Emergency Care

Emergency Care in Pacific Grove, CA

When your pet is sick or injured, the clock feels like it is ticking faster. You need answers, you need compassion, and you need medical expertise you can trust right away. Pacific Grove Animal Hospital provides prompt, thorough emergency care during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, including during the lunch hour.

Understanding Emergency Care

Emergency care is for critical, life-threatening crises that need immediate attention. Examples include severe trauma, such as being hit by a car, difficulty breathing, sudden collapse, active seizures, or swallowing a known toxin.

We see these emergencies, stabilize your pet, and triage whether they need to go on to a 24-hour emergency clinic for continued care. Our care bridges the gap between routine wellness visits and overnight emergency hospital care.

We provide emergency and urgent care during business hours only. If your pet has an emergency after hours or on the weekend, please contact the closest 24-hour emergency hospital; we work with three local 24-hour emergency clinics.

What to Expect When Your Pet Has an Emergency

Our goal is to make a frightening situation as smooth and transparent as possible.

Call Us First

If your pet is showing signs of distress, please call us immediately at (831) 318-0306. A member of our medical team will assess your pet’s symptoms over the phone and direct you to the safest care option, and we can prepare for your arrival.

Rapid Evaluation

When you arrive, our veterinary team quickly evaluates your pet to make sure they are stable. If your pet is in distress, stabilizing them comes first.

Diagnostics in Real Time

Digital X-rays, ultrasound, and our in-house laboratory help us get accurate answers quickly, so treatment can begin without delay.

A Clear Plan and Next Steps

Once we pinpoint the problem, we map out a clear, transparent treatment plan and keep you informed every step of the way. If your pet needs overnight or round-the-clock care, we will tell you and help you take the next step.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

Animals are experts at hiding pain and discomfort. By the time they show outward signs, an underlying problem has often already progressed, so prompt care can make a real difference.

Protects Your Pet’s Life and Comfort

Fast treatment of trauma, breathing problems, and toxin exposure gives your pet the best chance of recovery and relieves pain sooner.

Reduces Complications

Seeking care at the first sign of trouble helps limit complications and can shorten recovery time.

Peace of Mind

Our team communicates clearly and answers your questions, so you are never left wondering what comes next.

Signs Your Pet Needs Emergency Care

Call us right away during business hours, or contact the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital after hours, if your pet has:

• Severe trauma, such as being hit by a car or a serious fall
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden collapse or inability to stand
• Active seizures
• Swallowed a known toxin or a foreign object
• Uncontrolled bleeding

For problems that need attention today but are not life-threatening, such as vomiting, limping, or ear discomfort, see our urgent care page.

Be Prepared Before an Emergency Happens

Keep our number saved in your phone and know where your closest 24-hour emergency hospital is before you need it. In an emergency, keep your pet as calm and still as you can, use a carrier or a blanket to move small pets, and bring any packaging if your pet swallowed something toxic.

Practice Highlights

• Emergencies Seen During Business Hours: Open through lunch, Monday through Friday
• Phone Triage: Our medical team helps you choose the safest care option
• On-Site Diagnostics: Digital X-rays, ultrasound, and an in-house laboratory
• Voted Best Vet in Monterey County by Monterey Weekly six years in a row
• Flexible Payment: All major credit cards, cash, CareCredit, and Cherry; Trupanion billed directly