On Monday 12 October, my beloved dog Poppy had a checkup with our usual vet, Zoe, at The Stocks Vets in Upton upon Severn. Zoe took blood tests to check her protein levels and her kidney and liver function. The results came back on Wednesday, and they were all normal, it was my birthday, and Poppy and I spent a lovely day together.

Poppy had been well since her last gastric flare up which was at the end of April 2026. Within 2 to 3 days of her checkup, she wasn’t herself, and we think she picked up a bug during her visit to the vets on Monday. We’re not blaming The Stocks Vets in ANY way for this. Vets see poorly animals every day, and these things happen.

By last Friday afternoon, everything had changed.

At around 4.30pm on Friday 16 October, Poppy was sick 3 times in quick succession. If you’ve followed #JusticeForPoppy, you’ll know why this worries us so much. Poppy is our elderly German Shepherd Husky cross. She was diagnosed with Endocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) in February 2022. Her body doesn’t produce the enzymes she needs to digest food, so she has replacement enzymes in every meal.

When Poppy gets ill and stops eating, she goes downhill very fast. Nine times out of ten she needs IV fluids, pain relief and antibiotics. The sooner she gets them, the faster she recovers.

This is the third time she has been let down by the only out of hours emergency vets in our area.

Friday 16 October: What Happened

5.15pm: after Poppy had been sick 3 times in quick succession, we got her to our usual vets, The Stocks Vets in Lower Wick, Worcester, who gave her an anti-sickness injection of Prevomax and recommended some FortiFlora powder for her food which we already had at home.
6.30pm approx: Once home, she had explosive diarrhoea and couldn’t settle.
10.30pm: we took her to the emergency vets.

We knew we’d have to wait while other animals were seen. Emergency vets see the sickest patients first, and I accept that. What I didn’t expect was to sit for a long time with no updates at all while Poppy grew more and more distressed. Nobody told us what was happening or what would happen next.

The vet we saw was abrupt and showed no compassion for Poppy or for us. Poppy is an elderly, frightened dog. She needs gentle handling, but she didn’t get any.

I told the vet about Poppy’s underlying EPI when we arrived. Her blood tests came back clear and showed she wasn’t dehydrated, so we were sent home. No IV fluids. No pain relief. No antibiotics. I also noticed that one of the consulting rooms was a mess, with items strewn across the work surfaces. A clinic treating sick animals through the night should be cleaner and tidier.

My husband Russ was up with Poppy every hour through the night. She kept trying to go to the toilet and nothing was coming out. She was uncomfortable and we were very frightened for her.

Saturday 17 October: Back to Square One

At 8.30am, the moment our usual vets opened, The Stocks Vets in Upton upon Severn admitted Poppy for IV fluids, antibiotics and pain relief. This is the treatment she needs whenever she becomes unwell. It’s the treatment I hoped she’d get the night before.

By 12.30pm she still wasn’t eating. Without food, we have no way to get her daily medication into her. The Stocks was closing for the weekend. After a long discussion with the vet, we were left with only one option. Poppy had to be admitted overnight to the same emergency vets we’d left only hours earlier.

It was the last place on earth I wanted to take her. With no other emergency vets in our area, we had no choice.

A Different Vet, a Different Experience

I want to be fair here, because fairness matters to me.

The vet who met us when we arrived at the emergency vets on Saturday afternoon was lovely. She made a fuss of Poppy, helped her feel comfortable and avoided sudden movements. She explained Poppy’s treatment plan in full. Her plan was exactly what we’d wanted on Friday night. She told us who would look after Poppy overnight and promised to call with updates, and she kept her word.

Then came the question of food. The clinic didn’t stock Poppy’s usual Purina gastrointestinal food, wet or dry. They offered a Royal Canin alternative, but I wasn’t going to change her diet while she was so poorly. Our local Pets at Home had none in stock either so we drove home to collect her tins, then all the way back across Worcester in heavy Saturday traffic to drop them off.

On Saturday evening came the news we’d been praying for. Poppy had eaten almost a whole tin of her food. By bedtime she’d eaten almost 2 tins, little and often, and was settled and comfortable on IV fluids and medication. This morning at 7.30am the vet called to say she’d had a good night, her tummy had settled and she was still eating. We had another call just after 9.00am, the news was still positive, so the vet said she could come home, and she is now home with us where she belongs. She is much better, eating her food again and taking her medicine wrapped in some ham without any issues.

Saturday shows the emergency vets in our area is capable of good care. Friday night shows good care doesn’t happen every time. When your pet is ill at 10.30pm, you shouldn’t have to rely on a roulette wheel of luck with whichever vet happens to be on shift at the time.

Not the First Time

Poppy’s experiences at the emergency vets in our area now follow a clear pattern:

September 2020: Poppy was kept in for observation over a weekend and left soiled and not cleaned up. The stay cost over £1,500. She was then moved to The Willows in Solihull, where a scan found a burst disc.
July 2024: On Friday 5 July at around 10.30pm, Poppy was given buprenorphine, an opioid painkiller, and reacted badly. When I phoned for help overnight, I was told to “ride it out”. The visit cost £556.68, including a £320 consultation fee. Our usual vets admitted her for IV fluids the next morning. I complained on 7 July 2024. In their written response, the emergency vets said they were “dismayed by the phrasing used”.
October 2026: A Friday night again. Around 10.30pm again. Our usual vet admitted her for IV fluids the next morning again.

3 incidents in 6 years. Each one has left Poppy needing the treatment she should have had at the emergency vets.

What I’m Asking For

I’m sending a formal complaint this week. I’m asking for:

A full investigation into Poppy’s care on Friday night, including why a dog with EPI wasn’t given fluids, pain relief or antibiotics
Copies of her clinical notes and blood test results
A written response within 14 days

If I don’t get a satisfactory response, I’ll take my complaint to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service.

Why This Matters Beyond Poppy

In March 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final report into the UK vet market. One of its remedies calls for clear, transparent complaints processes across the sector. My complaint is a test of whether those words mean anything in practice.

Many areas, including ours, have one out of hours emergency provider. If you’re unhappy with the care your pet receives, you can’t take your business elsewhere at 10.30pm on a Friday night. Good care, clear communication and a fair complaints process matter even more when owners have no choice.

What You Should Do Before You Need an Emergency Vet

Here’s what I’ve learned from 3 emergencies:

Find out which emergency vets your practice uses out of hours, and whether another one is within reach. I’m now looking into the out-of-hours service at The Willows in Solihull, where Poppy spent over a week in 2020 and where several people have told me the out-of-hours service is brilliant. It is much more of a trek for us, but worth it if they look after your pet with compassion and care.
Keep a written summary of your pet’s conditions, medication and usual food on your phone and a printed back up copy should you be somewhere with no phone signal. This has proved very useful to me on more than one occasion.
Take your pet’s usual food with you. Don’t assume the emergency vets will stock it.
Ask for the treatment plan and costs in writing before you agree to anything.
Write down times, what you were told and who told you, while the details are still fresh. This is easier said than done I know when emotions are running high, but it is so important.
If a complaint goes nowhere, contact the Veterinary Client Mediation Service. The service is free to pet owners.