The short answer
Before midnight: ring your own vet's number and follow the after-hours prompts. If your clinic has no after-hours service, Eureka Veterinary Hospital, 121 Creswick Road, says it welcomes owners in that situation: (03) 5333 5959. The shared roster covers 6pm to midnight on weekdays and 8am to midnight on weekends and public holidays, and the clinic on duty changes, so ask where to go.
After midnight: no Ballarat clinic says it is open. Eureka sends overnight calls to Advanced Vetcare, Kensington, (03) 9092 0400, which says it is open 24 hours. Greencross Vet Hospital in Werribee, 03 8721 1414, also says it is open 24/7. No Ballarat clinic publishes a set emergency fee, so ask for an estimate. Checked 9 November 2026.
Call now if you see any of these
- • Trouble breathing, or collapse
- • A seizure
- • A severe injury: a car accident, a dog fight, heavy bleeding or a broken bone
- • Eating a poison: rat bait, snail pellets or human medication
- • Heavy panting, wobbliness or collapse on a hot day
- • A snake bite, or a suspected one
- • Unresponsive, or suddenly unable to stand
These are common emergency signs. Eastwood Veterinary Clinic lists car accidents, heart conditions, poisoning and injuries among common emergencies, and the RSPCA Knowledgebase covers snake bites and the RSPCA Knowledgebase covers heatstroke. If you are unsure, phone and describe what you see.
Is there a 24 hour vet in Ballarat?
No. Every Ballarat clinic we checked either runs after-hours cover until midnight or passes its after-hours calls to someone else. Ballarat Veterinary Practice says plainly that it is not an emergency centre and does not have staff in the clinic 24 hours. Instead, three clinics share an after-hours service, and the clinic that sees you depends on the night.
| Clinic | Area | Address | After-hours cover (as published) | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka Veterinary Hospital | Creswick Road | 121 Creswick Road, Ballarat VIC 3350 | After-hours service: weekdays 6pm to 12am; weekends and public holidays 8am to 12am. Weekend and public holiday care runs from this clinic. Midnight to 8am: calls go to Advanced Vetcare, Melbourne. Says it welcomes owners whose usual clinic has no full after-hours service. | (03) 5333 5959 (site header also lists 0408 512 323) |
| Ballarat Veterinary Practice | Sturt Street | 1410 Sturt Street, Ballarat VIC 3350 | Vet and nursing team rostered until midnight, 7 days. Emergency number listed for 6pm to 8am. For existing clients. Not an emergency centre; not staffed 24 hours. | (03) 5331 1533 |
| Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet | Delacombe | 28 Wiltshire Lane, Delacombe VIC 3356 | Call and press 1. Mon to Fri 6pm to 12am: Ballarat after-hours service at this clinic or a linked clinic. Sat, Sun and public holidays 8am to 12am: this clinic. 12am to 8am: an emergency service in Geelong or Melbourne. | 03 5336 0006 |
Checked on each clinic's own website on 9 November 2026. Rosters, names and numbers change; the clinic's own phone line always wins.
How the shared roster works
Eureka Veterinary Hospital says weeknight after-hours care rotates between Eureka Veterinary Clinic, Ballarat Veterinary Practice and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet, and that weekend and public holiday care runs from Eureka on Creswick Road. When you call, you are told which clinic is on duty that night. Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet describes its side slightly differently: weeknight calls go to its own clinic or a linked clinic, and weekend and public holiday calls go to its own after-hours service. Pages can lag behind the roster, so the rule is simple: ask on the phone exactly where to go, and do not drive to a clinic without calling.
Both Eureka and Ballarat Veterinary Practice say a vet will assess your pet and that they may refer it to a specialist or 24-hour hospital if it needs ongoing monitoring. Eureka adds that cases are triaged by urgency, so waits vary.
Can I use it if I am not their client?
The clinics word this differently. Ballarat Veterinary Practice says its after-hours service is provided to its existing clients. Eureka's emergency page says the service is for registered clients of Eureka and Ballarat Veterinary Practices, but that if your regular clinic no longer offers after-hours support you should not hesitate to call, and its after-hours page says it welcomes pet owners whose usual clinics may not offer a full after-hours service. If you have no Ballarat vet yet, that is the number to ring: (03) 5333 5959.
What other Ballarat clinics do after hours
Many Ballarat practices do not run their own after-hours clinic. Eastwood Veterinary Clinic on Mair Street says it stopped in-clinic after-hours care from December 2023; its after-hours calls go to a VetCheck 24/7 triage nurse, with Advanced Vetcare in Melbourne and Geelong Animal Referral Services (GARS) named for emergencies. GARS describes itself as a referral-based emergency service, so ring before you drive. Greencross Vets Ballarat on Victoria Street names Greencross Vet Hospital in Werribee as its nearest 24/7 emergency vet. If your clinic is not listed here, listen to its after-hours phone message, which tells you where it sends emergencies.
Where do I go after midnight?
Between midnight and 8am, Eureka says its calls go to Advanced Vetcare in Melbourne, and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet says its calls go to an emergency service in Geelong or Melbourne. Advanced Vetcare and Greencross Werribee are the 24/7 hospitals Ballarat clinics name; Geelong Animal Emergency is Geelong's own emergency hospital. All of them are a long drive, so call on the way if you can, and if a hospital tells you to come, take someone with you to watch your pet.
| Clinic | Area | Address | After-hours cover (as published) | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Vetcare Kensington | Inner west Melbourne | Level 1, 26 Robertson Street, Kensington VIC 3031 | Open 24hr. Named by Eureka and Eastwood for overnight emergencies. | (03) 9092 0400 |
| Greencross Vet Hospital (University of Melbourne, Werribee) | Outer west Melbourne | Gate 2, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030 | 24-hour emergency care. Greencross Vets Ballarat calls it its nearest 24/7 emergency vet, open 365 days including public holidays. | 03 8721 1414 |
| Geelong Animal Emergency | South Geelong | 102 Fyans St, South Geelong VIC 3220 | Its pages give different hours (24/7 on some, evenings and weekends on others). Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet sends overnight calls to a service in Geelong or Melbourne without naming one. Call first. | (03) 5222 2139 |
For every 24/7 hospital across Melbourne, see our emergency vets in Melbourne guide. For Geelong Animal Emergency and the Geelong referral hospital, see emergency vets in Geelong.
After-hours roster, 24/7 hospital or your regular vet?
| Option | When it fits | Ballarat examples |
|---|---|---|
| Your regular vet | Any emergency during opening hours, and all follow-up care. Ballarat Veterinary Practice says to come straight in during business hours and call ahead if you can. | Your own clinic |
| Shared after-hours roster | Evenings, and weekend and public holiday days, until midnight. | Eureka, Ballarat Veterinary Practice, Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet (on rotation) |
| Phone triage | Advice on whether you need to go now. Some clinics use a triage nurse service instead of an on-call vet. | Eastwood (VetCheck 24/7) |
| 24/7 hospital | Midnight to 8am, or a pet that needs overnight intensive care. | Advanced Vetcare Kensington; Greencross Werribee |
Ballarat Veterinary Practice puts it well on its own site: it is always nice to know the after-hours arrangements before you actually need them. Ask your clinic at your first visit.
What should I do on the way to the emergency vet?
- Call first. In Ballarat this matters more than anywhere: the clinic on duty changes, and after midnight the nearest hospital is a long drive away.
- Handle your pet carefully. A pet in pain may bite, even a gentle one. Keep your face away.
- Carry it safely. Use a towel or blanket to lift a dog that cannot walk, and put a cat in a secure carrier.
- Take someone with you if you can, so one person drives and one watches your pet.
- Bring what helps. Any medication your pet takes, its vet records, and the packet of anything it ate.
Do not give food, water or human medicine unless a vet tells you to, and do not try to make your pet vomit without a vet's advice. For a suspected poisoning, the Animal Poisons Helpline (1300 869 738) describes itself as a 24/7 helpline for Australian pet owners, and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet points owners to it too; its site lists consultations from $79 (read 9 November 2026, not a quote).
Which Ballarat emergencies should I know about?
Heatstroke: go now
Hot summer days are the danger days for dogs. The RSPCA Knowledgebase calls heatstroke a life-threatening emergency. Heavy panting, drooling, wobbliness or collapse after exercise or time in a car means a vet, now. Walk early or late on hot days, and never leave a pet in a parked car.
Snake bites: go now
The RSPCA Knowledgebase says to seek emergency treatment as soon as you know or suspect a bite, keep the animal calm and quiet, call ahead, and never try to catch or kill the snake. It lists sudden weakness and collapse, sometimes followed by apparent recovery, among the signs, so go even if your dog perks up.
Baits and poisons: call and go
Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet lists plants, insecticides, household cleaners, human medications and venomous animals among the common poisons for pets. Call as soon as you know your pet ate something, not when it starts to look unwell.
Paralysis ticks: know the signs
The RSPCA Knowledgebase says the paralysis tick is generally found on the eastern seaboard, from north Queensland down to Victoria, and that ticks can also be found inland in suitable habitat. Ask your vet how much of a risk they are where you walk, and about tick prevention before trips to East Gippsland or the New South Wales coast. Wobbly back legs, a changed bark, retching or breathing trouble are signs of tick paralysis, which is an emergency.
Thinking about adopting in Ballarat?
Ballarat's shelter and foster rescues list dogs and cats that arrive desexed and vaccinated. Browse current listings, and sort out a regular vet and its after-hours number the week your new pet comes home.
How much does an after-hours vet cost in Ballarat?
Emergency care is expensive, and none of the Ballarat clinics we checked publishes a set after-hours consultation fee, so we do not quote one. What they do say:
- Eureka Veterinary Hospital: it aims to give a clear estimate of costs before treatment begins, and emergency care can involve extra procedures depending on your pet's condition.
- Ballarat Veterinary Practice: it aims to give an estimate, but emergency costs can vary depending on the services and treatment needed.
- Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet: lists cash, credit and EFTPOS as payment methods.
- Eastwood Veterinary Clinic: says charges apply for a VetCheck video consultation with a vet.
If your pet ends up at a Melbourne 24/7 hospital, costs there are set by that hospital; ask for an estimate when you arrive. Pet insurance only helps if it is in place before the emergency, so decide on it early. For charity and low-cost vet options, see our guide to cheap vet care in Australia.
These are the clinics' own descriptions of their payment terms, read on 9 November 2026. They are not a quote. Ask the clinic for an estimate for your pet.
Set this up before you need it
In a city without a 24 hour vet, the setup matters more. The worst time to work out the roster is at 11pm with a sick pet, and it matters most in the first weeks after adoption, when you do not yet know what is normal for your new dog or cat.
- Pick a regular vet early and ask how its after-hours service works. Some Ballarat clinics only cover their own clients after hours.
- Save three numbers: your clinic's after-hours line, Eureka on (03) 5333 5959, and Advanced Vetcare Kensington on (03) 9092 0400 for after midnight.
- Check the microchip details. Make sure the chip is registered in your name with a current phone number, and register your pet with the City of Ballarat.
- Keep the shelter's vet records handy. Vaccination dates, desexing date and any known conditions help a vet who has never met your pet.
- Decide about insurance now, not after the first emergency.
- Plan the drive. Know who could drive you to Melbourne at 2am if it came to that.
The City of Ballarat says animals at the Ballarat Animal Shelter are vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and desexed before adoption, so ask for those records when you adopt. Our best dog rescues in Ballarat guide covers the shelter and the foster rescues nearby, and if your pet goes missing, see lost pets in Ballarat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 24 hour emergency vet in Ballarat?
No. None of the Ballarat clinics we checked says it is open 24 hours. Eureka Veterinary Hospital, Ballarat Veterinary Practice and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet run an after-hours service until midnight, and between midnight and 8am their phone lines send callers to an emergency hospital in Melbourne or Geelong. The nearest hospitals that say they are open 24/7 are Advanced Vetcare in Kensington and Greencross Vet Hospital in Werribee.
What number do I call for an after-hours vet in Ballarat?
If you have a regular Ballarat vet, call its number first and follow the after-hours prompts. If your clinic offers no after-hours service, Eureka Veterinary Hospital says on its own after-hours page that it welcomes pet owners whose usual clinic may not offer a full after-hours service: call (03) 5333 5959. Its service runs 6pm to midnight on weekdays and 8am to midnight on weekends and public holidays.
Who do I call after midnight in Ballarat?
Eureka Veterinary Hospital says calls between midnight and 8am are directed to Advanced Vetcare in Kensington, (03) 9092 0400, which says it is open 24 hours. Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet says it directs overnight callers to an emergency service in Geelong or Melbourne. Ring before you set off so the hospital can tell you whether to come.
Which clinic will I be seen at after hours?
It changes. Eureka Veterinary Hospital says weeknight after-hours care rotates between Eureka Veterinary Clinic, Ballarat Veterinary Practice and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet, and that weekend and public holiday care runs from Eureka on Creswick Road. Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet says weekend and public holiday calls go to its own after-hours service. Always ask on the phone which clinic is on duty that night.
Can anyone use the Ballarat after-hours roster?
It depends on the clinic. Ballarat Veterinary Practice says its after-hours service is for its existing clients. Eureka Veterinary Hospital says its service is for registered clients of Eureka and Ballarat Veterinary Practices but also welcomes pet owners whose usual clinic may not offer a full after-hours service. If you are not a client anywhere, ring Eureka on (03) 5333 5959 and explain.
What counts as a vet emergency?
Trouble breathing, collapse, a seizure, a major injury such as a car accident or dog fight, bleeding, eating a poison such as rat bait or human medication, heatstroke and a suspected snake bite all need a vet straight away. The RSPCA Knowledgebase says a snake bite, or a suspected one, needs emergency treatment. If you are unsure, phone and describe what you see.
How much does an emergency vet cost in Ballarat?
None of the Ballarat clinics we checked publishes a set after-hours consultation fee, so we do not quote one. Eureka Veterinary Hospital and Ballarat Veterinary Practice both say they aim to give an estimate of costs before treatment, and that emergency costs can vary with the treatment needed. Ask for an estimate before treatment begins.
What should I do if my dog is bitten by a snake near Ballarat?
Keep your dog calm and still, ring the after-hours number for your clinic or Eureka on (03) 5333 5959, and drive to wherever you are told straight away. The RSPCA Knowledgebase says to seek emergency treatment as soon as you know or suspect a bite, even if you do not know what kind of snake it was, and never to try to catch or kill it.
Who can I call if my pet ate something poisonous?
Call the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738, which describes itself as a 24/7 helpline for Australian pet owners (its site lists consultations from $79, read 9 November 2026, not a quote), or call an after-hours vet. Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet also points owners to this helpline. Keep the packet or a photo of what was eaten, and do not try to make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do Ballarat dogs need paralysis tick protection?
The RSPCA Knowledgebase says the paralysis tick is generally found on the eastern seaboard, from north Queensland down to Victoria. Ask your vet whether your dog needs tick prevention, especially before a trip to East Gippsland or the New South Wales coast, and treat tick paralysis signs as an emergency.
Are Ballarat after-hours vets open on public holidays?
Eureka Veterinary Hospital and Ballarat Pet + Farm Vet both list after-hours cover from 8am to midnight on public holidays. Greencross Vets Ballarat says it is closed on public holidays and points owners to Greencross Vet Hospital in Werribee, which says it is open 24/7, 365 days including public holidays.
I just adopted a dog in Ballarat. What should I set up?
Find a regular vet in your first weeks and ask how its after-hours service works, then save that number plus Advanced Vetcare Kensington, (03) 9092 0400, for after midnight. Keep the shelter's vet records handy, and make sure the microchip is registered to you with a current phone number.
Keep exploring
Best Dog Rescues in Ballarat
The Ballarat Animal Shelter, foster rescues, and how adoption works.
Cheap Vet Care in Australia
Charity vet hospitals, concession discounts and payment options.
Emergency Vets in Melbourne
Every 24/7 hospital across Melbourne, by area.
Lost Pets in Ballarat
What to do first if your dog or cat goes missing.
Find your next pet in Ballarat
See adoptable dogs and cats from the Ballarat Animal Shelter and foster-based rescues, refreshed regularly. Ask each rescue for the vet history before you bring your new pet home.