Clients

Caring for your pet

I wish we could be available to you every moment of the day, but the truth is that you will likely have to face some health concerns when we are not here to answer your questions. The first thing to ask yourself – is this a life threatening scenario or can it wait until the office is open again?

If it’s life threatening and our hospital is closed (weekend or holidays) please refer our recommended 24 HR Emergency hospitals below.

How to Make Great Decisions for your Pets Care

In the event that you see a new veterinarian here are some basics that we hope help you navigate that.

• Does the veterinarian seem comfortable dealing with my pet and communicating with me?
• Does this veterinarian think it can wait until the clinic is open?

There are many choices in this great big city, so go elsewhere if you are unhappy with these answers.

• Does the clinic feel comfortable to include me in the procedures that they want to do?

This is a difficult one because although it is common for us to have clients present for as many procedures as we can, in an emergency situation it can be sensible to work with the animal without the parents. This is particularly true in a dramatic crisis – like trauma of breathing difficulties. It isn’t true of more ongoing issues like vomiting or having diarrhea.

• Does the clinic respect your individual concerns?
• Does the veterinarian give you the choice and the clear benefits in the decisions?

It is very helpful for the new veterinarian to have as much information as possible. So keeping a diary of the issues and timings (e.g. what times were the last vomit, diarrhea) helps. Your pets need you to advocate for them!

24 HR Emergency Hospitals

In the case of an emergency and our office is closed we recommend these hospitals:

• VCA Canada Vancouver Animal Emergency and Referral Centre
  2303 Alberta Street
  Vancouver, BC
  Phone: 604-879-2302

  vcacanada.com
  Located in the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver east of Cambie Street off of West 7th Ave.

• Canada West Veterinary Specialists
  1988 Kootenay Street
  Vancouver, B.C.
  Phone: 604-473-4882



  canadawestvets.com
  Located in Greater Vancouver beside the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) — one block south of the 1st Avenue exit (EXIT 27) from Highway 1.

• Smart.vet

  Smart.Vet is a community of veterinary professionals improving access to care in partnership with your primary care hospital.

  We offer a 24/7 telemedicine solution designed to compliment the dedicated care provided by your primary veterinarian.

  smartvet.ca