Pet Emergencies - are you prepared?

[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!

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. 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.

[jessewills]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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."