Good Neighbors Are Always There

After-hours phone and triage support.

Good Neighbors Are Always There

After-hours phone and triage support.

Pet emergencies don’t keep normal business hours. To make matters worse, determining whether your pet’s condition requires urgent care—or can wait until morning—can be difficult. For all of those what-ifs and wonderings, Neighborhood Veterinary Centers has provided an after-hours phone triage support hotline.

What is phone triage?

Triage simply means sorting patients according to the urgency of their care. When you call our hotline, our triage expert will ask specific questions about your pet’s clinical signs and their recent history, to determine whether your pet requires emergency veterinary attention or their problem can wait until a standard appointment during normal business hours. While our experts are trained to recognize pet trauma, illness, and life-threatening situations, they may reach out to a veterinarian for the final determination if they are uncertain about your pet’s circumstances.

After-hours phone triage benefits

Connecting with an after-hours phone triage expert can provide invaluable assistance, including:

Improved outcomes

With one phone call, you know if your pet needs emergency care—saving precious time that may have otherwise been spent debating whether or not to seek care.

Clinical advice

If they deem your pet stable, our experts can recommend ways to keep your pet calm or comfortable until their appointment.

Peace-of-mind

Speaking directly to a knowledgeable veterinary professional can relieve your fears, provide you with an action plan, and prevent you from wondering “What if?”.

When to call our after-hours phone triage

Determining a pet emergency isn’t always clear-cut. However, some circumstances always merit a call, including:

  • Bleeding
  • Blunt trauma, such as a fall from height or hit by car
  • Seizures
  • Animal attack
  • White, blue, or grey gums
  • Respiratory distress
  • Unproductive vomiting or retching

  • Inability to urinate
  • Collapse
  • Loss of coordination or mobility
  • Unusual lethargy
  • Known or suspected toxin ingestion
  • Reproductive problems, including stalled labor or an undeliverable puppy or kitten

This list is not comprehensive—if you are at all concerned about your pet’s condition, please call the after-hours phone triage hotline to speak with a knowledgeable veterinary professional.

When to call our after-hours phone triage

Determining a pet emergency isn’t always clear-cut. However, some circumstances always merit a call, including:

  • Bleeding
  • Blunt trauma, such as a fall from height or hit by car
  • Seizures
  • Animal attack
  • White, blue, or grey gums
  • Respiratory distress
  • Unproductive vomiting or retching
  • Inability to urinate
  • Collapse
  • Loss of coordination or mobility
  • Unusual lethargy
  • Known or suspected toxin ingestion
  • Reproductive problems, including stalled labor or an undeliverable puppy or kitten

This list is not comprehensive—if you are at all concerned about your pet’s condition, please call the after-hours phone triage hotline to speak with a knowledgeable veterinary professional.

A better, happier life starts now!

Call us today or schedule an appointment online at Neighborhood Veterinary Centers Groves to get started.