There is an argument that if a veterinary clinic advertises itself as 24/7, then it should not charge an emergency fee at 2 AM because 2 AM is still part of its business hours.
At first, that sounds reasonable.
But the argument mixes up two different things:
being open 24/7 and charging the same rate 24/7.
Those are not the same.
1. “If you are open 24/7, then 2 AM is not an emergency.”
Correct in one sense.
A patient is not an emergency simply because it arrives at 2 AM.
A dog having difficulty breathing at 2 PM is still an emergency. A stable dog arriving at 2 AM for a non-urgent concern is not automatically an emergency just because it is nighttime.
So if a clinic charges more simply because the consultation happens late at night, it may be more accurate to call it an after-hours fee or night consultation fee.
But that does not mean the clinic cannot charge a higher rate at night.
The issue is not whether 2 AM is part of business hours. The issue is that providing medical service at 2 AM requires a different level of staffing and operational readiness.
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2. “You chose to stay open, so why should customers pay extra?”
Because choosing to stay open 24 hours also means choosing to carry the additional cost of staying open 24 hours.
A veterinary hospital needs veterinarians, nurses or assistants, utilities, security, medical supplies, oxygen, diagnostic equipment, laboratory capability, emergency drugs, and monitoring systems available even during hours when only a few patients may come in.
That readiness costs money.
A business does not lose the right to charge differently for a service simply because it voluntarily decided to provide that service.
3. “But 2 AM is still part of your business hours.”
Yes.
But business hours do not automatically mean identical pricing throughout the day.
Being open means:
“We are available to serve you.”
It does not necessarily mean:
“Our rates at 2 PM and 2 AM must be exactly the same.”
Those are two different promises.
4. “If the reason is night differential, then McDonald’s, convenience stores, hotels, and gas stations should also charge emergency fees.”
The comparison sounds funny, but veterinary medicine does not operate like fast food.
A fast-food restaurant may serve hundreds of customers during a shift and spread its operating costs across many transactions.
A veterinary hospital may keep an entire medical team and emergency equipment available overnight even if only a few patients come in.
And those few patients may suddenly require oxygen, IV access, blood tests, imaging, resuscitation, emergency surgery, anesthesia, or continuous monitoring.
You are not simply paying for someone to unlock the clinic door.
You are paying for medical readiness.
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5. “Hospitals do not charge extra just because it is nighttime.”
The better comparison is not the time of day.
The better comparison is the type of service being provided.
Human hospitals distinguish between ordinary outpatient consultation and emergency department care. Emergency services involve different staffing, equipment, facilities, and levels of readiness.
Veterinary hospitals follow the same basic principle.
6. “Imagine ordering a Big Mac at 2 AM and being charged ₱500 because it is nighttime.”
Funny analogy.
But a Big Mac does not arrive in respiratory distress.
French fries do not need CPR.
A cheeseburger does not require emergency surgery.
A veterinary hospital must maintain trained personnel, oxygen, emergency drugs, diagnostic equipment, surgical capability, and monitoring systems because a critical patient can arrive at any moment.
That is why comparing veterinary emergency medicine to ordering fast food does not really work.
7. So can a 24/7 veterinary clinic charge more at night?
Yes.
But the clinic should also be transparent about it.
If the charge applies because the consultation happens during nighttime hours, call it an after-hours consultation fee.
If the charge applies because the patient requires urgent emergency assessment and treatment, call it an emergency fee.
The important thing is that clients understand what they are being charged for.
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The Bottom Line
24/7 means the clinic is available 24 hours a day. It does not mean every service must cost exactly the same at every hour.
And there is one point worth agreeing on:
A stable patient arriving at 2 AM is not automatically an emergency just because it is 2 AM.
So perhaps the profession should also be more precise with its terminology.
Call an after-hours fee an after-hours fee.
Call an emergency fee an emergency fee.
But whether we call it one or the other, maintaining a veterinary hospital that can provide medical care in the middle of the night has a real cost.
Because at 2 AM, we are not simply keeping the doors open.
We are keeping a medical team ready.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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