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Please Call Before Coming to our Hospital

Critical staffing shortages have reduced the number of patients and the types of medical conditions we are able to see. Before making a trip to our hospital, please check in using our mobile check in service by texting "NVS" to "34947" or calling us at 615-386-0107.

How to Tell if Your Pet is Having an Emergency

Not all pet injuries and illnesses require immediate medical attention. However, if your pet is experiencing any one of the below pet health emergency symptoms, please call or visit our animal hospital right away:

  • Not breathing or visibly struggling to breathe

  • Unresponsive or unable to rouse

  • Obvious broken bone

  • Gums or tongue are either bright red or blue

  • Bite or sting from a venomous snake or insect or that is causing a severe reaction

  • Bite from a stray animal or any animal whose vaccination history is unknown

  • Sudden paralysis of the back legs, particularly in cats

  • Seizures that last longer than a couple of minutes or multiple seizures in a row, or the first seizure in your pet

This list is not exhaustive and does not cover all possible emergency symptoms. If you have questions about your pet’s symptoms or are concerned that they may be experiencing an emergency, please call us at (615) 386-0107. The emergency care team at Nashville Veterinary Specialists is available to assist you 24/7. We have a team of emergency veterinarians on staff to make sure your pet gets the best possible critical care in Nashville, TN.

Doctors with dog on bed

What to do in a Pet Emergency

If your pet is currently experiencing an emergency, follow these steps to keep your pet safe and give them the best possible chance at a full recovery:

  1. Remain as calm as possible. If you panic, you may forget something or even cause your pet to feel more stressed and scared than they probably already are.

  2. If your pet is in an unsafe location, such as in the road or near a dangerous animal, carefully move them to a safe spot. Try not to move your pet more than is absolutely necessary, as too much movement may worsen their injuries.

  3. Contact us at (615) 386-0107 right away. Let us know what is going on with your pet so that we know what to expect when you arrive.

  4. Load your pet into your vehicle as carefully as possible. If necessary, use towels as a makeshift stretcher. Animals in severe pain may become aggressive, so you may need to loosely drape a soft cloth over your pet’s eyes to help them calm down.

  5. Drive quickly and carefully to us and follow all instructions upon arrival.

When in doubt, take your pet straight to the emergency vet. We can help you assess the situation and make sure that your pet gets the care they need. Our emergency doctors are available at all times at our South Nashville animal hospital to see walk-in emergencies and provide care for our hospitalized patients.

Specialized Procedures

Sometimes a pet many need to stay in the hospital for continuous care and monitoring. Our doctors, nurses, and veterinary support staff are in the hospital 24 hours a day to continually monitor and care for our patients. Treatments can be easily modified at any time to meet changing patient status.

The emergency doctors have training and experience in a broad area of veterinary medicine and surgery.  The NVS emergency team sees a wide variety of medical problems ranging from minor infections to life threatening trauma.  Surgeons, Neurologists, Oncologists, Cardiologists, and Internal Medicine specialists are also available to perform emergency surgery, advanced diagnostics - such as ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI, and endoscopy - or other specialized procedures.

ER Mobile Check In FAQ

What happens if I come to the hospital without checking in first?

If you have not checked in online prior to coming in, our veterinary nurse will triage your pet to assess the urgency of their condition. If your pet is stable, we will have you and your pet wait comfortably at home in the queue.

What if I decide I no longer want or need to have my pet seen?

If you have checked in on our waitlist, click the dashboard link to cancel your request or call the hospital and let our Client Care Specialists know so we can take your pet out of the waiting queue.

How do I know if my pet’s condition is critical and needs to be brought in immediately or is able to wait their turn?

If you are unsure if your pet is experiencing an emergency, we encourage you to call our hospital. We are always here to help you assess your pet’s individual circumstances.

What is the order that patients are seen by the Emergency Department?

Checking into the queue is NOT an appointment for services. It merely puts your pet on the waiting list to be seen. We cannot guarantee a specific time that your pet will be seen, and the wait can be extended. We see patients in order of critical status. The queue does not reflect patients currently being treated and patients that are currently hospitalized at our facility.