Emergency & After Hour Vet Service
If you have a pet emergency ring (03) 9569 3677 for immediate advice
Our team of dedicated emergency veterinarians and nurses work around the clock to provide the best care for your pet.
Our state-of-the-art intensive care unit includes intravenous fluid pumps, mechanical ventilators (life-support), capability for blood transfusion, emergency surgery, urgent medications, and oxygen therapy. We also have a full in-house laboratory, providing rapid test results, often within 30-60 minutes. In many cases, Xrays and CT scans are required urgently. These are often able to be taken at the time your pet comes in.
We aim to provide the highest level of medicine and nursing care for your pet, to ensure the best possible outcome. Our staff are highly trained. We are very focussed on pain relief and providing a comfortable and relaxing stay for your pet, however ill they are. We welcome you to visit your pet in hospital if they are required to stay in overnight. We work closely with your local vet, and provide daily updates about your pet’s progress via phone and email. In many cases, pets can be transferred back to your local vet. Follow-up and ongoing care is generally conducted by your local vet once your pet goes home, and our staff are also available for advise around the clock.
Common Emergencies
A dog or cat may become dehydrated from not eating or drinking, from vomiting, diarrhea or any general illness. Dehydration can become serious very quickly, especially in younger puppies and kittens, or the elderly. At Pet Emergency and Specialist Centre, our emergency veterinarians and nurses are on stand-by to examine and treat your dehydrated pet. In some cases, pets need to be placed on an intravenous drip to treat the dehydration. Further tests may be required; such as blood tests or Xrays.
Vomiting in dogs, cats and other pets has many causes. Often times, your pet will not be wanting to eat either, if they are vomiting. Causes of vomiting may include an intestinal blockage, twisted bowel or stomach, infection, poisoning, tumor, liver disease, kidney disease, or dietary problems to name a few. Often, blood tests and Xrays are required to diagnose the condition. In some cases, more advanced tests such as CT scans or ultrasound may also be needed. Treatment may include intravenous fluids (iv drip), medications or surgery. At Pet Emergency and Specialist Centre, our staff are on duty 24-hours per day; and in many cases treatment can be started immediately.
Diarrhoea or soft, watery stool has many causes and may include parasites, viruses, dietary problems, bacteria, stress or other reasons. Often, tests need to be run on a stool sample, and blood tests may also be required. Severe diarrhoea sometimes requires treatment with iv fluids and antibiotics, and a special diet. If the diarrhoea has blood present in it; then this is a more serious situation. Immediate veterinary attention is recommended. Also, if you pet has diarrhoea and is also not eating, this is a more serious situation. At our hospital; we have a full in-house laboratory, and staff on standy to assist you with your sick animal.
Life-threatening external bleeding can occur from an open wound, trauma, or from clotting disorders such as rat bait poisoning. In some cases, surgery and a blood transfusion are required. Vomiting of blood is also a serious situation for your pet, and this requires immediate veterinary attention. If your pet is vomiting blood, in most cases blood tests and Xrays will be required initially. Further investigation can be performed using video endoscopy, CT scanning or exploratory surgery.
Life-threatening internal bleeding can also occur, and this can be challenging to diagnose. In some cases, the only symptoms may be pale gums and loss of energy/lethargy. Internal bleeding can occur as a results of trauma, poisoning, or a bleeding tumor for example.
Dogs and cats may have trouble passing stool if they are unwell, dehydrated, elderly, less mobile, or in pain. In some cases, more specific causes such as eating bones, or having an enlarged prostate, may cause a pet to become dehydrated. Constipation can often be treated with medications; however sometimes iv fluids, Xrays and enemas (being flushed out) are required.
Animals may stop eating for a number of reasons. This can include liver or kidney failure, heart disease, cancer, poisoning, pain, old-age, stress, change of environment or other causes. In most cases, blood tests and Xrays are required to diagnose the problem. Loss of appetite for more than 1 day is a serious situation for your pet.
Pets may lose weight for a number of reasons. This can include old age, digestive problems, heart problems, cancer, liver disease, or kidney failure for example. In some cases, blood tests, Xrays and special feeding are required.
A painful belly (abdomen) may be due to a number of causes, including intestinal blockage, bloating, twisted bowel or stomach, dietary problems, cancer, or other problems. If your pet is uncomfortable, having trouble sleeping, or painful, then immediate veterinary attention is needed.
In some cases special feeding is required. This may be needed if an animal is not eating for a period of time, or has protracted vomiting. Special feeding can be in the form of a feeding tube (for example, a stomach tube), or via intravenous feeding.
Examples of special nutrition include:
- PEG tube (percutaneous endoscopically placed gastrostomy tube) placed in to the stomach
- Nasogastric Tube – placed via the nose in to the stomach
- Oesophagostomy tube (“O-tube”)- placed in the side of the neck to the oesophagus
- Intravenous feeding via a jugular catheter (total parenteral nutrition)
The loss of a pet is similar to the loss of a family member for many people. Veterinarians receive special training in helping people make decisions regarding euthanasia for their beloved pet, and provide support to pet owners. Organizations such as the RSPCA and your local counseling services are available to assist you further if required, following the loss of a pet.