24 Hour Emergency Veterinarians in Tucson, Arizona

Last week, as we were pet sitting for 2 dogs, we were faced with a crisis. On the 8th day, one of the dogs, a 2 year old, male Golden Retriever started vomiting and became very lethargic. After waiting 2 days, since the owners told us it was probably a 24-hour virus, it was now 36 hours since the dog had not eaten anything - not even people food, and almost 24 hours since he had drank any water. At this point in time, he appeared to be even more lethargic and we were unable to budge him. To us it looked like he was dying and we immediately knew he needed to be seen by a veterinarian.

Of course, like humans, dogs seem to more often get sick over the weekend, when the veterinarian's office is closed. The owner of the dog we were pet-sitting for always leaves both of their veterinarians' telephone numbers, so I called them to see if they were open and if not, if they had referrals. One office's recording said to pick any one in our local telephone book and the other gave 2 choices of emergency telephone numbers to call.

Hind sight is 20/20 and now I can say that by taking this dog in to a 24-hour Emergency Veterinarian Center saved the dog's life. His situation was life threatening and he needed emergency surgery because a foreign object he had ingested caused a blockage in his stomach and small intestine.

Below are four 24 Hour Emergency Veterinarians in Tucson, Arizona.

1. What: Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center
Where: 141 E. Fort Lowell Road, east of N. Stone Avenue
Telephone number: 520-888-3177
Website: www.southernazvets.com

2. What: Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center
Where: 7474 E. Broadway Blvd, east of N. Kolb Road
Telephone number: 520-888-3177
Website: www.southernazvets.com

3. What: Pima Pet Clinic Animal Emergency Service
Where: 4832 E. Speedway Blvd. at Swan Road
Telephone number: 520-326-7449
Website: www.pimapetclinic.com

4. What: Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson
Where: 4909 N. La Canada Drive, south of River Road
Telephone number: 520-795-9955
Website: www.vscot.com

I called all 4 of them to ask their opinions before taking the dog in and they all charge $80.00-$85.00 for the initial visit. For immediate attention and peace of mind, possibly saving a pet's life, I think this fee is very reasonable.

I chose #1: Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center at 141 E. Fort Lowell Road and was very satisfied with their service. The dog's owners were too. The staff was prompt, Dr. Gregory Costanzo and the other veterinarians, including the surgeon, were very informative and very kind and caring to us and the dog throughout the dog's surgery and post-surgery stay. The surgery went well and the dog is doing much better now.