Emergencies are stressful because owners have to make decisions with incomplete information. The safest first step is usually to call early, describe exactly what you are seeing, and let the veterinary team help you decide how urgent it is.
This guide brings together the warning signs we do not want families to sit on at home: collapse, trouble breathing, seizures, repeated vomiting, a swollen abdomen, straining to urinate, suspected poisoning, serious pain, or a pet who has swallowed something risky.
If your pet is struggling to breathe, collapsing, bleeding heavily, unable to pass urine, repeatedly vomiting, having a seizure, or showing severe pain, do not wait to see whether it settles. Phone for advice and prepare to come in.
Calling first helps us prepare the clinic, advise you on transport, and tell you what not to do. Some well-meant home treatments can delay care or make a problem harder to manage, especially with toxins, breathing problems, or painful abdomens.
A single vomit in a bright dog may not mean the same thing as repeated vomiting in a flat, painful, or bloated pet. A cat visiting the litter tray repeatedly may look like constipation, but straining to urinate can become life-threatening.
The details matter: how long it has been happening, whether your pet can stand, whether gums look pale or blue, whether breathing is laboured, whether pain is worsening, and whether there is a known toxin, toy, bone, string, medication, or food exposure.
Keep your pet as calm and still as you reasonably can. Avoid forcing food, water, tablets, or vomiting unless the veterinary team has specifically told you to. Bring packaging, photos, medication names, or anything your pet may have eaten.
For cats, use a secure carrier if possible. For dogs, use a lead or a blanket stretcher if walking is painful. If your pet may bite because of pain or fear, tell us when you call so we can plan the safest way to help.
Use the main emergency page for our after-hours process, location details, and what to expect when urgent care is needed.
Read this if your pet is fitting, recovering from a seizure, or you are unsure what to do during or immediately after an episode.
Read this urgently if your dog's abdomen looks swollen, they are retching without bringing much up, or they seem restless and painful.
Straining to urinate, especially in cats, can be an emergency. This article explains why waiting can be dangerous.
Repeated vomiting, vomiting with pain, or concern that your pet swallowed a toy, bone, string, or other object deserves careful triage.
Suspected toxins are time-sensitive. Bring packaging or ingredient information and call before trying home remedies.
Emergency appointments often begin with triage. The first priority is to stabilise breathing, circulation, pain, hydration, temperature, urination, seizures, or toxin risk before moving into a longer diagnostic plan.
Some pets need tests such as blood work, urine testing, x-rays or ultrasound. Others need pain relief, anti-nausea treatment, fluids, oxygen, monitoring, surgery, or referral. We will explain the immediate concern first, then the safest next step.
Start with what changed, when it started, whether your pet is breathing normally, whether they can stand, whether there has been vomiting, collapse, bleeding, toxin exposure, straining, a swollen abdomen, seizure activity or severe pain.
If the situation is moving quickly, it is fine if the information is incomplete. The most useful details are the ones that help us decide how urgent the problem is and whether you should travel immediately, stay safe where you are, or prepare something before leaving.
If you are unsure whether something is urgent, call rather than waiting. If it is not an emergency, we can still help you choose the right appointment and home monitoring plan.
Watch practical advice on what to do when a pet problem might be urgent.
Some urgent problems need stabilisation and surgical decision-making.
Urgent care often depends on choosing the test that answers the immediate question.
