In Case of Emergencies
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.
24-Hour Emergency and Critical Care
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 San Diego (858) 875-7500 or North County (760) 466-0600 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.
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.)