Visiting the emergency hospital can be a stressful experience, but knowing what to expect can help ease some of that anxiety. Here’s a guide to help you prepare for your pet’s emergency visit, including cost information and potential wait times.
What to expect at North Haven
What to expect at Guilford
Recognizing the Need for Emergency Care
It’s crucial to recognize when your pet needs immediate care. Signs such as difficulty breathing, excessive bleeding, sudden weakness, or accident or trauma warrant immediate attention. Acting quickly can make a significant difference in your pet’s outcome. To view a more complete list of potential emergent situations, visit our page on ‘What is an emergency?’
Getting to the Hospital
Before heading to the emergency vet, if time allows, call ahead to let the liaisons know why you are coming in. This allows them to prepare the triage team and ER staff about your arrival. If there are certain treatment items that might be needed, they can take this time to set up and prepare for your pet’s arrival insuring a quicker response time for critical cases.
Initial Assessment and Triage
Upon arrival, your pet will undergo an initial assessment and triage. This process helps determine the urgency of your pet’s condition and prioritizes care accordingly. The veterinary team will assess your pet’s general appearance, breathing, alertness, and vital signs.
Wait Times
Wait times at the emergency vet can vary depending on the number of patients and the severity of their conditions. During peak hours, you may experience longer wait times, but rest assured that your pet will receive prompt care based on their medical needs. Even if the waiting room seems empty or the parking lot had plenty of open spots, there could still be several severe cases in the ER that are taking the attention of all hands to ensure the patient’s stability. If anything with your pet changes while you are waiting, you should update the liaison to have them reassessed.
Diagnostic Tests and Treatment Options
Once your pet is taken to the ER for a full exam with an Emergency doctor, your pet may undergo diagnostic tests such as blood work, X-rays, or ultrasounds to determine the cause of their symptoms. Before those are done, the veterinary team will discuss these treatment options with you and provide a detailed plan for your pet’s care. Emergency care does come with a financial cost and our team will be upfront with you on all treatment options and work with you and what you are comfortable with. Our doctors and technicians will always offer the best course of action and explain each test along the way.
Cost of Emergency Care
The cost of an emergency vet visit can vary widely. On average, you can expect to pay between $300 to $2,000, depending on the severity of your pet’s condition and the required treatments, tests, and imaging. This cost will include the ER examination fee, diagnostic tests, medications, and any additional services.
Emergency bills may seem higher than your planned primary care veterinary appointment. This is due to several factors including: 24/7 facilities that are fully staffed, advanced imaging and diagnostic testing in-house with immediate answers on most testing, highly skilled and certified staffing (here at Central we have more than 85 veterinary technicians at both locations, and 36 doctors and specialists), the ability to walk-in at any time of day with no appointment, and ICUs with equipment for the most critical cases.
We work with any and all insurance companies. If your pet has insurance, let our liaison know and we can help facilitate getting medical records and sending in claims. We also offer a payment plan through Care Credit that has zero percent interest for 6 months. Read more about the Care Credit payment plan on our FAQ page here.
It’s a good idea to ask about costs upfront and discuss payment options if needed.
Collaborative Care
Our team works closely with your primary care veterinarian to ensure continuity of care. We share all records of the treatment provided with your family veterinarian, keeping them informed and involved in your pet’s care. This gives you the option to follow up with them for continued care.
We also have 11 specialty departments from Anesthesiology to Surgery. Each department is staffed with board certified specialty doctors and highly skilled technicians. In some emergency cases your pet may be referred to one of these specialties for future care or rehabilitation. Having these experts in-house provides your pet with the best advantage to healing.
Post-Visit Care
After your pet’s emergency visit, it’s important to follow any care instructions provided by the doctor. Keep a close eye on your pet’s recovery and contact your veterinarian if you notice any unusual behavior or symptoms.
Visiting the emergency hospital can be overwhelming, but knowing what to expect can help you navigate the process more smoothly and know what to ask. Our team is here to provide the best possible care for your furry friend and that will be at the forefront of every recommendation we make. Getting your pet back to perfect health is our number one goal.