Emergency Care

In Case of Emergency:

Lake Ontario Veterinary Clinic is NOT a walk-in clinic, urgent care, full-service emergency clinic or critical care facility.

Emergency and triage services are provided to ACTIVE CLIENTS ONLY.

Please call ahead!

If I am client, what should I do in the event of an emergency?

During Regular Hours:

At Lake Ontario Veterinary Clinic, we strive to provide full-service care to our clients and their pets whenever possible. During our regular business hours, we will accommodate your pet's emergency needs whenever we believe we can provide them with the quality of care they deserve. Just as your primary care physician is not able to accommodate all types of medical emergencies in their office, we sometimes find ourselves lacking the staff or equipment needed to provide quality emergency care. In those situations, we will help you make contact with an appropriate emergency care facility so that you are never left feeling unsure about where to go or what to do.

In the event of an emergency, please CALL AHEAD so that we can be properly prepared to receive your pet or direct you to the proper emergency facility.

After Hours:

At this time we are not staffed to provide emergency services outside of regular business hours. We hope to provide access to a triage service where you can speak directly to a veterinarian who will help you decide the best course of action for your pet. They will help you determine whether your pet has a true emergency that requires immediate care or they may be able to guide you in caring for your own pet until we are open. More information about this service will be made available once we have more details.

If I am not a client, what should I do in the event of an emergency?

Unfortunately we are not able to serve as an emergency clinic for non-clients in most circumstances. In the event that your pet is experiencing an emergency, we recommend that you contact your primary veterinarian if you have one. Their office should be able to direct you in the steps they recommend you follow. If you do not have a primary veterinarian or you are unable to reach your primary veterinarian, we recommend that you contact one of the following urgent care or emergency clinics. Please be advised that emergency care is in high demand and that you are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CALL AHEAD as the hours of each clinic will vary and clinics may turn new emergencies away if they are at maximum capacity.