Emergency & Critical Care

When your pet has an emergency situation and your family veterinarian is not available, the team of doctors and technicians at Santa Cruz Veterinary Emergency Service are ready to assist you. The emergency service also provides continuous monitoring for patients requiring intensive care, ensuring your pet’s care and comfort after major surgery, illness, or trauma.

It is sometimes difficult to determine if your pet is in crisis and a phone call to our hospital may help ease your mind or provide information to help you make a decision.  However, if you are concerned enough to call us, it is usually best to bring in your pet for a visit. Waiting until the morning for a visit to the vet in some cases may not be the best choice for your pets' well being. Starting treatment sooner may decrease recovery time or even save a life.  If your pet needs immediate surgery or a consultation with one of our specialists, our emergency veterinarians have the ability to consult with them over the phone and may transfer your pet’s care to the specialist immediately if needed.

In an emergency, you want to know that your pet is cared for by an experienced doctor. At SCVH, we are proud to assure the quality of care by hiring experienced emergency doctors. The emergency doctors work closely with the specialty referral practice and with your family veterinarian to provide continuous care.

The veterinary technicians who work in the Intensive Care Unit are responsible for the care and comfort of critically ill and debilitated animals. Most of these highly trained nurses are licensed Registered Veterinary Technicians. RVT’s have had between two and four years in an intensive certificate program and have completed an examination required for licensure.