Emergency Care

Q. What constitutes an "Emergency"?

A. Any situation or case that occurs when your Veterinary's office is closed can seem like an Emergency. If your pet has been involved in some sort of accident that threatens its life, that is certainly an Emergency situation. Another Emergency would be when you don't believe there's time to see your veterinarian and your pet has symptoms which you are unfamiliar with and seem to be life-threatening. (In addition to "Walk-in" Emergencies like those just described, we also see "Referral" Emergencies or those that primary veterinarians recommend come see us.)

Q. What if my Pet needs Emergency Veterinary Care in the Middle of the Night?

A. We're here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We'll have the necessary staff on duty not only to treat your pet initially but to monitor it throughout the night as well.

Q. What is "Triage" and does Veterinary Emergency Service (VES) use it?

A. "Triage" is a French word meaning to "sort" by priority or life-threatening nature of injury. It is a system that we use here at VES to sort or group our admitted pets based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate veterinary treatment. It's the best method in which to ensure the severest cases are treated in the timeliest manner.

To make sure your pet is treated as quickly as possible, we will gather information when you call us in an emergency so that we are as prepared as much as possible when you arrive. If there has been toxin ingestion, please bring a sample and tell us how long it's been since ingestion.

Q. What will be Different at VES than at my Veterinarian's Office?

A. As is the case with any emergency, there's never a time scheduled for it. With that in mind, you might find things happening at a quicker, more urgent pace. The types of procedures we do here are also of a different variety. We principally perform critical surgeries and emergency veterinary care procedures. We also provide specialty veterinary care services as well as state-of-the-art diagnostic testing. At VES, we do not do on-going or preventative care measures such as immunizations or spay /neuter that you are accustomed to scheduling with your primary veterinarian.

Q. What Services are offered at VES?

A. Our Services include:

Special Alert!

Xylitol poisoning in dogs is on the rise. Xylitol is a sweetener found in sugar-free chewing gum, candy and baked goods. Substantial amounts of items sweetened with xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. These signs can occur as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion of the product so veterinary treatment is urged immediately. Even small concentrations of xylitol are proving dangerous with detection being veiled by a delay in the onset of clinical signs as much as 12 hours.