Out Of Hours and Emergency Protocols
As we are a very small team, it is not possible for us to cover 24/7 hours without some external assistance. Therefore, we have partnered with a local practice to ensure that our patients always have reliable access to veterinary care. In a life-threatening emergency, in the first instance always phone our usual number and there will be instructions on how to access a vet ASAP. The number is 028 37 997333.
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Please read the following which may help you avoid unnecessary costs and travel:
Out of Hours advice and triage
Over 70% of out-of-hours vet calls need advice at the time, rather than needing to be physically seen by a vet. That's why we've partnered with Vidivet, offering 24/7 veterinary video advice to all Armagh Vet Station registered clients. (Link at end).
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Using the VidiVet app, ask a question at any time of day or night and you’ll receive a prompt video reply from a vet explaining what your next steps should be, whether you need an appointment and how urgent it is - think of it as 111 for pets!
For example - Your dog returns from his walk with a wound on their side, so you open the VidiVet app and send them a picture and a message with your concerns. 5 minutes later, you receive a video from a VidiVet vet who explains how to clean and care for it until you are able to attend your usual vet the following morning.
Using the link below, you’ll get instant access to the VidiVet app, meaning you can have peace of mind knowing that you're prepared for any unexpected vet needs while we’re closed.
We pay for a subscription to this service so that you don’t have to, and we have taken the decision to make this available to ALL clients registered with Armagh Vet Station. This means that you can have reassurance that you only need attend an Out of Hours vet if you really must, sparing you potentially unnecessary stress and expense.
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Overnight Care
If your pet needs to stay in with us overnight, the vet who has been dealing with your pet during the day will pass on all the relevant details to the duty vet, including how often your pet needs to be checked during the night.
The frequency of checks will depend on your pet’s condition & individual requirements (fluid therapy, need for pain relief injections etc). Whilst the duty vet will check your pet as often as they feel necessary, there is no vet or nurse full time on the premises overnight.
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If there is any significant change in your pets condition the on-call vet or nurse will contact you.
In infrequent circumstances, we may need to transfer hospitalised cases to our out of hours provider, for more continuous monitoring. This will be when an animal is seriously unwell and requires more constant monitoring overnight than we are able to provide, or when we do not have a duty vet available at Armagh Vet Station (certain evenings and weekends). This will all be explained to you at the time of treatment, and the case will be passed on thoroughly between vets to ensure there is no gap in care.
Emergencies Arising Out of Hours
If your pet is ill or injured and needs to be examined outside of our opening hours, please call our usual telephone number and you will be directed to either our own duty vet or to our Out of Hours provider.
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We have partnered with Parklands Veterinary Clinic in Dungannon for emergencies so that we can provide you with consistent care 24/7, without too long a travel time. Your pets will be examined and treated as necessary and then can be transferred back to Armagh Vet Station as soon as we open, and they are well enough to travel.
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All costs of treatment at the Parklands Vet Clinic will be invoiced directly to you by Parklands.
Vidivet Sign-Up Links
