Pets, just like people, can get themselves into life threatening situations that may require immediate medical attention. These events usually seem to occur at odd hours when your regular veterinarian’s office is closed. If your pet suffers a serious injury or a life threatening event, stay calm, but try to get your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
When should you worry? There are certain clinical signs your pet may exhibit that are emergency situations and require immediate attention. Emergency situations may include any of the following:
- The inability to urinate
- The inability to walk or stand
- Sudden pain
- Respiratory distress
- Severe vomiting or bloody diarrhea
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe blood loss
- Trauma such as being hit by a car, or trauma to the eye or face
- Penetrating wound
- Seizures
- Labor that is not progressing
- Choking
- Toxin or foreign body ingestion
- Swollen abdomen
Our Facilities
The Northwest PA Pet Emergency Center is an after-hours (nights, weekends, and holidays) animal emergency facility located in Erie, PA. NWPAPEC's normal business hours are 8pm-8am Monday-Friday, 2:00PM Saturday through 8am Monday, and 24 hours during major holidays.
Quality Care
NWPAPEC is staffed during all business hours by doctors and technical staff who are well-prepared to triage and treat emergency cases. We are proud to have a team that is well-trained in client communication and patient care. We have the highest quality diagnostic and treatment protocols established for the clinic, with the ability to perform most in-house diagnostic tests at any hour of the day or night. Emergency cases may be treated as outpatients or in-hospital patients before being discharged back to the care of your regular veterinarian.
Services Available At Northwest PA Pet Emergency Center
Surgery
We provide emergency surgical services as needed for the health and safety of our patients. All surgery patients are intensively monitored during their procedure to insure the best possible surgical outcome. Examples of common emergency surgical procedures include: gastrotomies/enterotomies, gastric dilatation and volvulus, cesarean sections, pyometras, splenectomies, ocular injuries, lacerations, penetrating chest and abdominal injuries, gunshot wounds, and many more.
We provide emergency surgical services as needed for the health and safety of our patients. All surgery patients are intensively monitored during their procedure to insure the best possible surgical outcome. Examples of common emergency surgical procedures include: gastrotomies/enterotomies, gastric dilatation and volvulus, cesarean sections, pyometras, splenectomies, ocular injuries, lacerations, penetrating chest and abdominal injuries, gunshot wounds, and many more.
Laboratory
We have complete in-house laboratory services. These includes blood chemistry, complete blood counts (CBCs), electrolyte, blood gases, coagulation testing, blood typing, canine blood parasite screening, and infectious feline disease testing. Your pet's lab results are faxed along with the entirety of their medical record from their visit to our facility to your regular veterinarian at the time of discharge.
We have complete in-house laboratory services. These includes blood chemistry, complete blood counts (CBCs), electrolyte, blood gases, coagulation testing, blood typing, canine blood parasite screening, and infectious feline disease testing. Your pet's lab results are faxed along with the entirety of their medical record from their visit to our facility to your regular veterinarian at the time of discharge.
Cardiac Monitoring
Blood pressure, pulse oximetry and ECG monitoring are a routine part of any surgery performed at our hospital but are also used for diagnostic purposes and are often necessary in monitoring hospitalized respiratory, cardiac, metabolic disease/disorder and trauma patients. These cardiac diagnostic techniques help us determine appropriate treatment for critical patients, as well as monitor their progress. Results of these tests will be included in you pet's medical record that is faxed to your regular veterinarian's office.
Blood pressure, pulse oximetry and ECG monitoring are a routine part of any surgery performed at our hospital but are also used for diagnostic purposes and are often necessary in monitoring hospitalized respiratory, cardiac, metabolic disease/disorder and trauma patients. These cardiac diagnostic techniques help us determine appropriate treatment for critical patients, as well as monitor their progress. Results of these tests will be included in you pet's medical record that is faxed to your regular veterinarian's office.
Radiology
Radiographs are an important part of emergency diagnostic and treatment plans. Our office offers digital radiography services. Not only does this provide our doctors with superior image quality and a better diagnostic tool, it also eliminates the need for physical handling and delivery of films to your veterinarian. Radiographic images are provided to your regular veterinarian via email. This is done at the time of discharge, allowing radiographs taken at our facility to become part of your pet's complete medical history at your regular veterinarian's office. Digital imaging also allows rapid review of your pet's radiographs by board certified Radiologists off-site as needed.
Radiographs are an important part of emergency diagnostic and treatment plans. Our office offers digital radiography services. Not only does this provide our doctors with superior image quality and a better diagnostic tool, it also eliminates the need for physical handling and delivery of films to your veterinarian. Radiographic images are provided to your regular veterinarian via email. This is done at the time of discharge, allowing radiographs taken at our facility to become part of your pet's complete medical history at your regular veterinarian's office. Digital imaging also allows rapid review of your pet's radiographs by board certified Radiologists off-site as needed.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is non-invasive and can be performed in most cases without sedation. Our doctors may recommend an ultrasound of the abdomen (belly) for many different reasons including abnormal physical exam findings, blood work abnormalities, vomiting, diarrhea, and urinary and uterine diseases. Abdominal ultrasounds provide important information about organs and other structures including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, stomach, intestines, kidneys and bladder. A CD of your pet's ultrasound is provided to you at time of discharge for delivery to your regular veterinarian so that it may be filed with your pet's complete medical history at your regular veterinarian's office.
Ultrasound is non-invasive and can be performed in most cases without sedation. Our doctors may recommend an ultrasound of the abdomen (belly) for many different reasons including abnormal physical exam findings, blood work abnormalities, vomiting, diarrhea, and urinary and uterine diseases. Abdominal ultrasounds provide important information about organs and other structures including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, stomach, intestines, kidneys and bladder. A CD of your pet's ultrasound is provided to you at time of discharge for delivery to your regular veterinarian so that it may be filed with your pet's complete medical history at your regular veterinarian's office.
As an emergency practice...
Exotics
Our veterinary staff does not specialize in the treatment of exotic/pocket pets. Although these animals do require emergency care, some of our veterinary staff are more comfortable than others in their willingness/ability to treat exotic pets at our facility. When treatment is not possible or seeking the care of an exotic specialist is preferred, our staff will refer you to an emergency facility that can provide specialized care for your pocket pet. Please phone ahead to determine if treatment at our facility is possible or if a referral is recommended.
Our veterinary staff does not specialize in the treatment of exotic/pocket pets. Although these animals do require emergency care, some of our veterinary staff are more comfortable than others in their willingness/ability to treat exotic pets at our facility. When treatment is not possible or seeking the care of an exotic specialist is preferred, our staff will refer you to an emergency facility that can provide specialized care for your pocket pet. Please phone ahead to determine if treatment at our facility is possible or if a referral is recommended.
Routine Services
Because we are solely an emergency and critical care hospital, we do not provide 'routine' services. We do not offer routine spay/neuter/declaw surgery. We do not administer vaccines (with the exception of Rabies vaccine boostering, which is only available to pets who have wounds resulting from recent wildlife exposure).
We do, however, carry a limited selection of prescription diets, as well as veterinarian-recommended topical flea and tick control medications.
Because we are solely an emergency and critical care hospital, we do not provide 'routine' services. We do not offer routine spay/neuter/declaw surgery. We do not administer vaccines (with the exception of Rabies vaccine boostering, which is only available to pets who have wounds resulting from recent wildlife exposure).
We do, however, carry a limited selection of prescription diets, as well as veterinarian-recommended topical flea and tick control medications.