Emergency Veterinary Services
If your pet is experiencing any symptoms or behaviors that you are concerned about, contact our office right away, or the after-hours emergency pet hospital location above.
The reliable and compassionate team at Riverside Veterinary Hospital offers veterinary care for pets in most emergency situations. Animals are our passion, and 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 call us right away. After hours, the emergency animal hospital listed above will be able to take your call and guide you through your next steps.
- Follow Instructions Provided - Depending on the situation, you may be given instructions on how to best care for your pet until the emergency situation subsides, or you're able to bring them in for an examination.
- Remain Calm - Remain calm and be extra careful around your pet. When an animal is in pain it can be difficult to communicate to them that you are trying to help, so they often react negatively or aggressively and could bite or scratch.
- Bring Your Pet In For Care - Do not put yourself at risk! Safely bring your pet to our Mandeville veterinary hospital, or the after-hours emergency vet location above.
Emergency Veterinary Care FAQs
Read through our most frequently asked questions below to learn more about bringing your pet in for an emergency appointment at Riverside Veterinary Hospital.
- Do I need to call ahead?
Riverside Veterinary Hospital provides emergency and urgent veterinary care for dogs, cats, and other pets 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 anytime during our standard business hours:
- Monday:07:30 am - 05:30 pm
- Tuesday:07:30 am - 05:30 pm
- Wednesday:07:30 am - 05:30 pm
- Thursday:07:30 am - 05:30 pm
- Friday:07:30 am - 05:30 pm
- Saturday:08:00 am - 12:00 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
- 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?
Just like at a human doctor's office, wait times can be unpredictable when waiting for emergency services. At our Mandeville veterinary hospital your pet will be triaged and patients will be seen in order of need.
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, cat, or other pet.
If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule we recommend that you visit MedVet Mandeville, a 24/7 emergency animal hospital. You can find their contact information listed above.
- What happens if my pet needs to stay in the hospital?
Some veterinary emergencies require intensive overnight care. At Riverside Veterinary Hospital we do not have veterinarians on call 24/7. If your pet requires intensive overnight care, we will recommend transferring them to MedVet Mandeville for overnight observation and treatment.
- What types of animals do you treat?
Our Veterinarians mostly treat dogs and cats, but we also accept other mammals including rabbits, rats, and ferrets; reptiles including snakes and lizards; and various species of birds as patients.