Rugby Veterinary Service

Overview: Rugby Veterinary Service (Rugby, ND)

For lagomorph owners living outside major urban centers like Fargo or Bismarck, finding a veterinary team equipped to handle the unique health demands of a rabbit can be incredibly daunting. Rugby Veterinary Service fills a massive gap in rural North Dakota as a full-service, mixed-animal hospital that explicitly welcomes “pocket pets.” Their facility is outfitted with impressive modern diagnostic tools, including an in-house laboratory and digital radiology—absolute necessities for quickly diagnosing gas buildup or blockages during rapid-onset conditions like gastrointestinal stasis. Most notably, they utilize a surgical CO2 laser for all soft tissue procedures. For fragile prey animals, this is a massive green flag, as laser surgery significantly reduces bleeding and postoperative pain during routine rabbit spays and neuters.

What you need to know as a rabbit owner: The inclusion of CO2 laser surgery shows a high standard of modern care, but you must still act as your rabbit’s primary advocate. Because they are a mixed-animal practice treating everything from livestock to dogs, you need to explicitly ask about their exotic-specific anesthesia protocols before booking an altering surgery. Additionally, always call the front desk to verify their current stock of the RHDV2 vaccine before scheduling your initial wellness visit, as vaccine availability can frequently fluctuate in rural clinics.

Important Emergency Information: Rugby Veterinary Service operates on a varied weekday schedule and is completely closed on Saturdays and Sundays. However, they provide a critical lifeline for the local community: an “on call” veterinarian for after-hours crises. Because emergency situations like sudden GI stasis rarely occur during convenient hours, having an on-call vet is incredibly reassuring. As with most rural practices offering after-hours triage, it is highly recommended that you schedule a routine wellness visit to establish your rabbit’s baseline health with their team before an emergency strikes, ensuring you have priority access when it matters most.

Important Information

• Address: 107 Industrial Road, Rugby, ND 58368

• Phone: (701) 776-5726

• Email: Not publicly listed (Contact must be made via website form or phone)

• Website: https://www.rugbyvet.com/

• Office Hours: * Monday & Tuesday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

  • Wednesday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

  • Thursday: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

  • Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

  • Saturday & Sunday: Closed

  • Emergency: “On call” emergency services are available after hours.