Emergency & Critical Care

Specialties > Critical Care and Emergency

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.


	Emergency and Critical Care Services

	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

Emergency Forms

Emergency Services - General Information (printable)

Pet Emergency Information Booklet (printable)

Overnight Observation Services Form (printable)

Monica Clare, DVM

San Diego Facility

Dr. Monica Clare received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. She then completed an internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York. Dr. Clare then pursued a residency in Emergency and Critical Care at the University of California, Davis and Advanced Critical Care and became boarded in 2005. Dr. Clare has spent the past two years working as critical care specialist in Los Angeles. Her interests include respiratory disease and mechanical ventilation. She has published journal articles and a textbook chapter on ventilation.

Lynda Elliott, DVM

San Diego Facility

Dr. Lynda Cornelison graduated from Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. She completed an internship here at Veterinary Specialty Hospital between 2003-2004. Dr. Cornelison has been practicing with Veterinary Specialty Hospital since September 2005.

Janan Abed, DVM

Resident in Emergency and Critical Care

San Diego Facility

Dr. Janan Abed, although originally from Long Island New York, received her DVM from Iowa State University in 2007 and then completed a general rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at The Animal Medical Center in New York City in 2008. Before moving to San Diego, Dr. Abed has spent the past year working as a daytime emergency and critical care instructor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Abed is very excited to be one of the first Emergency and Critical Care residents at VSH. Her clinical and research interests include coagulation, sepsis, and polytrauma. Dr. Abed makes her way to San Diego with her rambunctious orange tabby named Jeter.

Tracy Julius, DVM

Resident in Emergency and Critical Care

San Diego Facility

Dr. Tracy Julius graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. She completed a small animal rotating internship at the Pet Emergency & Specialty Center in La Mesa, CA in 2009. Some of her clinical interests include mechanical ventilation and acid/base disorders. Dr. Julius looks forward to new challenges and opportunities at VSH.

North County

2055 Montiel Road San Marcos CA 92069

San Diego

10435 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego CA 92121

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is meant to be used as a general guide for the services at Veterinary Specialty Hospital. Veterinary Specialty Hospital reserves the right to change services, staff and information represented on this web site without notice. In case of an emergency involving your pet, consult a veterinary professional for recommendations specific to your pet’s condition immediately.

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