Beware emergency veterinary appointments spike in July

Veterinary practices are being urged to prepare for a spike in emergency calls during July and August.

In a two year study of telephone calls to our veterinary clients, we found that the highest number of emergency-related enquiries were received on July 3 in 2017 and July 25 in 2016.

The study also revealed that August saw high levels of emergency calls with our second busiest day of the year falling on August 21 in 2017 and August 1 in 2016.

Stephanie Vaughan-Jones, Commercial Manager, at Moneypeny said: “The study looked at thousands of calls over a two year period to see when we received the most enquiries regarding an emergency. In both years there was a spike during July and August.”

The data further revealed that the busiest time of the day for calls relating to an emergency was 9am to 11am, with a second peak at 5pm to 6pm.

Ian Stroud, veterinary surgeon and owner of Vet4Life, commented: “Over the summer we typically see a rise in health problems that are specific to this time of year. Heat stroke, for example, during hot spells like those we’ve been experiencing recently is one of the most common emergencies we receive calls about. Painful grass seeds that become lodged in ears and paws are another big issue, alongside flea infestations and stings or bites from insects as pets enjoy spending more time outside.”

Stephanie continued: “Our team of veterinary receptionists are on hand to support our clients, but it’s important for practices to be aware of call patterns such as these so that they can ensure they have the correct resources in place. The summer is a busy time of year for many clinics with staff on holiday and seasonal health issues contributing to the rise in pets requiring emergency appointments. Providing a great service is very important to veterinary practices and they understand that worried pet owners want to hear a friendly, reassuring voice rather than a voicemail, especially when it comes to a potentially critical situation that requires urgent attention.”

The veterinary sector is one of our fastest growing, with dedicated and fully trained teams of receptionists on hand to answer calls as if based at their front desk.