Emergency & Urgent Veterinary Care

After Hours Emergencies

If you are experiencing an emergency with your pet after hours, please contact one of the following veterinary animal hospitals.

What to Do in an Emergency

If you are experiencing a veterinary emergency, it is important to follow all the steps below.

• Call Ahead If Possible - Please call ahead to let the hospital know you are coming. This ensures we will be ready to receive your pet, or that we can refer you to another emergency location if we will not be able to see your pet in a timely manner.
• Follow All Instructions Provided - Relevant first-aid instructions will be provided when you call to let the emergency pet hospital know you are on your way. It's important to follow these instructions carefully, so your pet can receive the most efficient care.
• Always Remain Calm - Remain calm and be extra careful around your pet. When an animal is in pain, they often react negatively towards anyone trying to help and could bite or scratch. Dogs and cats can sense when their owner is distressed, so handling emergency situations with delicacy is important to keep your companion safe and composed.
• Finally, Bring Your Pet In For Care - Never put yourself at risk! Safely bring your pet to our Riverside veterinary clinic or one of the after-hours emergency vet locations above for triage and treatment.

Emergency FAQs

Read through our most frequently asked questions below to learn more about bringing your pet in for urgent care at Riverside Animal Hospital. 

• Do I need to call ahead?

  Riverside Animal Hospital provides emergency and 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 simply unable to fit your pet into our schedule, our recommendation is to visit the after-hours emergency vet location shown above. 

• When is your clinic open?

  Our veterinarians see urgent 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:Closed
  • Sunday:Closed

   

• What situations require emergency veterinary care?

  Pet owners should seek emergency care for their dog or cat in any of the following scenarios:

  • Where they are severely bleeding or suffering from bleeding that doesn't stop
  • When demonstrating obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
  • When they are choking, having difficulty breathing, or continuously coughing/gagging
  • After Fracturing bones or presenting severe lameness
  • In the event of seizures and/or staggering
  • If your pet is bleeding from the nose, mouth, rectum, or has blood in their urine
  • If your pet has an Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
  • In cases of severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
  • With *any* Injury to the eye(s)
  • Whenever your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
  • When showing signs of heat stress or heatstroke
  • When there is a refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
  • Unexplained unconsciousness
• How long will we have to wait to see the vet?

  Our Riverside animal hospital is just like a human doctor's office—it can 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 one of the after-hours animal emergency hospitals detailed above. 

  In all cases, emergencies are treated in accordance with need.  We promise we will be with you and your companion as soon as we can.

• What happens if my pet needs to stay in the hospital?

  Some veterinary emergencies require intensive overnight care. Riverside Animal Hospital is unable to provide overnight care for animals in need.

  In cases where overnight observation is required, we will refer you to an after-hours emergency hospital following preliminary treatment at our location.

• What types of animals do you treat?

  Our veterinarians mostly see dogs and cats.