Urgent Veterinary Care

After-Hour Emergencies

Steps to Take In A Pet Emergency

If you and your pet are experiencing a veterinary emergency, follow the steps listed below:

• Call Ahead If Possible - Call us immediately during regular operating hours. After hours, contact one of the emergency animal hospitals or clinics listed above to inform them that you are on your way.
• Follow Instructions Provided - When you are calling the emergency pet hospital to inform them you are coming they might give you instructions on what you can do to apply first aid to your pet or otherwise make them as comfortable as possible. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully.
• Remain Calm - Keep calm and be extremely careful around your pet. When animals are in pain they can react negatively towards anyone attempting to help them and might scratch or bite.
• Bring Your Pet In For Care - Don't put yourself at risk! Bring your pet safely to our Novato animal hospital or one of the listed after-hours emergency vets.

Urgent Care FAQs

Below we have listed our most frequently asked questions, so you can learn more about what happens when you bring your pet into South Novato Animal Hospital for an urgent care appointment. 

• Do I need to call ahead?

  Our team at South Novato Animal Hospital provides urgent veterinary care for pets during our usual opening hours. We recommend contacting us ahead of time however, we understand that when it's an emergency situation it isn't always possible. 

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

• When is your clinic open?

  Our vets see urgent cases during our usual opening hours:

  • Monday: 08:30 am - 05:30 pm
  • Tuesday: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm
  • Thursday: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm
  • Friday: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm
  • Saturday: 09:00 am - 05:00 pm
  • Sunday: Closed

   

• What situations require emergency veterinary care?

  Below are examples of emergency situations that need immediate care:

  • Unconsciousness
  • Injuries to the eye(s)
  • Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
  • Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
  • Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop
  • Seizures and/or staggering
  • Heat stress or heatstroke
  • Fractured bones or severe lameness
  • Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
  • Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
  • Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
  • Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
  • Your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
• How long will we have to wait to see the vet?

  South Novato Animal Hospital in Novato is similar to a doctor's office for people -  the timing can be unpredictable and you might have to wait. 

  Our team is unable to predict what cases we are going to see and the times they will arrive at. If you can, phone ahead to see if our vets are able to give your cat or dog urgent care.

  In the case that we can't fit your pet in for an urgent care appointment, call one of the emergency animal hospitals listed above that are open 24/7.

• What types of animals do you treat?

  At this time our urgent care veterinarians only treat cats and dogs.