Saturday — Urgent and Emergency Care
Groat Veterinary Centre stays open on Saturdays to address urgent concerns, including suspected toxin exposure or poisoning, injuries, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy and many more conditions in pets. Same-day appointments available.
Common urgent concerns (general)
- Sudden collapse, loss of consciousness, or inability to walk
- Severe respiratory distress (labored breathing, coughing hard, blue-tinged gums)
- Seizures or severe tremors
- Severe bleeding or deep wound
- Suspected poisoning or toxin ingestion (chemicals, plants, foods like chocolate, ingang from unknown substances)
- Inability to swallow or persistent drooling with drooping face
- Sudden, severe pain or vocalizing, reluctance to move
Gastrointestinal or ingestion concerns
- Vomiting that continues for more than 12–24 hours, or vomiting with blood
- Diarrhea with blood, dehydration, or signs of shock
- Inability to keep water down, repeated vomiting with lethargy
- Suspected ingestion of toxic substances (pesticides, antifreeze, cleaning products, lilies in cats, rich foods)
Neurologic and behavioral
- Acute disorientation, confusion, stumbling, head tilt, circling
- Severe weakness or collapse
- Sudden behavior changes with aggression or self-harm risk
- Eye changes: sudden squinting, dilated pupils, blindness, severe redness
Respiratory and airway
Persistent coughing, wheezing, open-mouth breathing in cats. Acute asthma-like episode, rapid breathing, blue gums. Choking or gagging, inability to breathe.
Urinary and reproductive
- Straining to urinate with little or no urine output (risk of bladder obstruction, especially in males)
- Blood in urine or severe abdominal pain
- Pregnancy complications or postpartum emergencies (e.g., dystocia in dogs/cats)
Musculoskeletal and trauma
- Major trauma from accident (hit by car, fall from height)
- Suspected fracture, inability to bear weight
- Severe limping with swelling or deformity
- Passive or vocal signs of extreme pain after an event
Systemic and metabolic
- Collapse due to unknown cause, extreme weakness
- Facial swelling, hives, facial swelling post-injection (possible anaphylaxis)
- Severe dehydration or sunken eyes, tacky gums with lethargy
- Heat stroke (excessive panting, vomiting, collapse in hot conditions)
Puppy/kitten-specific concerns
- Inability to nurse, persistent vomiting in young puppies/kittens
- Diarrhea with dehydration in young animals
- Suspected parvovirus signs (vomiting, bloody diarrhea, lethargy)
- Bloat signs (distended abdomen, retching without producing vomit)
Quick-reference cues
Immediate life-threatening
collapse, unresponsive, severe trouble breathing, seizures, heavy bleeding, suspected poisoning with rapid decline.
Potentially urgent
continuous vomiting/diarrhea with dehydration, inability to urinate, severe pain, significant trauma, suspected toxin exposure.
Urgent but less critical
persistent vomiting but stable, moderate lameness with swelling, eye/eye discharge with pain.
If your pet is critical and needs extended critical care we are happy to refer to a 24 hr clinic.
Call (587) 557-1755If your pet is critical and needs extended critical care we are happy to refer to a 24 hr clinic.
