Emergency Veterinary Care
Finding immediate help for your dog
Call Ahead
Always call the emergency hospital before arriving. This allows staff to prepare for your arrival and provide guidance on transport and immediate care.
Types of Emergency Facilities
24-Hour Emergency Hospitals
Dedicated emergency and critical care facilities staffed 24/7 by emergency veterinarians. Best for after-hours emergencies and critical cases.
Open nights, weekends, and holidays
General Practice with Emergency Hours
Regular veterinary practices that offer emergency appointments during business hours or extended hours.
May have limited after-hours availability
Veterinary Specialty Centers
Facilities with board-certified specialists and advanced equipment. May offer emergency services alongside specialty care.
Access to specialists like dermatologists if needed
What to Bring
- Your dog (transported safely)
- Current medications
- Recent medical records if available
- Any products recently used on skin
- Payment method (emergency care typically requires payment at time of service)
- List of current symptoms and when they started
What to Expect
- Triage: Staff will assess urgency upon arrival
- Stabilization: Critical patients treated first
- Examination: Emergency veterinarian evaluates your dog
- Diagnostics: Tests performed as needed
- Treatment: Immediate care provided
- Discharge or hospitalization: Based on condition severity
- Follow-up plan: Instructions for continued care
Finding Emergency Care
To find emergency veterinary services in your area:
- Search online for "24-hour emergency vet" + your city
- Call your regular veterinarian - their voicemail often provides emergency contact information
- Contact veterinary specialty hospitals in your region
- Ask neighbors or local pet owners for recommendations before emergency arises
- Save emergency hospital contact information now for future reference