Signs of Emergency
- 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
Chelsie Barrett-Narito, DVM
Vera Tucker, DVM
Luise King, DVM
James Crawford, DVM
Jenifer Nix, BVSc
Natalia Mikhaleva, BVSc
Lorenso Escobar, DVM
Tracy Young, 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.