Emergency Vet: Same-Day Urgent Care

After-Hours Emergency Care for Exotic Pets

If your bird, small mammal, or reptile is experiencing an after-hours emergency, please contact one the emergency hospitals below.

What To Do In A Pet Emergency

If you and your pet are experiencing a veterinary emergency, follow these steps:

• Call Ahead If Possible - For same-day urgent care services during our usual business hours call us immediately. For after-hour emergencies, contact the emergency animal hospital displayed above to let them know that you are on your way.
• Follow Instructions Provided - When you call the emergency pet hospital to inform them that you are on your way, they might give you instructions to help you give first aid to your pet or to make them more comfortable. Carefully follow these instructions.
• Remain Calm - Be calm and extra cautious near your pet. When animals experience pain they typically react negatively towards anyone who tries to help and may scratch or bite.
• Bring Your Pet In For Care - Don't put yourself at risk! Bring your pet safely to our Santa Cruz veterinary clinic or the after-hours emergency vet location shown above.

Emergency Animal Hospital FAQs

Here, you can read the answers to our most frequently asked questions regarding the same-day urgent care services we offer pets at Companion Animal Hospital, your emergency animal hospital. 

• Do I need to call ahead?

  Companion Animal Hospital offers same-day urgent care/emergency services for cats, dogs, and exotic pets during our regular business hours. We always recommend calling us ahead of time if you are able, however, we do understand that in emergency situations it isn't always feasible.

  If we can't fit your pet into our schedule, we suggest visiting the after-hours emergency vet location displayed above. 

• When is your clinic open?

  Our veterinarians see same-day urgent care cases during our regular business hours:

  • Monday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Tuesday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Wednesday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Thursday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Friday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Saturday:09:00 am - 04:00 pm
  • Sunday:Closed

   

• What situations require urgent veterinary care?

  Below is a list of examples of emergency situations that require urgent care:

  • Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
  • Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
  • Fractured bones or severe lameness
  • Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop
  • Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
  • Seizures and/or staggering
  • Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
  • Injuries to the eye(s)
  • 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.)
  • Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
  • Heat stress or heatstroke
  • Unconsciousness
• How long will we have to wait to see the vet?

  Our Santa Cruz animal hospital operates similarly to a human doctor's office, which means it can be unpredictable and you might need to wait. 

  We can't predict which cases we will see and when they will arrive. If you can, call us ahead to see if we can fit your pet into our schedule for emergency care.

  If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule we recommend visiting the 24/7 animal emergency hospital listed above. 

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

  Some urgent care cases require intensive overnight care. At Companion Animal 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 mostly experienced with cats and dogs, but will we are able to see other small animals and exotic pets, including birds and rodents.