If you think it might be an emergency, don't wait.
While the types of veterinary emergencies can range in urgency—from minor injuries such as a small laceration to severe situations that include a pet being hit by a car—we’re prepared to help you through it all.
Day or night, we are here to provide fast, appropriate medical treatment for your pet. If your cat has been hiding for days or a dog who is showing serious medical issues, no problem is too big or too small.
What to do in a pet emergency
- Stay Calm!
- Call (828) 328-6697
- Know how to get to Carolina Animal Specialty & Emergency Hospital
- Be prepared with helpful information:
- Species/Breed/Weight/Age
- Details of entering complaint
- Details of any changes in pet's lifestyle, how long it has been going on
- List of medications your pet is currently taking
**If pet consumed poison/ household chemical or human medication – please call pet poison control and follow directions**
- Be cautious! Pets may be scared and can bite when ill or injured
If you're facing an emergency...
If your pet needs emergency care, no appointment is needed because in an emergency situation, every minute counts.
We recommend that you or your primary veterinarian call in advance so our team can be better prepared and ready for your pet’s arrival with their specific needs addressed. This also allows the opportunity to make recommendations for first aid or safe transport, if necessary.
Trust us for 24-hour emergency care for your pet.
Our emergency services
When you arrive, our hospital is prepared to offer the following services:
- 24-hour staffing by doctors and nurses for your pet’s emergency care
- Immediate testing and stabilization of any critical patient
- Blood typing, cross-matching, blood and plasma transfusions for anemia and bleeding disorders
- Oxygen therapy and respiratory support for patients with respiratory distress including oxygen cages and nasal oxygen
- Full-service, in-house stat laboratory including blood gas analysis
- Emergency surgery available for emergency cases like GDV, hemoabdomen, C-section, and foreign body obstruction
After your pet’s initial examination and evaluation, our emergency team will discuss a diagnostic and treatment plan with you. Depending on the situation, our veterinarian may recommend that your pet be treated as an outpatient, or be hospitalized for ongoing care. We’ll also provide an estimate for the cost of the care.
We recognize that emergencies can be stressful, but as in human emergency rooms, we see emergency patients on a first-come, first-served basis, with critically ill or injured patients receiving priority. Because of this, there may be a wait during busy times.
Patients will be seen by a Veterinarian in order of priority
Priority 1 - May survive if life saving measures are applied
Priority 2 - Likely to survive if care is given within hours
Priority 3 - Non-life-threatening conditions
For Example:
- Actively Seizing
- Difficulty breathing
- Poisoning and Allergic Reactions
- Excessive Bleeding
- Snake Bite
- Bloat
- Heat Stroke
- Traffic Accident
- Collapse/Paralysis
- Open Fracture
- Urinary Blockage
For example:
- Actively Vomiting
- Birthing Complications
- Closed Fractures
- Diarrheea
- Bowel Obstruction
For example:
- Chronic Diseases
- Skin Condition/Abscess
- Lameness
- Sore Eyes/Ears
- Minor Wounds
- Urinary Tract Infection
When to seek emergency medical attention
Please don’t hesitate to come in if you think your pet needs emergency assistance. It is helpful to call ahead so that we may be prepared for your arrival. This will also give us the opportunity to make recommendations for first aid or safe transport if necessary.
Urgent or emergent needs include:
- Bleeding – Bleeding that does not stop or any bleeding from any part of the body, including blood in the urine or stool.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea - Several repeated episodes in a short period, or intermittently over a period of days.
- Convulsions or fainting - Violent shaking of the head or body, uncontrolled spasms, or loss of consciousness.
- Lethargy - Decreased energy and playfulness, decreased exercise tolerance.
- Pain - Limping, tense, crying when touched.
- Eye problems - Redness, squinting, rubbing eyes, discharge, a foreign object in the eye.
- Changes in appetite - Decreased or increased appetite, refusing food or water.
- Changes In urination - Urinating larger amounts, urinating frequently, straining/inability to urinate, or urinating small amounts.
- Breathing problems - Shortness of breath, extending head and neck to breathe, wheezing, choking.
- Abnormal color of gums - Gums should be pink. Gums that are dark red, white, pale, or blue need medical attention.
We are always open
Always staffed with an emergency veterinarian and support team, our facility is filled with state-of-the-art equipment that allows prompt diagnosis and treatment for your pet.
So, if your neighborhood veterinarian is closed and you have an emergency with your pet, Carolina Animal Specialty & Emergency is always open and staffed for pet emergencies. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we are equipped to help with walk-ins and immediate referrals.
