As a pet owner for nearly 20 years, I’ve had my fair share of animal emergencies. It seems that most of them have happened outside of normal veterinarian business hours.

Owners are often faced with a dilemma when a potential pet health emergency arises and the vet’s office is closed. It may be on a weekend, holiday or in the middle of the night when a pet becomes sick, and a decision has to be made: Should we go to the after-hours emergency clinic right away, or is it OK to wait until regular business hours to visit our own vet.

It can be hard to tell if a situation is truly an emergency. When I was a new pet owner, I considered everything to be an emergency. Now, I know what is urgent and what can wait.

If there is a question as to the severity of an after-hours situation, call the eme

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