Blog · Veterinary
How AI Triages After-Hours
Pet Emergencies for Vet Clinics
February 25, 2026 · 5 min read
A dog eats a box of raisins at 11 PM. A cat falls from a second-story window on a Sunday afternoon. The pet owner calls their vet. The question isn't whether they'll call—it's whether anyone will answer, and whether the person who answers can tell them what to do right now.
After-hours veterinary calls fall into two fundamentally different categories: true emergencies that require immediate intervention and anxious-but-stable situations that can wait until morning. The difference between getting this right and getting it wrong is, in some cases, the difference between a pet living and dying. In all cases, it's the difference between keeping a client and losing one.
The Triage Problem: Urgency Is Not Obvious to Pet Owners
Most pet owners can't distinguish between a life-threatening emergency and a concerning-but-stable situation. That's not a criticism—it's the reality. Consider these real-world examples:
- TRUE EMERGENCY: Dog ingested xylitol (sugar-free gum)—can cause fatal hypoglycemia within 30 minutes
- TRUE EMERGENCY: Cat straining to urinate with no output—urethral obstruction, fatal within 24–48 hours
- TRUE EMERGENCY: Dog's abdomen is distended and they're retching without vomiting—GDV (bloat), requires surgery within hours
- CAN WAIT: Dog ate a small amount of milk chocolate—monitor at home, call in the morning
- CAN WAIT: Cat vomited once after eating grass—withhold food for 12 hours, schedule if it continues
- CAN WAIT: Dog has been scratching ears for two days—likely otitis, book for tomorrow
A voicemail can't make this distinction. A traditional answering service operator taking a message can't either. But an AI phone agent trained on your clinic's triage protocols can.
How AI Triage Actually Works
Vox for Veterinary Clinics follows a structured triage conversation that mirrors what a trained veterinary receptionist would do—but consistently, at any hour, on every call:
Step 1: Identify the Situation
Vox asks what's going on with their pet. Open-ended, conversational. The pet owner describes the situation in their own words: "My dog got into the trash and ate some chicken bones" or "My cat hasn't eaten in three days and seems really weak."
Step 2: Ask Targeted Follow-Up Questions
Based on the initial description, Vox asks the questions that determine urgency. For a toxin ingestion: What substance? How much? How long ago? Pet's weight? For trauma: Is the pet conscious? Breathing normally? Any visible bleeding? These aren't generic questions—they're the same questions your DVMs would want answered.
Step 3: Route Based on Urgency
High urgency: Transfer to your on-call DVM, or direct the owner to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital with address and phone number. Send an immediate alert to your team.
Moderate urgency: Provide home-care guidance and book a first-available appointment for the next morning.
Routine: Book a standard appointment and capture patient details for your team.
What This Means for Your Clinic's Revenue
After-hours triage isn't just about patient care (though that alone justifies it). It's about capturing revenue that currently walks out the door:
- Emergency cases directed to your ER partner: Many clinics have referral agreements with emergency hospitals. Proper triage ensures your patients go to your preferred ER—not a random competitor—strengthening the referral relationship.
- Next-morning appointments booked automatically: The "can wait until morning" calls become booked appointments instead of lost follow-ups. At $250 average ticket, 3 booked appointments per week = $3,000/month.
- New client capture: A first-time caller at midnight who gets a professional, helpful response becomes a loyal client. The lifetime value: $8,000–$15,000.
- Reduced ER bill shock: Pet owners who go to the ER for non-emergencies face $500–$2,000 bills. Proper triage that says "this can wait until morning" earns client trust and keeps the appointment (and revenue) at your clinic.
Why Answering Services Can't Do This
Traditional answering services employ general operators handling calls for plumbers, dentists, and law firms simultaneously. They take a message: name, number, "dog ate something." They can't ask the right follow-up questions. They can't determine whether "dog ate something" means "ate a sock" (monitor at home) or "ate rat poison" (emergency—go to the ER now).
The cost of a wrong answer in veterinary medicine is a dead pet and a lawsuit. The cost of no answer is a lost client. AI triage eliminates both risks by following your protocols consistently, every time, on every call.
Beyond Emergencies: Routine After-Hours Calls
Not every after-hours call is an emergency. Many are routine requests that still represent revenue:
Appointment Booking: "I need to schedule my puppy's next round of shots." Vox books it into your calendar. No morning callback needed.
Prescription Refills: "My dog needs more Apoquel." Vox captures the request and sends it to your pharmacy queue for morning processing.
Surgery/Procedure Questions: "What time should I drop off my cat for her spay tomorrow?" Vox provides pre-operative instructions from your clinic's protocol.
New Client Inquiries: "Do you accept new patients? What are your hours?" Vox answers, captures their info, and books an initial appointment.
Getting Started
Setting up AI triage for your veterinary clinic takes about 20 minutes. You define your emergency protocols, preferred ER referral partners, and appointment types. Vox handles the rest—24/7, on every call, with zero hold time. See the full Vox veterinary solution →
Every Emergency Deserves an Instant Answer
AI triage for your veterinary clinic. Set up in 20 minutes. Every call answered 24/7.