An emergency hospital treats the sickest animal first, so the order in the waiting room is not the order of arrival. Before treatment starts you can expect an exam fee, an estimate with a low and a high figure, and a request for a deposit and a signature.
Whether to go at all is on the emergency signs for dogs and the emergency signs for cats. If you are not sure, call the hospital.
MedVet, a group of emergency and specialty hospitals, says patients are seen "in order of their medical needs, not necessarily in the order of arrival". BluePearl, another group, says a pet in a life-threatening state is taken straight in and the rest are seen in order of urgency. This sorting is called triage, and Ohio State University's hospital describes it as a quick look at the symptoms and a short history.
Ohio State says its average emergency visit takes at least 2 to 4 hours, and the University of Tennessee says that at peak times it can take 3 to 4 hours or more to assess a pet and discuss the options. Iowa State University warns that a stable pet may wait longer than a very sick one.
You should phone, but do not expect a diagnosis. MedVet says that in many states it is illegal to give medical advice for a patient that has had no physical exam. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) gives the reason. A vet may "diagnose a condition, prescribe medication, or treat your animal" only once a vet-client-patient relationship exists, and outside a few states that begins when the vet examines the animal in person. For the same reason MedVet's vets examine your pet themselves, and charge for it, even if your own vet has already seen it.
A call still helps. VEG, a third emergency group, says its vet "cannot diagnose your pet over the phone" but may tell you to come straight in, or that the problem can wait for your own vet. That second answer is the one case where this page says not to spend the money tonight. The AVMA also asks owners to call ahead so the hospital is ready.
The first charge is the exam fee, which covers the examination and not the treatment. The MedVet, BluePearl and VEG pages read for this page print no figure, so ask on the phone. Three university hospitals publish theirs.
| Hospital | Published emergency exam fee | Document dated |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center | $90 for the initial exam. | October 2024 |
| University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center | $210 for the after-hours emergency exam, including vital signs and a small blood sample. Stabilizing a pet in critical condition is estimated at $500. | April 2026 |
| University of Wisconsin, UW Veterinary Care | About $145 to $300, depending on the type of visit. | February 2021 |
Ohio State says it cannot start treatment until the emergency room fee and a small deposit are paid. Prices across the country are on the vet costs page.
MedVet calls its treatment plan an estimate that is kept broad on purpose, because no plan can foresee every turn a case takes, so the bill can end below or above it. That is why an estimate has a low figure and a high figure.
Once you agree to a plan that keeps your pet in the hospital, the deposit is counted from the high figure. Oregon State University's hospital and the University of Wisconsin ask for 50% of it, the University of Tennessee asks for half at the start and the rest at discharge, and Ohio State asks for 75%. MedVet says that if you pay more than the care ends up costing, the rest is refunded.
You can say no to parts of the plan. MedVet says you have the right to decline any service, and that it must then ask you to sign a waiver. So ask which items must happen tonight and which can wait for your own vet. Do not count on paying in installments, because Iowa State and the University of Tennessee both say they offer no payment plans. What to do when the figure is out of reach is on When you cannot pay the vet bill.
You are usually asked to sign two things. The first is consent to treatment. Oregon State says you may be asked to sign a permission form for emergency treatment, and the AVMA's policy on owner consent says the vet should explain the options, the risks and the outlook in a way a reasonable person understands.
The second is the CPR question: what should the team do if your pet's heart or breathing stops? A form used by VCA Woodland Central Animal Hospital offers two choices, CPR or no attempt to resuscitate. Tufts Catnip, the cat newsletter from Tufts University's veterinary school, describes three color codes used at many referral hospitals: red for no resuscitation, green for a full effort, and yellow, where the vet starts CPR and phones the owner.
The RECOVER Initiative, which writes the CPR guidelines for dogs and cats, says fewer than 6% of dogs and fewer than 20% of cats whose heart stops survive to leave the hospital. Tufts tells owners who decide against CPR that they have no reason to feel guilty.
The hospitals read for this page ask owners to bring the following.
Print this checklistAt a teaching hospital a final-year student examines your pet alongside an emergency vet, as Oregon State describes. Some hospitals also have a specialist. The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care says its Diplomates complete a three-year residency after veterinary school, publish a study and pass a two-day exam. The Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society certifies emergency hospitals at three levels, and only Level I must employ such a specialist full time. The letters on name badges are explained on the page about who is who at the vet clinic.
The emergency hospital hands your pet back to your own vet. MedVet says it gives no vaccines or routine checkups and works as an add-on to your family vet. BluePearl says it makes sure your own vet can see the treatment records, VEG says it shares the medical record, and the University of Wisconsin sends a written report to you and your vet. Keep the itemized invoice, which Ohio State hands over at discharge, because each line is explained on What every line on a vet bill means.
If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@petipedia.io and we fix it the same day.
Sources read on 2 October 2026; every number is as the source gives it, and each fee carries the date of its document.