Emergency Vet in Jackson

North Madison Animal Hospital provides emergency and urgent veterinary care for cats and dogs during our regular clinic hours. It's always best to contact us in advance if you can, but we understand that in emergencies that's not always possible. 

If we are unable to fit your pet into our schedule, we recommend that you visit the after-hours emergency vet location shown above.

Our veterinarians see emergency cases during our regular business hours:

The following situations are examples of emergencies that require immediate care:

• Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop
• Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
• Choking, difficulty breathing, or continuous coughing/gagging
• Fractured bones or severe lameness
• Seizures and/or staggering
• Bleeding from the nose, mouth, rectum, or blood in the urine
• Inability to urinate or pass feces, or pain associated with urinating or passing feces
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea; 2+ episodes in 24-hours
• Injuries to the eye(s)
• Your pet has ingested something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
• Heat stress or heatstroke
• Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
• Unconsciousness

Our Jackson animal hospital is just like a human doctor's office—it can be unpredictable, and you may have to wait. 

We cannot predict what cases we will see and when they will arrive. If possible, call ahead to find out whether we can provide emergency care for your dog or cat.

If we are unable to fit an emergency appointment into our vet's schedule, we recommend that you visit the 24/7 animal emergency hospital detailed above.

Some veterinary emergencies require intensive overnight care. At North Madison Animal Hospital we provide overnight care for animals in need.

While in our care, our dedicated team will treat your pet as if they were our own.

Our emergency veterinarians are able to provide urgent medical care to cats, dogs and exotics animals such as birds and rodents.

Our veterinary team is also licensed to basic medical services to wildlife in urgent situations. Call ahead if you are looking for veterinary care for wildlife to ensure we have the capacity to provide treatment.

These are the most common reasons people visit an emergency veterinarian:

• Trauma or Injuries: When a cat or dog injures themselves, gets hit by a car, or gets bit by another animal, it makes sense to get them to the nearest emergency vet hospital as soon as possible. The sooner a wound can be treated, the better the outcome.
• Toxin Ingestion: If you know your pet has eaten something potentially toxic to them, take them to the emergency vet so they can work to get the toxin out before it wreaks havoc on their internal systems. 
• Collapse/Loss of Consciousness: While loss of consciousness or collapsing can indicate your pet has ingested something toxic, it can also be indicative of heart disease, respiratory disease, internal bleeding, or even something going on in their brain. If your pet falls unconscious, or can't get up, it's best to take them to an emergency veterinarian for diagnostic testing.
• Vomiting and Diarrhea: Vomiting and diarrhea that lasts more than 24 hours could be a signal of something serious such as a gastrointestinal obstruction, or a metabolic disease. Additionally, these symptoms can lead to dehydration, which can cause a whole separate host of problems in your pet.
• Difficulty Breathing: If your pet is wheezing, choking, or has weak and raspy breathing, shallow breathing or coughing, you may want to take them to an emergency vet. In cats, open-mouth breathing is also a concern. Breathing difficulties can result from foreign bodies in the throat, allergic reactions, asthma, heart disease or lung disease. 
• Inability to Urinate: If you notice your dog or cat is not producing any urine, is straining to urinate, or has blood in their urine, go to see your vet as soon as possible. It may be a sign that your pet has an infection, or crystals/stones, or even a blockage.
• Seizures: Seizures don't always look like they do in the movies. While some are the full-body thrashing you may have heard of, some other symptoms include muscle spasms or twitching, drooling, loss of consciousness, and unusual eye movements. Regardless, they can be a clear indicator that something is going on in your pet's brain. They can be triggered by intra-cranial problems (such as epilepsy, brain tumors, or brain swelling) or extra-cranial problems (such as low blood sugar, electrolyte disturbances, etc).
• Allergic Reactions: Some people take their pet to an emergency veterinarian when their dog or cat starts swelling up after a bee sting, or when they have a mysterious rash. These situations are rarely life-threatening, but still, anyone who is worried about their pet should bring them in for a checkup.
• Obvious Signs of Pain: If your dog or cat randomly starts limping, or they're showing obvious signs of pain in any other way such as swelling or pawing at a part of their body, it might be time to see an emergency veterinarian.