We have all experienced this type of frightening event in our lives: the middle of the night illness involving a sick parent, child, or pet. These situations are anxiety producing, and most of the time we need help to determine if a 2 a.m. trip to the emergency room is advisable or necessary.
Animal General provides an on-call doctor every night to help you decide if your pet needs urgent care. Our goal is simple: we want what is best for your pet, and sometimes going out in the middle of the night to a strange environment is not the right choice.
After hours our regular phone number, 212-501-9600, will put you in touch with our answering service. They will page the overnight veterinarian who will promptly return your call, usually within 15 minutes. You will then be able to consult with one of our hospital doctors to help you determine if immediate medical care is required or if waiting for an early morning visit to Animal General is more appropriate. Such a call can help introduce clarity and reassurance into a frightening situation. It could help you avoid an unnecessary and costly middle of the night visit to an urgent care facility. The following are only three of the many situations that might warrant an after hour consultation call to Animal General. Often events such as these can wait until morning, but a phone call can help remove doubts and fears that are always present during these situations.
• A non-repetitive first time seizure in a young pet.
• Acute onset of diarrhea that does not include large
amounts of blood and where depression and lethargy
are not present.
• Any type of limping without bleeding.
Should an emergency visit be required, Animal General’s veterinarian may refer you to: The Animal Medical Center at 510 East 62nd Street. If still more immediate care is needed we may recommend a facility closer to you.

Regardless of where you go for emergency care, you will be asked to make decisions regarding the kind of treatment your pet may need. Making such decisions within the fury of the anxiety present during an emergency can be overwhelming. Often we rely on the emergency room doctor to tell us what is the best way to proceed. While the doctor will make recommendations regarding a course of treatment for your pet, it is comforting to know that a doctor from Animal General who is familiar with you and your pet, is always available to assist with emergency treatment decisions.
As a client of Animal General, you have a team of highly skilled, experienced, and compassionate professionals available to you. Our hospital stands ready to advocate for your pet whether s/he is at our facility or is receiving emergency care elsewhere. Second opinions and clarifications from a vet you know can help you decide if suggested procedures at an urgent care facility will stabilize your pet’s condition or if some other intervention is necessary. Should your pet require a stay in the hospital, our staff will make all arrangements for an early morning transfer to Animal General.
Our hospital strives to provide our clients with a flawless overnight emergency experience. Unfortunately there may be times when a technical error could occur resulting in a delayed response on our part. Always call our service back if you have not heard from one of our doctors within 15 minutes.

The following list of emergencies warrant immediate transport to an emergency facility regardless of whether or not you have communicated with one of our doctors:
• A car or a fall has critically injured your pet.
• There is respiratory distress present in your pet.
• Loss of consciousness or collapse has
occurred.
• Excessive bleeding is present.
• There is an inability to urinate.
• Your pet is suffering from heatstroke.
• Multiple or non-stop seizures are present.

Animal General is dedicated to the well being of your pet(s). Our after-hours on-call veterinarian offers clients competent medical advice that is reassuring, informative, and succinct. If you are uncertain about any recommendation or situation regarding your pet, remember: the Animal General staff is always there to help you. Our overnight doc- tor can also be useful if you face medical problems with your pet while you are away from home, traveling, or in an unfamiliar location.