Emergency Veterinary Services
If your pet is experiencing any behaviors or symptoms that are causing you concern, contact our office as soon as possible or the after-hours emergency pet hospital location found above.
Our reliable and compassionate team at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital offers veterinary care for pets in urgent care situations. Animals are our passion, we take pride in providing quality medical care when your pet needs it most.
Steps to Take In A Pet Emergency
If you are experiencing a veterinary emergency, follow the steps below.
- Call Ahead If Possible - During our regular business hours, contact us as soon as possible for urgent veterinary care. If your pet's emergency is occurring outside of our normal hours, contact the emergency hospital above to let them know that you are on your way.
- Follow Instructions Provided - When you call to let the emergency pet hospital know you are on your way, instructions may be provided to help you apply first aid or otherwise make your pet as comfortable. Follow these instructions carefully.
- Remain Calm - Keep as calm as possible and be extra careful around your pet. When an animal is in pain, they may react negatively to people trying to help them by biting or scratching.
- Bring Your Pet In For Care - Do not put yourself at risk! Safely bring your pet to our Poway veterinary clinic or the after-hours emergency vet location above.
Urgent Care and Emergencies FAQs
Read through our most frequently asked questions below to learn more about bringing your pet in for an urgent care appointment at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital.
- Do I need to call ahead?
Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital provides urgent veterinary care for cats and dogs during our regular clinic hours. It's always best to contact us in advance if you can, but we understand that in emergency situations that's not always possible.
If we are unable to fit your pet into our schedule, we recommend that you visit the after-hours emergency vet location shown above.
- When is your clinic open?
Our veterinarians see emergency cases during our regular business hours:
- Monday:08:00 am - 06:00 pm
- Tuesday:08:00 am - 06:00 pm
- Wednesday:08:00 am - 06:00 pm
- Thursday:08:00 am - 06:00 pm
- Friday:08:00 am - 06:00 pm
- Saturday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Sunday:Closed
- What situations require emergency veterinary care?
The following situations are examples of emergencies that require immediate care:
- Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop
- Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
- Injuries to the eye(s)
- Fractured bones or severe lameness
- Seizures and/or staggering
- Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
- Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
- Heat stress or heatstroke
- Unconsciousness
- Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
- Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
- Your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
- How long will we have to wait to see the vet?
Our animal hospital in Poway works just like a human hospital or doctor's office. Our availability may be unpredictable and you may have to wait.
We cannot predict what cases we will see and when they will arrive. If possible, call ahead to find out whether we are able to provide emergency care for your dog or cat.
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.
- What happens if my pet needs to stay in the hospital?
Some veterinary emergencies require intensive overnight care. At Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital we provide overnight care for animals in need.
While in our care, our dedicated team will treat your pet as if they were our own.
- What types of animals do you treat?
Our veterinarians are able to offer urgent care to dogs and cats during our regular hospital hours.