If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency, please call or visit your local emergency pet hospital immediately.
We dread the thought of our pets ever getting sick enough to require emergency care. Unfortunately, accidents and illnesses do occur, so our exceptional emergency care teams are here to help in your time of need.
The best thing to remember during your pet’s medical emergency is to remain calm. The more you panic, the more you risk putting your pet through greater distress and the less you’ll be able to help them.
What is emergency care?
Emergency veterinary care is immediate medical treatment for pets that have serious or life-threatening conditions. The goal of emergency pet care is to stabilize, diagnose, and treat pets that may require:
Advanced care
Hospitalization
Surgery
Advanced diagnostics
Doctors within the emergency department will work to diagnose the cause of a pet’s condition, provide initial treatment, and then either hospitalize the patient, transfer care to another doctor or specialist, or release home for continued treatment with their primary care veterinarian.
Ensure you are aware of your nearest emergency pet hospital. Keep the address and contact info somewhere easily accessible. Even if your pet is not currently experiencing crisis, you'll thank yourself later if a need ever arises.
What counts as a pet emergency?
If your pet has been in the following situations or is suffering these symptoms, please seek immediate emergency care for your pet:
Ingested a poisonous substance
Hit by a vehicle or fallen from a large height
Experiencing seizures
Bleeding from the mouth, nose, ears, or anus
Any bleeding that has not slowed in over 5 minutes
Bitten by an animal
Choking or breathing difficulties
Dragging legs or inability to stand/move
Severe vomiting or diarrhea
Loss of consciousness
Not eating or drinking for more than 24 hours
Not urinating for more than 24 hours/ straining to urinate
Difficulties while giving birth
What to expect when I take my pet to an emergency hospital?
Most animal emergency care centers operate on a triage system like that of human ER’s. This medical need-driven prioritization ensures that pets in the most critical condition can be rapidly tended to.
Wait times to see a veterinarian will depend on the severity of your pet’s condition and the status of other patients requiring care.
If the status of your pet changes while you are at the hospital waiting to be seen, please ensure you consult a member of staff.
What is the difference between Emergency & Urgent Care?
Urgent Care centers are there to see your pet for issues that are not immediately life-threatening but cannot wait until the next available appointment with your primary care veterinarian. The operating hours for these centers can vary.
Learn more about Urgent Care for Pets ➔
