animal er vets littleton co Animal ER along with Colorado Vet Specialists is a 24 hour emergency and critical care facility, working with your regular veterinarian to provide urgent and extended care for your pet.

Board certified specialists are available at all times for consultation and emergency surgery.
Treatment and monitoring of post-operative and critical care patients.
Experienced with aggressive pain management.
Advanced diagnostics available.
On-site blood bank.

When do you call Animal ER?

You have a concern about your pet after your veterination's office has closed.
Your pet needs advanced life support equipment such as continuous oxygen administration, ECG monitoring, drug infusion, or transfusion.
Your pet needs continual critical-care monitoring due to the severity of his or her medical condition
You prefer that your pet have overnight post-surgical or post-anesthetic monitoring for complications and/or pain management.
Your pet is recovering slowly from surgery or anesthesia and your veterinarian recommends overnight monitoring for his/her safety.
Your pet needs immediate laboratory tests performed to facilitate diagnosis and patient care.
You would like to have an advanced diagnostic procedure such as ultrasound or endoscopy performed.
Your pet requires a surgical procedure when your regular veterinarian is unavailable.

How to recognize an emergency…

You know your pet better than anyone. However, pets are good at hiding pain and signs of illness. Here are some signs to watch for that may indicate your pet should be seen by a veterinarian:

A dramatic increase in respiratory rate (panting)
Changes in gum color, from healthy pink to white, yellow, gray or purple
Unusual changes in behavior, such as aggression or unresponsiveness, weakness or depression
Dramatic shifts in appetite, thirst, or weight; loss of appetite
Unusual urination or stools, can't urinate, diarrhea
Vomiting
High fever
Can't walk
Sudden inability to use limbs
Visible trauma
Bleeding
Protracted or repeated seizure

What to do in an emergency…

Do not panic – remain calm.
Protect yourself from injury – pets in pain may scratch or bite. You may want to carefully wrap a large towel around your pet.
If there is a chance of back or neck injury, carefully place the pet on a wooden board or padded ironing board and minimize movement during transportation.
Apply direct pressure to any area with active bleeding.
In case of possible poisoning, seek immediate treatment and bring any product packaging.
Call your family veterinarian for advice in any possible emergency situation.
Call Animal ER (720) 283-9348 for information and instructions.

For your pet's safety, please post our number for future reference. In some emergency situations, minutes may count. We welcome any questions concerning your pet’s health. Our experienced staff is available around the clock to assist you.

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Emergency FAQs

We realize this may be a stressful time for you and your pet and we will do everything we can to put your concerns at ease. If you do not find the answers you seek here, please contact us.

Will my pet be seen immediately?
How is emergency care different from regular Veterinary care?
How much will emergency treatment cost?
Is emergency care more expensive?
Are there guaranteed results?
If I leave my pet, when do I pick him/her up?

Will my pet be seen immediately?

emergency vet littleton area In general, patients are seen on a first come, first served basis. More life-threatening cases, however, must take priority over others.

If you feel your pet’s condition is life-threatening, please notify us immediately and the doctor will perform an examination without delay. As this exam is conducted in the treatment area, you will not be present with your pet. The doctor will, however, meet with you to discuss findings and arrange a treatment plan. If your pet is in critical condition, you may be asked to sign a release allowing immediate treatment. Although we are often able to meet with clients immediately, the unpredictable nature and severity of emergency cases may at times create delays, just as in human emergency rooms. Unlike a regular veterinary hospital, we cannot “schedule” our appointments.

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How is emergency care different from regular Veterinary care?

Emergency care is available at times when regular veterinary hospitals are not open. As it is impossible for a daytime veterinarian and his or her staff to provide service around the clock, a centralized emergency center allows for intensive after-hours care by a specially trained staff with extensive equipment. Veterinarians referring cases to Animal ER when they want their clients’ pets to receive the best possible after-hours care. Animal ER, however, cannot replace the valued relationship you have with your regular family veterinarian. After initial treatment, all follow-up care will be done by your family veterinarian unless requested otherwise.

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How much will emergency treatment cost?

A doctor must perform a thorough physical exam before he or she can determine what treatment, if any, is recommended. There will be an initial exam fee. Following the exam, you will receive an estimate for the treatment plan that the doctor recommends for your pet. Upon approval, you will be required to leave a deposit in the form of cash, ATM, check or charge card for the low end of the estimate. Please feel free to ask questions if you do not understand any aspect of the estimate or treatment plan. We want your pet to receive the best possible medical care.

*Price as of December 1, 2009 and is subject to change. An additional fee is charged for emergency visits on holidays.

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Is emergency care more expensive?

Just like a human emergency room or trauma center, a modern veterinary emergency center requires more extensive equipment than found in a typical daytime practice. Our hospital is able to provide ultrasound, endoscopy, blood gas monitoring, ultrasonic blood pressures, oxygen therapy, advanced surgery, and much more. As an emergency center requires immediate blood test results, our hospital has also invested in an extensive on-site laboratory. In addition, operating an emergency center requires a uniquely trained staff working long and difficult hours. As a result, the overhead in operating an emergency center is greater than a normal veterinary hospital. This is reflected in fees which may be somewhat higher than your regular veterinarian, but are comparable with all other emergency centers. Our hospital prides itself on providing an excellent value in convenient, high-quality emergency care for your pet.

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Are there guaranteed results?

The problems and diseases that affect animals are at times difficult and complex, especially since we cannot talk to our patients.

Unlike a car mechanic or telephone-repair person, neither a human doctor nor a veterinarian can provide a guarantee that a specific test will diagnose a problem or that a recommended treatment plan will be successful. We will, however, make every effort to select tests and treatments that are most likely to be helpful to your pet.

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If I leave my pet, when do I pick him/her up?

If the doctor recommends that the pet be hospitalized due to his or her medical condition, you will need to make plans to pick up your pet for its return home or transfer to your regular veterinarian. The doctor should inform you as to an expected time of release. As the emergency doctor may be unexpectedly busy, we rely on you to call for periodic progress updates. We will, however, contact you at any hour if your pet’s condition should decline unexpectedly. Please provide us with an accurate phone number, and keep a phone by the bed at night.