Vets Now Gateshead

For pet owners across England, the health and well-being of their animal companions are always a top concern. While our regular daytime vets provide excellent routine and preventative care, emergencies can strike at any time – often outside of standard surgery hours. In such critical moments, knowing where to turn for immediate, expert veterinary attention is paramount. In Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Vets Now Gateshead stands as a dedicated emergency and out-of-hours veterinary clinic, providing crucial care when most other practices are closed. This article aims to offer a clear, engaging, and informative overview of Vets Now Gateshead, helping users in the England region understand their vital role in local pet healthcare.

It is important to understand that Vets Now Gateshead is not a general practice for routine appointments like vaccinations or annual check-ups. Instead, it is a specialist emergency service, a crucial safety net for pets facing sudden illness or injury during nights, weekends, and bank holidays. Operating from within the PDSA's pet hospital, Vets Now has been providing trusted out-of-hours care in Gateshead since 2002. They are specifically designed to handle urgent and critical care cases, working to stabilise pets and provide essential treatment until your regular vet reopens. We will delve into their location, the specific emergency services they offer, their distinguishing features, and how you can get in touch with them when your pet needs urgent attention.

Vets Now Gateshead is strategically located at Stoneygate Ln, Gateshead NE10 0LX, UK. This location is within the borough of Gateshead, part of the wider Tyne and Wear conurbation, making it accessible for pet owners across Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, and surrounding areas.

Operating from within the PDSA's pet hospital, the clinic benefits from an established veterinary facility, likely designed for patient care. Stoneygate Lane is a known area, and being an emergency service, good accessibility is often a priority. The location typically offers ample client car parking, which is extremely beneficial when dealing with a distressed or unwell pet during an emergency. For those relying on public transport, Gateshead has a comprehensive bus network, and its proximity to major road links (like the A167, A184, and the A1) ensures relatively straightforward access from various parts of the North East. This ease of access is critical for an emergency service, as pet owners need to reach the clinic quickly and efficiently, regardless of the time of day or night. The presence of disabled public access further ensures that all pet owners can bring their companions for care.

Vets Now Gateshead specialises exclusively in emergency and critical care veterinary services. They are equipped and staffed to handle urgent medical situations that arise outside of regular daytime veterinary practice hours.

• Out-of-Hours Emergency Veterinary Care: This is their primary service, providing immediate treatment for pets experiencing sudden illnesses or injuries during nights, weekends, and bank holidays.
• Accident and Emergency Care: Dealing with acute conditions such as road traffic accidents, sudden collapses, severe vomiting/diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, seizures, and poisoning.
• Urgent Vet Care: Addressing urgent, non-life-threatening conditions that still require prompt attention and cannot wait until regular hours.
• Emergency Critical Care: Providing intensive care and monitoring for critically ill or injured pets, often involving advanced life support.
• In-house Diagnostics: Equipped with modern state-of-the-art facilities, including an in-house laboratory for rapid blood tests, digital radiography (X-ray), and ultrasound equipment for quick and accurate diagnosis of internal issues.
• Surgical Interventions: Performing emergency surgeries as required to stabilise or treat critical conditions.
• In-Patient Hospitalisation: Providing facilities for pets that require overnight observation, continuous monitoring, and ongoing treatment.
• Video Vet Consultations: For owners unsure if their pet needs an emergency visit, Vets Now offers video consultations with a vet, allowing for initial assessment and advice from home. These are available daily from 8 AM to 11 PM.
• Referral Cases: They can receive and manage referral cases for emergency and critical care from other veterinary practices.
• Care for Various Small Animals: While predominantly focusing on dogs and cats, they are also equipped to provide emergency care for other small animals, as well as being listed as treating "all sorts of animals, from the familiar to the unusual."

Vets Now Gateshead distinguishes itself through several key features and highlights, particularly in its specialised role as an emergency veterinary provider.

• RCVS Accredited Emergency Service Clinic (ESC): This prestigious accreditation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons signifies that Vets Now Gateshead meets the highest standards for emergency and critical care. This provides significant assurance of quality and expertise.
• Dedicated Out-of-Hours Focus: Unlike general practices, Vets Now is specifically set up and staffed to operate when other vets are closed. They are open from 6:00 PM to 8:30 AM Monday to Friday, 12:00 PM to 8:30 AM on Saturday, and 24 hours on Sunday and bank holidays. This dedicated model means their team is always fresh and ready for emergencies.
• Experienced Emergency Team: Their vets and vet nurses are highly skilled and experienced in emergency and critical care, treating a large volume of urgent cases (Vets Now as a group sees over 200,000 pets a year).
• Modern Facilities: The clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, including digital radiography, ultrasound, and an in-house laboratory, enabling rapid and accurate assessment of emergency cases.
• Immediate Accessibility: As an emergency clinic, they aim to see pets swiftly upon arrival, as evidenced by one review stating, "I was seen within an hour of contacting the vets." Another mentions being "straight in within half an hour" for an eye prolapse.
• Video Vet Service: The option to consult with an online vet via video can be a lifeline for worried pet owners, helping them determine if an emergency visit is truly necessary, potentially saving an unnecessary journey or providing immediate advice.
• Compassionate Care (Mixed Reviews): While some reviews highlight concerns regarding rushed consultations and high costs, other, more recent testimonials praise the staff for being "amazing," "lovely and friendly, caring and reassuring," and providing "fantastic" care, even during difficult times like saying goodbye to a pet. This indicates a commitment to compassionate treatment, though experiences can vary.
• Collaboration with Local Vets: Vets Now works in partnership with local daytime veterinary practices to provide seamless out-of-hours care, ensuring continuity of treatment for pets.

It is important for locals to be aware of the mixed reviews regarding Vets Now Gateshead. While many appreciate the crucial emergency service, concerns about consultation thoroughness (e.g., the missed infected wound) and pricing (e.g., £302 just to be seen) are recurrent themes. Emergency services inherently carry higher costs due to specialised equipment, staffing, and immediate availability, and this is a factor pet owners should prepare for, ideally with pet insurance.

For urgent pet emergencies outside of your regular vet's opening hours, you can contact Vets Now Gateshead using the following details:

• Address: Stoneygate Ln, Gateshead NE10 0LX, UK
• Phone: 0191 340 0807
• Mobile Phone: +44 191 340 0807

Remember their operating hours: 6:00 PM to 8:30 AM Monday to Friday, 12:00 PM to 8:30 AM on Saturday, and 24 hours on Sunday. It is always recommended to call before travelling to ensure they are prepared for your arrival and can provide initial guidance.

For people located in England, particularly residents of Gateshead and the wider North East region, Vets Now Gateshead is a critically suitable and essential service for pet owners. Its primary suitability lies in its dedicated role as an out-of-hours emergency veterinary clinic, providing a vital safety net when beloved pets face urgent health crises outside of regular daytime surgery hours.

The core benefit for locals is the guarantee of expert care available around the clock when most other vets are closed. Knowing that a RCVS-accredited emergency service, staffed by experienced professionals and equipped with advanced diagnostic tools, is on hand during nights, weekends, and bank holidays provides immense peace of mind. Instances like a pet's eye prolapsing on a Sunday, where owners were "straight in within half an hour" and found the vet "fantastic," underscore their immediate responsiveness in critical situations. Similarly, the gratitude expressed by an owner who felt "amazed" by the help for their dog in an emergency, despite cost concerns, highlights the life-saving potential of their services.

While some reviews raise valid points about high costs and perceived rushed consultations—factors often inherent to emergency care due to the nature of rapid assessment and specialist resources—it's clear that Vets Now Gateshead fills a crucial gap in the veterinary landscape. The availability of online video consultations also serves as a valuable first step, allowing owners to determine the urgency of their pet's condition from the comfort of their home. For any local pet owner who dreads the thought of a pet emergency when their regular vet is closed, Vets Now Gateshead provides the dedicated expertise and immediate availability that can truly make a difference in their pet's life, making it an indispensable part of the local animal healthcare infrastructure.

Vets Now Gateshead

Stoneygate Ln, Gateshead NE10 0LX, UK