Skip to Primary Content

Bulger Veterinary Hospital

A dog walking on a beach and carrying a large branch in their motuh

Emergency/Critical Care

Our Emergency and Critical Care team is on site 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our emergency and critical care veterinarians are highly specialized in the treatment of patients who have sustained trauma, are critically ill, and require intensive, critical care. We also treat minor emergencies and provide care for patients in need of medical attention when your family vet is not available.

Patients are never left unattended in our ICU; you can rest assured that as your pet recovers, he or she will be cared for at all times.

What to do in an Emergency

CALL OR COME IN:

We are open on holidays and weekends.

What to Do if You Suspect Your Pet Has Eaten Something Toxic

POISON CONTROL CENTERS:

Gather up any packaging or remains of anything that was eaten or suspected as having been eaten! This step will help speed up the diagnosis. Please don’t be shy; if it was marijuana or any other embarrassing (or illicit) product, please be honest with our team about it; it will speed up diagnosis and treatmentThe team in our emergency and critical care department work with other specialists and your primary care veterinarian to provide the comprehensive care your pet needs. Our emergency veterinarians and critical care specialists have extensive training in a complete range of emergency and critical care services and are supported by a team of experienced veterinary technicians.

Your family veterinarian may refer you to an emergency or critical care doctor for diagnosis and ongoing support of many conditions, including, but not limited to:

Diagnostics

  • Radiography (X-Rays)

  • Ultrasound

  • CT

Emergency Services

  • Comprehensive Emergency Medical Exam

  • Surgical Services through Emergency/Critical Care

  • Acute pain

  • Continuous EKG monitoring

  • Dystocia management (difficulty giving birth)

  • Full cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) including defibrillation

  • Infectious diseases

  • Kidney and liver disease

  • Neurologic problems

  • Peritonitis

  • Pneumonia and lung disease

  • Severe pancreatitis

  • Severe gastrointestinal emergencies (bloat)

  • Sepsis management

  • Seizure management

  • Toxicosis or poisonings

  • Trauma

  • Trouble breathing

  • Trouble walking

  • Trouble urinating

PET-SPECIFIC FIRST AID KIT:

We recommend that you keep a pet-specific first aid kit in your car as a best practice, just as you would a human-first aid kit.  Click the link for a printable PDF. Keep the print out in your kit for when you need to restock.

Helpful Links

First Aid Kit Checklist

  • Pet Backpack or lunchbox

    • Place all the following items inside and remember to restock

  • Phone Numbers:

    • Your regular veterinarian, the closest emergency room, and Poison Control: (888) 426-4435

  • A spare leash

  • Self-cling bandage

  • Muzzle

  • Gauze pads

  • Gauze

  • Bandage tape

  • Ice pack

  • Cotton balls

  • Scissors

  • Saline solution

  • Tweezers

  • Rectal thermometer

  • Disposable gloves

  • Blanket

  • Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

    • (If approved by a veterinarian)

  • Styptic powder (Kwik Stop)

  • Nail clippers

  • Flashlight

  • Rubbing alcohol

    • (To clean the thermometer)

  • Your pet's paperwork

    • Rabies certificate, Important Medical Records

Meet Our Emergency and Critical Care Team