vet service that allows pet owners to connect with veterinarians through high-quality video calls. It’s currently available in over 50 different countries. Users can choose to subscribe to Vetster Plus or pay per appointment. Vetster Plus is a subscription plan that provides access to unlimited live chat with veterinary professionals and four video appointments annually.

Those paying per appointment should expect to pay around $69. Pet owners opting for the subscription plan are looking at just under $140 per year.

2. Dutch

Dutch is another veterinary telemedicine service that connects licensed vets with pet owners via video calls and live chat.

Dutch does not offer one-off veterinary visits like some of the other online vets mentioned above. Instead, they have annual or monthly subscription plans starting as low as $7 per month.

Note: Dutch is currently available online for pet owners in the United States.

3. Chewy

Chewy is an American online pet food and pet product retailer based in Florida. While it doesn’t operate 24 hours yet, its team is available to field calls from 6 A.M. to midnight Eastern Time.

Each 20-minute call costs just $19.99, but calls can be free if the pet owner has specific CarePlus insurance plans. Those preferring to talk via live chat instead of video calls can do so for free if they’re a Chewy customer. Speaking to your vet over the phone is free, but this isn’t a service you should rely on.

What if I Need Reassurance or Advice in the Middle of the Night?

You may find yourself in a situation where your local clinic is closed, busy, or you just need reassurance that your pet can wait until the morning to be examined. This is where telehealth services can really come in handy.

Schedule a Remote Telehealth Vet Appointment

These are services that are offered remotely and can be used from the comfort of your home. They are not a replacement for hands-on veterinary care and are not suitable for emergencies. What they can offer is convenience combined with advice from a licensed veterinarian at a time that suits you. Here are some of the telehealth services currently available.

Refer to Online Veterinary-Approved Blogs 

When it comes to advice, behavior, training, nutrition, and more, our goal at Dogster is to provide the most helpful and accurate information to our readers. That includes having our licensed vet team write or approve the content directly related to your pet's health and wellbeing. If you suspect that your pet might be sick, there are plenty of vet-guided articles that discuss signs, diagnosis, treatment or care and when you need to contact a vet.

What Can I Do for an Urgent But Non-emergency Situation?

While telehealth services are great for non-emergency situations, urgent care means a quick telephone call might be the simplest and most efficient way of getting answers.

Call An Open Local Vet 

If your veterinary clinic is open 24 hours a day, you can give them a call to see if a doctor is available to chat. If they’re not too busy, your vet may be able to field some questions over the phone without having to make an appointment. They can offer guidance on if your pet should be seen overnight or can wait until the morning. If your clinic is not open 24 hours, they will have an arrangement with an out-of-hours clinic to see emergencies for them.

What Can I Do in an Emergency Situation?

In emergency cases, you absolutely need to take them to a 24-hour veterinary clinic in your area.

Go to Your Local Veterinary Hospital

If you need to speak with a vet and believe your pet will need to be seen sooner rather than later, you might consider just biting the bullet and taking it to your local out-of-hours veterinary hospital. These types of clinics are often open 24 hours a day. It would be best to call ahead and check that they can see you and are accepting new patients.

Please note, however, that 24-hour clinics are often typically reserved for emergencies. If your pet’s situation isn’t considered dire, you may wait at the hospital for some time before you’re seen.

Twenty-four-hour clinics may charge more than double what your typical veterinary office charges for an exam fee.

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing quite as stressful as having pressing pet-related issues eating away at you, especially if these issues pop up in the middle of the night when your usual veterinary clinic is closed. As a bit of a worrywart myself, it’s comforting to know that online veterinary services exist so I can have my questions answered without having to wait until morning.

Remember, though, that any potential emergencies must be directed to your local 24-hour veterinary hospital as soon as possible. Online veterinary services cannot provide the level of care required in life-threatening situations.

See Also:

• How Can I Talk With a Vet if I Am in the Middle of Nowhere? 5 Ideas to Help (Vet Reviewed)

• How Can I Talk With a Vet if I Am on a Trip With My Pet? Vet Approved Advice

Featured Image Credit: Taisya Korchak, Shutterstock