It is midnight. A dog has just eaten something from the bin, and the owner does not know if it is dangerous. In a panic, they open their vet's website. Every second counts. If the emergency number is right there, they call. If they have to search, they lose time they may not have.
Emergency pet enquiries are the most important moments a clinic website handles. Here is a guide to getting them right.
What the website must show
Three things, clearly:
- How to reach the clinic in an emergency during opening hours
- Who provides out-of-hours emergency care, with their number and address
- A short note encouraging owners to call if they are worried
This should appear on every page, not only on a contact page. Many clinics add a banner or a prominent link in the header.
What the website must not do
It must not try to decide whether something is an emergency. Owners cannot judge this reliably, and a website certainly cannot. Something that looks minor may be serious. The safe answer is always to call.
Decision guide for an assistant
A clinic using a website assistant should set clear rules.
If an owner describes anything that might be urgent, such as poisoning, breathing difficulty, collapse, heavy bleeding, seizures, injury or severe pain, the assistant should immediately share the emergency number and tell them to call. No further questions first.
If an owner is unsure whether something is urgent, the assistant should still share the emergency number and encourage them to call and ask.
If an owner asks for advice on what to do, the assistant should not give it. It should share the number.
If an owner writes after the event, for example to follow up on an emergency visit, the assistant can capture details for the clinic team.
Owner: My cat is breathing strangely. What should I do? Assistant: Please call the emergency vet now. The number is on the emergency page and at the top of this site. They'll be able to advise you straight away.
The broader principle, route and never assess, is covered in after hours emergency triage. Dental practices follow the same approach, as described in emergency dental enquiries and what the website should say.
Routine questions still matter
Most after-hours questions are not emergencies. They are about registration, prices and appointments, as covered in pet owners asking questions after the clinic closes and vaccination and routine care price questions. A good assistant handles those normally while treating anything that sounds urgent differently.
How SpideyChat handles it
SpideyChat for veterinary clinics answers from your own pages. When your emergency information is clear, it shares it immediately. It does not diagnose, assess or give treatment advice. Everything else, such as registrations and appointment requests, it captures for staff. You can see handover in action on the demo.
Test it
Test your website on a phone, as a panicking owner would. Can you find the emergency number in a few seconds? Is it clear who to call out of hours? Ask the assistant a few emergency questions and check it shares the number straight away.
Keep it current
If your out-of-hours provider changes, update the website immediately. An outdated emergency number is dangerous.
Getting started
Review your emergency information, make it visible everywhere and set clear rules for any assistant. Plans are compared on the pricing page.