24-hour Emergency Service
Knowing who to contact in an emergency can save an animal's life. For 24-hours inspectorate or out of hours veterinary emergency services please call our hotline: 27111000.
For more details regarding our Inspectorate Department please click here
Note for general information or veterinary appointments please call our centres directly. The hotline is for emergencies only.
All out of hours calls are answered first by our hotline operator who passes the details to the appropriate department (either an inspector or veterinary nurse). The veterinary nurse will call the client to get detailed medical information to relay to the on duty veterinary surgeon. Sometimes professional advice is all that is needed, but if not the nurse will arrange an emergency appointment normally at our Hong Kong centre. It is important to realise this is purely an emergency service. The veterinary surgeon and nurse on call will have been working all the previous day as well as the night; we do not have the resources to operate on the same basis as an accident and emergency unit at a public hospital where staff work shifts.
It is difficult and unwise to try to list conditions that are emergencies as each situation is different, but problems such as difficulty giving birth, not passing urine, prolapsed eye, poisoning or traffic accidents generally require immediate treatment.
We do not want to deter members from using our out of hours veterinary service when their pet is genuinely in need of emergency treatment. We do ask, however, that you keep certain points in mind:
- Always call the hotline first on 27111000. Do not rush your pet to one of centres expecting to find a vet on duty.
- Out of hours services are for true emergencies only. Please do not exaggerate your pet's condition; our vet's will not give routine treatment or vaccinations if they see your animal for an "emergency" out of clinic hours.
- If your dog is normally treated by a private veterinary surgeon, they will have your medical records and as such should be called first in an emergency situation (all private vets provide a 24-hour 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.
