Emergency Care

During normal business hours, we are equipped to handle any pet emergency.  We have a team of trained, caring veterinarians and a technical staff who possess the skills, knowledge and experience to provide an extraordinary level of care to your pet.  In case of a pet emergency, please call us as soon as possible.

Warning Signs of A Pet Emergency

If your pet exhibits any of the following symptoms, please call is immediately (during normal business hours):

• Loss of consciousness, seizures, disoriented, syncope, collapse
• Emergency Trauma, such as being hit by a car
• Seizures, Electric Shock, Heat Stroke, Snake Bite
• Vomiting/Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing/Congestive Heart Failure
• Bleeding , Bite Wounds , Lacerations, Burns
• Pale gum color, fainting episodes
• Persistence of bloody vomit/diarrhea
• Ingestion of toxins, antifreeze, rat poison
• Extremely bloated abdomen
• Retching unproductively, with or without abdominal distension
• Eye problems (of any kind)
• Difficulty or inability to urinate, constipation/inability to pass stool
• Inability to walk/move legs
• Body temperature over 104 degrees or under 99 degrees
• Difficulty delivering puppies or kittens (Dystocia)
• Severe hives or severe itching especially around the face
• Tylenol poisoning– Tylenol can kill your cat

First of all, keep yourself safe and do not put yourself in danger:

• Do not attempt to break up a fight between 2 dogs–get help if you can
• Do not run or walk into a busy street or intersection
• Do not attempt to lift your pet if you are not able to lift him or her on a regular basis
• Do not speed or drive recklessly to get your pet help

Evaluate your pet and call us:

• • Level of Consciousness – Is your pet fully conscious, partially responsive, or non-responsive?

• • Heart Rate – Does the pet have a heartbeat? Is it normal, fast, slow or irregular?  You can check your pet’s heartbeat at the point where the left elbow touches the chest when bent.  Put your hand in this area and count the number of beats in 60 seconds.
  • ***If your pet does not have a heartbeat, begin CPR and contact us immediately

• • Respiratory Rate – Is the pet breathing? Is the pet breathing normally?  Looking at your pet’s chest, count the number of times the chest rises and falls in 60 seconds
  • Open-mouth breathing in cats (similar to panting in dogs) is normally a sign of respiratory distress. Contact us for additional information
  • ***If your pet is not breathing, begin CPR and contact us immediately

• • Mucous Membrane Color – What does the color of the gums look like? Are they pink? Is the capillary refill time prolonged (> 2 seconds)?
  • Your pet’s gum color will help you determine if the oxygen level in the blood is sufficient
  • Locate the mucous membranes by lifting the upper lip
  • Pink indicates that enough oxygen is in the blood stream
  • Gums that appear white, pale, blue, purple, or yellow are indicative that your pet is in a crisis situation-contact us immediately ***Note: Some breeds have naturally occurring black pigmentation in the gums. The inside of the lower eyelid can be observed if your pet has black pigmentation in the gums.