Emergencies
Emergency Visits at Berkshire Veterinary Hospital during Hospital Hours
If you have an animal that is in need of emergency veterinary care and you choose to bring it to BVH, you must recognize that BVH is not an emergency referral hospital. Fortunately, not all emergencies require advanced medical care. BVH is capable of providing care for many problems. You should always call our hospital if you believe you need an emergency visit. This will allow our staff to advise you on how you will be helped once you arrive. Please bring whatever medications your pet is on, any special diets, and whatever relevant medical history you have with you. Emergency visits will be handled as follows:
If you present your animal for an emergency visit during normal operating hours, when a veterinarian is seeing regularly scheduled appointments, our staff will bring your animal into our treatment room area for triage and evaluation. You will not be permitted to accompany your animal to this area. The attending veterinarian will evaluate your animal, provide any necessary basic lifesaving care, and possibly request lab work or other tests deemed necessary for proper evaluation and care of your animal. We will try to obtain your permission prior to performing tests and procedures whenever possible. As soon as possible, the attending veterinarian will speak with you regarding your animal. This may be in person or via telephone.
BVH recognizes that many clients may be hesitant to leave a pet at our facility during an emergency visit. We understand that this is a stressful event. Over the many years that we have seen emergency visits we have found that this practice allows for us to provide the best care that we can to your pet. We can be more focused on your pet and provide the immediate care that is needed.
There is an emergency fee associated with all emergency visits. You will be advised of this fee when you call or upon arrival if you have not called. The emergency fee is expected to be paid when your animal is admitted to the hospital. The emergency fee only covers the cost for your pet to be evaluated by the veterinarian. Additional fees for tests and procedures, as well as any medical care, will likely occur. We will do our best to advise you of these costs. Please advise us regarding any concerns you may have.