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South Asheville Veterinary Emergency & Specialty

Emergency

Our emergency doctors work alongside our veterinary specialists for a true multi-disciplinary approach to patient care.

A Happy Black/White Dog Next to Vet Store Shelves

Overview

If your family veterinarian diagnoses an emergency in your pet that requires advanced diagnostics, surgery, management, or round-the-clock care, our emergency team is ready to serve.

Is it an emergency?

With the array of trouble pets can get into, and the various health conditions that can arise, it can be difficult to know whether your pet’s signs indicate an emergency, or a minor condition that can wait. Your family veterinarian, or our triage team, can help you determine if immediate medical attention is warranted.

The following signs are always concerning, and require emergency care:

  • Excessive bleeding, or bleeding that does not stop after two minutes of pressure

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Pale or blue-tinged gums

  • Sudden inability to walk

  • Sudden collapse

  • Obvious pain

  • Abdominal distension

  • Unproductive vomiting attempts

  • Suspected toxin ingestion

  • Seizure lasting longer than five minutes, or multiple seizures in a 24-hour period

  • Excessive vomiting (i.e., more than three episodes in 24 hours)

  • Inability to urinate

  • Blunt trauma, such as being hit by a car

Our emergency department has the same goals as a human emergency room: to stabilize, treat, and monitor patients. Our top priorities are state-of-the-art patient care and open and ongoing communication with pet families. We realize that each pet is accompanied by a concerned owner, and we will take the time to comfort both of you.

Specialist & Critical Care Collaboration

Once your pet’s condition is stabilized, our emergency team will perform a thorough evaluation to gain a full picture of their health and uncover any underlying concerns. Our emergency veterinarians work closely with our entire team of specialists, which includes board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists, cardiologists, criticalists, internal medicine specialists, neurologists, oncologists, ophthalmologists, and surgeons, to provide your pet the most comprehensive care available. 

If your pet requires hospitalization, our critical care department, led by a board-certified veterinary criticalist, provides 24-hour intensive care for the sickest patients. State-of-the-art equipment, including oxygen cages, a ventilator, heart monitors, and computerized fluid pumps, is on hand to aid our highly-trained team in treating and monitoring critical patients.