We do not see emergencies at any time
We understand how scary it is to have a pet in an emergency situation. While we are not equipped to handle any emergencies due to not having the equipment or facilities necessary to treat seriously ill pets, we can still help our patients get the care they need. We have built relationships with local general practices, emergency clinics, and specialty hospitals so that when your pet is sick beyond our capabilities to treat them, they still get the care they need.
Your pet’s complete records since June 2021 are available through your pet portal. Prior to that, you were emailed a complete history and lab results from each visit, which hopefully you saved! We can email records prior to June 2021 during our regular business hours.
If you do take your pet to an emergency veterinarian, please let us know ASAP. We always want to know how our patients are doing, and follow up with you for their continued care. If you have any questions about your pet’s care elsewhere, ask us. We are always here for our patients and clients because that’s what Family does
Pet Emergency Transport Service
Pet EMT Animal Ambulance and Transport Service can help you arrange transportation for your pet to an emergency vet. They come from Raleigh and are open 24/7. The service costs at least $300 depending on the time of day, the size of your pet, whether oxygen is needed, your specific location, and where you are transporting the pet. Their phone number is (919) 876-3788.
Emergency Clinics are Slammed
Through no fault of their own, emergency clinics have been faced with a serious increased demand for services combined with a shortage of emergency veterinarians and technicians. This has resulted in many clinics having to close their availability on a temporary basis so the patients they have already accepted get the care they need. Other clinics experience extremely long wait times often exceeding 5 hours or more. Your pet will be triaged and admitted according to how serious their condition is. You may be bumped back in line numerous times if your pet’s condition is relatively stable as more critical patients arrive.
Call Ahead, Be Patient!
We can’t stress either of the above enough. Veterinarians have a moral, ethical, and legal duty to provide our best care to those patients we have already accepted. Our promise is that if we take on a patient, we will do everything in our power to ensure that pet gets excellent medical attention. Sometimes that means we just can’t do any more without compromising patient care.
We are all doing the best we can under extremely challenging circumstances. Please be your kind, compassionate selves when at the emergency clinics. We all know emergency situations are extremely frustrating and scary, but yelling, cussing, and threatening our colleagues is not going to help you or your pet. Thank you.
Emergency Situations
Examples of signs that indicate an emergency. Emergency means dropping what you are doing right now and going to the nearest open veterinary facility.
- Trauma, such as being hit by a car
- Trouble breathing, or breathing too fast
- Animal attack
- Collapse, fainting, stroke or anything similar
- Heat exhaustion or heat stroke
- Eye injuries or infections
- Constipation or struggling to have a bowel movement
- Straining to urinate, inability to urinate, or small frequent urinations
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea, especially if the pet is sick and/or unvaccinated
- Decreased appetite of more than 24 hours
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Swollen tongue or face
- Dehydration
- Anything painful
- Labor for more than 2 hours without producing a puppy or kitten
- Seizures lasting more than 2 minutes, or 2 or more seizures within 24 hours
- Changes in mental status, such as “spacey” or stupor, or severe personality changes like aggression
- Eating anything poisonous or toxic including all human drugs, legal or not. I promise, we do not tell! List of poisons found here.
- Snake bite
- Bloated abdomen
- Blood in urine or stool
- Unable to get up or move around
Our Preferred Emergency and Urgent Care Clinics
| Urgent Vets for Pets 110 Commerce Ave Southern Pines, NC 28387 910-621-7297 Directions Link 8a – 5:30p M-F Dogs and Cats Only Website | Truss Vet 720 Fenton Market Way Suite 150 Cary, NC 27511 919-621-7297 Directions Link 10a-10p (closed Sat) Dogs and Cats Only Website | Veterinary Emergency Care 6910 Carpenter Fire Station Rd Cary, NC 27519 919-605-6300 Directions Link Open 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Only Website |
| Triangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic of Holly Springs 2120 Werrington Holly Springs, NC 27540 919-973-5620 Directions Link 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Only Website | Small Animal Emergency Services 5091 U.S. HWY 1 N Vass, NC 28394 910-246-0405 Directions Link Weeknights 6p-8a, Fri 6p-Mon 8a 24 hours on holidays Dogs and Cats Only Website | BluePearl Cary 6405-100 Tryon Rd Cary, NC 27518 919-233-4911 Directions Link 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Onlu Website |
| Animal Emergency and Urgent Care 409 Vick Ave Raleigh, NC 27612 919-781-5145 Directions Link 24/7/365 SEES EXOTICS! Website | Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital of Durham 608 Morreene Rd Durham, NC 27705 919-489-0615 Directions Link 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Only Website | Points East Veterinary Emergency Hospital 1731 Convoy Lane Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-864-2844 Directions Link 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Only Website |
| BluePearl of Durham 7015 NC-751 Durham, NC 27707 919-600-6600 Directions Link 24/7/365 Dogs and Cats Only Website | UrgentVet- Chapel Hill 1748 Forham Blvd, Suite 161 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 984-261-2323 Directions Link M-F 3p-11p Sat, Sun, Holidays 10a-8p Dogs and Cats Only Website | UrgentVet- Cary 8204 Tryon Woods Dr Cary, NC 27518 984-345-5151 Directions Link M-F 3p-11p Sat, Sun, Holidays 10a-8p Dogs and Cats Only Website |
The bottom line is that if you think it is an emergency, it probably is. Better to be safe than sorry.
Euthanasia
Euthanasia
Family Veterinary Mobile Clinic only provides planned euthanasia services for patients currently under our care during regular business hours.
In the Sanford area, we can recommend Lap of Love. Their phone number is (919) 439-5922 and their email address is TheTriangle@LapofLove.com
In the Southern Pines areas, we recommend Peak Performance Mobile Veterinary Service. Dr. Commerford’s phone number is (910)225-4838 and her email address is peakperformancevet@gmail.com