Emergency Pet Hospitals

by Dr. John Kelly

We hope that you never have to seek emergency care for your pet (s) but it is comforting to know that there are several emergent pet-care facilities available in the greater Seattle area.

We have a doctor available Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday's from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. After office hours you are encouraged to contact one of three emergency hospitals:

1. ACCES - Animal Critical Care and Emergency Service (206) 364.1660
2. VSC - Veterinary Specialty Center (425) 697.6106
3. SVS - Seattle Veterinary Specialists (425) 823.4008

These hospitals are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The doctors at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital may recommend that your hospitalized pet be transferred to one of these 24 hour or all night facilities for continued care and monitoring during the evening hours or on weekends and holidays. Under those circumstances your pet would be discharged to you for transfer or we will provide pet ambulance transport to one of these facilities at the end of the day. This arrangement allows your pet to receive around-the-clock care, and you can stay in close contact with doctors and technicians attending to your beloved pet at any hour of the day or night.

When you call our hospital after hours, our message service will list the phone numbers of these facilities.

To help you decide whether to seek emergency pet care, please see the following article.

Information provided by VSC:

When to call the Doctor …

If an animal is seriously ill or injured it needs critical care immediately.

Bring your pet in to see us if any of the following occur:

1. DIFFICULTY BREATHING. Noisy breathing, blue tongue or gums, abnormal panting, gasping for air, or very shallow breathing.
2. UNSTOPPABLE BLEEDING. Apply pressure with a clean cloth. Do not use a tourniquet.
3. INABILITY TO URINATE OR DEFECATE. Continuously straining with little or not result. Blood in stool or urine, or pain.
4. HEATSTROKE. Heavy panting, extreme weakness, a body temperature above 104 F.
5. BLOATED OR DISTENDED ABDOMEN. With or without vomiting.
6. INABILITY TO DELIVER KITTENS OR PUPPIES. Has labor contractions for more than 2 hours, or more than 15 minutes of labor with fetus, or membranes protruding.
7. LOSS OF BALANCE, UNCONSCIOUSNESS OR SEIZURE. Tremors, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, fainting, tilting of the head, or sudden change of disposition, such as unusual withdrawal or aggressiveness.
8. PAIN. Especially continuous pain.
9. MAJOR TRAUMA OR INJURY. If your pet has fallen, been hit by a car, or has suffered wounds anyplace on the body, but especially to the eye, chest or abdomen, or has broken bones.
10. SHOCK. If your pet shows signs of weakness, collapse, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, or has a bewildered appearance, or pupils that are dilated or pinpoints.
11. POISONING. If you believe your pet has either eaten or come in contact with poison, call first, then bring the container with you if you have it, or the commercial name or chemical name with a list of ingredients. Common poisoning: insecticides, snail bait, antifreeze, rat poison, over-the-counter drugs (Tylenol, ibuprofen), prescription medications (blood pressure, antidepressants) and chocolate.
12. VOMITING AND/OR DIARRHEA. Violent episodes, continuous, or contains blood.
13. LAMENESS. Continuous, not bearing weight on limb, or swollen limb.