Emergency rooms are designed to save lives during pet emergencies.
That’s why you’ll find access to some of the most innovative medical technology available, including:
- State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging machines
- Sterile surgical suites
- Around-the-clock monitoring
- Treatment options for all types of emergencies
- And more
When you take your pet to an emergency animal hospital's ER, you can expect the same advanced technology and expert teams that you’d find at an emergency room designed for humans.
What is the difference between a family veterinarian and an emergency veterinarian?
Veterinary medicine is as diverse and encompassing as human medicine.
When you want to schedule a routine check-up, or you feel sick, you call your family doctor.
When you're experiencing a medical emergency and need help quickly, you go to urgent care or the ER.
When you’re managing a complex or chronic condition, you may see a specialist.
The same is true for your pet. There are veterinarians to support every area of your pet’s health, from preventive care to life-threatening emergencies.
Both family veterinarians and emergency veterinarians provide excellent medical care for pets – though they offer different services.
Family vets are like primary care doctors in human medicine. They see you for routine visits and take care of you when you’re sick.
Emergency vets are like the doctors who work in emergency rooms. They diagnose and treat medical emergencies with the goal of stabilizing and saving critically ill and injured pets.
While both vets are experts at practicing medicine, their experience and training are specific to their unique areas of care.
What kinds of cases do family veterinarians treat?
Family veterinarians provide preventive medicine and wellness care to help your pet live a long and healthy life.
Their services may include:
- Routine wellness exams
- Preventive medicine like vaccines
- Simple surgeries like spay and neuter
- Dental cleanings and extractions
- Care for pets with non-emergency illnesses and injuries
They typically have long-lasting relationships with their patients and their families, so they care for your pet throughout all stages of their life.
What kinds of cases do emergency veterinarians treat?
Emergency vets treat cases that can’t wait.
They’re trained to quickly manage any type of emergency, and some of the most common cases include:
- Trauma and major injuries
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Breathing problems
- Urinary blockages
- Unexpected or severe seizures
- Sudden inability to walk
- Loss of consciousness
- Toxin ingestion
- Animal attacks
They treat a wide variety of conditions and no two days are the same. Because they treat pets in severe medical distress, their cases are typically higher risk and more critical.
What is an emergency animal hospital?
Emergency animal hospitals provide life-saving care for pets with serious illnesses and injuries. Many veterinary ERs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provide overnight monitoring.
Similar to an emergency room in human medicine, you’ll find advanced technology to accurately diagnose, monitor and treat any kind of emergency condition, including:
High-tech diagnostic imaging machines
When seconds count and the situation is complex, an emergency vet can use a CT or MRI machine to pinpoint your pet’s specific illness or injury. These machines provide clear and detailed images of your pet’s internal anatomy, so they can get the most accurate information about their condition.
For example, if your pet suffers a head injury, a CT scan can give your emergency vet a clear picture of your pet’s brain to look for complications like bleeding or swelling.
Surgical suites
Some emergencies require life-saving, time-sensitive surgery. That’s why most vet ERs have operating rooms that are similar to what you’d find in an ER for humans. They’re sterile environments with surgical tools, anesthesia and state-of-the-art monitoring.
As an example, if your dog swallows a household object resulting in a life-threatening intestinal blockage, your emergency vet or a surgeon on call can perform surgery to remove it.
Critical care units
If your pet’s case is high risk or especially complex, they may be treated in the critical care unit (also called an intensive care unit or ICU).
Critical care units are dedicated spaces designed to monitor and treat critically ill pets with features like:
- Oxygen cages to comfortably deliver supplemental oxygen
- Ventilators to provide breathing support
- IV therapies to deliver medications like antibiotics and pain relievers
- Heart and respiratory monitoring to constantly assess your pet’s vital signs
- A dedicated team of veterinarians and technicians specifically trained to manage the most critical cases in the hospital
On-site laboratory
Most emergency animal hospitals have on-site laboratories to quickly process many kinds of blood, urine and fecal tests. This allows your pet’s emergency vet to get test results back sooner, which means they can use that information to help your pet that much faster.
On-site pharmacy
Because emergency conditions are wide ranging and urgent, most veterinary ER hospitals have built-in pharmacies.
Emergency vets can quickly access medications they need to help your pet heal and feel better, including:
- Antibiotics to treat infections
- Pain relievers to keep your pet comfortable
- Antihistamines to relieve allergic reactions
- Antivenoms for snake bites
- Gastroprotectants for gastrointestinal concerns
- Activated charcoal for toxin ingestion
What is the difference between a family vet clinic and an emergency animal hospital?
Family vet clinics and veterinary emergency rooms are designed to support the types of care they provide. Each is set up similarly to its equivalent in human medicine: primary care offices and emergency rooms.
Family vet clinics come in many shapes and sizes – from small offices with one veterinarian to expansive facilities with many veterinarians.
Regardless of size and location, you’ll find these usual fixtures at your family vet’s office:
- Exam rooms. This is where you and your pet will have your appointment.
- Treatment area. Treatments, including vaccine administration and simple wound management, happen in the private treatment area with the clinic’s veterinary team.
- Operating rooms. There are dedicated spaces for dental cleanings (usually performed under anesthesia), spays, neuters and other minor surgeries.
- Simple diagnostics. Many family vet clinics can perform baseline diagnostic tests like bloodwork, urinalysis or x-rays.
Is it more expensive to take my pet to an emergency animal hospital?
If you go to the ER, you should expect a higher medical bill compared to a trip to your primary care doctor. The same is true in veterinary medicine.
When you take your pet to the ER, you’re paying for services and technology that you probably won’t find at your family vet’s office, including:
- 24-hour monitoring and care
- Advanced diagnostic tools
- Veterinarians with advanced training in emergency situations
- Wide-ranging and life-saving treatment options
- On-site laboratories and pharmacies for expedited care
Plus, emergency animal hospitals see more intense and complicated cases, which typically involve more hands-on care and advanced treatments.
While ER care comes with a higher price tag, it can give you access to the life-saving care your pet needs during a medical emergency. Emergency vets offer the same level of medical excellence as ER doctors in human medicine so your pet can receive timely and advanced care during a critical situation.
