As vets, we usually advise that all pets are registered with a Veterinary practice. The last thing you need if your pet requires emergency treatment is trying to find a practice to register with! But, can you register your pets at more than one practice? This article will expand on the ins and outs of multi-Vet registering and in what scenarios this may arise. 

Table of contents

What is registering?

Registering your pet at a Vet practice is easy! Once you have found a Vet practice in your local area you’d like to register with (the Find a Local Vet page can help with this!), contact them either in person, via a telephone call or some places now offer digital online registering! You will register details of you and your pet and there is no charge for registering.

Second opinions

Some owners may be left unsatisfied by their recent Veterinary visit. And some may be unsure about a recent diagnosis, treatment plan or simply have unanswered questions. These pet owners may seek an alternative Veterinary practice for a second opinion. In the same way that people may seek another Doctor for a second opinion. This is of course OK and is perfectly acceptable! Seeking a second opinion either involves seeing another Vet within the same practice; or registering your pet with a completely different practice, although you will still remain registered with your original vets. In most cases, though, you should notify your original vet that you are seeking a second opinion. This is so that they can send over your pet’s notes.

Referrals

If your vet has advised an external Veterinary referral for your pet, you may be wondering what this entails and why it is required? A referral is required for a diagnosis, surgery, or treatment with a Veterinary specialist or expert in their field. This is different to a second opinion which is only for the purpose of seeking a view from another “general practitioner” Veterinary surgeon. Your vet may decide to refer you when a treatment option or case is outside of their area of competence and ability. 

There are many referral hospitals throughout the UK. They have a range of departments which may include orthopaedics, neurology, exotics, soft tissue surgery, cardiology, and dermatology. A referral involves registering your pet at a different practice. But once your pet has been discharged, they are then referred back to your original practice.

Emergency situations

I hope you are never in the very stressful and unfortunate emergency situation with your pet. But if you ever are, you may be nowhere near the practice you are registered at. Often in emergency situations, owners take their furry friend to the nearest vets they can find!

Of course, with any practice, the vets follow RCVS guidelines and the ‘primary consideration of the Veterinary Surgeon should be to relieve the animal’s pain and suffering’. Frequently in emergency situations, the vet will be assessing, triaging, and providing immediate Veterinary treatment and first aid, whilst other staff members register your details. Therefore, in these scenarios, registering your pet with another practice temporarily is absolutely acceptable! 

Travelling pets

It is becoming more and more common in today’s society to take your pet on holiday, either to a staycation or abroad. Taking your animal abroad is not a simple or straightforward scenario… but I won’t dive into the world of travelling pets too much in this article. However, keeping in theme with registering your pet at a different vets, this is something that you will be required to do if you take your pet abroad. If you are travelling to certain countries, before being allowed entry back into the UK a vet must administer a tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) treatment to your dog and record it in their passport or animal health certificate. According to Government guidelines, this treatment should be given no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before you arrive back into the UK. 

Additionally, it is always a very sensible idea to pre-emptively locate the details of the nearest Veterinary practice to where you are staying in case you require urgent Veterinary support. This is especially important if your pet has an ongoing health condition such as diabetes.

Cons to registering at more than one practice

I am aware of owners registering their pet with multiple practices. For example they may take their dog to one practice for vaccinations only but go elsewhere for treatment of other conditions. Yes, this is allowed, but there are cons to utilising different practices and switching between vets:

  • If your pet is receiving treatment from different practices, this can make insurance claims even more complicated. And you may be faced with having to pay multiple excess fees. 
  • Seeing different vets results in a lack of consistency, as you may see a vet who may never have met your beloved pet before. Continuity of care is always recommended.
  • Treatment and management options may become more challenging for vets if this is shared between other practices and clients may consequently find this quite frustrating. It is essential that every vet has access to all the notes from all the others, to avoid (for example) harmful side effects when medications are mixed because one vet doesn’t know what treatment the pet is already receiving.

Conclusion

To conclude, there are many scenarios when registering your pet at different Veterinary practices is essential. If you regularly switch between vets, though, be mindful of the challenges that this can lead to, including lack of treatment continuity.

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