Animal Emergency

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Small Animal Emergencies

(dogs and cats)

October 15, 2021 — Effective immediately, our Small Animal/Avian-Exotic Animal Emergency Service hours have changed. Emergency Services will only be open between the hours of 8 AM – 10 PM daily until further notice due to shortages in personnel and a high overnight caseload. In order to provide the highest possible care for hospitalized patients, we have made the difficult decision to limit our emergency services overnight. This only affects our Small Animal Hospital, NOT our Equine and Farm Animal hospitals.

Veterinarians and other members of the veterinary team continue to provide care for hospitalized patients overnight. We are limiting admissions of new cases to those with immediate life-threatening emergencies or critical care needs such as hit by car, gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), or respiratory distress. Patients with urgent but non-life threatening needs should contact their primary veterinarian as soon as possible.  Cases which do arrive at our front door will be triaged by our veterinary nursing staff.

This has been a difficult but necessary decision made to provide appropriate patient care for hospitalized animals in our intensive care unit as well as to our veterinary medical team who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to provide for our patients. This is a temporary situation. Thank you for understanding.

July 28, 2021- The John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Hospital at the UTCVM Veterinary Medical Center is experiencing intermittent personnel shortages. This is affecting the ability of our Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) service to provide for patients most in need of our services. To ensure the best patient care possible, please click here for the most up-to-date information and protocols regarding emergencies and patient referrals.

  • DAYTIME EMERGENCIES by veterinarian referral:

    Monday-Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

    During business hours, our Emergency and Critical Care Service is by referral only.

    Please seek medical advice from your primary veterinarian who can then refer your animal to us if necessary. If your veterinarian has referred your animal to us, we ask you arrive within the designated time. If a patient is brought to us without a referral, we will assess the patient, provide emergency care as needed, and contact the primary veterinarian.
  • AFTER HOUR EMERGENCIES:

    See October 15, 2021 post above

Avian and Exotics Animal Emergencies

  • See Small Animal Emergencies above

Equine Emergencies

  • No referral required.*

Farm Animal Emergency

  • No referral required.*

*as a courtesy, we ask that you call ahead.