Emergency Veterinary Care

After-Hours Emergency Vet Care

Steps to Take In A Pet Emergency

If you are experiencing a pet emergency, follow the steps below.

• Call Ahead If Possible - During regular business hours call us right away. After hours, call the emergency pet hospital listed above to let them know you are on the way.
• Follow Instructions Provided - When you call to let the emergency pet hospital know you are on your way, instructions may be provided to help you apply first aid or otherwise make your pet as comfortable. Follow these instructions carefully.
• Remain Calm - Remain calm and be extra careful around your pet. When an animal is in pain they often react negatively towards anyone trying to help and could bite or scratch.
• Bring Your Pet In For Care - Do not put yourself at risk! Safely bring your pet to our Mechanicsburg veterinary clinic or the after-hours emergency vet location above.

Emergency FAQs

Read through our most frequently asked questions below to learn more about bringing your pet in for an emergency appointment at Silver Springs Animal Clinic. 

• Do I need to call ahead?

  Silver Springs Animal Clinic provides emergency and urgent veterinary care for cats and dogs during our regular clinic hours and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 9 pm. If you can, it's always best to contact us in advance, but we understand this is not always possible in emergency situations. 

  If we are unable to fit your pet into our schedule, we recommend that you visit the after-hours emergency vet location listed above. 

• When is your clinic open?

  Our veterinarians see emergency cases during our regular business hours:

  • Monday: 08:00 am - 07:00 pm
  • Tuesday: 08:00 am - 07:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 08:00 am - 07:00 pm
  • Thursday: 08:00 am - 07:00 pm
  • Friday: 08:00 am - 07:00 pm
  • Saturday: 08:00 am - 12:00 pm
  • Sunday: Closed

• What situations require emergency veterinary care?

  The following situations are examples of emergencies that require immediate care:

  • Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
  • Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
  • Fractured bones or severe lameness
  • Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
  • Injuries to the eye(s)
  • Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
  • Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
  • Your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
  • Heat stress or heatstroke
  • Seizures and/or staggering
  • Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
  • Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop
  • Unconsciousness
• How long will we have to wait to see the vet?

  Our Mechanicsburg animal clinic is just like a human doctor's office—it can be unpredictable and you may have to wait. 

  We are unable to predict which cases we will see and when they will arrive. If possible, call ahead to find out whether we are able to provide emergency care for your dog or cat.

  If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule we recommend that you visit the 24/7 emergency animal hospital listed above. 

• What happens if my pet needs to stay in the hospital?

  Some veterinary emergencies require intensive overnight care. At Silver Springs Clinic we provide overnight care for animals in need.

  While in our care, our dedicated team will treat your pet as if they were our own.

• What types of animals do you treat?

  Our emergency veterinarians primarily treat urgent health issues in cats and dogs, but we also see other small animals, such as birds, reptiles and small exotic pets such as hedgehogs and ferrets.