A new team of vets and vet nurses has joined the Companion Animal Health Centre at the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy Campus, to staff a new 24-hour emergency veterinary service open to the public over weekends and public holidays.
The 24-hour weekend and public holiday emergency service is available from Friday night through until Monday morning.
The service complements the existing general practice and specialist referral services offered by the Companion Animal Health Centre during normal weekday opening hours.
The Companion Animal Health Centre, a commercially run part part of the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, treats dogs, cats and other pets owned by the public, and offers referral services to vets throughout South Australia.
By day, the centre is staffed by a wide range of veterinary specialists who can see pets with complex problems. Over the weekend, the new emergency service will be the only fully staffed 24-hour veterinary service open to the public north of Adelaide.
Members of the public who have a sick pet can call the centre directly at any time during the weekend to arrange for their pet to be seen.
The emergency team will also provide a monitoring service for pets that need to be hospitalised over the weekend when their local veterinary practice is closed.
“We saw a need for a fully dedicated, 24-hour emergency vet service on weekends and public holidays,”, Peter Hill, Director of the Companion Animal Health Centre, said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s an ear infection, tummy upset or broken leg – they can all come in and will be treated by experienced veterinary staff ready to help.
“We hope our service will give pet owners peace of mind – they now have somewhere to bring their pets when they are ill over the weekend, not just during the week,” Hill said.