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Emergency vet authorisation

Last updated September 21, 2026

You are the only person in this business holding an animal while its owner is unreachable at 30,000 feet. If that animal needs a vet, somebody has to authorise treatment.

Agree it before they travel

A treatment limit in writing, the practice and its out-of-hours number, and a second person who can decide if the owner cannot be reached. Most sitters settle somewhere between 250 and 750.

The hard question

Resuscitation wishes are unpleasant to ask about and far worse to guess at. Ask once, calmly, in advance.

What it is not

Not legal advice, and it does not oblige a practice to treat. Talk to your own vet about how they prefer this handled — some want their own form.

1
Set a limit with the ownerBefore the booking, not during it.
2
Record the practice and its out-of-hours numberThey often differ.
3
Get a second contactSomeone local who can decide.
4
Note who authorised it and whenAn unsigned limit is not an authorisation.

FAQ

What if treatment goes over the limit?
You contact the owner, and the second contact if you cannot reach them. The limit is the point at which you stop deciding alone, not a cap on care.

Is insurance detail needed?
It helps the practice enormously and costs you one line.