No. Please read this one before you need it — it explains what to do instead, and what the app is genuinely useful for.
Jump to:
- What to do in an emergency
- Signs that need immediate in-person care
- Why chat and AI can't cover an emergency
- What the app is good for instead
- Be ready before it happens
Ask A Vet is not an emergency service
Telehealth, vet chat, AI Vet, health tracking, reminders, GPS tracking and app notifications are not emergency services.
The AI Chat welcome screen states it plainly: "AI is not a substitute for emergency care." Our emails carry the same message: if your pet's situation has become urgent, please contact your local vet or animal emergency line directly.
Important: if your animal is in an emergency, seek immediate in-person veterinary care. Do not rely on the app, AI Vet, vet chat, telehealth, reminders, notifications or GPS alerts. Don't wait for a reply from the app.
What to do in an emergency
- Call your local vet or the nearest animal emergency clinic.
- Go in person if you're told to, or if you're in any doubt.
- Use the Ask A Vet app afterwards for follow-up questions, aftercare and keeping your pet's records together.
Signs that need immediate in-person care
The Terms list these as examples of emergencies:
- Difficulty breathing
- Collapse
- Seizures
- Severe bleeding
- Trauma
- Suspected poisoning
- Inability to urinate
- Severe pain
- Bloat or abdominal distension
- Heatstroke
- Severe vomiting or diarrhoea
- Pale gums
- Paralysis, inability to stand or severe weakness
- Birthing complications
- Rapid deterioration, or any condition where delay could cause harm
Why chat and AI can't cover an emergency
- It's text, not hands-on. A vet reading a message can't examine your pet, run tests or treat them. AI Vet can't examine your pet, can't send anyone to you and can't treat anything.
- Somebody has to pick it up. A vet chat request waits until a vet accepts it. The app shows an estimate of ~10 minutes, but that's a guide, not a promise.
- Cover isn't guaranteed round the clock. [CONFIRM: the hours vets are available for chat — whether cover is 24/7 or limited to certain hours/days]
What AI Vet does if you describe an emergency
AI Vet is built to recognise red flags — difficulty breathing, collapse, seizures or unresponsiveness, heavy or uncontrolled bleeding, known or suspected poisoning, severe pain that's getting worse — and to stop asking questions the moment it sees one. It escalates straight away and tells you to get help. It also escalates on timing, for example vomiting or diarrhoea lasting more than 24 hours in an adult pet, or more than 12 hours in a puppy or kitten.
That's a safety net, not a service.
Under the Terms & Conditions, AI-generated content must never be the sole basis for a diagnosis, a treatment, medication use, or an emergency, breeding, surgery or euthanasia decision. It does not replace a veterinarian, a physical examination, diagnostic testing, emergency care or professional clinical judgment.
The "Emergency" chat topic is not an emergency service
Emergency is one of the 14 topics you can pick when booking a vet chat, and it's shown near the top of the list. It tells your vet how urgent your concern is — it does not speed the chat up into an emergency service or replace in-person care.
What the app is good for instead
Urgent-feeling but not life-threatening questions: is this rash worth a visit, has this limp got worse, is this behaviour normal, what should I watch for tonight. It's also ideal for follow-up after a clinic visit, when you've thought of a question on the way home.
If you're worried but it isn't an emergency, tap Chat with a real vet in an AI chat. That connects you to a licensed vet and brings your AI conversation summary along, so nothing has to be repeated.
Be ready before it happens
- Open a pet's profile and go to the Safety tab.
- Tap Clinics.
- Open a clinic and save the phone number to your contacts. The clinic sheet also shows opening hours and a directions button.
- Save your local vet's number, and the number and address of your nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, in your phone too.
Tip: do this now, while things are calm — so you're not searching for it under pressure.
[CONFIRM: whether Ask A Vet wants to publish a recommended emergency number or partner emergency service per region]
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