A doctor on call, day and night

Common reasons to call

When in doubt, call. We would much rather hear from you early than after a problem has had hours to get worse.

• Signs of colic, such as pawing, rolling, looking at the belly or not eating
• Cuts that go deeper than the skin, or any wound near a joint
• Eye injuries, or an eye that is squinting, cloudy or watering
• Choke, where feed or saliva comes out of the nose
• Sudden, severe lameness, or a horse that won't put weight on a leg
• Trouble foaling, or a newborn foal that isn't up and nursing

How emergency calls work

Our doctor can meet you at the clinic or come to your farm. For many emergencies, hauling in gets your horse treated faster, because everything we might need is already here.

• Current clients first

  We give priority to clients who see us for routine care like vaccines, dentistry and wellness visits.

• Distance matters

  If you're more than 30 minutes from the clinic, we may ask you to haul in.

• Triage

  When several emergencies come in at once, we see the most urgent cases first.

• Horses that can't travel

  If your horse can't be moved safely, we'll work with you by phone to decide the next step.

We do our best to help non-clients too, though in most cases we'll ask you to haul to the clinic. If your horse needs care beyond what we offer, we'll refer you to the university hospital that best fits your horse's needs.

Read our full emergency care policy

Be ready before you need us

• Have a hauling plan. Know whose trailer you'll use if your own isn't available.
• Boarding? Ask your barn what its emergency hauling plan is.
• Stay stocked. Keep any emergency medications your veterinarian prescribed on hand.
• Keep us updated. Make sure we have your current phone number and payment information.
• Call early. Calling during business hours often means a faster response.