Steps to Take In A Pet Emergency
If you are experiencing a veterinary emergency, follow the steps below.
- Call Ahead If Possible - During regular business hours call us right away. After hours, call the emergency animal hospital listed above to let them know you are on the 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 as possible. Follow these instructions carefully.
- 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.
- Bring Your Pet In For Care - Do not put yourself at risk! Safely bring your pet to our Denver veterinary clinic or the after-hours emergency vet location above.
Emergency FAQs
Please read through our most frequently asked questions below to learn more about where to take your pet during a medical emergency.
- Do I need to call ahead?
Due to the current overwhelming demand for our standard veterinary services our vet at Downtown Animal Care Center is unable to accept walk-in emergencies.
For urgent veterinary care please call the emergency animal hospital listed above to request further instructions and to let them know you are on your way.
- When is your clinic open?
Our veterinarians are unable to see walk-in emergency cases at this time, but do see patients by appointment during our regular business hours:
- Monday:07:00 am - 05:30 pm
- Tuesday:07:00 am - 05:30 pm
- Wednesday:07:00 am - 05:30 pm
- Thursday:07:00 am - 05:30 pm
- Friday:07:00 am - 05:30 pm
- Saturday:09:00 am - 03:00 pm
- Sunday:09:00 am - 03:00 pm
- 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
- Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
- Fractured bones or severe lameness
- Seizures and/or staggering
- Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
- Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
- Injuries to the eye(s)
- Your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
- Heat stress or heatstroke
- Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
- Unconsciousness
- How long will we have to wait to see the vet?
Emergency animal care in Denver is similar to any human doctor's office—it can be unpredictable and you may have to wait.
You may want to call ahead to find out if a hospital is able to provide same-day care for your dog or cat.