This information explains what to do if your dog needs to see a vet.
Your dog’s health and welfare is always the most important thing.
If your dog needs urgent treatment, please get veterinary help straight away.
Do not wait to contact Dogs for Good if this could put your dog at risk.
If your dog needs emergency treatment
Contact your usual vet as soon as possible.
You can also call the Dogs for Good emergency phone number:
07766 255948
Signs that your dog may need emergency treatment include:
- difficulty breathing
- collapsing or being unable to stand
- bleeding that will not stop
- being extremely tired or weak
- a swollen or painful tummy
- possible poisoning.
These are examples of emergency symptoms.
There may be other reasons why your dog needs urgent treatment.
If you are worried that your dog needs emergency treatment, contact your vet.
If your dog needs treatment but it is not an emergency
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Contact our in-hours veterinary support
Call our Clinical Support Officer, Polly Underwood on
01295 759815
Your call will be forwarded to another team member if Polly is not available.
Outside these hours
If your dog's symptoms are not urgent, please wait until the next working day.
Then contact Polly Underwood on the above number.
Who pays for the treatment?
From 1 October 2026, Dogs for Good will pay veterinary costs that were previously covered by The Insurance Emporium.
You will pay the first £450* for each illness, injury or condition, Dogs for Good will pay the rest.
This is called the excess.
*If you receive financial assistance, this will depend on your annual agreement.
Treatment costs less than £450
You will need to pay the full cost of the treatment.
For example:
The treatment costs £300.
You pay £300.
Dogs for Good does not pay anything towards this treatment.
Treatment costs more than £450
You pay the first £450.
Dogs for Good will pay the remaining cost.
For example:
The treatment costs £1,000.
You pay £450.
Dogs for Good pays £550.
Ongoing treatments for an illness, injury or condition
The £450 excess applies to each illness, injury or condition.
This means that several vet bills for the same illness or injury can be added together.
For example:
You have already paid £200 for treatment.
You then receive another bill for £300. The total cost is now £500.
You have already paid £200, so you would pay another £250, totalling £450. Dogs for Good would then pay the remaining £50.
Where required, your vet should send an invoice to Dogs for Good for the amount that Dogs for Good needs to pay.
The invoice should show:
- the total cost of the treatment
- how much you have already paid.
This helps us keep track of veterinary costs.
If your vet requires immediate payment, this can be done by a Dogs for Good credit card. Please use the contact numbers above for further information.
What if I receive financial assistance from Dogs for Good?
If you receive financial assistance from Dogs for Good, we will continue to support you with the cost of routine veterinary care and treatment.
Your vet should send invoices directly to Dogs for Good where possible.
If your vet cannot send an invoice directly to Dogs for Good, we can arrange payment using a Dogs for Good credit card.
This is the usual way we pay for emergency treatment outside normal working hours.
What will Dogs for Good pay for?
This new arrangement applies to treatment costs that would previously have been covered by The Insurance Emporium.
We will consider each case individually.
We will look at:
- your dog’s health and wellbeing
- the needs of the people involved
- the treatment your dog needs
- the individual circumstances
We do not have a fixed list of illnesses or conditions that we will cover.
This means we can consider each situation carefully, including new illnesses, diagnoses and changes to your dog’s treatment.
What will Dogs for Good not normally pay for?
Routine vet care will continue to be paid for by you.
This includes:
- routine vaccinations
- flea, worm and other parasite prevention
- standard preventative healthcare
If you receive financial assistance from Dogs for Good, we will continue to support you with any costs included in your annual agreement.
Retired or rehomed dogs
If you adopt or rehome a Dogs for Good dog, we encourage you to arrange pet insurance whenever possible.
Sometimes insurance may not be available.
This could be because of:
- your dog's age
- your dog's health
- exclusions in an insurance policy.
If insurance is not available, Dogs for Good will continue to support agreed ongoing health conditions that were identified before your dog was rehomed.
In these circumstances, you will foster the dog on behalf of Dogs for Good.
Dogs for Good will continue to own the dog.
This means we can:
- keep in contact with your vet
- access your dog's veterinary records when needed
- continue to support your dog's health and wellbeing.
If you are not sure what to do
If you are unsure whether your dog needs urgent veterinary treatment, please contact your vet.
If your dog needs urgent care, getting veterinary help quickly is more important than following the Dogs for Good process.
If you have questions about how veterinary costs will be paid, please contact Dogs for Good.
Your dog’s health and welfare will always be our priority.