When to Go to the ER and What to Expect
Animal emergencies can happen quickly and are often very stressful for pet owners. Knowing when to take your pet to an emergency hospital versus waiting for your regular veterinarian to open is a common question.
This guide can help you decide—but if you are ever unsure, it’s always best to call your local emergency hospital for guidance.
Reasons to Go to the ER
Difficulty breathing or respiratory distress
If your pet is having trouble breathing, this should be addressed immediately.
Dogs: Labored breathing, excessive panting without recent exercise or heat exposure
Cats: Panting or open-mouth breathing is always concerning. Cats can also be more subtle and may only show slightly increased effort
A helpful way to monitor at home is to count your pet’s breathing rate while they are resting or sleeping. A normal resting rate is typically less than 30 breaths per minute.
Collapse or inability to stand
While there are many possible causes, this is generally urgent or emergent—especially if your pet is minimally responsive or appears distressed. Collapse often indicates severe underlying illness.
Known toxin or foreign material ingestion
If your pet has ingested a known toxin, seek care as soon as possible—do not wait for symptoms to appear, as it may become too late to intervene effectively.
Depending on the situation, inducing vomiting may be recommended—but this should only be done under veterinary guidance.
Common toxins include:
Chocolate
Grapes/raisins
Artificial sweeteners (xylitol, often found in sugar-free gum)
Rat poison
Antifreeze
Alcohol
Garlic and onions
Human medications
If you are unsure whether something is toxic, you can contact:
Pet Poison Helpline
Phone consult available
Approximate cost: $85 USD
📞 (855) 764-7661
Commonly ingested foreign objects
Socks
Toys
Corn cobs
These can cause gastrointestinal obstruction and should be evaluated.
Painful or bloated abdomen
Especially if accompanied by restlessness, pacing, or whining.
Straining to urinate
Particularly in male cats. You may notice frequent trips to the litter box with little to no urine produced.
Uncontrolled bleeding
Bleeding that does not stop after 10–15 minutes of firm pressure.
Major trauma
Such as being hit by a car, falls, or bite wounds (even if wounds appear small).
Seizures
First-time seizures should be evaluated
Multiple seizures in a short period
Not returning to normal within 15–20 minutes
Seizures lasting more than 3–5 minutes
Cluster seizures (more than 3 in 24 hours) in known epileptic pets
Vomiting or diarrhea
Not always an emergency—but it can be.
A few mild episodes in an otherwise bright, normal pet may be monitored
Seek care if:
Vomiting is persistent or uncontrollable
Your pet cannot keep food or water down
They are lethargic or not acting themselves
There is significant blood present
Limping
Mild, gradual limping can often wait for your regular veterinarian
Sudden, non-weight-bearing lameness or inability to use a limb should be evaluated urgently
What to Expect at the ER
Emergency veterinary hospitals function similarly to human emergency rooms.
Triage process
Pets are not seen in order of arrival. Instead, they are triaged—usually by a veterinary technician—who will:
Check vital signs
Gather a brief history
Assess how critical your pet is
Order of care
Patients are seen based on severity. This means:
Critically ill pets are treated first
Stable patients may wait longer
Wait times
Wait times can vary significantly. If your pet is stable, you may wait several hours—especially if critical cases arrive.
While you are waiting
If you notice any change or worsening in your pet’s condition, notify the staff immediately so they can reassess.
Final Notes
If you are unsure, call your local emergency hospital for guidance
If possible, call ahead to let them know you are coming
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A Note from the Writer, Dr. Darsi Brown, DVM.
I’m an emergency veterinarian working in a busy small animal ER, where no two days—or nights—are ever the same. My role involves assessing and stabilizing critically ill pets, managing urgent medical and surgical cases, and helping owners navigate stressful, often unexpected situations. ER medicine is fast-paced, unpredictable, and requires quick decision-making, strong communication, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. It’s a challenging but incredibly rewarding career focused on providing care when pets need it most.
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