Pets—whether cats, dogs, birds, geckos, snakes or hamsters—are important family members. Many owners take their pets to general veterinarians to perform routine checkups and give preventive vaccines, but when a pet gets sick outside of normal office hours, often an emergency vet hospital or clinic is the only choice. Symptoms that might necessitate a visit to an emergency vet hospital include labored breathing, blue gums, unconsciousness, bloated abdomen, extreme pain, inability to walk, and seizures. Even if your pet is healthy right now, it's good to research local emergency vet hospitals in the event you need to use one.

The Investigation
Ask your local friends and family who have pets for vet hospital recommendations. The web is also incredibly helpful—in addition to providing a listing of emergency vet clinics in your area, you can even find vet rating sites where actual clients post reviews and comments about the services they received. Once you've done the research, keep an accessible list and contact information for your top three to five emergency vet clinics—and if you want to be really thorough and prepared, visit them to get a feel for each one.

Call First
Regardless of what emergency vet hospital you choose, most follow a similar registration and appointment process. If possible, call the emergency vet clinic before you leave the house and describe your pet's symptoms to the vet technician or front desk receptionist. Not only can this help determine whether your pet needs to be seen immediately but the staff member might be able to give you some first-aid instructions. Plus, your advance phone call allows staff to prepare to treat your pet—a time saver that could make a big difference in saving your pet's life.

The Visit
When you arrive at the emergency vet hospital, a vet and some technicians will perform a triage examination and ask you questions about your pet and its illness or injury. As this is going on, you'll sign a release permitting treatment of your pet and start the check-in process, which includes contact and payment information. If your pet needs immediate attention, the vet technician will take it to an exam room. If staff determines your pet's condition isn't life threatening, you'll wait in the front desk area for the next available vet. Once the triage team examines your pet and determines a treatment plan, they will provide a cost estimate and explain payment options. While your pet is treated, you will be in a waiting room and a technician or staff member will update you on your pet's condition.

Cost Guidelines
Typical treatment costs vary by location and emergency vet hospitals. A standard office visit can range from $30 to $70, routine vaccinations can be between $50 and $100 and spay and neuter procedures could set you back $50 to $200. Costs to fix a broken bone can creep up to $1,000 and major surgery could range anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. In anticipation of these charges, many pet owners opt to purchase pet health insurance. Remember, in a situation where your pet's condition is not life threatening and the costs seem high or are just not in your budget, you can always seek a second opinion and/or ask about a payment plan.

The Diagnosis
As soon as your pet is stable or has been thoroughly examined, the emergency vet clinic team will discuss ongoing treatment options with you. If your pet is well enough to go home, you'll receive discharge instructions. If your pet needs further observation, you'll need to check it in to the vet hospital. Almost all vet hospitals will allow you to visit your pet if it needs to stay overnight. Just keep in mind that if your pet gets too worked up when you visit, the vet might advise you to stay away until your pet is well rested enough to handle your visit. If you can't visit your pet, you can always call the emergency vet hospital or arrange for frequent updates.

Going Home
Once your pet is ready to go home, the vet team will give you detailed instructions and medications for in-home care, and will again provide the clinic's contact information if your pet takes a turn for the worse. At this point, you'll need to pay your bill, or work with the clinic to arrange a payment plan.

Don't be afraid to ask questions at any time—vet hospitals exist to make sure your pet receives the best care possible. In an emergency, time is of the essence and stress is high. But if you know what to expect, your visit to an emergency vet hospital can be a positive and important step in getting your pet back to full health.