Equine Vet Emergencies
Are you in need of an emergency horse vet? Our team of caring equine veterinarians is here to help.
We use the concept of clinical urgency to group patients into three categories.
If you need to speak with the emergency horse vet on call please phone 03-5977-5250
Tweedie & Associates has an emergency horse vet on call 7 days per week.
If the emergency horse vet on call is attending another horse, you may be required to leave a voicemail message. Please stay by the phone and keep the line clear. An equine vet will return your call within 20 minutes.
If you are unsure whether your horses’ condition constitutes an equine veterinary emergency it may be helpful to consider the concept of clinical urgency. Clinical urgency refers to the need for time critical intervention.
At Tweedie & Associates, we use the concept of clinical urgency to group patients into three categories: Level 1; Level 2; Level 3.
What are the charges for an emergency consult outside normal hours?
Please be aware that there are additional charges for emergency consults outside normal hours.
How are you charged?
We charge a normal call out fee based on your location
We then charge a normal exam fee
We then charge an afterhours fee associated with the time of the consult. These will vary depending on the time of day:
5pm to 7pm Weekdays
7pm to 9pm Weekdays
9pm to 6am
Saturday mornings
Saturday afternoons
Saturday 6pm +
Sunday Daytime
Sunday 6pm +
We are happy to discuss the charges with you before your consult if you wish.
EMERGENCY LEVEL 1:
Please immediately call (03) 5977 5250 and speak with the emergency horse vet to arrange to have your horse seen as soon as possible if:
Colic pain that is moderate to violent and continuous.
A horse that is recumbent and unable/unwilling to stand.
A horse with a fractured limb.
A horse that is non-weight bearing lame in one or more legs in conjunction with a wound and/or visible distress (sweating, shaking).
A horse with a wound that requires stitching.
A horse with diarrhoea.
A horse with choke in conjunction with visible distress (sweating, shaking, abnormal head position).
Sudden onset of neurological signs – disorientation, staggering, head pressing or sudden onset blindness. Especially if secondary to any type of head trauma.
Sudden inability to breathe normally.
Punctured eye.
Continuous bleeding. For example, continuous bleeding from mouth, nostrils, rectum or from a wound.
EMERGENCY LEVEL 2:
Please call (03) 5977 5250 and speak with one of our horse vets to arrange to have your horse seen within a few hours if:
Colic pain that is mild.
A Swollen eye, with or without discharge from the eye.
A discoloured cornea suggestive of damage to the cornea.
Acute laminitis
Swollen distal (lower) limbs combined with vague signs of ill health.
Sudden onset lameness that is weight bearing.
Re-occurrence of chronic laminitis.
EMERGENCY LEVEL 3:
Please call (03) 5977 5250 during office hours to speak with one of our equine vets to arrange a consultation:
Acute or chronic intermittent/slight lameness.
Reduced appetite with no other signs of ill health.
Nasal discharge with no other signs of respiratory distress or ill health.
Coughing with no other signs of respiratory distress or ill health.
Pre-purchase examination.