Pet Emergencies: When to Call a Vet and Where to Go After Hours
When your pet suddenly becomes unwell or is injured, it can be difficult to know whether you need an emergency hospital or whether your local vet can help.
At Blakehurst Vet, same-day appointments are usually available for urgent problems during our opening hours, and urgent cases are given priority. If your pet needs emergency or specialist care beyond what we can provide, we can arrange a referral.
Outside our opening hours, emergencies should go directly to an emergency veterinary hospital.
Quick answer: when is a pet problem an emergency?
Seek urgent veterinary advice if your pet is having difficulty breathing, has collapsed, is having a seizure, is bleeding heavily, has been seriously injured or may have eaten something toxic.
Other situations that need prompt veterinary attention can include suspected heatstroke, snake bite or tick paralysis, repeated vomiting with marked weakness, severe pain or a sudden significant change in your pet’s condition.
If you are unsure, call a vet rather than waiting for symptoms to get worse.
Should I call Blakehurst Vet if my pet suddenly becomes unwell?
Yes. During our opening hours, call Blakehurst Vet on (02) 9547 2750.
Same-day appointments are usually available, and urgent cases are given priority. Our team can ask a few questions about what has happened and help determine how quickly your pet needs to be seen.
Many urgent problems can be assessed and treated at Blakehurst Vet. If your pet requires intensive emergency care, specialist treatment or facilities beyond what we can provide, we will recommend referral to an appropriate emergency or specialist hospital.
You can find our current opening hours and contact details here.
Signs your pet may need urgent veterinary care
Some problems are clearly emergencies, while others can be harder to judge.
Contact a vet urgently if your pet has:
- Difficulty breathing or unusual breathing
- Collapsed or become unresponsive
- A seizure, particularly if it is prolonged or repeated
- Heavy or uncontrolled bleeding
- Been hit by a car or suffered significant trauma
- Severe or sudden pain
- Suspected poisoning
- Swallowed a foreign object
- Suspected heatstroke
- Suspected snake bite
- Weakness, wobbliness, a changed bark or meow, or breathing problems that could indicate tick paralysis
- Repeated vomiting accompanied by weakness, pain or other concerning symptoms
- A sudden and significant deterioration in their condition
This is not a complete list. You know what is normal for your pet, and a sudden or severe change is always worth taking seriously.
What if my pet is vomiting or has diarrhoea?
Not every episode of vomiting or diarrhoea is an emergency.
An otherwise bright pet that vomits once may not need emergency treatment, but repeated vomiting, blood, significant lethargy, pain, inability to keep water down or other concerning symptoms should be assessed promptly.
Very young, elderly or medically vulnerable pets may also become unwell more quickly.
If it is your cat that is vomiting, our guide to why cats vomit explains some common causes and warning signs.
What should I do if I think my pet has been poisoned?
Don’t wait for symptoms to develop if you know or suspect your pet has eaten something toxic.
Call a veterinarian or the Australian Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 for advice.
If possible, have the packaging, product name, ingredient list or a photo of what your pet may have eaten available when you call.
Do not try to make your pet vomit unless a vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline specifically tells you to. Making an animal vomit can be dangerous with some substances.
What should I do if I find a paralysis tick?
Paralysis ticks can cause serious illness in dogs and cats along the east coast of Australia.
Warning signs can include weakness or wobbliness in the back legs, a change in the sound of your pet’s bark or meow, vomiting, gagging or difficulty breathing.
If your pet is showing signs that could indicate tick paralysis, seek veterinary care promptly. Even if you find and remove a tick, an affected pet may still require veterinary treatment because the effects of the toxin can continue after the tick has been removed.
Regular tick prevention is the best protection. If you are unsure what parasite protection your pet needs, our guide to flea, tick and worming protection explains more.
What should I do if I suspect heatstroke?
Heatstroke is a veterinary emergency.
Signs can include excessive or frantic panting, heavy drooling, weakness, confusion, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures or collapse. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is also a sign of distress and should be taken seriously.
Move your pet away from the heat and into a cooler environment and contact a veterinarian immediately. Do not delay veterinary care to see whether your pet improves on their own.
What should I do after an accident or injury?
If your pet has been hit by a car, fallen from a height or suffered another significant injury, contact a vet even if they initially appear relatively normal.
Some injuries are not immediately obvious.
Keep your pet as calm and still as possible while arranging veterinary care. If there is significant bleeding, gentle firm pressure with a clean cloth or dressing may help while you are travelling to the clinic.
Take care when handling an injured animal. Pain and fear can cause even a normally gentle pet to react unexpectedly.
Where do I go for an emergency after hours?
Blakehurst Vet is not a 24-hour emergency hospital.
Outside our opening hours, we refer emergency patients to:
SASH Alexandria
5/476 Gardeners Road, Alexandria NSW
(02) 8913 4000
SASH Alexandria provides 24-hour emergency care, seven days a week.
VSOS Miranda
(02) 8376 8767
If you are unsure whether your pet needs emergency treatment after hours, call one of these hospitals directly and their team can advise you.
During Blakehurst Vet opening hours, call us first on (02) 9547 2750 and we can advise whether your pet should come to us or go directly to an emergency hospital.
Do I need to go straight to an emergency hospital?
Not always.
A pet that suddenly seems unwell, is in pain or has had an accident may be able to be assessed at Blakehurst Vet during our normal opening hours. Same-day appointments are usually available and urgent cases are prioritised.
If our vets determine that your pet needs specialist surgery, intensive monitoring or another level of emergency care, we will refer them promptly.
For a critically ill pet, or if Blakehurst Vet is closed, contact an emergency hospital directly.
What information should I have when I call?
If possible, be ready to tell us:
- What has happened
- What symptoms you are seeing
- When the problem started
- Whether your pet has eaten anything unusual
- Any medication your pet takes
- Any existing medical conditions
- Whether there has been an accident or injury
Don’t delay making the call because you don’t have all of this information. Tell us what you know and we can guide you from there.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book an emergency appointment online?
For an urgent problem, it is better to call Blakehurst Vet directly on (02) 9547 2750 rather than relying on an online appointment time. This allows our team to understand what is happening and advise you appropriately.
What if I can’t tell whether it is an emergency?
Call. It can be difficult to judge the severity of a problem at home, particularly when symptoms have appeared suddenly. During our opening hours, call Blakehurst Vet. After hours, contact SASH Alexandria or VSOS Miranda directly.
Should I wait until morning if my pet becomes sick overnight?
That depends on the symptoms. Difficulty breathing, collapse, seizures, serious trauma, severe pain, suspected poisoning or other significant deterioration should not wait until morning. Contact an emergency veterinary hospital.
Will Blakehurst Vet refer my pet if they need specialist care?
Yes. If we assess your pet and determine that they require emergency or specialist treatment beyond what we can provide, we can arrange or recommend referral to an appropriate hospital.
Urgent veterinary care at Blakehurst Vet
If your pet suddenly becomes unwell or has been injured during our opening hours, call us on (02) 9547 2750.
Same-day appointments are usually available and urgent cases are given priority. We can assess your pet, provide treatment where appropriate and arrange referral if a higher level of emergency or specialist care is needed.