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24-Hour Animal Emergency and Critical Care Service

If you’re experiencing an emergency situation, please call 518-783-3198 for immediate assistance.

The demand for veterinary emergency services is at an all-time high. To provide our community with the best care, we’ve partnered with professional veterinary services to assist our caseload. We encourage pet owners to review these additional resources for urgent or emergency services before visiting our hospital.

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About Emergency:

The UVS emergency service is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to a full complement of emergency doctors, our emergency and critical care service is supported by licensed veterinary technicians, assistants, and client relations staff to maintain the highest level of patient care. Our emergency department triages and treats critical cases 24/7, as well as maintains and manages the care of hospitalized patients from our specialty services.

We understand that bringing your pet to the emergency hospital can be a stressful event, and we will do our best to assist you through the process. At UVS, we treat all clients like family and strive to provide compassionate, high-quality care during your visit.

Emergency Triage & Evaluation:

Pets with life-threatening conditions will be brought back immediately to the ICU for assessment. For pets who are not critically ill, a medical staff member will assess the severity of their condition and assign a degree of urgency.

Our goal is to see pets in the order they arrive; however, priority will be given to pets with more life-threatening conditions. This includes pets already hospitalized and/or pets who arrive after yours. If your pet does not require urgent medical attention, you will be seen by the first available doctor. Depending on the triage of your pet, wait times will vary and may be longer during high volume times.

Following triage, you will be asked to submit an emergency & critical care new client form along with any available medical records from your veterinarian.

Continuation of Care:

In both walk-in emergencies and emergency direct transfers, we recognize that frequent communication is essential in ensuring the best possible medical care. If your pet presents to the emergency service, your primary care veterinarian will be immediately notified of your pet’s admittance. Continued care is discussed between you and your primary care veterinarian. Once discharged, you will be provided with detailed discharge instructions, and a copy of your pet’s case report is sent to your primary veterinarian. Any additional follow-up care is with your primary care veterinarian.

Hospitalization:

At Upstate Veterinary Specialties, we recognize that it is difficult to be away from your pet when s/he is sick or hospitalized. We have veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians caring for your pet 24/7. You are welcome to visit your pet while hospitalized; however, we ask that you call in advance to schedule a visit. Visits are limited to 30 minutes twice daily. While your pet is hospitalized, you will receive an update from your doctor or a service staff member daily. UVS will alert you immediately if there is a vital change in your pet’s condition.