06/08/2025
Public Service Announcement: After-Hours Emergency Care at Creekside Veterinary Clinic
We want to take a moment to clear up some confusion about our after-hours emergency services, and to clarify how we approach emergency calls.
While we do provide emergency services, CVC is not a 24/7 emergency or specialty hospital. We are a privately owned, mixed-animal general practice—just like many veterinary clinics in our community.
It is unfair to compare veterinary medicine to human medicine in any capacity, including emergency work. They are very different models. If you want to discuss this further, please call and ask to speak to Dr. Dave.
At CVC, we have two full-time veterinarians who alternate emergency coverage 50/50—often after already working 10+ hour days. Because of this, our after-hours services are intended only for urgent, true medical emergencies—not for general questions, appointment scheduling, or non-urgent concerns. This allows our doctors and team members to manage their work/life balance.
After-Hours and how it works:
• After-Hours Emergency Hours: 5:00 PM – 7:15 AM
• Emergency Fee: $115.00 plus exam and any of the services completed(payment due at time of service)
We use an after-hours answering service to help screen calls and identify emergencies. When you call, you will be asked:
• Your name and phone number
• If you’re a current client(we are still willing to see you even if you are not a current client)
• Your pet’s name
• What is happening (be clear and informative in your communication)
• If you accept the $115 emergency fee (if you do not accept the fee your call will not be transferred to the on-call doctor)
This process ensures that true emergencies are directed to the on-call doctor, while non-emergencies are documented and followed up on during regular business hours.
Every third weekend (Saturday and Sunday), our after-hours emergencies are referred to:
All City Pet Care Veterinary Emergency Hospital
3508 S Minnesota Ave, Suite 102, Sioux Falls, SD 57105
605-335-4004
This information is posted on our social media channels, and our answering service will inform you during those times. In rare cases when no CVC doctor is available outside of that rotation, we will always refer you to All City for after-hours emergency services.
Please understand that while we wish we could assist every animal at all times, it’s simply not always possible. Our dedicated team works incredibly hard to provide emergency care whenever we can. We simply ask for kindness and understanding as we navigate the demands of after-hours services. We care deeply about your animals and our community and are committed to doing our very best, always. If you have questions, please call for further discussion.
— Dr. David Thompson and the Team at Creekside Veterinary Clinic