Accessible Vet Clinic for Emergency Veterinary Care

At PetNation, we offer a comprehensive range of emergency services for cats and dogs, designed to address urgent and serious medical needs. Our team is dedicated to providing immediate, compassionate, and professional care to ensure your beloved companion receives the best possible treatment, no matter the time or situation.

Emergency Examinations & Triage: Our emergency team is trained to quickly assess your pet’s condition, prioritize the most critical needs, and begin treatment without delay. From the moment you arrive, we focus on identifying life-threatening issues and providing immediate support.

Stabilization & Critical Care: For seriously ill or injured pets, stabilization comes first. Urgent care bridges the gap between routine checkups and full emergency intervention. Our team responds quickly to sudden changes in health, whether it’s a sudden illness, injury, or distressing symptoms that can’t wait. We provide immediate assessment, supportive treatment, and close monitoring to restore stability and comfort. With on-site diagnostics and a flexible approach, we adapt care to each patient’s needs, ensuring timely, compassionate support when it matters most.

Advanced Diagnostic: Our facility is equipped with on-site diagnostic tools, including X-rays, Computed Tomography (CT), ultrasounds, and laboratory testing. These allow us to quickly assess injuries, organ function, infections, and other underlying medical conditions for accurate and timely treatment.

Emergency Surgery: When urgent surgical intervention is required, our veterinary team is prepared to act immediately. We perform emergency procedures such as wound repair, foreign body removal, and life-saving surgeries in our fully equipped facility, ensuring timely and effective care.

Advanced Medical Care: We treat sudden illnesses such as respiratory distress, gastrointestinal issues, toxin ingestion, and metabolic disorders. Our team is experienced in managing acute conditions like seizures, heart complications, and severe allergic reactions to provide life-saving interventions.

Intensive Care Support: Pets requiring intensive support receive continuous monitoring and advanced treatments for life-threatening conditions. Our services include oxygen therapy, intravenous fluid administration, and specialized pain management to promote stabilization and recovery.

Referrals & Specialty Access: When your pet’s case requires advanced specialty care, we coordinate with trusted referral specialists to ensure a seamless transition and the best possible outcome for your pet. We can also work closely with your regular veterinarian, providing adjunct services and updates so your pet’s care remains supportive.

Pet parents should seek emergency veterinary care services when their pet shows signs of a sudden or severe medical issue that could pose a threat to their health or life. Recognizing the signs of an emergency and acting promptly is important in ensuring the best possible outcome for your beloved pet’s safety and well-being. Here are situations when a veterinary care emergency may be necessary:

Allergic Reactions/Anaphylaxis: Exposure to bee or wasp stings, vaccines, medications, or food allergens can trigger an allergic reaction. Signs include facial swelling, hives, vomiting, or collapse.

Breathing Problems: Difficulty breathing, rapid or laboured breathing, or wheezing may indicate respiratory distress and should not be ignored. Pets struggling to breathe may show signs such as gasping for air, flaring nostrils, blue or pale gums, or exaggerated chest movements.

Labour/Dystocia (Birthing Complications): Straining for more than 30 minutes without delivering a pup/kitten, or more than 2 hours between offspring, may indicate a complication. An emergency C-section may sometimes be required.

Trauma or Injury: Pets hit by a car, involved in a fall from a significant height, or experiencing blunt force trauma should be examined immediately by a veterinarian. Even if they appear fine externally, internal injuries may not be visible and could worsen without treatment.

Poisoning or Toxin Exposure: Ingestion of toxic substances such as chocolate, rodenticides, xylitol, grapes/raisins, human medications, antifreeze, or toxic plants (e.g., lilies in cats) can be life-threatening. Symptoms like drooling, vomiting, seizures, lethargy, or uncoordinated movements after exposure indicate an emergency. For most toxin exposures, we recommend calling a pet poison control hotline at 855-764-7661, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at 1-888-426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) at 800-213-6680, prior to or en route to the hospital. Their specialists provide case-specific guidance, which we use to direct treatment.

Seizures or Neurological Issues: Sudden seizures, whether isolated or recurrent, require urgent attention. Other neurological warning signs include loss of coordination, head tilting, disorientation, or an inability to stand properly.

Severe Vomiting or Diarrhea: Continuous vomiting or diarrhea, especially when blood is present, can rapidly lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. If a pet is unable to keep food or water down and appears weak, lethargic, or uninterested in normal activities, immediate veterinary care is essential.

Changes in Consciousness or Behaviour: Sudden loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, or fainting could signal a serious internal issue. Unusual aggression, extreme disorientation, sudden confusion, or acting abnormally withdrawn may indicate neurological distress, poisoning, or other underlying health emergencies.

Difficulty Urinating or Defecating: Straining to urinate with no output, especially in male cats, can indicate urinary blockage. If you see repeated trips to the litterbox without urine, or signs like pain, vocalization while urinating, or an inability to pass stool, we strongly recommend having your cat checked right away. A blocked bladder can become life-threatening within 6–12 hours, and most cats become critically ill within 24 hours without emergency treatment. Any urinary changes, like blood in the urine, should be treated as urgent. We recommend having your cat evaluated promptly.

Swelling or Bloating: A distended, firm abdomen, restlessness, excessive drooling, repeated unproductive vomiting attempts, or frequent stretching into a “pray pose” may signal gastric torsion (bloat). This is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate care to prevent further complications or death. While it can affect any dog, those with deep chests may be at higher risk.

Heatstroke or Hypothermia: Excessive panting, drooling, collapse, or lethargy due to extreme temperatures requires urgent cooling or warming measures. Unresponsiveness or disorientation from temperature-related conditions can quickly become life-threatening.

Signs of Pain or Distress: Crying, whimpering, excessive hiding, or avoidance of movement are indicators of severe pain. Limping, reluctance to stand, excessive licking of a specific area, or flinching when touched may suggest fractures, soft tissue injuries, or an underlying illness.

Weakness or Collapse: Sudden weakness, wobbliness, or complete collapse may result from serious conditions such as heart disease, internal bleeding, toxin exposure, or other severe health issues. If a pet suddenly becomes unable to walk or shows signs of extreme fatigue, immediate veterinary care is essential to determine the cause and administer appropriate treatment.

Eye Emergencies: Sudden blindness, proptosis (eye displacement), corneal ulcers, or acute glaucoma require immediate attention. Vision can be lost within hours without treatment. Call us right away.

CALL AHEAD or - if you suspect a life-threatening event - call on the way into the hospital if possible. 

We strongly encourage all PetParents to call us ahead (if possible) so we can immediately assess your pet’s situation and advise action accordingly. Depending on the situation, you may be asked to come in immediately for urgent cases, scheduled for a time slot within the next several hours if the condition allows, or advised to book a regular appointment if the issue is non-urgent, saving you time while ensuring your pet gets the care they need.

If you are not yet a PetNation member, please bring any available medical records, current medications, and other relevant health information about your pet. This helps us deliver the most efficient and effective care. You will be asked to become a Member as part of your first appointment. Membership is FREE and is part of the record setup.

Our top priority is to manage unexpected health concerns in a way that is best for your pet while remaining convenient for you. By streamlining the emergency process, we aim to reduce stress, minimize wait times, and provide the highest level of care, benefiting pets, PetParents, and our care team alike.

If your pet is in distress, stay gentle, keep them warm, and call us as you safely bring them in. Proper handling during transport helps your pet until they reach our care.

Unlike many other hospitals that offer emergency veterinary services, PetNation prioritizes an organized and highly efficient approach to urgent pet care. We strongly encourage all PetParents (Members or not) to CALL AHEAD (if possible) before coming to our facility. This simple but important step allows our dedicated team to assess your pet’s condition in real time, prepare for your arrival, and provide immediate, informed guidance on the best course of action for your beloved pet.

By calling ahead, you help us allocate the appropriate medical resources, minimize unnecessary wait times, and ensure that our emergency care team is fully prepared to meet your pet’s specific needs the very moment you walk through our doors. This preparation can make all the difference in critical situations.

As a trusted Toronto veterinary emergency hospital, we are committed to providing advanced emergency and specialty services, including state-of-the-art diagnostics, surgical intervention, and intensive care when needed. Our team of experienced veterinarians and compassionate support staff is highly trained to handle critical cases with professionalism, urgency, and clinical excellence. Whether it’s a sudden illness, accidental injury, or unexplained behaviour, you can rely on PetNation for fast, coordinated, and expert emergency care without exception.

PetNation is fully equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to ensure your pet receives precise, timely, and comprehensive care during emergencies. Our advanced medical technology allows for accurate assessments, enabling our veterinary team to make swift, informed medical decisions that can significantly impact your pet’s health and well-being in critical situations.

Advanced Imaging: Our cutting-edge imaging technologies, including CT scans, Echo Scans, and digital X-ray imaging, provide highly detailed and accurate views of your pet’s internal organs, bones, joints, and soft tissues. These advanced tools help our veterinarians quickly detect fractures, internal injuries, heart conditions, and other complex medical issues with precision and efficiency, supporting faster diagnosis and treatment planning.

Comprehensive In-House Diagnostic Laboratory: We proudly offer a full range of in-house laboratory services, including advanced bloodwork, urinalysis and specialized diagnostic tests. Our on-site lab delivers fast, reliable results, eliminating the delays associated with external labs and allowing our team to begin treatment sooner.

Comprehensive and Efficient Diagnosis: With all these diagnostic capabilities available under one roof, PetNation minimizes wait times and ensures that essential medical information is accessible without delay. This means faster care for your pet and peace of mind for you.

At PetNation, our commitment to advanced diagnostics ensures that your pet receives the best possible care, from routine assessments to life-saving emergency evaluations, all within a trusted, compassionate, and technologically advanced environment.