Emergency Vets in Hastings and Napier: Hawke's Bay After-Hours Care

Which Hawke's Bay vet is open right now?

Hours, address and phone from the HBAH website, read on 9 November 2026. Its opening hours say Monday to Friday 6pm to 8am and weekends 24 hours; its FAQ describes the weekend as 6pm Friday to 8am Monday and groups public holiday daytimes with the weekend. Phone before you go.

About HBAH

• What it is. HBAH describes itself as a dedicated out-of-hours provider that gives fully monitored overnight and weekend care on behalf of all the companion animal vet clinics in the wider Hawke's Bay. Its aim is to stabilise and treat your pet, then send it home or back to your regular vet the next morning.
• Walk-in, but call ahead. It works on a walk-in basis with no appointment needed, but asks you to call so it can prepare. It triages patients, so the most urgent are seen first.
• At night. The gates are closed after 8pm for safety, but it says staff are on site and available.
• Who you will see. Its roster includes vets from clinics around Hawke's Bay and from outside the region.
• Collection. On weekdays the clinic is closed all day, so pets are discharged the next morning, or by Monday morning (7.30am to 8am) after a weekend stay.
• End of life. It offers euthanasia after hours, with a cremation service, but not at-home euthanasia.
• Parking. It says there is plenty of parking in front of the clinic or on the street.

Napier, Havelock North and the rest of the region

HBAH is the after-hours clinic for Napier too. Taradale Veterinary Hospital in Napier tells owners to contact HBAH on weekdays from 6pm to 8am, and on Saturdays before 9am and from 4pm through to Monday morning. VetsOne in Hastings sends after-hours pet emergencies to HBAH, and says that if you ring VetsOne when it is closed you can press 1 to be connected. Vet Services Hawke's Bay, with clinics in Napier and Hastings, says its after-hours care for companion animals is handled by the Grays Road clinic. CareVets also lists HBAH for Hawke's Bay.

If you live further out, check your own clinic's website or the message on its phone when it is closed, so you know the plan before you need it.

After-hours clinic or your regular vet?

In a city with a 24/7 hospital, you can go there at any hour. In Hawke's Bay, the time of day decides it. From 8am to 6pm on weekdays, call your regular vet first, because they are open and know your pet. Taradale Veterinary Hospital, for example, says that during business hours it will attend to an emergency as soon as possible with no booking needed. Ask your own clinic now how it handles emergencies, rather than in a crisis.

At weekends, HBAH says your own vet may be open on a Saturday or Sunday morning and able to help, but if your pet needs ongoing or intensive care you may be sent straight to HBAH. If your vet transfers your pet, HBAH says your vet will give you indicative pricing, contact the clinic, and send the clinical notes.

If you do not have a regular vet yet, sign up with one this week. HBAH says it can help you find one close to home, but a clinic that already has your pet's records can act faster.

When is it an emergency? Go now

VetsOne gives poisonings, car accidents and other acute trauma, vomiting several times in a short time, eye injuries, heat stroke, breathing difficulty, collapse, extreme lethargy, seizures and problems giving birth as typical emergencies. Also treat these as urgent:

• Bleeding that will not stop, or a deep wound
• Retching that brings nothing up, with a swollen belly
• Vomiting with blood
• A male cat straining in the litter tray with little or no urine
• Anything poisonous eaten, including rat bait, snail pellets, algae or human medicine

Which Hawke's Bay emergencies should I know about?

These are the urgent risks that official New Zealand sources warn about.

Toxic algae in rivers: go now

LAWA (Land, Air, Water Aotearoa), run with New Zealand's regional councils, says dogs are at the greatest risk from toxic algae because they play and scavenge in water. If you suspect your dog has eaten toxic algae, treat it as an emergency and contact your vet immediately. Signs include lethargy, muscle tremors, rapid breathing, twitching, paralysis and convulsions. Keep your dog on a lead and away from water with a bloom or algal mats on the rocks or bank, and if it has been in the water, wash it with fresh water and stop it licking its fur. LAWA and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council post current warnings; check them before a river walk.

1080 bait in forests: go now

If you take your dog walking or hunting in bush areas, the Department of Conservation says dogs are highly susceptible to 1080 poisoning, usually from eating poisoned carcasses rather than bait, and that the outcome is usually fatal. Look for DOC's warning signs at track entrances and keep dogs out until they come down, usually four to eight months after a drop. If you think your dog has eaten bait or a carcass, call the vet, say you suspect 1080, and go immediately: DOC says there is no antidote, but dogs can sometimes be saved with early action. DOC's page also lists first-aid steps; read it before the trip.

Heat

Heat stroke is on VetsOne's list of typical emergencies. The SPCA lists the signs of heat stress as excessive panting, drooling or hyperventilating, and seeking shade. Never leave a dog in a parked car. If you see a dog in a hot car, the SPCA says to act immediately and call the SPCA on 0800 SPCA NZ or the Police. A dog that collapses or cannot settle after heat needs a vet now.

Poisons at home

Taradale Veterinary Hospital lists rat bait, snail pellets and human medication among the poisons that need emergency care. For advice on whether something swallowed is dangerous, the National Poisons Centre says it is not expert in animal poisonings and points pet owners to their vet or the NZ Animal Poisons Helpline on 0800 869 738, which charges for its service. If your pet is already unwell, call the vet first.

What should I do on the way to the emergency vet?

1. Call first. Say what happened, your pet's species, size and age, and when you will arrive. HBAH can prepare and tell you about the wait.
2. Keep yourself safe. A frightened or hurt animal can bite, even a gentle one. Move slowly and keep your face away from its mouth.
3. Carry your pet safely. Put cats and small dogs in a carrier. Lift a larger dog on a towel, blanket or board held by two people, keeping the back straight if it cannot walk.
4. Bring what you can grab in a minute. HBAH suggests any medical history, medications and insurance details, special diet food if your pet is on one, and a favourite blanket. Add any packet, plant or bait your pet ate.
5. Do not give human medicines. Many are toxic to dogs and cats. Give nothing by mouth unless the vet tells you to.
6. Have a second person drive if you can, so someone can watch your pet.

How much does an emergency vet cost in Hawke's Bay?

HBAH does not publish a consultation fee, so we do not quote one. It says the cost of night, weekend and public holiday care is higher than normal daytime care. Here is what it says about paying, from its FAQ:

• Plan and consent. The vet takes you through the treatment plan and costs and asks for your signed consent. If your own vet is transferring your pet, it can give you indicative pricing first.
• Pay at the time. Payment is required at the time of service. HBAH is a separate business, so it does not run charge accounts, even if you have one with your regular vet.
• Deposit. If your pet is admitted, it asks for a 50% deposit, with the rest paid at discharge.
• Insurance. Insurance pre-approval is not available after hours. You pay, and it can print or email the paid invoice for your claim.
• Payment options. It lists Eftpos, Visa, Q Card and Afterpay.

Q Card and Afterpay are credit products, each with its own fees, limits and approval checks. Read the terms before you sign. The best time to sort out how you would pay a large bill is before an emergency, with pet insurance (check its after-hours cover and waiting periods) or a savings buffer.

What about injured wildlife?

For a sick or injured native animal, call the Department of Conservation hotline, 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). For non-native wildlife, DOC says to contact your local SPCA or a wildlife rehabilitator.

Set this up before you need it

• Register with a regular vet and save its number, plus 06 651 7103 for HBAH.
• Save the address, 103 Grays Road, St Leonards, Hastings, especially if you live in Napier and do not know the area.
• Learn the gap. Weekdays from 8am to 6pm are your vet's job; weeknights and weekends are HBAH's.
• Keep a carrier and an old towel where you can reach them quickly.
• Decide how you would pay a deposit at short notice.

If you are adopting, ask the rescue or the council for the dog's or cat's vet history and which treatments are due next. Rescue pets usually arrive desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, so the emergency plan is the next job. Our best dog rescues in Hastings guide lists the groups we track. If your new dog ever slips out, start with our Hastings or Napier lost and found pets page.

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