Emergency and
Critical Care
We are currently unable to accept emergencies.
We do apologise and will notify you as soon as we are accepting emergencies again.
Alternative multi-disciplinary referral hospitals:
DWR Veterinary Specialists (Cambridgeshire) emergencies call 01638 572012. More info: www.dwr.vet
Davies Veterinary Specialists (Hertfordshire) emergencies call 01582 883950 / OOH: 07870 560596. More info: www.vetspecialists.co.uk
When your pet needs emergency care, it’s essential that you receive a rapid response from professionals you know can move swiftly, giving you the reassurance that whatever can and needs to be done, will be done. Southfields are deeply experienced in handling life-threatening injuries to pets, or dealing with the complexities of an acute disease.
Our new free-of-charge triage service will enhance our emergency support for patients and streamline our referral process. Click here for more information on how our referral and triage process works.
Experience matters
Your regular vet should always be your first contact in the event of an emergency. In most cases, they will be able to provide the necessary treatment. However, in some cases, they may refer you to one of our specialist teams. If this happens, our Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) team will assist them in delivering the care your pet needs. You can rest assured that Southfields is one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in the South East of England. We bring together the combined expertise of some of the most experienced veterinary specialists in the UK; the Southfields team. Our ECC team is dedicated to providing outstanding care to our patients when they need it most.
Stronger together
If your pet requires input from our ECC team, they will carry out an initial examination (or triage) and provide an emergency care plan tailored to your pet’s immediate needs. Throughout your pet’s care, the ECC team will involve specialists from our other services to provide continuity of ongoing and follow-up care. Our multi-disciplinary team includes clinicians from 14 different disciplines, including surgeons and Internal Medicine specialists, all on hand to offer their expertise.
Intensive care at its best
Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. If a transfusion is required, we have access to canine and feline blood and blood products. If your pet needs emergency surgery, we have operating theatres on site and our ECC team also provide the highest-level intensive care for post-surgical patients.
The team are always happy to support and advise referring veterinary surgeons on critical cases, even with no onward referral.
Providing outstanding care when you need it most
Experts in specialist ECC care
- Management of all types of emergencies, whether medical, surgical or neurological, e.g. fluid therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Transfusion medicine with access to blood products, including in-house cross-matching
- Intensive care units within each discipline
- 24-hour intensive nursing care provided by our team of dedicated and experienced nurses
- Dedicated anaesthetist working alongside an ECC Specialist in the ICU as standard – providing advanced multi-modal analgesia for critical patients
Best-in-class ICU facilities
- State-of-the-art facilities with well-equipped intensive care units
- Advanced crash kit
- Well-equipped in-house laboratory, including clotting and blood gas analysis
- Specialist-led advanced diagnostic imaging including ultrasound, CT, and MRI available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year
Multi-disciplinary support
- Emergency diagnostics, endoscopy and surgical interventions provided by Specialists available at all times
- Post-operative ICU hospitalisation of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) patients as standard
- All staff fully trained and annually retrained in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- On-site surgical facilities with Specialist surgeons and anaesthetists available 24-hours per day, 365 days per year
Our Emergency and Critical Care Team
We’re devoted to providing outstanding care to our patients when they need it most. Based within our advanced intensive care unit, the ECC team is fully supported by our experienced multi-disciplinary team. ICU patients are cared for 24/7 by our nursing team and are also continuously monitored by a dedicated anaesthetist.
"Rufus, my ten-year-old Newfoundland has been referred on numerous occasions. He has always received excellent treatment, with each condition and treatment options being fully explained before any procedures have taken place, including emergency procedures."
