| Dogs > Emergency Care > Emergency Veterinary Medicine: A Brief Overview | |
|
|
also see Dog Veterinary Medicine
also see Emergency Veterinary
Emergency veterinary medicine provides treatment for your pet in the event of an emergency. Whether because it's the weekend or at night and your primary veterinarian is closed or because your primary veterinarian in unequipped to deal with a life-threatening situation, you should select emergency veterinary services when your pet needs immediate medical treatment.
Pet illnesses and injuries that require a trip to the emergency pet clinic include:
The emergency veterinary team will work quickly to help your pet. You can help them expedite the process by calling ahead to alert them to prepare for your arrival; being prepared to answer questions about your pet's health history and the nature of the emergency; and bringing along a method of payment (cash, credit, debit or check), your pet's health records and your pet's health insurance card (if applicable).
Emergency veterinary medicine is not cheap. Visits to the emergency pet clinic easily run in the thousands of dollars. However, they can save your pet's life. Your pet's health insurance may cover all or part of your visit and you may qualify for a long-term payment plan.
also see Obtaining Affordable Veterinary Care for Your Dog
also see Which Plants are Poisonous to Dogs?
also see Signs of Canine Illness: An Owner's Primer
also see Emergency Pet Hospital Insurance: What's Covered and What's Not
also see Dog First Aid Tips During an Emergency
also see Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis or HGE
also see Illness - Caring for your pet