Emergency Veterinary Care

What To Do In An Emergency

The process of navigating a veterinary emergency will be much easier both for you and for your pet if you know what to expect at our veterinary clinic. Here are a number of steps you should keep in mind:

Animal Emergency FAQs

Emergency veterinary care involves the treatment of animals in situations that require immediate medical attention or could potentially be life-threatening.

• What is considered an emergency?

  These situations are considered emergencies and will require immediate care. If your pet has had an accident or is experiencing any of these symptoms, bring them to our emergency office straight away.

  • Obvious signs of extreme anxiety or pain 
  • Bleeding that hasn't stopped, or severe bleeding 
  • Choking, difficulty breathing or continuous coughing/gagging
  • Injuries to the eye(s)
  • Pain associated with passing feces or urinating, or inability to pass feces or urinate 
  • Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in urine
  • Staggering and/or seizures
  • Severe lameness, fractured bones or inability to move legs
  • You know or suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
  • Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
  • Severe vomiting or diarrhea; more than two episodes in 24-hours
  • Heatstroke or heat stress 
  • Unconsciousness
• Do I need to call ahead?

  Yes, please call us during an emergency situation during regular business hours so we can ensure there is a veterinarian available to see you. 

  If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule we recommend that you visit the 24/7 animal emergency hospital detailed above.

• When is your clinic open?

  We are open for critical and emergency care during our regular hours. Please call us before coming to our hospital so we can ensure there is a veterinarian available to see you.

  • Monday:08:00 am - 05:30 pm
  • Tuesday:08:00 am - 05:30 pm
  • Wednesday:08:00 am - 05:30 pm
  • Thursday:08:00 am - 05:30 pm
  • Friday:08:00 am - 05:30 pm
  • Saturday:Closed
  • Sunday:Closed

  If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule, or if it's after-hours, we recommend that you visit the 24/7 animal emergency hospital detailed above.

• How long will we have to wait to see the vet?

  A veterinary emergency hospital is very similar to a human emergency department — the pace can be unpredictable and you may have to wait. 

  We are not able to predict which cases we will see and when they will arrive, but we will prioritize cases based on medical need. 

  If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule we recommend that you visit the 24/7 animal emergency hospital detailed above.

Payment Information

At Avenue Animal Hospital we'll help you navigate our options for payment so you can focus on getting your pet the care they need.

• What types of payment options are available? 

  Payment is due in full at the time services are provided or upon discharge of your pet. We accept payment via check, cash, Visa and MasterCard. 

• Will I be provided with an estimate of costs? 

  Yes, we will provide a good-faith estimate of the cost of our services before pet treatment, however, unforeseen circumstances may arise that influence your final bill.

  We will always discuss our written estimate with all clients before they leave our facility, and require a deposit based on our estimate prior to any further treatment.

• What fees are associated with an emergency visit? 

  A deposit payment is required for all emergency examinations. Once the staff and doctors examine your pet, an estimate for treatment will be given to you to determine a treatment plan.

  For further hospitalization, diagnostics or surgery, a deposit is required upfront with payment in full due when your pet is discharged.