The best emergency vets in Philadelphia

No one wants to think of their pet in distress, but when the time comes, it’s important to know where to turn. “We are lucky that in the Philadelphia area there are many options for a pet emergency,” says Gillian Kocher, director of public relations for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA). “There is Penn Vet, Blue Pearl Emergency, [and] Philadelphia Animal Specialty & Emergency. These are all places that we use here at the Pennsylvania SPCA when our animals need overnight care.”

If you need emergency help online, Kocher says that the ASPCA has a poison control line, and several practices that now do veterinary telehealth. “But we still think it is best to see a veterinarian as soon as possible in an emergency,” Kocher says.

Whether your pet is a cat, dog, farm animal, or exotic — a category that includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians — here are some emergency vets for when the situation is urgent.

Animals treated: Dogs, cats, and exotics.

If Penn dominates the city’s medical community, it’s no surprise to learn that their reach extends into the veterinary world as well. Penn Vet’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital remains one of the top recommended emergency vets in the city. In addition to being one of only four private vet educational institutions in the country, the hospital offers a full suite of traditional vet services, as well as a 24/7 emergency hospital. Penn Vet also sees livestock and farm animals for regular and emergency visits at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, PA.

📍 3900 Spruce St., 📞 215-746-8911 for emergencies; 215-746-8387 to make an appointment, 🌐 vet.upenn.edu

Animals treated: Dogs, cats, and exotics.

Blue Pearl is a network of nationwide emergency animal hospitals with locations in South Philadelphia, Conshohocken, Levittown, and Malvern. Like Ryan Veterinary Hospital, Blue Pearl locations offer traditional vet services, specialized care including its Malvern CyberKnife Cancer Center, and 24/7 emergency care.

📍 Multiple locations in the greater Philadelphia area, 🌐 bluepearlvet.com

Animals treated: Dogs, cats, and exotics.

Located at 19th and Washington, PASE provides 24/7 emergency services and specialty care, such as cardiology and complex surgery, to dogs, cats, and exotics. The hospital currently shares space with the Washington Avenue Animal Hospital, but has plans to move next door to 1924 Washington Ave. soon.

📍 1920 Washington Ave., 📞 267-727-3738, 🌐 pase.vet

Animals treated: Dogs, cats, exotics, and farm animals.

This hospital’s website boasts the same range of services as many human hospitals, including primary and specialty care, 24/7 emergency services, CT and MRI scans, a blood bank, house calls, and end-of-life care. Serving South Jersey, Mount Laurel Animal Hospital has served dogs, cats, exotics, and farm animals on its 16-acre campus, which houses a large working farm.

📍 220 Mount Laurel Rd., 📞 856-234-7626, 🌐 mlahvet.com