Urgent &
Emergency Care
Emergency Veterinary Care in Aurora, CO
East Plains Veterinary Care provides emergency veterinary care and urgent vet care for pets who are hurt, suddenly sick, or showing symptoms that should not wait for a routine appointment. If your pet is injured, having trouble breathing, vomiting repeatedly, showing severe pain, or acting unusually weak, please call our practice right away or come in during urgent care hours.
We see urgent and walk-in cases Monday through Friday from 8AM to 6PM and Saturday from 8AM to 1PM. We are not an overnight facility, so some pets may need transfer to a 24-hour hospital for continued care.
What Is Emergency Veterinary Care?
Emergency veterinary care is medical care for pets experiencing sudden illness, injury, severe pain, trauma, breathing problems, toxin exposure, collapse, or other symptoms that should be evaluated as quickly as possible.
Depending on your pet’s condition, care may include immediate assessment, stabilization, diagnostic testing, pain support, treatment, monitoring, or referral for advanced care. At our practice, our goal is to assess your pet’s needs quickly, explain what we find clearly, and help you understand the safest next step.
Why Is Urgent Vet Care Important For Pets?
Urgent vet care matters because pets can decline quickly when symptoms are serious. A problem that appears mild at first can sometimes point to pain, infection, injury, toxin exposure, dehydration, or internal illness.
Prompt evaluation can help:
- Identify whether your pet is stable, urgent, or critical
- Reduce pain and stress
- Prevent symptoms from worsening
- Guide treatment before complications develop
- Determine whether your pet can be treated at our practice or needs transfer for continued care
Our team believes pet owners deserve clear communication during stressful moments. We take time to explain your pet’s condition, treatment options, and expected costs so you can make informed decisions.
What Symptoms Mean I Should Take My Dog Or Cat To An Emergency Vet?
Some symptoms should be evaluated right away. Call our team or seek veterinary care if your pet shows signs such as:
- Severe breathing trouble or blue gums
- Active or prolonged seizures
- Major trauma, severe bleeding, or sudden collapse
- Heatstroke, severe hypothermia, or unresponsiveness
- Recent toxin or foreign material ingestion
- Deep lacerations, fractures, or sudden injuries
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea with lethargy
- Straining to urinate, especially in cats
- Eye injuries, sudden severe pain, or wildlife exposure
If your pet’s symptoms are not listed, they may still need care. Our team can help you decide whether your pet should be seen right away.
What Should I Do First If My Pet Is Hurt Or Suddenly Sick?
If your pet is hurt, suddenly sick, or showing concerning symptoms, call our practice or come in during urgent care hours. We do not recommend trying home remedies before speaking with a veterinary team, especially if your pet may have swallowed something toxic, is struggling to breathe, is bleeding, or has collapsed.
If it is safe to do so, bring:
- Medication bottles or product labels
- Photos or videos of symptoms
- Any known toxin packaging
- A short timeline of what happened
- Your pet’s current medical information
How Does East Plains Veterinary Care Prioritize Urgent Pet Care Cases?
Like other medical facilities, we triage patients based on current medical need. This helps our team identify which pets need immediate intervention and which pets are stable enough to wait for the next available appointment or same-day care option.
Red Triage: STAT, Immediate Care
Red cases are taken immediately to the treatment floor. Scheduled appointments may pause, and the veterinarian is called right away.
These cases may include severe breathing trouble, collapse, major trauma, severe bleeding, prolonged seizures, or other life-threatening symptoms.
Yellow Triage: Prompt Veterinary Care
Yellow cases are urgent and need prompt assessment. These pets are taken into an exam room for continued evaluation and care, then worked into the scheduled appointment flow based on medical need.
These cases may include deep lacerations, repeated vomiting with lethargy, toxin ingestion, eye injuries, severe pain, or urinary straining.
Green Triage: Stable Same-Day Care
Green cases are stable and handled through the normal workflow. Pet owners may be offered the next available appointment or a same-day drop-off option when appropriate. Regularly scheduled appointments remain a priority while we work to support urgent needs.
What Should I Bring With Me To An Emergency Vet Visit?
Bringing the right information can help our team evaluate your pet more efficiently. When possible, please bring:
- Your pet’s current medications
- Any known allergies or medical conditions
- Vaccine records, if available
- Recent lab results or medical records, if available
- Photos or videos of symptoms, if helpful
- Packaging or labels from possible toxins, medications, plants, chemicals, or foods
- Details about when symptoms started
- Information about what your pet ate, drank, or may have been exposed to
- A leash, carrier, or safe restraint
- Completed patient forms, when possible
Completing forms ahead of time can help our team spend more time focused on your pet once you arrive.
What Happens During An Emergency Vet Visit?
During an emergency vet visit, our first priority is to assess your pet’s condition and determine how quickly treatment needs to begin. Depending on your pet’s symptoms, the visit may include:
- Immediate assessment: We evaluate your pet’s symptoms, medical history, and current condition. We may ask when symptoms started, whether your pet may have eaten something harmful, or whether an injury, fall, bite, or exposure occurred.
- Stabilization and pain support: If your pet is unstable, we begin supportive care right away. This may include emergency stabilization, CPR when appropriate, oxygen therapy, pain support, wound care, or support for breathing, circulation, or severe distress.
- Diagnostics and treatment planning: Once your pet is stable enough for evaluation, we may recommend a physical exam, bloodwork, imaging, or other testing based on their condition. We explain findings, treatment options, and costs clearly before moving forward.
- Treatment, monitoring, or transfer: Treatment may include laceration care, urinary obstruction care, foreign body surgery, splenectomy, oxygen therapy, or inducing vomiting for certain toxins or foreign objects when medically appropriate. If your pet needs overnight monitoring, advanced procedures, or specialty care, we will discuss transfer to a 24-hour emergency hospital.
How Can I Prepare For A Pet Emergency Before One Happens?
A little preparation can make a stressful moment easier to manage. We recommend that pet owners:
- Save our practice phone number
- Know our urgent care hours
- Keep after-hours emergency hospital information accessible
- Keep medical records organized
- Know your pet’s medications and allergies
- Use a leash, carrier, or safe restraint for travel
- Keep toxins, medications, plants, and harmful foods away from pets
- Complete patient forms ahead of time when possible
How Much Does Emergency Pet Care Cost?
The cost of emergency pet care depends on your pet’s condition, the severity of symptoms, the level of triage needed, diagnostic testing, medications, procedures, monitoring, and whether transfer is required.
Minor urgent concerns may cost less than critical emergencies that require stabilization, surgery, oxygen support, or advanced diagnostics. Our team values transparency, so we explain recommendations and costs as clearly as possible before moving forward with care.
Why Choose East Plains Veterinary Care For Your Pet’s Emergency Care?
East Plains Veterinary Care is a privately owned practice led by Dr. Drake, whose clinical background includes general practice, emergency medicine, and urgent care. That experience helps guide careful decision-making when pets need prompt medical attention.
Pet owners choose our team because we provide:
- Ethical, integrity-driven recommendations
- Clear communication about conditions, options, and costs
- A personal and respectful veterinary care environment
- Thoughtful assessment based on each pet’s needs
- Honest guidance when transfer is the safest option
- Convenient weekday and Saturday urgent care hours
- A team that treats pets and families with compassion
Schedule an Urgent Veterinary Appointment in Aurora, CO
If your pet is hurt, suddenly sick, or showing symptoms that concern you, contact East Plains Veterinary Care in Aurora, CO for prompt guidance during urgent care hours. Our team will help assess your pet’s needs, explain your options clearly, and guide you toward the right next step for their care.