Emergency and Critical Care
The VSH Emergency & Critical Care department operates 24-hours a day, seven days a week, covering the emergency and urgent healthcare needs of clients and their pets. If you currently have a veterinary emergency, click here.
The department is led by Dr. Monica Clare and is staffed with veterinarians and technicians with experience in emergency medicine. The hospital has a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, equipped with a multi-patient telemetry system for remote monitoring of EKG, and advanced vital sign monitors, ventilator, colloid osmometer, and an advanced Nova blood gas/electrolyte monitor. Patients are supported by an on-site full service laboratory for rapid test results -- especially important when a patient is in critical condition.
Dogs and cats are separated to minimize stress. Runs are large and glass enclosed to allow continual observation. A team approach is used with all patients. In addition, hospitalized patients are overseen by a single specialist.
We also coordinate closely with the patient’s regular veterinarian to determine which cases are best handled by the regular veterinarian. Communications with the referring or regular veterinarian are enhanced with timely phone conversations and detailed faxed reports.
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Emergency and Critical Care Services
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- Full service diagnostic laboratory for immediate test results
- Emergency surgery
- Intravenous fluid therapy with constant-rate infusion pumps
- Blood, plasma, and Oxyglobin transfusion
- Oxygen cages and nasal oxygen therapy
- Abdominal and cardiac ultrasound
- Video endoscopy and laparoscopy
- Doppler and oscillometric blood pressure monitoring
- Blood gas analysis
- Telemetry cardiac monitoring
- Pulse oximetry
- Vital sign monitors, with invasive and non-invasive blood pressure, capnography, oximetry, and blood pressure
- Ventilator
- Colloid osmometer
- Advanced Nova blood gas/electrolyte monitor
- 24-hour monitoring by veterinary nurses trained in critical care, surgery, and internal medicine
- Consultation with specialists always available
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Emergency Forms
Emergency Services - General Information (printable)
Emergency Services - Common Questions (printable)
Pet Emergency Information Booklet (printable) |