Vet Care on the Big Island: What Pet Owners Should Know Before Moving to Hawaiʻi

Vet Care on the Big Island: What Pet Owners Should Know Before Moving to Hawaiʻi
When you move to Hawaiʻi Island with pets, veterinary care is something you really need to think about before there’s an emergency.

Our 15-year-old cat, Mylo, got outside one evening. He had been out before and knew where home was, but we try to keep him in because he still thinks he’s a night owl, and at his age there are plenty of things outside that can hurt him, including other cats, stray dogs, and even mongoose.

As it got dark, he finally came home limping badly and covered in blood.

We panicked.

We called every veterinarian we could think of, but no one was answering. There really isn’t traditional 24-hour emergency veterinary care on our side of the island. There is an emergency option in Kona, but from where we live that can mean about a two-hour drive. And if you’ve read my healthcare post, you know I was also recovering from spinal surgery, so making that trek in the middle of the night wasn’t realistic for us.

Thankfully, we found a telehealth veterinarian who helped us figure out what to do until morning, and we had pain medication available to keep Mylo comfortable.

The next day, X-rays showed that he had badly fractured his front leg. That led to surgery, a pin through the bone, significant radial nerve damage, weeks of medication, physical therapy, and acupuncture. At one point, we were even looking at amputation. But Mylo started improving, so for now we’re giving him every chance to recover and seeing where this road takes us.

The experience taught us something important:
Do not wait until your pet is hurt or sick to figure out veterinary care on the Big Island.

Before you move, research veterinarians near the area where you plan to live and establish care as soon as you can. Even in an emergency, there is no guarantee a clinic will be able to fit in a new patient ahead of animals already established in their practice.

Find out who is accepting new patients, ask what happens after hours, save backup numbers in your phone, and keep copies of your pet’s medical records easily available.

Island life is wonderful, but some services are simply more limited than what many people are used to on the mainland. Veterinary care can be one of them.

If you’re moving to Hawaiʻi Island with pets, add vet care to your relocation checklist right along with housing, healthcare, utilities, and shipping.  Your fur ʻohana will thank you. 🐾