Signs of Emergency
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Cat with open mouth breathing
Blue, purple, yellow, or pale gums and tongue
Trouble breathing/severe coughing
Severe bleeding. Small pin point or large bruising.
Ingestion of a foreign body
Trauma (car accident, fall, attack)
Lacerations
Signs of extreme discomfort
Acute lameness
Eye trauma or acute blindness
Inability to move legs or weakness of limbs
Distended, or painful abdomen
Difficulty urinating or urinating blood
Severe vomiting, diarrhea or unproductive retching
Seizures or tremors
Unusual and erratic behavior
Sudden collapse
Diabetic emergencies
Uncontrollable itching/hives/allergic reactions
Neonatal emergencies
Suspect poisoning, or toxicities (i.e. rat bait, anti-freeze, medication…) ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Difficulty delivering puppies or kittens
Our Triage Rule
Our veterinary emergency center treats the most critically ill or seriously injured patients first. Upon arrival at SAVS all pets are triaged by our experienced medical staff. Pets with emergencies are seen as they arrive at SAVS and served based on the severity of the condition or injury. If your pet has life-threatening needs, they will be seen immediately.
Our Relationship with your Family’s Veterinarian
Keeping your family veterinarian informed is important to us. To ensure continuity of care, your family veterinarian will be updated of your pet’s visit to our hospital. The attending doctor will contact your regular veterinarian upon discharge to notify them of your visit, and we remain available to them even after your pet’s stay with us is completed. We will also fax your pets medical records. Upon discharge from SAVS you will be provided with discharge instructions, medications if needed and recommendations for follow-up care. Our emergency staff is available for questions and concerns about your pet’s health. We understand that it takes much more than just medical skill to fully care for animals, it takes compassion and dedication. We care about that one special pet – yours.Meet Our Emergency Doctors
Luise King, DVM
Raj Joshi, DVM
Gordon, Cynthia, DVM
Haley Violetta, DVM
Haverley Coy, DVM
Meet Our Interns
Jay Tuttle, DVM
Belen Castillon, DVM
Our Specialists
When your pet needs advanced diagnostics or procedures, your family veterinarian may refer you to a specialist. At Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, we continually strive for seamless continuity of care from your family veterinarian to any veterinary doctors involved in the care of your pet.