When Your Pet Needs Help Right Now
Your dog just ate an entire bottle of ibuprofen. Or your cat’s been throwing up continuously for six hours straight. Maybe your pet is bleeding and you’re absolutely panicking. These situations are terrifying, we get it.
So first thing and we’re going to be really direct here, we’re not a 24/7 emergency hospital. If your pet got hit by a car, can’t breathe, or is having seizures? You need to get to a full emergency facility right now. Dont’ call us first. Just go. We mean it.
What we do handle: urgent situations for our clients during business hours. Sameday sick visits when something’s clearly wrong but not, you know, immediately life threatening. We can help you figure out if what’s happening actually requires an emergency hospital or if it’s something we can take care of.
Afterhours life threatening emergencies:
VCA Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists: (561) 434-5700
Calusa Veterinary Center: (561) 999-3000
Northlake Pet Emergency and Referral Center: (561) 691-9999
ACCESS Royal Palm Beach: (561) 774-8855
So let me tell you guys! If you live in the South Florida area, I can’t stress using this vet for your fur babies enough! Our poor Symba (our ragdoll kitty) has an emergency urinary infection. He is bleeding from his genitals and may have a blockage or obstruction. Claudia, Dr Steve’s assistant has been texting with me for a few hours now and I received a late night call from Dr Steve himself. We determined exactly what needs to be done and they’ve given me excellent direction. Their care and authenticity is undeniable. They’ve taken care of our doggies before in another dire emergency situation on the spot in our home. I’m so grateful for them and the comfort they bring to such stressful situations.
Pet Owner
Go Straight to Emergency Don’t Call First
Some things just can’t wait. Period.
Breathing problems. If your pet is gasping, has blue gums, can’t catch their breath, that’s a dropeverythinganddrive situation. Choking. Severe coughing that won’t stop. You get the idea.
Hit by car. Or fell from a second-story balcony. Serious dog fight wounds. Bleeding that won’t stop even with pressure. Major trauma needs emergency care with specialists and monitoring equipment we just don’t have. It’s not about us, it’s about what your pet needs.
Bloat mostly large dogs. Your dog’s trying to vomit but nothing comes up? Is the abdomen swollen and hard? Excessive drooling, pacing, obvious distress? This is GDV (gastric dilatation/volvulus) and honestly, it’s a race against time. Surgery needs to happen within hours or the dog dies. We wish we could sugarcoat that, but we can’t.
Ate poison. Rat poison, antifreeze, your prescription medications, a bunch of chocolate, grapes, raisins, anything with xylitol (think sugarfree gum, certain peanut butters). Drive to emergency while someone else calls the Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 7647661. They’re really good.
Seizures. One seizure that lasts more than a couple minutes, or multiple seizures happening back to back. Sudden collapse. Can’t stand up or walk suddenly. Loss of consciousness. All bad signs.
Can’t pee. Especially male cats, they get urinary blockages and it’s deadly fast. Like, scary fast. If you see them straining in the litter box with nothing coming out? That’s an emergency, full stop.
Eye came out of the socket. Yeah, this actually happens. Severe eye trauma. Sudden blindness. All of these need immediate care, no question.
Heatstroke. We’re in Florida, so it happens faster than you think. Heavy panting, bright red gums, vomiting, collapse. Don’t mess around with this one.
Call Us First We Can Probably Handle It
These are urgent, sure, but you’ve got time to call us and figure out next steps. That’s the difference.
Vomiting or diarrhea if your pet is still drinking water and somewhat alert, call us. We’ll assess whether this needs emergency care or if we can manage it during a same day visit. Context matters here.
Suddenly limping and won’t put weight on a leg. Painful but no obvious break or bleeding.
Skin stuff: hives, sudden intense itching, swelling from what might be a bee sting (as long as breathing is fine, obviously).
Ear infection: all that head shaking, scratching, clearly miserable. These hurt like hell but they’re not emergencies.
Wounds that aren’t gushing blood. Smaller cuts, torn nails, bite wounds from the neighbor’s dog.
Not eating for 24+ hours and seems off. This is actually more urgent for cats than dogs, which surprises people.
Blood in urine, peeing frequently, accidents in the house. For male cats this moves into emergency territory fast because of blockage risk. We mentioned that earlier, but it’s worth repeating.
What to Actually Do in an Emergency
Stay calm. Yeah, easier said than done. But your pet picks up on panic, and that makes everything worse.
Figure out what you’re dealing with. Is your pet breathing? Conscious? Can you safely touch them without getting bitten? (Even the sweetest dog might bite when they’re hurt or scared.)
Make the call. Life threatening? You should already be driving to an emergency hospital while someone else calls ahead. Urgent but stable? Call us and we’ll talk through it.
Get them there safely. Keep injured pets still. Big dog? Use a blanket as a makeshift stretcher. Small pets go in carriers.
Don’t give them anything. No Tylenol, no Advil, no Aleve these kill pets. Seriously. Don’t make them vomit with hydrogen peroxide unless someone specifically tells you to. Some things are worse coming back up.
Urgent Care We Provide
For clients with urgent problems that don’t need ICU care:
Sameday sick visits. We try to fit urgent cases in, either at our Lantana facility or as a house call if your pet really can’t travel. Sometimes we shuffle things around to make it work.
Figure out what’s wrong. Xrays, ultrasound, bloodwork whatever we need to do.
Wound care. Cuts, bite wounds, abscesses, torn nails. The messy stuff.
Infections. Skin, ears, bladder, respiratory. Pretty much the usual suspects.
Pain management. Sudden pain from injuries or conditions that just showed up out of nowhere.
Stabilization and referral. If you need more than what we’ve got, we’ll stabilize your pet and get them to the right place. We know our limits.
What We Can’t Do
We don’t have 24/7 staff. No critical care ICU. Can’t keep pets overnight for advanced monitoring. Don’t have CT or MRI machines. It’s just the reality of a general veterinary practice.
For those situations, these places can help:
Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists
3923 Northlake Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 691-0880
They’ve got everything 24/7 emergency, ICU, specialists, advanced imaging. The whole nine yards.
VCA Calusa Veterinary Center
5920 Linton Blvd, Delray Beach
(561) 999-3000
24/7 emergency services.
Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)
A few locations around Palm Beach County
Emergency only, open all the time.
We work with all of them and can coordinate if your pet needs a transfer. No ego about it.
Where We Cover
All over Palm Beach County, really. West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Wellington, Jupiter, Delray Beach, Riviera Beach, Lantana, Royal Palm Beach, Boca Raton.
For urgent stuff, we’ll tell you if we can get to you fast enough with a house call or if you should just come to Lantana. Distance and severity both matter.
What Families Say About Our Urgent Care
Dr. Steve is the best. I have been bringing my precious pets to him for over a decade and recently he pretty much saved my dogs life by detecting a heart murmur and immediately got him on meds!
Kim K.
Pet Owner
These guys were the best! On our first visit they were professional, accommodating and showed compassion for Gunner when he came in for surgery. They Did everything right away and had us out in no time.
Pet Owner
Should I make my dog throw up if he ate something bad?
Call first. Seriously. Some things like caustic chemicals or sharp objects do way more damage coming back up. We’ll tell you if you should do it and exactly how. Don’t just start giving hydrogen peroxide without talking to someone who knows what they’re doing.
My dog is limping but acting normal otherwise. Emergency?
Probably not life threatening. But call us anyway. If the leg is dangling weird, there’s major swelling, or they absolutely won’t put any weight on it, that’s more urgent. Could be torn ligament, could be fracture, could be something stuck in the paw pad.
Cat hasn’t eaten in 24 hours. Problem?
For cats? Yeah. They can develop liver problems pretty fast when they stop eating. Dogs can go longer without food. Cats are different animals entirely. Call us so we can figure out why they’re not eating.
What does shock look like?
Pale gums like white pale breathing fast and shallow, weak pulse, cold feet and ears, acting really out of it. Shock is life threatening. Get to emergency.
How much is this going to cost?
Emergency hospitals you’re looking at $150-300 just to walk in the door, then diagnostics and treatment on top of that. Bills can run anywhere from $800 to several thousand depending on what’s wrong. At our place for urgent care, it’s less, but it depends on what we need to do. We’ll give you a ballpark before we start anything. Nobody likes surprise bills.
What goes in a pet first aid kit?
Gauze, bandages, tape, hydrogen peroxide (don’t use without calling us first), Benadryl (again, call for dosing), thermometer, muzzle (even nice dogs bite when hurt), towels, emergency numbers written down somewhere. Pet Poison Helpline number: (855) 764-7661. Actually write that one down.
Florida Specific Problems
Heatstroke happens fast here. Don’t leave pets in cars. Ever. Even with windows cracked. We don’t care if you’re “just running in for a minute.” Limit exercise when it’s hot. Make sure there’s always water and shade.
Bufo toads. Those big ugly toads all over South Florida? Toxic. If your dog gets one in their mouth, rinse it out immediately, point the water away from their throat so they don’t swallow it and get to an emergency. These toads can actually kill dogs. Not exaggerating.
Snakes. We’ve got rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, coral snakes. Keep dogs on leash in natural areas. It just makes sense.
Alligators. They’re in every body of water down here. Every single one. They see small pets as food. Keep dogs away from ponds and canals, especially at dusk.
Hurricanes. Have a plan that includes your pets. Extra food, water, medications. Know which shelters take pets if you need to evacuate. Figure this out before storm season, not during.
Numbers to Save Right Now
Before you need them:
- All About Town Pet House Calls: (561) 493-3860
- Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661 (they charge $75 but they’re available 24/7 and can tell you exactly what to do)
- Nearest 24/7 emergency hospital look this up now, not at 2am when your pet is sick
Keep this stuff handy too:
- Your pet’s current medications
- Known allergies
- Their weight (matters for medication dosing)
- Your regular vet’s contact info
- Recent medical records if you’ve got them
What Happens When You Call Us
We’ll ask what’s going on, how long it’s been happening, what your pet is doing right now. Based on that conversation, we’ll tell you if this needs emergency hospital care or if we can handle it.
If we can help, we’ll let you know whether to bring your pet to Lantana or if we can do a house call. If you need first aid steps while you’re getting to us, we’ll walk you through it on the phone.
When you get here quick assessment, stabilize if needed, run whatever tests make sense, talk through what we found and what it’ll cost, then treat. Pretty straightforward.
If your pet needs more than what we can provide ICU, overnight monitoring, specialty surgery we’ll stabilize them and coordinate getting them to the right facility. Our team has done this plenty of times.
Real Talk About Pet Emergencies
After decades of veterinary practice, here’s what our team has learned:
Most things people think are emergencies aren’t actually life threatening. Which is good news. But you should still call because sometimes it’s honestly hard to tell the difference, even for experienced pet owners.
When something really is an emergency the kind where minutes count you need a real emergency hospital with ICU and 24/7 staff. We’re good at what we do, but we’re honest about what we can’t handle. That’s important.
Emergency care is expensive. We get it. But waiting usually makes things worse and more expensive. Most emergency places work with CareCredit or similar financing options.
If your gut says something is really wrong, listen to it. Pet owners have better instincts than they give themselves credit for. Call and we’ll help you figure out what to do.
A lot of emergencies are actually preventable. Keep human medications locked up. Petproof your house like you would for a toddler. Be careful with your pets in hot weather. Regular vet visits catch problems before they become emergencies. That’s not a sales pitch, it’s just reality.
When You Need Help
Urgent situation during business hours: Call (561) 493-3860
Life threatening emergency after hours: Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists (561) 691-0880 or VCA Calusa (561) 999-3000
Poisoning: Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661
Our location: 301 E Ocean Ave, Suite 5, Lantana, FL 33462
We’re here to help figure out what your pet needs and get them to the right care. Sometimes that’s us, sometimes that’s an emergency hospital. Either way, we’ll point you in the right direction. That’s kind of the whole point.
All About Town Pet House Calls – Urgent veterinary care when minutes matter