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Issues > Policy > Emergency veterinary service
 
AVMA policy
 
Guidelines on Emergency Veterinary Service
(oversight: CoVS; HOD 1988; EB-06)
 
  1. Emergency veterinary service should be provided in every community where private veterinary service is regularly provided.
  2. When veterinarians cannot be available to provide services, they should pre-arrange with their colleagues to assure that timely and adequate emergency services are available, consistent with the needs of the locality.
  3. The public should be informed about the veterinary emergency service through telephone directories and other means. For a classification of emergency facilities, see the AVMA Guidelines for Naming of Veterinary Facilities.
  4. The veterinarian who provides emergency treatment should refer the case and all pertinent records back to the owner's regular veterinarian, or a veterinarian of the owner's choice, as soon as practical after the emergency treatment has been concluded.
  5. An emergency veterinary service should be dedicated to a high standard of veterinary care and should be delivered in a manner consistent with the "Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics" and the "Guidelines for Veterinary Practice Facilities."