After Hours Urgent and Emergency Care
On-Call Local Veterinarian is available during the following hours:
Monday through Friday – 6am-8am, 5pm-10pm
Saturdays and Sundays – 6am-10pm
Federal Holidays – 6am-10pm
To Access After-Hours Veterinary Care, Click on the Following Link:
CLICK HERE FOR VETERINARY CARE AFTER HOURS
For after-hours emergency service we have partnered with VetTriage to offer video telehealth services. The VetTriage veterinarians are available 24/7 and will assess your pet on a live video chat for a $50 fee (regardless of duration) to determine if your pet requires immediate emergency care, or simple monitoring at home until we reopen. In the event of an emergency, they will coordinate your visit to the local on-call hospital or emergency veterinary hospital.
In case of lack of internet access, please call 1-800-940-1921
After hours care is shared with other veterinary facilities in the area. The On Call Veterinarian may be located at any one of the following facilities:
Crosslake Veterinary Hospital, 35668 Co Rd 3, Crosslake MN 56442
Animal Care Center, 6763 Foley Rd S, Baxter MN 56425
Brainerd Animal Hospital, 2720 Oak St, Brainerd MN 56401
Lakeland Veterinary Hospital, 7372 Woida Rd N, Baxter MN 56425
Garrison Animal Hospital, Garrison, MN 56450
Important Notice Regarding After Hours Urgent Care And Emergency Services
A Message for our Clients
Crosslake Veterinary Hospital is changing the way we handle our after-hours urgent care services and emergencies. In 2020, we were no longer able to sustain 24 hour after hours care with our internal staffing. To be able to continue to offer care, Crosslake Veterinary Hospital joined an existing group of veterinary hospitals in the area who rotate to provide care. Many aspects of our lives have been altered these past few years, and veterinary medicine has proven to be affected as well. Due to increased demand for pet care after hours coupled with decreasing coverage of after-hours emergency care by other hospitals across the state, we have seen a significant increase in the number of urgent and emergency calls after hours. Our veterinarians and veterinary technicians who are there for you when your pet has an urgent concern after hours are still the ones there for you during the day. It is a struggle to provide a higher volume of after-hours calls, and still provide our high standard of care during the day.
We currently utilize an after-hours triage service that takes your information regarding your pet and then contacts a medical professional who can offer medical advice or direct you to the local veterinarian on call. The increased call volume has led to longer wait times for our clients than we are satisfied with. We have now made a decision to utilize a different service that puts you face-to-face with a licensed veterinarian right away, to help eliminate the delay that can happen in being able to determine how urgent your pet’s condition is and in what time frame your pet needs care.
This service, called VetTriage, employs veterinarians on staff who meet you via video chat to evaluate your pet’s emergency. The fee for evaluation by a veterinarian is $50, after which the veterinarian is able to offer basic, at-home advice if medically appropriate. If you need to be seen in person, the VetTriage veterinarian will notify the local veterinarian on call and you will be directed from there.
If your pet is experiencing an emergency outside of normal business hours, please do the following:
Go to www.crosslakevet.com or access via QR code here:- Click the Emergencies link in the menu or click HERE to be redirected to a portal for VetTriage – enter your basic contact and payment information
- Be prepared to video chat with a veterinarian – be with your pet and be prepared to provide a summary of your concerns
- If your pet ingested a toxic substance, be sure to have the product and name of active ingredient readily available
- If your pet needs an in-person visit, be aware you will travel to 1 of 4 different facilities depending on the local veterinarian on call, available between 6am and 10pm, 7 days per week
- If you do not have access to internet, a phone number alternative is listed on our website and the recorded phone message when you call Crosslake Veterinary Hospital at (218) 692-4400.
The following hospitals are currently part of our on-call rotation:
Crosslake Veterinary Hospital – Crosslake, MN
Lakeland Veterinary Hospital – Baxter, MN
Brainerd Animal Hospital – Brainerd, MN
Animal Care Center – Baxter, MN
If your pet is experiencing an overnight emergency between 10pm and 6am, VetTriage will be able to provide you with a consult with a veterinarian to determine if your pet is stable until care hours have resumed. If your pet is deemed unstable, you will be provided with contact information for 24-hour emergency hospitals across Minnesota.
We ask that you have compassion and understanding for our staff and the veterinarians working to provide the best possible care for you and your pets as we adapt to changes in the industry. We have provided a flow chart to help you determine if your pet may be experiencing a life-threatening emergency, or if your pet’s condition may be less severe and therefore likely able to wait until normal business hours to receive veterinary attention.
We know your pets are members of the family, as our pets are too. We are now able to provide a method of near immediate triage with a veterinarian in your pet’s time of need, after which we, as your local veterinarians, will be equipped to keep continuity of care.