Emergency & Urgent Vet Care in Toronto

• Call us now: (647) 748-9060
• During our hours, come straight in. No appointment needed.
• Bring any medication or substance involved, and your pet’s records if you have them.

York Veterinary Hospital, 1300 Don Mills Rd, North York, Toronto, ON M3B 2W6 (647) 748-9060 Monday to Friday: 8:00 am-8:00 pm | Saturday: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm | Sunday: Closed

Outside these hours, please go directly to your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital.

When Is It a Pet Emergency?

Some emergencies are unmistakable. Others start as something you almost dismiss, and then get serious very quickly. When your dog or cat is showing any of the signs below, do not wait to see if it passes. Come in now.

• Difficulty breathing, laboured breathing, or open-mouth breathing in a cat
• Collapse, extreme weakness, or inability to stand
• Seizures or sudden loss of consciousness
• Uncontrolled or heavy bleeding
• Known or suspected ingestion of a toxin: medications, household chemicals, certain plants, xylitol, grapes, raisins, or chocolate
• Distended or hard abdomen, particularly in large or deep-chested dogs (possible bloat/GDV)
• Inability to urinate, repeated straining to urinate, or crying out when attempting to go
• Pale, white, blue, or grey gums
• Repeated retching or vomiting without producing anything
• Eye injuries, sudden cloudiness, or rapid changes in vision
• Paraphimosis in male dogs (the penis cannot retract into the prepuce; this requires prompt veterinary attention to prevent tissue damage)
• Significant trauma: a road accident, a fall from height, or a serious bite wound from another animal

Not sure if what you are seeing qualifies? Call (647) 748-9060. Describing your pet’s symptoms takes a minute, and our team can help you decide whether to come in immediately or monitor at home.

Emergency & Urgent Care Services

York Veterinary Hospital handles emergency and urgent cases for dogs and cats throughout our regular business hours, with imaging, diagnostics, and surgical capability all in-house. Whether your pet is an existing patient or you are bringing them to our emergency veterinary clinic in Toronto for the first time, care starts the moment you walk through the door.

Trauma & Injury

Road accidents, animal attacks, and falls can cause serious internal injuries that are not visible from the outside. We use digital X-ray and ultrasound to assess the extent of injury and build a full, accurate picture of what we are dealing with quickly. When a case requires surgical intervention, our surgical team is right here and can move immediately.

Poisoning & Toxin Exposure

Speed matters more than almost anything else in a poisoning case. Different toxins require different responses, and some treatments become less effective the longer they are delayed. Do not wait for your pet to show obvious symptoms before coming in. If you know or suspect ingestion, bring the packaging or write down the substance, the estimated amount, and the time it happened. This information shapes what we do first.

Respiratory Distress

A dog or cat struggling to breathe (breathing rapidly at rest, stretching the neck to pull in air, or breathing with the mouth open) requires assessment without delay. We provide oxygen support and continuous monitoring while identifying the underlying cause, which can include fluid around the lungs, chest trauma, cardiac conditions, or an allergic reaction.

Seizures & Neurological Emergencies

A first-time seizure, a seizure that lasts longer than two minutes, or multiple seizures within a short period all require immediate evaluation. We manage the acute episode and investigate the cause with in-house bloodwork and imaging. Neurological emergencies can stem from toxin exposure, metabolic conditions, or primary neurological disease; the underlying cause determines the treatment.

Stabilization & Hospitalization

Some patients need IV fluids, pain management, and close monitoring before they are stable enough to go home. York Veterinary Hospital provides this supportive care for dogs and cats, including overnight monitoring for pets admitted to our care. This is inpatient monitoring for patients already under treatment, not overnight emergency intake. If a case requires specialist-level critical care beyond what we provide here, we coordinate the transfer directly and pass on everything the receiving team needs, so nothing starts over.

After-Hours & Weekend Care

York Veterinary Hospital is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We are closed on Sundays. Our doors are open for emergencies and urgent cases throughout those hours. Outside our hours, please go directly to your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital.

What to Do in a Pet Emergency

Staying calm enough to act clearly is one of the most useful things you can do for your pet in the first few minutes. These steps apply whether you are coming to us or to an after-hours facility.

Come in directly. Walk-ins are seen throughout our business hours. If you can reach us on the way at (647) 748-9060, a brief heads-up lets our team prepare for your arrival, but getting there quickly takes priority over getting through on the phone.

Minimize movement for injured pets. A dog with a suspected spinal injury should be carried on a firm, flat surface. A cat in distress is often safest in a carrier lined with a soft towel. Reduce handling as much as possible during transport.

Do not attempt home treatment without guidance. Inducing vomiting is appropriate for some ingested substances and dangerous for others. Human pain medications including ibuprofen and acetaminophen are toxic to pets. If you are unsure what to do in the minutes before you arrive, call us and we will guide you.

Bring relevant information. The packaging of anything your pet may have swallowed. A list of current medications. The name of any known conditions. The more context we have at the start, the faster the initial assessment moves.

Why Choose York Veterinary Hospital

When you bring your pet to a team that already knows them, an emergency assessment starts from a very different place. York Veterinary Hospital is an owner-operated, independent practice with a consistent team, which means the veterinarian seeing your pet in an emergency may well be the same person who handled their last wellness exam or dental procedure.

That continuity changes what an emergency assessment looks like. Knowing what a pet’s bloodwork normally shows, what medications they take, or what they were like at their last visit gives our team a factual baseline to measure against. Changes become visible faster, and the clinical picture comes together more quickly.

Our in-house diagnostics and imaging (digital X-ray, ultrasound, and same-day laboratory testing) means the information needed to make decisions is gathered here, at the same appointment, without sending your pet to another facility for answers first. Most patients leave with a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and initial treatment already underway.

When a case needs more than we can provide in-house, we coordinate the transfer directly and make sure the receiving team has a complete picture of your pet’s situation. Nothing starts over from scratch.

Call Us Now: (647) 748-9060

(Developer note: CTA is a click-to-call tel: link to (647) 748-9060 on this page.)

Frequently Asked Questions

What signs mean my dog or cat needs emergency care right now? Come in immediately if your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure, cannot stop bleeding, has ingested a toxin, has a hard or swollen abdomen, cannot urinate, has pale or bluish gums, or has been in a serious accident. If the situation is unclear, call (647) 748-9060 and describe what you are seeing; we can help you figure out the right next step.

Are you open after hours, on evenings, or on Sundays? Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We are closed on Sundays. For emergencies outside these hours, please go directly to your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital.

Do I need to call before coming in? No phone call is needed before you arrive. We accept walk-in emergency and urgent cases at any point during our open hours. Calling ahead at (647) 748-9060 is still useful if you can manage it; a heads-up helps our team get ready, but it is never a condition of being seen. Do not delay your arrival to reach us by phone.

How much does an emergency vet visit cost? The cost depends on what is happening with your pet and what the situation requires: the assessments, any procedures, medications, and the time involved. We will walk you through the expected costs as soon as we have a clear enough picture of what is going on, before moving forward with anything beyond the initial examination.

What do I do if my pet swallowed something toxic? Call us right away at (647) 748-9060. For advice while you are on your way, you can also reach a 24-hour pet poison control service such as the Pet Poison Helpline at 1-855-764-7661 (fees may apply). Do not try to make your pet vomit unless a veterinarian tells you to. Bring the product packaging, or note the substance, the estimated quantity, and when it happened.

Do you treat both dogs and cats in emergencies? Yes. York Veterinary Hospital provides emergency and urgent care for dogs and cats.

My pet seems off but it’s not obviously an emergency. What should I do? Trust your instinct. You know your pet’s normal. If something has changed (energy, appetite, breathing, or behaviour) and it concerns you, call us at (647) 748-9060. We can help you assess the situation over the phone and arrange a same-day or urgent appointment if one is warranted.