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• If your local veterinary clinic is open, please call them to see if the veterinarian is available to see your pet.

• You do not need to make an appointment for emergency services at BEVS.

• If your veterinarian is closed, it is not necessary to call BEVS in advance of your visit, however our staff may be able to provide you with information to decide if your pet needs to be seen immediately and what to expect when you arrive at the hospital.

• The health of your pet is very important to us, but sometimes there will be a significant wait to see a doctor. Upon arrival, a nurse will triage patients in the lobby.

• All pets are seen in order of arrival unless our nurses determine that the condition of a pet is critical and that they require immediate attention.

• Pets with severe illnesses or injuries may need to have life-saving procedures (such as blood testing and oxygen administration) started immediately with your permission before the doctor is able to speak with you.

• Please understand that emergency hospitals can be very busy. There are often many patients hospitalized and medical and surgical procedures going on in the hospital in addition to new patients waiting to be seen.

• BEVS’ diagnostic equipment gives our staff the capability to run diagnostic blood tests at any hour.

• Our machines can check cell counts, metabolic profiles, and clotting times. Blood tests are used to look for signs of infection, evaluate organ function, and detect the effects of some toxins.

• We can also evaluate urine and fecal samples to look for infection and help evaluate organ function.

• BEVS’ state of the art digital radiography system makes X-ray images immediately available, reducing the need for many of our patients to be sedated for the procedure.

• The images are used to look for broken bones or other injuries, evaluate the heart and lungs, and see if your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have!

• X-ray images are copied onto a CD for you to share with your local veterinarian.

• Emergency doctors may be able to utilize ultrasound to identify fluid in body compartments or look for large tumors.

• Complete ultrasounds are available through the internal medicine service during weekday hours.

• The doctors at BEVS are able to perform emergency surgeries including wound repair, caesarian section, intestinal foreign body removal, and other abdominal exploratory surgeries.

• Non-emergency surgeries may be referred to your regular veterinarian or a board certified surgeon during the week.

• A doctor and certified technician are on staff at all times. No pet is ever left unattended.

• Hospitalized patients are kept in cages with blankets, IV fluids, oxygen, food and water if appropriate.

• Critical patients are kept in sight of the staff at all times.

• All patients are continuously monitored and are regularly evaluated by doctors.

• Since we are open 24 hours, doctors and nurses have rounds at shift changes to inform the next group of staff about the hospitalized patients. You may speak with multiple doctors and nurses during your pet’s stay.

• Transfusion therapy (blood and plasma)

• Foreign body endoscopic retrieval

• Blood pressure monitoring

• Electrocardiography

• Cardiac resuscitation

• Oxygen therapy

• Enteral nutrition

• Pulse oximetry

• Tonometry