In Case of Emergencies

	Immediate Steps
	Stay calm, for your sake and your pet’s sake. Animals can sense if you are upset and may become even more fearful, distressed, or aggressive.  If your regular veterinarian cannot be contacted, when possible call ahead to the Veterinary Specialty Hospital emergency department at (858) 875 – 7500. Our clinical staff will be able to advise you. Be prepared with basic information - your pet's type/breed, age, the problem, time when the problem happened, and changes since then. We will give you instructions specific to your situation. Please be aware, even gentle pets may bite or become aggressive when ill or injured. A muzzle may be used to secure an injured animal, but it’s not recommended if the animal has breathing problems.

	Advanced State-of-the-art Emergency & Critical Care Servies
	Full service diagnostic laboratory for immediate test results Emergency surgery Intravenous fluid therapy with advanced infusion pumps Blood, plasma, and oxyglobin transfusion Oxygen cages and nasal oxygen therapy Abdominal and cardiac ultrasound Video endoscopy and laparoscopy Advanced blood pressure monitoring Blood gas analysis Telemetry cardiac monitoring Pulse oximetry Advanced vital sign monitors Ventilator 24-hour monitoring by veterinary nurses trained in critical care, surgery, and internal medicine Consultation with specialists always available

24-Hour Emergency and Critical Care

Veterinary emergencies are unpredictable.  That’s why the Emergency & Critical Care department at Veterinary Specialty Hospital operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  There is always an emergency veterinarian and experienced technical staff on duty.

When your family veterinarian is unavailable to handle your dog or cat’s emergency needs, Veterinary Specialty hospital is just a phone call away. 

Please call ahead at (858) 875-7500 so that a veterinary professional can advise you about your pet emergency. Get the location and directions to our veterinary hospital.

Our highly-trained, professional, and compassionate staff, along with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment not found elsewhere, means that your pet will get world-class veterinary emergency and critical care. Our board certified specialists are on-call to provide comprehensive care as part of a team. If this is your first time to Veterinary Specialty Hospital's Emergency and Critical Care department, read more about what to expect during your visit.

Recognize Urgent Problems

Prompt veterinary care gives your pet the best chance of a successful outcome and recovery. If you have a question about your pet's health, don't delay seeking veterinary care. Here are some indications and situations when you should always seek urgent treatment:

• Unconsciousness
• Bleeding in volume, or doesn't stop, or from a body cavity
• Foaming at the mouth
• Hit by car
• Seizure or Tremor
• Unresponsive
• Lethargic
• Blue, purple, or pale gums or tongue
• Cat open-mouth breathing
• Ingestion of snail bait, rat bait, anti-freeze, pills, medications, vitamins, or any suspect substance.
• Your pet has been involved in an animal attack
• Bite wounds 
• Snake bites
• Spider or insect bites
• Poisonings
• Paralysis
• Respiratory emergency
• Cardiac emergency
• Diarrhea
• Allergic reactions
• Dehydration
• Lacerations
• Fractures
• Burns
• Heat and cold emergencies (heatstroke, excessive panting or salivation, shivering, etc.) 

Fees and Payment

An emergency examination fee is applied to all emergency visits. The costs of any additional testing and treatments cannot be known prior to examination. Once the veterinarian assesses your pet, you will be informed about your pet's treatment options, plans and estimated costs, to the fullest extent possible. Please share your questions and concerns regarding costs with veterinarian or technician before treatment begins. It is important that your emergency medical team clearly understands your wishes before any course of treatment is undertaken.

Full payment for the visit is due when your pet is discharged. Cash, personal checks, debit cards, Visa, Mastercard, America Express, and Discover are accepted methods of payment. Care Credit is available as an additional option.