Signs Your Pet Needs Emergency Care
If your pet is experiencing anything that worries you or feels out of the ordinary, call us — we’re here to help. Even if you’re unsure whether it’s an emergency, our experienced team can talk with you, assess the situation, and help determine if your pet needs immediate medical attention.
While calling ahead is helpful so we can prepare for your arrival, no appointment is ever required for emergency care.
As a pet owner, you know only too well that medical emergencies are never planned and can occur at night or on weekends when your primary care veterinarian’s office is closed. To give your pet immediate access to top-quality care —and to give you peace of mind— our skilled and experienced team is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year including all Holidays.
Emergency Details
Off-Hours Availability
Emergency pet care, emergency pet surgery and overnight patient monitoring when primary care veterinary practices are closed.
Stat Diagnostic Capabilities
A comprehensive physical exam doesn’t always reveal why a patient is ill, and our veterinary patients certainly can’t tell us what is wrong when they are sick or injured. Laboratory testing is one way to reveal these hidden problems, and in serious or life-threatening situations, having access to rapid and accurate test results provides the best chance for a timely intervention and a favorable outcome.
Copies of your pet’s test results are available to you and your family’s veterinarian at any time.
Ultrasound and CT (computed tomography) Scan
First Coast Veterinary Emergency is able to perform diagnostic ultrasounds and CT Scans on emergency patients. Our emergency doctors can use our ultrasound and CT Scan equipment to view internal organs in a non-invasive way. These diagnostic tools can provide a speedy diagnosis for some of our critical patients, it allows our emergency team the ability to obtain valuable information that will help determine the best treatment for your pet. If an ultrasound or CT Scan would be useful in guiding your pet’s care, the doctor will discuss this option with you during your visit.
Digital Radiography
The digital x-ray equipment utilized at First Coast Veterinary Emergency requires less radiation than radiographs captured on film so it is safer for both the patient and for the x-ray technician. In addition, the images are obtained in seconds. The speed with which images can be obtained enhances safety and comfort for every patient and is critical in an emergency setting when time is of the essence.
Radiology Interpretation
Radiographs may be submitted to a Board-Certified Veterinary Radiologist for expert evaluation to identify signs of disease or injury and provide an accurate diagnosis to guide treatment recommendations. Through careful examination of each image, the radiologist can detect fractures, arthritis, tumors, heart and lung conditions, and other abnormalities to help determine the best course of care for your pet.
ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a diagnostic test that records the activity of the heart. An ECG is a non-invasive procedure that can help doctors assess abnormal heart rhythms, drug effects or even an enlarged heart. At First Coast Veterinary Emergency Center we also use an ECG during anesthetic procedures so that our surgical team can closely monitor the functioning of the heart while the patient is under anesthesia.
Intensive Care Hospitalization
The location of the intensive care unit in our hospital allows our doctors and nursing staff to continuously monitor our patients throughout their hospitalization. Many of the veterinary patients we see are critically injured or have life-threatening illness. Constant observation and hourly treatments are necessary for us to address their special needs. In addition, our intensive care and ongoing monitoring gives us the ability to monitor and assess pain and provide appropriate pain control to keep our patients comfortable.
Oxygen Therapy
Emergency patients often require oxygen therapy. At First Coast Veterinary Emergency our doctors and staff are trained to efficiently and effectively administer oxygen to patients with symptoms indicating respiratory shock or distress.
Patient’s who commonly require oxygen therapy include those with respiratory distress, hyperthermia, pulmonary hypertension, seizures, pets hit by a car, head trauma, pulmonary contusions, congestive heart failure, anemia, shock, smoke inhalation or lung disease.
Transfusion Therapy
Occasionally veterinary patients need blood transfusions. Blood loss as the result of trauma, poisoning or disease is very risky and likely will lead to death if not resolved.
There are several types of blood products used in transfusions. The type of blood product that is recommended depends upon the cause of the blood loss. Blood products can be purchased from veterinary blood banks or obtained from donor animals. As in human medicine, donor blood is tested for blood type and, when time allows, a variety of diseases that could be transmitted during a transfusion.
A transfusion is a critical, life-saving treatment but is not without risk. Patients can have reactions to transfusions. At First Coast Veterinary Emergency Center we follow all appropriate procedures to minimize risk to our patients. We cross match samples before transfusing to decrease the chances of a reaction. We also closely monitor our patients during transfusions so that if a reaction occurs, it is caught quickly and treated immediately.
Critical Care Monitoring
Careful observation of every patient is the key to finding minor physiologic disturbances before they develop into major problems. In addition to a skilled and attentive nursing staff, First Coast Veterinary Emergency uses a wide range of monitoring devices:
Electrocardiograph monitors display the electrical activity of a beating heart.
Pulse oximeters measure the oxygen level in the blood via a non-invasive skin sensor.
Blood pressure monitors measure systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure using a pressure sensor and sophisticated software.
End tidal CO2 monitors measure the level of exhaled carbon dioxide allowing for fine-tuning of ventilation during anesthesia or while on a ventilator in the ICU.
Fluid pumps monitor the intravenous fluids that keep a patient well hydrated.
Electronic syringe pumps calculate and deliver medications safely and accurately.
