What is an "Animal Emergency Clinic"?

An animal emergency clinic is a specifically defined category of veterinary practice in British Columbia.  Such a clinic required to have a veterinarian and assistants on-site overnight, simply being on-call is not sufficient.  The standard of care and facilities for an ER is also higher than your average veterinary facility with mandated in-house diagnostic equipment and supplemental oxygen therapy.  Usually, staff of an emergency facility are members of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. 

The presence of an emergency facility allows your regular veterinarian to be well rested and alert during their regular work day and continue to perform their duties at the high standard expected of them, while ensuring that their patients receive adequate attention should an emergency situation arise.

Furthermore, if your pet truly requires emergency treatment, it will likely need some degree of treatment and monitoring after initial arrival.  An emergency clinic have staff on hand throughout the night that do not just go home to bed after kenneling you pet!  This means it is possible to take proper X-rays, collect blood samples and administer medical and surgical treatments in a timely manner, in a way that is impossible for a solitary veterinarian working without aid of their usual day-time staff.  Please consider these recommnedations very carefully when making decisions about emergency treatment for your pet.