Pet Emergencies - are you prepared?

[Karen]

I got a message and ended up speaking with a woman who found Pet Talk, and needed help with a hamster issue and had no idea what to do or where to turn. After we spoke on the phone for a bit, I gave her the phone number for Angell Memorial in Boston, which has an Emergency Help Line, it is part of the Massachusetts SPCA.

But it occurred to me - as pet emergencies rarely happen when the vet's office is open, do you know who you could call in such an event?

I know I am fortunate, no only do I have them not too far away, there are two 24-hour vet clinics a couple miles from here.

Just in case anyone ever needs it, the number I gave her is Angell Memorial Emergency: 617-522-7282 (press 1)

How about folks list their own resources for such events, just so people can check here if necessary ...

[wolf_Q]

I have the local emergency vets numbers programmed into my cell phone, have since I got the phone. I also have several regular vets in there too so I don't have to look up their number I can just call. To be honest I have two of their numbers memorized anyway though. :o

[cassiesmom]

Thank you, Karen for the reminder! I am not as prepared as I should be. Our vet always asks this question too.

The biggest emergencies I can see us needing to be prepared for - a loss of utilities, heat or water for an extended period; or, for some reason I need to go to my parents' house because of something that's happened there, and Cassie goes with me. My mom has one of those single-use disposable litter pans on hand in case we ever need to stay with them on s hort notice.

[chocolatepuppy]

I have an emergency vet about 20 minutes away.

This winter I bought a propane heater in case we lose power when it's really cold. While I might find a place to go,
not many would welcome five furkids and 14 fishies.;)

[cloverfdx]

I know my vets number, don't need to go look it up or have it saved in my phone. If it is after hours then there is always at least one vet on call.

[pomtzu]

There are only three pet emergency ER's in the whole state (not that DE is big to begin with), and the closest is about a half hour drive from here. I know the address and the general vicinity, but don't know exactly where it is. :( Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a ride and find them one day that I'm in that general vicinity. They are open all night (the hours that a regular practice is closed) but not during the day, and are open 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday. Not sure about holidays - guess I should check it out.

Thanks for bringing up the subject, Karen.

[Freedom]

I have three ER vets in my area. Over the past 15 years, I've managed to use all 3 at one time or another. :rolleyes:

[Queen of Poop]

I'm a 5 minute (or less if panicked) walk the the Emergency Vet. In fact I'd get there quicker on foot than driving. :)

[CountryWolf07]

We are 10 minutes away from the animal hospital where we take Ryder for his checkups, etc. We are lucky! We also have the # programmed in our cell phones as well.

[Taz_Zoee]

I have my "old" ER vet I used, and a newer one my vet recommends. Also I pass a vet that is open 7am to midnight every day on my way to work. I also have my vets number memorized and they recognize my voice when I call too!:eek:

I have not had to make a trip to the ER vet in several months (knocks on wood).

[Glacier]

I know the numbers for both vet clinics I use off the top of my head and they are programmed into every phone we own! My favourite vet has also given me her home phone number. I try not to take advantage of the fact that I know that number, but I have made a few "CANDACE HELP" phone calls to her house!

I keep a well stocked critter first aid kit as well....ointments, eye drops, cleaners, guaze and wrap. I also have a supply of painkillers, prednisone, allergy medication and antibiotics.

We always keep enough food and medications around to last at least a couple weeks.

[Grace]

We now have 3 Emergency Vets in the county. One is about 10 minutes away; the next is maybe 20 minutes; and the third is about 30 minutes. We have used two of them in the past and both were wonderful.

[phesina]

Hi Gretchen, which emergency vets?

[Alysser]

Actually, no. We aren't very prepared. I don't even know the nearest E-Vet hospital. I have the # for one in my phone when Mikey decided to eat a SOCK. :eek: But they told us not to come in, so I don't know WHERE it is. I probably should, anything can happen. God forbid though, our Vet is five minutes away and there's a vet down the road I can probably walk to that just opened.

[kaycountrygal]

Good topic! I have a regular vet about 12 minutes away. I had never used an emergency vet until Sissy needed an emergency operation last April; I think they saved her life. We have two ER vets about 25 mins away and the one we took Sissy to is 40 mins away. We went there because our regular vet recommended it when I called him. Hope I never have to go to emergency vet again but we never know. It's better to know where they are than not know.

[Grace]

Hi Gretchen, which emergency vets?

Ann Arbor Animal Hospital on Liberty. they have a regular Vet practice, but are open for emergencies after hours and on weekends. We've used them several times over the past few years. Pricey, but thorough - I think all the Vets are women :)

Animal Emergency Clinic on Packard, just east of Carpenter. We have used them in the past, but it's a trek from where we live. We had no complaints about service, though.

Emergency Veterinary Hospital on Jackson, just east of Zeeb. This is the newest place. We've not used them, yet, but stopped in one day for info. They are very nice, and are open 24/7.

And if worse comes to worse, there is always MSU. Bit of a drive, 49 miles for us, but if the problem is big or unusual that's the place to go.

[Karen]

Hey folks, want to post phone numbers for these places, just in case anyone ever needs them?

[cassiesmom]

Emergency Veterinary Services - Amanda Smith, DVM
820 Ogden Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532 (Just west of 355)
1-630-960-2900
6 PM to 8 AM weekdays and noon Saturday until 8 AM Mondays

Teaching Hospital of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine - as Phesina said, if the problem is big or unusual, this is the place to go.
Call 1-217-333-5300, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week - located in Urbana, Illinois
Chicago Animal ER - 2242 W. Harrison Street, Chicago - call 1-312-226-2588, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week <== they also have a primary care practice called FURnetic

I am very embarrassed to admit this - I had no idea about the Chicago animal ER, which has been open since 2009! And my vet is an Illinois grad :embarrassed: I knew about the teaching hospital down in Urbana, because my mom and I have a friend who took her dog there.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I have two that are fairly close to me. They're probably about 20-25 minutes away at the most. The animal hospital that I currently take my cats to is also an ER hospital which I have had to use before for urgent care vet visits. Here's the link to the hospital that I use: http://adobe-animal.com/.

[phesina]

Ann Arbor Animal Hospital on Liberty. they have a regular Vet practice, but are open for emergencies after hours and on weekends. We've used them several times over the past few years. Pricey, but thorough - I think all the Vets are women :)

Animal Emergency Clinic on Packard, just east of Carpenter. We have used them in the past, but it's a trek from where we live. We had no complaints about service, though.

Emergency Veterinary Hospital on Jackson, just east of Zeeb. This is the newest place. We've not used them, yet, but stopped in one day for info. They are very nice, and are open 24/7.

And if worse comes to worse, there is always MSU. Bit of a drive, 49 miles for us, but if the problem is big or unusual that's the place to go.

Thank you, Gretchen. I've used the Ann Arbor Animal Hospital a few times, a number of years back. A couple of people recently told me about a very good vet named Dr. Franklin or Francis or something like that there, who will be very blunt and clear about what is going on with your pet and what its chances are.

Sydney went to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital in September when he was crashing from kidney failure, and he went to the Bridge from there. It turned out to be very expensive, much more so than the high-end quote they'd given me when I brought him in, and I had a very hard time getting the information from them on just what they did for him the two days he was there. Finally, a month or two later, the owner wrote me a long, detailed e-mail telling me just what they had done and including the clinical record. So it looks like they did give him very good, thorough and compassionate care there, and since it had opened not long before this, maybe they were still working out their operational routines. I do feel like they let me think he had better chances than he really did after the first day there, though.

I've never been to the Animal Emergency Clinic on Packard (even though it's closest to where I live), and I don't really know anything one way or the other about them. They changed ownership or management in the last year or so, and it's now called Blue Pearl.

I've never been to Michigan State's vet clinic, but I think you're right, I can imagine that's the place to go for a problem that is big or unusual.

Phone numbers:
Ann Arbor Animal Hospital: 734-662-4474
Emergency Veterinary Hospital: 734-369-6446
Animal Emergency Clinic: 734-971-8774 (I don't know if that's changed since it became Blue Pearl)

[Karen]

I made this thread sticky, so it will always sit near the top in General if anyone needs it!

I have met people from the MSPCA in Boston, Angell Memorial, and explained I sometimes give out their number to people from just about anywhere who have a pet emergency, and they not only were okay about it, they said, "That's why we are here. To help people who need it."

[jessewills]

We also have vets number, and their clinic is near to our residence.

[Scooter's Mom]

Well, I am in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Phoenix. However... this is the vet that I use:

Ironwood Animal Hospital, Inc.
85 W Combs Rd
Suite 116
San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

Phone: 480-888-2299
Fax: 480-888-7683

They are open 24 hours for emergencies, and have regular office hours with less expensive office visit fees. So if you have a scheduled appointment, it will run a little less.
Every vet tech and vet I've seen at the practice has been very friendly.

They also have a larger, "friendlier" room that they use for when you are having to put one of your animals to sleep. I've been in that room twice - with my sweet Scooter Bug and with Oreo. They're really well staffed, and I am much happier than at my old vet office that closed down.

[kaycountrygal]

On Sunday 4.29.12, Sissy (12 wks old) had to have emergency surgery to remove an object from her intestine and we took her to Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Greensboro, NC. I have nothing but praise for the staff and the facilities. I was really impressed with the way they kept me informed and updated as to what was going on with Sissy (better than a hospital does for human patients imo). They are open 24/7 and I was encouraged to call anytime to check on Sissy which I did. I couldnt sleep and I called at 2:00 in the morning to speak with a tech and one time spoke with a vet . Sissy was there 2 nights and imo she received excellent care. I recommend them highly if you have a problem your regular vet cannot handle. FYI during the week they are a regular animal hospital in addition to ER.

The address is:

Carolina Veterinary Specialists
501 Nicholas Rd
Greensboro, NC
336-632-0605

[cassiesmom]

A vehicle passed me on the tollway: Chicagoland Mobile Veterinary Services. I thought of this thread.

So ... Jason Olech, DVM (855) VET-6625
Business hours 8 AM to 10 PM, 7 days a week
Emergency hours 10 PM to 8 AM, 7 days a week, and holidays.

[catland]

In the Portland, Oregon area - Dove Lewis gets all of the media attention - but I take my kitties to the Emergency Veternary Clinic in Tualatin.
(funny how often they like to wait to get sick until the regular vet is closed. :eek:)

This place is fabulous - once saved my in-laws kitty cat when she was very sick with pancreatitis. Address is: 19314 SW Mohave Ct Tualatin, OR 97062
(503) 691-7922

[redbird]

There is an emergency clinic which is open all night and about 5 miles from me. I have used it for my first kitty Misty. It was 11pm and she started throwing up fluid and couldn't stop so I called first (you have to do that) and brought her in.

I have their phone number on speed dial, just in case.

[Karen]

Given Annie and Emma's ordeal, I think we should also keep a piece of paper somewhere stating our wishes for our pets who survive us!

[cassiesmom]

Emergency Veterinary Services - Amanda Smith, DVM
820 Ogden Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532 (Just west of 355)
1-630-960-2900
6 PM to 8 AM weekdays and noon Saturday until 8 AM Mondays

Teaching Hospital of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine - as Phesina said, if the problem is big or unusual, this is the place to go.
Call 1-217-333-5300, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week - located in Urbana, Illinois
Chicago Animal ER - 2242 W. Harrison Street, Chicago - call 1-312-226-2588, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week <== they also have a primary care practice called FURnetic

I am very embarrassed to admit this - I had no idea about the Chicago animal ER, which has been open since 2009! And my vet is an Illinois grad :embarrassed: I knew about the teaching hospital down in Urbana, because my mom and I have a friend who took her dog there.

Update because I needed to access this information quickly. FURnetic is now called the Medical District Veterinary Clinic at Illinois. The phone number is still the same. www.medicaldistrictvet.com is their Web site.

[Memaw23]

I have my local vet number. But she's not 24 hours available. My dog Winter is pregnant and I would need to have her in the clinic before her due to make sure she'll be fine if there would be an emergency cs needed. She's an American bully and they are known to be big. I'm afraid she and her pups might have a hard time if I'll let her at home and do it naturally.