Greater Portland Metro Area
Veterinary ERs and
Urgent Care

What is an emergency?

What is urgent care (UC) for?

Emergency Rooms are for life-threatening emergencies. Cases are seen in order of triage (most life-threatening first) & stable pets may have to wait. Many ERs also have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where pets can be hospitalized and monitored.

Go directly to an ER if your pet experiences any of the following:

Unconscious, lost consciousness
Severe bleeding
Bleeding that does not stop with direct pressure and a cold pack applied
Toxin ingestion (please call ASPCA Poison Control on the way to the ER)
Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, labored breathing
Harsh panting that won't stop
Coughing cats with long (a few minutes) of coughing or repeat coughing
Open-mouth breathing or panting in cats
Cannot urinate, straining to urinate
Trauma - for example, hit by car
Open fracture (wound over a suspected break or you can see bone)
Large laceration
Any injury involving an eye
Seizures, 3 or more within 24 hours
Seizures that last longer than 2-3 minutes
Bloated abdomen, vomiting but nothing is coming up
Won't get up, weak when they get up
Dragging legs
Gums are pale, white, blue, or purple
Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, especially if acting unwell
Hard-swallowing, especially if there is drooling or gagging with it
Blood in vomit or in diarrhea
No interest in food in 24 hours
Known heart disease or heart murmur with a resting respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute
Coughing and feeling unwell
Puppies and kittens not feeding usually or acting lethargic
More than 60 minutes between kittens or puppies born with strong contractions
More than 4 hours pass between pups/kittens and you know there are more inside
Sudden back pain, especially if hunched or using legs differently
Sudden increase in urination and water intake
Sneezing and/or eye/nose discharge in a cat, AND cat is not eating
Rabbit or guinea pig who stops eating and/or producing feces for any period of time.
Rabbit or guinea pig with hunched posture or pushing belly into the ground
Porqupine quilling

This list is not exhaustive. If you are concerned about your pet but unsure if you should seek emergency care or urgent care, It is never wrong to call first and it's never wrong to seek emergency care. Please realize if your pet is found to be stable, you may be asked to schedule with an urgent care instead.

Urgent Care

Urgent Cares treat urgent but stable cases. Stable means a pet is not at risk of dying in the next few hours but could become worse without care. UC's are not staffed 24/7.

Illnesses or injuries appropriate for Urgent Care include:

One or two episodes of vomiting or diarrhea
Vomiting and/or diarrhea but otherwise acting normally
Ear infection, new or sudden (known or chronic ear and skin problems should be scheduled with your primary vet)
Known marijuana ingestion but pet is awake and responsive
Known toxic-level chocolate ingestion (use the chocolate calculator HERE)
Sudden lameness/limping without an obvious fracture
Minor wounds that may need wound cleaning and repair
Coughing and/or sneezing but otherwise feeling good, eating well
New lumps that suddenly appeared or are painful
Frequent urination but able to pass a good stream every time
Gradual increase in urination and water intake
Sneezing and/or eye/nose discharge in a cat, but cat is still eating well
Mouth pain or can't close mouth

Primary Care, General Practice Veterinarians, Wellness Care

A primary veterinarian or GP vet provides wellness and sick pet care for the life of your pet. GPs may have drop-off or walk-in hours for urgent cases, but usually require appointments. You should always call first.

If something doesn't seem urgent yet, but concerns you, make an appointment NOW, especially if your pet is an exotic. GP vets often schedule a week or more out. Follow-up appointments with your GP are important if you seek emergency or urgent care.

This-up

Illnesses or injuries appropriate for a general practice:

Chronic problems like recurrent ear or skin infections
A minor limp that isn't getting worse
Annual Bloodwork (recommended for all pets ages 7 years and older)
Annual vaccines
- Some vaccines are annual, some are every 3 years. No vaccines are good for the life of your pet.
New puppy or kitten exams
New lumps or bumps that aren't changing
Known lumps or bumps that are changing
Appointments for medication refills that require bloodwork
- Examples: pain control NSAIDs like carprofen, phenobarbital for seizures, methimazole or levothyroxine for thyroid issues, and medications for Cushing's disease
Tooth fractures or excess tartar or anything requiring dental x-rays
To discuss a food change, habitat or husbandry for exotic animals, chronic medication change, or any other on-going medical concern
If you think your pet is pregnant