In case of emergency please call 01474 815333.
About us.
As a practice it is our mission to provide compassionate, high quality care for our patients on a continuous basis.
As an RCVS certified Veterinary Hospital, we have dedicated staff on site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to care for in-patients and be on hand in the event of an emergency. This means that if your pet is ever admitted to the hospital, he or she will never be alone during their stay with us.
We are proud to be independent & family owned and are one of very few practices in North Kent to provide our own, dedicated out of hours service, on site, by our own staff, with access to your pets full clinical notes. We always have an experienced vet and nurse available to answer your queries and see your pet, if necessary, any time day, night or bank holidays.
Our Meopham Hospital has plenty of on-site parking and the ability & resources to perform all necessary treatments or surgery required for your pet day or night. With separate dog & cat wards your pets stress will be kept to a minimum throughout their hospital stay.
We also have three sister practices, The Sevenoaks Veterinary Surgery, The Swanscombe Veterinary Surgery and The Tonbridge Veterinary Surgery. Each branch is backed up by the latest technologies with access to your pets’ full medical records. If you experience an emergency with your pet during one of our branches’ day time opening times then we kindly request you call ahead to inform us that you are on your way. All out of hours visits are at our Meopham Hospital.
Payment & insurance.
An out of hours fee will apply and payment will be required at the time of consultation by way of cash or card payment. An estimate can be provided on request. We don’t offer direct claims and therefore kindly request payment at the time of treatment.
Each pet insurance policy has a different level of cover & so it is important that you check your individual policies T&C’s, however most policies will cover emergency treatment and consultation fees. These fees may have a limit and so it is important that you look at your individual policy wording.
What is classed as an emergency?
- Vomiting and/or diarrhoea – accompanied with lethargy, weakness, pain or if there is blood present or symptoms persists for longer than 24hours.
- Trauma – such as road traffic accident, a fall, a dog/cat fight, stick injury. Sometimes the internal injuries can be much more serious than how the pet appears externally
- Wounds – in the majority of cases treating these sooner rather than later has better long term results and can help prevent infection. The wound can often be deeper than they appear on the surface
- Collapse – sudden weakness on limbs or inability to stand or hold their own weight
- Pain – signs of pain in your pet can present as pacing, restlessness, agitation, change in temperament or usual behaviours
- Breathing difficulties – your pet may display signs of shallow breathing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing or choking
- Seizures – uncontrollable shaking & tremors, often with paddling of legs, loss of consciousness and emptying of bowels/bladder. Often, these will stop within a couple of minutes. If this is your pets first seizure then please call us for advice. If your pet’s seizure lasts longer than 2 minutes then contact us immediately
- Straining to urinate – if your pet is straining, having difficulty passing urine or has blood in their urine then this may be a sign of cystitis but could also be a sign of something much more serious. It could be a sign that your pet has a blockage which is life threatening, this is more common in males
- Ingestion of a foreign body – if you have witnessed your dog or cat eating an object that they shouldn’t then please contact us immediately. Examples of this may include batteries, corn on the cob, a toy, cotton/string, socks and stones. This list is not exhaustive.
- Poisons – if your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t then please contact us immediately. In many cases there is something we can do to prevent further absorption however we need to act quickly. Examples of poisoning are ingestion of chocolate, grapes/raisins/garlic/onion, human medications, lilies, rat & slug poisons and anti-freeze. This list is not exhaustive.
- Bloat/GDV – this is a condition in dogs where the stomach bloats & twists. It is a serious, life-threatening condition which requires urgent attention. Signs include restlessness, foaming/frothing/drooling, trying to vomit, uncomfortable, increase in breathing rate, in pain, pacing & unable to rest, stomach looking enlarged. This is most common in large, deep chested breeds such as German Shepherds, Great Danes & Weimaraners
- Whelping & kittening issues – if your pet is in labour and is in any distress, if their temperature is elevated, contractions without a puppy/kitten being delivered, bleeding for longer than 10minutes from the vulva or if there is a period of two hours without and puppies or kittens being delivered then please contact us immediately
- Eye problems – if left untreated then eye problems can deteriorate very quickly and potentially result in loss of sight. Prompt treatment is required in order to prevent them progressing into a more serious issue. Problems can be ulcers caused by trauma or foreign material in the eye. Signs of this can be eye watering, squinting or closing of and pawing at the eye.
- Stings/bites & allergies – these can be most common in the Summer months and will often present as hives on the body which can be itchy. In extreme cases stings & bites can cause an allergic reaction and breathing difficulties as a result of swelling of the airways, in which case we need to see them urgently
- Heatstroke – Most common in brachycephalic (short faced) breeds. Signs include heavy panting, drooling, red gums & restlessness. Advanced stages include collapse & seizures. Please initially move your pet to a cooler environment & contact us immediately. Do not wrap your pet in wet towels or pour cold water on them
- Rabbits or guinea pigs stopped eating/passing faeces – these animals are hindgut fermenters and require a constant source of food. They will usually not stop eating unless they are in significant pain. The cause of this can be due to a number of reasons but will always require emergency attention.
The above list is not exhaustive, if you are concerned about your pet then please contact us immediately.
Transporting your pet.
You may use a coat or towel/blanket as a stretcher to move large dogs. Towels can be used to wrap around cats that are in pain and may be trying to bite or scratch. Please still use a cat carrier in an emergency, a frightened patient may try to escape.
Some taxi firms will transport pets. Alternatively, we can suggest Animal Ambulance services below:
AK Pet Services
07772 589511
Animal At Home Pet Care
07736 459744
https://www.animalsathome.co.uk/
Wildlife.
If you find injured wildlife then please do call us ahead of making your may to one of our branches. Whilst we are able to assist, there are dedicated charities & centres who have more appropriate housing/feeding facilities in order to rehabilitate them for release back to the wild following treatment.
Stray animals.
Please see our dedicated page for advice if you have found a stray animal. We cannot accept stray dogs in our Hospital or any of our branches.