# Are dogs left in the Vets office alone all night?



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

When a dog is left overnight at the vet's, and it's not a 24 hour hospital, are the dogs left alone all night or does someone stay there with them?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Unless it's a 24 hour care facility they are left alone.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Depends on the vet and the circumstance. Here, if they need watching overnight you are often asked to take the dog to the evet overnight. Then you shuffle them back in the morning because the evet closes during the day.


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## stolibaby (Mar 6, 2011)

Stoli had X-rays done once and they didn't call me before I went to work which of course seriously irritated me since I did NOT want my boy gone overnight...luckily my vet came in at 1030 to open up and let me get my boy and there wasn't anyone there when we got there which I was not a fan of....so as for vets I don't think there is anyone there unless it's a 24 hour facility but it could depend on the Vet as well....
how about Camp Bow Wow Stoli goes there a few days a week and when I am out of town he stays there...does anyone know if they stay overnight???


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

With most vets (including the one I worked for) usually there is no one there overnight unless it's an emergency/24-hour clinic, or on Sundays unless there is a boarder or hospitalized animal there. If a patient needs overnight care/monitoring the owner usually has to bring them to the e-vet for the night, and then back in the morning when the e-vet closes unless it's a 24-hour e-vet (one here is, another isn't). I had to do that with my Golden when she bloated at night, she had surgery at the e-vet but then I had to transport her to my regular vet in the morning. My vet ended up having me just bring her home that night instead of taking her back to the e-vet because the dog was really upset about being left and my vet knew I would take good care of her at home and knew how to care for her properly. She's done that a few other times too when I had a sick pet, she had me take them home with me because she knew they'd get good care overnight and close monitoring, and that I know how to do things like sub-q fluids and injections myself if needed...

I've also worked at two dog daycare/boarding kennels. One IIRC had an overnight shift, the other had someone (I think it was one of the facility owners?) who slept there overnight.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

middleofnowhere said:


> Depends on the vet and the circumstance.


^ This. You should ask your own vet what their practices are. My vet's office is not staffed 24 hours a day. If animals need to stay overnight and be monitored, someone will spend the night. If it's not necessary, they don't.


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

Yes ask the vet, my vet will take the animals home with her.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Most vet clinics I know, staff leaves around 5-6PM, and does not return until 7-8 in the morning. Weekends someone is there 2 times each day.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I do not understand why some Vet clinics make spayed/neutered dogs stay the night when there is no one there?


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Don't know.... I have always refused to leave my dogs overnight, unattended, for that reason.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

gagsd said:


> Don't know.... I have always refused to leave my dogs overnight, unattended, for that reason.


I refused to leave my dog overnight too.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Our vet only staffs a person overnight if an animal warrants it. I know because my one kitty was very ill when I adopted her and she had to stay overnight and the vet told me there would be somewhere there because of another animal that needed to be watched (for whatever reason).
I worried because her upper respiratory infection was so severe she had trouble breathing. If nobody was going to be there, she was coming home with me. 

I've always worried what would happen if they ripped out an IV or something happens and nobody is there.
You figure that if your vet staff left at say 7 or 8pm, those animals are left unattended for about 12 hours (maybe less).

That's scary.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Mine sends them home the same day for spay/neuters.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

I think at Cornell they are staffed 24 hours but thats just a guess


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

LaRen616 said:


> I do not understand why some Vet clinics make spayed/neutered dogs stay the night when there is no one there?


That's why I've always told them I was NOT leaving my dog there and they were ok with it.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

The vet I worked at had a night time crew. They cleaned and prepared the equipment for the next day, meds for the night etc. They left at night and if there was an animal that had a serious concern the 3 doctors rotated night watch. Plus they had on call answering service


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies, I'm not sure why that question popped into my head at 2 in the morning. It does seem like 10-12 hours would be a long time to leave a dog alone if it's recovering from surgery. 
In this day and age you'd have to hope that the ones who aren't staffed at night at least have webcams or monitors hooked up.


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## TMarie (Jul 6, 2006)

My vet is open extended hours and 7 days a week. He handles his own emergencies, and requests that his patients do not use the E-vet, but to call him. He has a few staff members that work the overnight hours to monitor the hospitalized patients and the patients that are their for boarding.

I love my vet


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## Marshmallows (Jan 28, 2007)

I will never again leave a dog overnight at a vet's office.
My biggest regret is leaving my sick puppy overnight; she died
in a cage all alone in a strange place. I don't know if I had her
at home watching her if I could have saved her or not but at least
she would have died in my arms


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I love my vet, but the one downside is that she doesn't have anyone working overnight in the hospital. I've left sick Hooligans there several times, worried constantly about them, and when in her opinion they need 24/7 monitoring, she has me take them to the ER for the night then bring them back to her clinic the next morning.


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## valb (Sep 2, 2004)

GSDGunner said:


> I've always worried what would happen if they ripped out an IV or something happens and nobody is there.


That happened to Tamsen, after her amputation the IV came
out. Thankfully, we had taken her to our 24 hour e-vet after
her surgery. There was no way I would leave her alone. 
It was major league expensive and husband and I had to
stretcher carry and transport her over there, but so what.


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## mayapj (Feb 24, 2011)

I think a lot of vets do not monitor overnight. The one I used to work for did not. Now there are ER vets that are open all night if your vet doesn't have 24hr monitoring. I agree though that all vets should have some kind of monitoring. My small dog fell three stories onto a couple years ago and I rushed him to an ER vet. They were wonderful. They monitored him all night, testing him every hour for internal injuries until they were sure he was clear. No serious injuries, just lost of bruising! I would want any of my dogs if seriously sick or injured to be in that type of place.


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## mayapj (Feb 24, 2011)

TMarie said:


> My vet is open extended hours and 7 days a week. He handles his own emergencies, and requests that his patients do not use the E-vet, but to call him. He has a few staff members that work the overnight hours to monitor the hospitalized patients and the patients that are their for boarding.
> 
> I love my vet



What a great vet. You are lucky!


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## spiritsmom (Mar 1, 2003)

I don't leave my dogs overnight - if they need vet care overnight that I can't do myself then they stay at the E vet. My vet does not staff overnight.


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## bmare38 (Mar 17, 2011)

My 14 year old female shepherd Schatzi is in congenital heart failure and pneumonia. I did not leave herr at the vets last night because I was afraid she would pass away alone. She survived the night but she is not moving around. did try to get up a few times. does anyone have suggestion on how to get her outside to see if she will pee. I am giving her water through a straw and pipettes. Her gums were white last night but with 2 doses of the heart meds and antibiotics they are more pink this morning. My son can help me cause I am a small person. I thought aboutr putting a sheet under her to life from her sides. I am also turning her frequently like they do elderly with pneumonia. I would greatly appreciate any suggestion to make her more comfortable. I love her very much. Thanks, Barbara


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

bmare38 said:


> My 14 year old female shepherd Schatzi is in congenital heart failure and pneumonia. I did not leave herr at the vets last night because I was afraid she would pass away alone. She survived the night but she is not moving around. did try to get up a few times. does anyone have suggestion on how to get her outside to see if she will pee. I am giving her water through a straw and pipettes. Her gums were white last night but with 2 doses of the heart meds and antibiotics they are more pink this morning. My son can help me cause I am a small person. I thought aboutr putting a sheet under her to life from her sides. I am also turning her frequently like they do elderly with pneumonia. I would greatly appreciate any suggestion to make her more comfortable. I love her very much. Thanks, Barbara


:hug: I'd take her back to the vets this AM where they can make her more comfortable. Ask them to let you stay with her.


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