Emergency Vet Care While You Are On Holidays: Does The Carer Know Your Wishes?
The upcoming long weekend to celebrate Easter is also the start of the end of term school holidays. Many families take advantage of the final warm autumn temperatures to go camping. If your family is doing this, then you probably have already arranged care for your family pets while you are away.
One thing you may not have thought about though is what happens if your pet falls ill while you are away. Have you prepared express wishes for the carer about how they are to handle a pet emergency? Use these tips to ensure you make your thoughts known in advance just in case you are not available to make immediate pet care decisions.
Boarding kennel arrangements
One of the good things about putting your pet into a staycation at a boarding kennel is that they have already thought about this subject for you. When you fill in the documentation before your pet's entry, you will note there is information provided about what the kennel does in the event of a medical emergency.
Some boarding kennels have a vet working on site, while others have a link to a specific 24/7 vet which they call in as required. The documentation spells out the process in the event they cannot contact you. If you don't immediately see medical clauses in the boarding documents, ask the kennel staff to point it out to you.
If you have arranged for private in-home care, however, you need to get busy now, so the carer knows of your wishes.
At home care arrangements
Private pet carers fall into two different categories. There are those who have done it for years, and there are friends-of-a-friend who do it sporadically to make a little extra cash. No matter which type of at home carer you have hired, it is time to write a list of your wishes in case your pet falls ill. In the note of instructions, be sure to provide the following information:
- name and contact number of existing vet
- where they can find your pet's records (including microchip number)
- circumstances under which they can approve treatment for your pet
- circumstances under which they must wait for approval from you before seeking treatment for your pet
- how the vet treatment is to be paid.
Many vets will not care for a pet without approval from the owner. Therefore, by making this list and signing it, your carer can get emergency care for your four-legged buddy without there being any misunderstanding about whether they should wait to hear from you first or not.
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