Pet Emergency Care in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky

Emergency Medicine and Critical Care at Noah’s Ark Animal Clinics

Please call your nearest Noah’s Ark location before you arrive if at all possible.

A brief phone call lets our team prepare for your pet and tell you exactly where to go, which can save critical minutes when you get here.

Some situations are unmistakable. Others can be more uncertain. If your dog or cat is showing any of the following, seek veterinary attention right away:

Breathing and Circulation

• Labored, rapid, or noisy breathing
• Choking or persistent gagging
• Pale, white, blue, or gray gums
• Collapse or sudden weakness
•  Episodes of passing out or loss of consciousness

Trauma and Injury

• Hit by a car, even if your pet appears fine afterward
• Falls from a significant height
• Bite wounds or deep lacerations
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Suspected broken bones or an inability to bear weight
• Sudden hives or swelling of the face or muzzle

Digestive and Abdominal

• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, particularly with blood
• A swollen, distended, or hard abdomen
• Unproductive retching, which can signal bloat and is a true emergency
• Straining to urinate with little to no urine produced

Neurologic

• Seizures, especially more than one seizure in 24 hours or those lasting more than 2-3 minutes
• Sudden disorientation, circling, head tilt, or loss of balance
• Sudden blindness
• Inability to stand, walk, or move one or more limbs

Other Urgent Situations

• Suspected poisoning or ingestion of a toxic substance, medication, or foreign object
• Heatstroke, including heavy panting, drooping, bright red gums or weakness and collapse
• Difficulty giving birth – green or black discharge, pain or restlessness, muscle trembling or weakness, more than 30 – 60 minutes between puppies or kittens
• Eye injuries or sudden eye pain
• Severe pain, crying out, or an unwillingness to be touched

If you are uncertain and something feels wrong, it is worth a phone call. We are here to answer your questions, and provide guidance in stressful situations.

Common Emergencies We Treat

Our full service hospitals at Colerain, West Chester, and Ft. Wright regularly manage cases involving toxin ingestion, bloat, urinary obstruction, traumatic injury, respiratory distress, seizures and neurologic events, heatstroke, allergic reactions, complications of diabetes, and acute abdominal pain.

Because our locations offer surgical services, radiology and ultrasound diagnostics, an in network laboratory, and advanced pain management, many emergencies can be diagnosed and treated within our network rather than being handed off elsewhere. That continuity matters in urgent situations, both for your pet and for your family.

After Hours and Emergency Preparedness

Our clinics provide emergency medicine and critical care during normal office hours. For emergencies that occur overnight, on holidays, or when our doors are closed, we recommend identifying a local 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital in advance and keeping the number somewhere you can find it quickly.

Noah’s Ark Animal Clinics now offers TeleHealth appointments with a Licensed Veterinary Technician to help provide you with appropriate next-step guidance if you are unsure if a situation is urgent. TeleHealth can help you decide if your concern can wait for an appointment, or direct you to the right place if hands-on care is needed.

Preparing for an emergency before you are in one is one of the most useful things a pet owner can do. Know where you would go, know how you would get there, and keep a copy of your pet’s medical records and medication list accessible.

Trusted Emergency Care Across Cincinnati, West Chester, and Northern Kentucky

Noah’s Ark Animal Clinics is proud to be AAHA Accredited, a standard held by only a small percentage of practices nationwide, and has been named Best Veterinarian in Cincinnati by City Beat’s Best of Cincinnati in 2023, 2024, and 2025. With five locations in Colerain, Springdale, West Chester, Florence, and Ft. Wright, urgent help for your pet is never far from home.

We understand how frightening it is when your pet needs emergency care. For more than a century, Cincinnati families have trusted us with their pets’ most urgent needs. Our team of veterinarians is here to provide the compassionate, reliable care your pet needs – right when they need it most.