Greater Portland Metro Area
Veterinary ERs and
Urgent Care

Should I visit an ER or Urgent Care for my pet?

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.

You should go directly to an ER if your pet experiences any of the following:

Your pet is unconscious
Severe bleeding or bleeding from anywhere that does not stop with direct pressure and a cold pack applied
Known toxin ingestion (please call ASPCA Poison Control on the way to the ER)
Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, or labored breathing
Male cat cannot urinate or is repeatedly straining in litterbox
Male dog straining to urinate or cannot urinate
Trauma - for example, hit by car
Open fracture (you can see a wound over a suspected break or you can see bone)
Large laceration
Any injury involving an eye
Seizures, 3 or more in a 24-hour period or any seizure that lasts longer than 2-3 minutes
Bloated abdomen, vomiting but nothing is coming up
Won't get up or is abnormally weak when they get up
Dragging legs when they walk
Pale, blue, or purple gum color
On-going 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
On-going pain
Known heart disease patient with a resting respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute or greater
Coughing and feeling unwell
Puppies and kittens not feeding normally 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 (abdominal pain)

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 Care centers 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 an urgent care include:

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

A Primary or General Practice Veterinarian

A primary veterinarian provides on-going 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.

If something doesn't seem urgent yet, but concerns you, make an appointment NOW, especially if your pet is an exotic. GP vets are often scheduling a week or more out or not accepting new patients. Having an appointment on the books is important if you seek emergency or urgent care and need to follow-up with a GP.

Illnesses or injuries appropriate for a general practice, not urgent care or ER:

Chronic problems such as recurrent ear or skin infections
A minor limp that isn't progressively worsening
Annual Bloodwork (recommended for all pets ages 7 years and older)
Annual vaccines (some vaccines are annual, some are up to every 3 years)
New puppy or kitten exams
New lumps or bumps that aren't progressively getting bigger over a few days
Known lumps or bumps that are changing
Appointments for medication refills that require bloodwork (for example, chronic 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