FAQs

Our veterinary ER hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. If your dog or cat is injured or in need of emergency care, our experienced staff is here to help at any time.

You never need an appointment, but if possible, please call us at 508-759-5125 (for Buzzards Bay) or 508-398-7575 (for Dennis) and let us know that you are on your way so we can make sure our team is ready for your arrival and can begin treating your pet immediately.

Since our pets cannot speak to us and tell us what’s wrong, it can be difficult to tell when your pet is experiencing a medical emergency. Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists has veterinary professionals on staff 24/7, so if you aren’t sure if you should bring your pet in, give us a call and our team can help guide you.

If your pet exhibits any of the following conditions, we recommend bringing them into our emergency room:

• Difficulty breathing
• Not moving
• Straining or making excessive bathroom trips
• Crying out in pain
• Profuse vomiting (more than 2-3 times in a night)
• Excessive drooling (in cats)
• Collapse, tremors, or seizures
• Any trauma
• Any poisoning or toxin ingestion
• Any string hanging out of any orifice

When you arrive at CCVS for an emergency visit, your pet will be examined by our highly skilled emergency critical care team. Our hospital operates much like a human emergency room: patients are triaged by a veterinary technician and are attended to according to urgency.

Our emergency department is staffed at all times by highly trained and well-qualified veterinary health professionals, including specialists board-certified in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

Most sick or injured pets require diagnostic testing, blood tests, radiographs, consultations, examinations, and nursing care. Our emergency veterinarians will give you a more accurate estimate following the initial examination of your pet. Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists require a deposit of 90% of the estimate at the time a case is admitted. Fees for professional services will be itemized and submitted to you for payment at the time of completion of our services. We accept payment of cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. We longer accept checks.

Need help paying your bill? CareCredit offers monthly payment options for your pet’s healthcare needs. CareCredit is subject to credit approval. Visit carecredit.com for more information.

You can! We understand how stressful it can be to have your pet hospitalized and want to make sure we do everything in our power to care for you and your pet. CCVS has regular visiting hours from 12 noon to 8 pm. If your pet is here for surgery, we do not permit visiting on the day of the procedure so that your pet can rest and recover.

If you’d like to visit your pet while they are hospitalized, please call us and speak to the liaison to ensure that your pet will not be undergoing any procedure or treatment when you arrive. We will do everything in our power to get you in to visit your pet in a timely manner; however, we ask that you please be patient if our team is working with an emergency.

In the best interest of your pet’s recovery, we limit visits to twice daily for no longer than 15 minutes each visit. These limits are in place to prevent delays in the medical care requirements of your pet and to ensure plenty of time to rest and recuperate.

We, unfortunately, cannot allow visitation if your pet is in isolation, due to the required precautions to prevent the spread of contagious conditions.

To learn more about board certification and why it’s important, visit our Board Certified Specialists page.

Need help paying your bill? Utilize flexible financing for pet care using the CareCredit credit card. We accept CareCredit, the pet, health and wellness credit card with flexible, budget-friendly financing options that allow you to pay over time for a range of treatments and services. From routine visits and preventative care, to diagnostics and emergency surgeries, CareCredit can help you be prepared for any veterinary expense. *Subject to credit approval. Learn more HERE.