Our hospital is open 24 hours a day and is managed by experienced emergency and critical care (ECC) veterinarians to help your pet when an emergency arises.
Our team has access to:
- 24 hour dedicated Intensive Care Unit with mechanical ventilator support
- A full in-house laboratory
- Advanced imaging suite
- Three fully equipped dedicated surgical theatres
- Comprehensively stocked onsite pharmacy
Our emergency service is managed by our ECC Specialist, Dr Patricia Rosenstein. If your pet requires further treatment by an ARH specialist or consultant after visiting our emergency service, our emergency team will work hand in hand with them and your local vet to ensure a seamless approach to your pet’s care.
Upon arrival at ARH Homebush, patients are triaged so cases are seen in order of importance, not necessarily in order of arrival. You will be asked to fill in paperwork with information about yourself and your pet. An experienced emergency and critical care (ECC) veterinarian will discuss your pet’s history and outline your treatment options and approximate costs for procedures.
If your pet is admitted to hospital for treatment you will be asked to sign a consent form and leave a minimum deposit of 50% of the estimated costs, in order for treatment to proceed.
Your ECC veterinarian will keep in touch with you during the course of your pet’s stay in hospital. If ongoing care is necessary following emergency treatment your pet will typically return to your regular veterinarian. If your pet requires further treatment by an ARH specialist or consultant we will work closely with your veterinarian to ensure a coordinated approach to your pet’s care.
An emergency for your pet may include sudden illness, not eating, vomiting, heavy breathing, rapid breathing, seizures or collapse.
Accidents can also happen at any time of the day or night, such as your pet being hit by a car, sustaining an injury at the park, being in a fight with another cat or dog, snake bite, tick paralysis, or ingestion of a poison. Our veterinary team are highly trained in these specific areas of emergency medicine.
Poisonings in pets may include, but are not limited to, chocolate, grapes, anti-inflammatory medications such as Nurofen, other human medications, illicit drugs, snail bait, rat bait, macadamia nuts, or rotten food / rubbish to name a few. If you are concerned about any sudden or urgent condition, please contact us or come straight to the hospital.
Conditions which may require emergency assessment and treatment are listed below. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and if you are worried about your pet’s health you should contact your local vet during business hours or our emergency service after hours:
- Snake bite or suspected snake bite
- Sudden collapse
- Unconsciousness
- Seizures
- Difficulty breathing
- Vehicular trauma
- Ingestion of a poisonous substance
- Severe pain or lameness, including suspected fractured bones
- Severe bleeding or bleeding that lasts more than a few minutes
- Suspected over-heating or heat stroke
- Inability to urinate or defaecate
- Continued coughing, gagging or retching
- Ataxia or paralysis
- Continued vomiting or diarrhoea
- Refusal to eat or drink for more than 24-hours
- Eye injuries
- Difficulty whelping or giving birth
You don’t need a referral or appointment to attend ARH emergency outside of regular veterinarian hours. Please phone us anytime day or night or proceed directly to the hospital.