(Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

24-hour vet care

Kamloops’ first emergency veterinary hospital provides peace of mind to pet owners

Feb 12, 2024 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS – The city’s first emergency veterinary hospital has opened its doors in Sahali.

Located at 1350 Summit Drive, Phases Veterinary Emergency Hospital has vets working 24 hours-a-day, treating all pets, from cockatoos to Great Danes.

“This emergency service, it’s going to be very similar to human emergency care. It’s on a triage basis,” said Dr. Adrian Helmers, co-owner of the new pet hospital. “You come in and our more emergent cases are more of our life-threatening critical patients — those will be seen first.”

Phases is the first fully functioning 24-hour vet hospital in the region. Prior to Phases, the closest emergency veterinarian was in Kelowna, a two-hour drive away, which meant delayed treatment in emergencies.

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“That’s especially important in those really critical patients,” said Helmers. “Perhaps a dog that has run out into the middle of the road and been hit by a car, a dog that’s actually having a seizure or an acute toxicity. Absolutely. Those kinds of time frames, now we’re throwing a two-hour drive into the mix. That definitely can affect that clinical picture and that, you know, rate of success in terms of managing those cases.”

Helmers believes the city is overdue for this type of vet facility.

“The population is really getting bigger. We’ve also seen a dramatic change in terms of how people deal with their pets as well,” she said. “Pets are really becoming a part of the family. They’re not just, you know, the dog out in the backyard at this stage. With that comes an expectation for higher levels of care.”