When to call the vet

proper triage and handling of medical issues on your end lets us better serve you from ours

For regular appointments and non-emergencies please call the office during normal business hours

(716) 592-0070

How serious is it?

It’s not always easy to know, and as animal owners ourselves we know you don’t want to make a mistake when it comes to your animals health. This triage cheat-sheet, is intended as a basic guide for clients wondering whether it’s a “wait till morning” or a “call SVS right now” kind of situation.

LEVEL 3 - Elective

  • Intermittent and slight lameness
  • Persistent dermatitis (skin problems)
  • Reduced appetite with no other clinical signs
  • Slight difficulty chewing
  • Slight nasal discharge with no fever or labored breathin
  • Regular, routinely scheduled physical examinations, immunizations, parasite control, dental care, nutritional program evaluation, and general husbandry. 

LEVEL 2 - Urgent

  • Low grade fever (101-103F)
  • Sudden onset of lameness that the horse can put weight on the leg
  • Signs of less severe colic such as poor appetite, dullness, and/or decreased fecal output
  • Flare-ups of chronic laminitis
  • Flare-ups of chronic inflammatory respiratory disease (heaves)

LEVEL 1 - Critical

  • Non weight bearing lameness
  • Sudden/severe inability to breathe normally (rapid, distressed breathing, OR obstructed airway)
  • Persistent bleeding from any orifice or wound
  • Severe or persistent colic behavior
  • Laying down and unwilling to get up
  • Kicking at the stomach area
  • Sudden onset of severe neurological dysfunction (staggering, lack of coordination, profound behavior change)
  • Sudden onset of blindness, obvious eye trauma or unwillingness to open the eyelids
  • Any mare who takes longer than 30 minutes to complete her second stage of labor (delivery of the foal), or does not pass her placenta within 1 hour of foaling.
  • Acute laminitis
  • Trauma of any type including cosmetic
  • High fever (>103F)

SVS 24/7/365 EMERGENCY AMBULATORY SERVICE

For level 1 critical care emergencies, call the office at (716) 592-0070 immediately.

 

Calls recieved outside of normal business hours are forwarded to a voice-messaging system and the on-call veterinarian is notified immediately.