PET PLANNING
Vet Closed for the Holidays
The holidays can be a time for family, friends, and of course, celebration. However, it can also be a time when your vet is out of the office. Here’s what to do in a medical emergency if your vet is OOO this holiday season.
1. Watch your Pet Closely
If you think your pet may have ingested something they shouldn’t have, or maybe got into some mischief, it’s important to keep a close eye on them. Observe your pet for signs of sickness, fatigue or poisoning.
2. Call your Vet’s Office
Even if your vet is out of the office, it can be helpful to call the office anyway. Anticipating emergencies over the holiday season, some veterinary offices will pre-record messages with phone numbers to call, or steps to take in a medical emergency.
3. Find an Emergency Vet
If a true medical emergency should happen, the next step would be to find an emergency veterinary hospital. If your vet’s office does not have a pre-recorded message indicating their recommended emergency hospital, then using a search engine for emergency vet hospitals nearby should indicate some potential options to choose from.
Consider Pet Insurance
Luckily, MetLife Pet Insurance1 allows policy holders to receive coverage and file claims at any licensed vet or animal hospital in the country. Having an active pet insurance policy can provide pet owners with peace of mind this holiday season.
Protect your Pets
Nothing in this article should be construed as financial, legal or veterinary advice. Please consult your own advisors for questions relating to your and your pet’s specific circumstances.
1 Pet Insurance offered by MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company (“IAIC”), a Delaware insurance company, headquartered at 485 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10022, and Metropolitan General Insurance Company (“MetGen”), a Rhode Island insurance company, headquartered at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, in those states where MetGen’s policies are available. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is the policy administrator authorized by IAIC and MetGen to offer and administer pet insurance policies. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC was previously known as PetFirst Healthcare, LLC and in some states continues to operate under that name pending approval of its application for a name change. The entity may operate under an alternate, assumed, and/or fictitious name in certain jurisdictions as approved, including MetLife Pet Insurance Services LLC (New York and Minnesota), MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions Agency LLC (Illinois), and such other alternate, assumed, or fictitious names approved by certain jurisdictions.