Veterinary offices in Malta generally operate on a first come first serve basis during normal business hours. Some veterinary clinics may offer booked appointments or surgeries on particular days of the week.

At veterinary clinics there is no need to register with a receptionist. The veterinarian will call you into his/her office, and assess and treat the animal. Veterinarians normally accept cash or credit card payments and always issue receipts. The pet owner is responsible for storing and transporting their animal’s veterinary records, which the veterinarian may make notes in.

Veterinary costs in Malta are fairly inexpensive compared to the rest of Europe and North America. To see a vet generally costs €10-€15 per visit, steroid injections (anti-inflammatory) cost €1.25, and a week’s supply of pain medication for a small dog costs €5.

You can visit a veterinarian in Malta for regular vaccinations and check ups. You must also visit a veterinarian in Malta to register and microchip your pet, both of which are required by Maltese law as of May 2012. This law helps reunite lost pets with their owners and reduces the number of stray animals and animals in sanctuaries. For more information about this legal requirement, and to see how microchips work, visit the Malta Veterinary Association’s web site here http://www.mva.org.mt/about-micro-chip.php.

You can also obtain an EU Pet Passport for pet travel by visiting a veterinarian in Malta.

Note that kennel cough vaccinations are required before boarding your pet at a kennel in Malta. Also note that special precautions should be taken to protect your pets against sandfly in Malta, which can transmit the lethal disease Leishmaniasis. These precautions may include sprays, drops, flea collars or tablets, or a newly introduced vaccination, Canileish.

Pharmacies

Veterinary pharmacies are located in Zejtun, Birkirkara, Qormi, Zebbug, Gudja, Marsa, and Gzira.

At a veterinary pharmacy you can purchase high quality and prescription pet foods, and remedies for basic pet first aid problems such as limping, vomiting/diarrhea, bites and stings, etc. You can also purchase de-wormer, flea/tick collars, sprays and drops, etc.

Emergencies - Pets

For veterinary emergencies during normal business hours, contact your local veterinarian.

For emergencies after hours, call the 24 Hour Small Animal Emergency Service on 5250 2000. This service is organized by the Malta Veterinary Association, a not-for-profit body. Each call costs €5.

When you call this emergency number, a roster of veterinarians will either advise you over the phone or see you in person. In the latter case, the veterinarian would normally ask you to bring your pet to his/her clinic. The minimum tariff to see a vet after hours is €29.50, however, the cost may increase depending on the therapy provided and procedures carried out.

Veterinary clinics in Malta do not have an ambulance service.

Emergencies – Stray Animals

Injured stray animals are collected by Animal Ambulances operated by Malta’s Animal Welfare Department. Injured strays are immediately taken to Centru San Frangisk Animal Welfare Center, which operates 24/7, where veterinary service is provided free of charge to these animals.

To contact the Animal Welfare Department, call 2590 4113 or 2590 4132.

By Jess Gerrow, who traded city life in Canada for island life in the Mediterranean two years ago. She is a postgraduate marketing student, blogger, and freelance writer.