A health emergency can be scary for both pets and their owners. Whether your cat has ingested a toxic plant, or your dog is showing signs of heat exhaustion, you may be unsure of what to do. Fortunately, Emergency Veterinary Hospital is here for you and your pets 24/7 offering the highest standards of emergency and surgical care for dogs and cats in Springfield, OR. Here’s what to expect when you bring your pet to our ER.
Check-in and Triage
Just like in any ER, all admitted patients will be triaged by a veterinary technician as soon as possible upon your arrival. Triage is the process of initially examining your pet and assessing what’s wrong. This allows our team to treat pets based on the urgency of their condition—those with life-threatening injuries will be prioritized in treatment. Please call (541) 746-0112 to let us know that you’re on the way or as soon as you arrive outside of our emergency pet hospital. During check-in, our team will ask you for information about your pet including their age, health history, current medications, recent eating habits, allergies, and the cause of your current visit. To prepare for future ER visits, it is helpful to have an ICE (in case of emergency) card written up for your pet including essential info that the emergency veterinarian may need, such as medications that your pet takes regularly.
Exam and Diagnosis
After triage, your pet will be brought into an exam room and diagnosed by a veterinarian. We ask that pet owners remain in their car given the current circumstances. While it is difficult to leave your pet’s side when he or she is in pain, this will allow us to provide the most accurate care possible while reducing additional stress for your pet.
Immediate Treatment and Follow-Up Care
Once a diagnosis has been made, we will compose a treatment plan for you to review. We’ll then begin any necessary immediate care and make recommendations for follow-up visits in our veterinary clinic or with your primary veterinary care provider.
If you’re having an emergency, don’t hesitate to visit Emergency Veterinary Hospital, day or night. We are open for emergency walk-in visits, and we are currently offering curbside care to ensure appropriate social distancing for our team and our clients. Call us in Springfield at (541) 746-0112 for more information about our emergency services or to alert us that you and your pet are on the way to our ER.