Does it feel like stressful, scary situations often happen after office hours? That’s how we feel sometimes. It’s tough to know when to drive your pet to a 24-hour emergency animal hospital and when to wait until your veterinary office opens its doors during normal business hours. You want your pet to feel better now. 

At Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital, we offer urgent and emergency care seven days a week during our normal business hours. If your pet needs emergency care outside of our office hours, we’ll refer you to one of two 24-hour animal hospitals nearby. Here are a few tips to help you decide what type of care your pet needs: 

Does My Pet Need Urgent or Emergency Care?

When to Call an Emergency Vet

If you are ever concerned that your pet’s life may be in danger, drive to your nearest 24-hour animal hospital right away. Your pet may be suffering from a life-threatening situation if he or she is experiencing:

• Unconsciousness
• Paralysis
• Symptoms of having ingested a toxic substance
• Choking or non-stop gagging 
• Difficulty breathing
• An allergic reaction
• Profuse bleeding from a cut or wound
• Coughing that brings up blood
• Bleeding from the rectum, nose, or mouth
• Seizure
• Fractured bones
• Difficulty during whelping (giving birth)
• Vomiting or continuous diarrhea
• Refusal to drink water

The veterinary team at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital can give your pet emergency care if any of these symptoms occur during business hours. We’ll provide compassionate care at our state-of-the-art intensive care unit. We know you’ll want to visit your furry friend as often as possible once they’re admitted, and we welcome you to come to see your pet during our normal business hours.

For life-threatening symptoms that develop after hours, seek 24-hour emergency care from Garden State Veterinary Specialists at (732) 922–0011 or Red Bank Veterinary Hospital at (732) 747–3636.

When to Visit Urgent Care

There are a variety of symptoms that don’t appear to be life-threatening for your pet but still make you feel worried. If you have any questions at all about whether you need to seek emergency or urgent care, you can always give us a call at (732) 531-1212. As a general rule, however, the following symptoms are signs that your pet needs urgent—but not emergency—care: 

• Bloody urine
• Redness, discharge, excessive tearing of the eye
• Minor cuts and abrasions
• Ear infections
• Itchy skin
• Rashes
• Constipation
• Limping
• Sneezing, runny nose, coughing
• Hair loss
• Worms, mites, ticks, or fleas
• Pale gums
• Scooting

The veterinary team at Oakhurst Veterinary Clinic can help pinpoint the cause of these worrisome symptoms and provide the appropriate treatment. With our onsite ICU, pharmacy, and team of skilled veterinarians, we’re always ready to help.