Emergency vets near Palo Alto

Pet emergencies rarely happen during office hours. A dog swallows a sock on Sunday night. A cat stops eating over a holiday weekend. Palo Alto's general vets close by early evening and both are closed on Sundays, so it pays to know before you need it which hospitals stay open all night.

This guide is informational only and does not replace advice from a vet. If you think your pet is in danger, call an emergency hospital now and keep reading later. We list hospitals by distance from downtown Palo Alto and do not rank them. Details come from each hospital's own website, checked in early November 2026.

Hospitals open 24 hours

Veterinary Emergency Group, Palo Alto

VEG, which now also calls itself VEG ER for Pets, opened its Palo Alto hospital at the corner of El Camino Real and Ventura Avenue in late October 2024. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including holidays. It does not book appointments. Instead it suggests calling on the way so the team knows what to expect. It says you can speak with a vet by phone at any hour. Its distinctive policy is that owners can stay with their pet the whole time, including during treatment. VEG also says it treats all pets, including birds, reptiles and other exotics, which matters in an area with few exotic vets.

MedVet Mountain View

MedVet's hospital sits on Showers Drive near the San Antonio shopping area, a short drive from south Palo Alto. Its site lists the emergency room as open 24/7, 365 days a year, with no appointment needed. It also lists urgent care, internal medicine and surgery, with board-certified specialists on staff. Several Palo Alto area practices, including Miramonte Veterinary Hospital in Mountain View, name MedVet as their after-hours option. The city's Animal Control page also points residents to MedVet for injured wildlife at night.

SAGE Veterinary Centers, Redwood City

SAGE runs five Bay Area emergency hospitals. The Redwood City hospital on Charter Street, near Highway 101 and Woodside Road, says it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its services list critical care, emergency medicine, cardiology, neurology, dentistry and anesthesiology. SAGE describes itself as an emergency and specialty hospital for dogs and cats. Allow about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Palo Alto by car.

Evening urgent care

Not every problem needs an emergency room. Urgent care sits in between, for things like a minor wound, vomiting without other signs or a limp.

Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, at 4470 El Camino Real, lists walk-in urgent care and emergency hours until 9 p.m. Its locations page gives 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, while its urgent care page says 9 p.m. on Sunday too. The urgent care page also says the extended evening hours are limited to current clients and that patients with life-threatening conditions are transferred to an emergency hospital before closing. It asks people to call (650) 948-9661 or use its live chat first to check capacity. Treat Adobe as an evening option, not an all-night one.

MedVet Mountain View also lists urgent care alongside its emergency room.

Poison hotlines

If your pet may have eaten something toxic, call right away. The sooner a poisoning is treated, the easier it usually is. Two national hotlines answer around the clock and are staffed by veterinary toxicology experts:

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A consultation fee may apply.
• Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661, by phone or chat. It lists a $99 fee per incident, with follow-up calls included.

Pet Poison Helpline's own advice is not to give home antidotes and not to induce vomiting without talking to a vet or the hotline first. Have the package or plant in hand when you call. Common Peninsula hazards include grapes and raisins, chocolate, xylitol in sugar-free gum, rodent bait, lilies for cats and snail bait in gardens.

What to do on the way

1. Call ahead. All three 24-hour hospitals suggest it. Staff can tell you whether to come in and can prepare.
2. Keep your pet still and contained. Use a carrier for cats and small dogs. A towel or blanket works as a stretcher for a larger dog.
3. Bring what matters. Medication bottles, the package of anything your pet ate and any vet records on your phone.
4. Be careful. Even gentle pets can bite when they are hurt or scared.
5. Expect triage. Emergency hospitals see the sickest patients first, so a stable pet may wait.
6. Ask for an estimate. Emergency care costs more than a regular visit. Ask what the first steps will cost before treatment begins.

Signs that mean go now

This is not a complete list and it is not medical advice. Call an emergency vet if your pet:

• Is struggling to breathe or has pale, blue or gray gums
• Collapses, cannot stand or has a seizure
• Has a swollen, hard belly and is retching without bringing anything up, especially a large dog
• Is a male cat straining in the litter box with little or no urine
• Has been hit by a car, attacked by another animal or fallen from a height
• Is bleeding heavily or has a deep wound
• May have eaten something poisonous
• Has been overheated after a hot walk or a car ride

Heat is a real risk on the Peninsula in late summer and fall. Our heat waves guide covers hot days in town.

Injured wildlife and strays

For an injured wild animal or a stray in Palo Alto, call Animal Control's 24-hour dispatch line at (650) 329-2413. The city's Animal Control page says that after hours, if it is safe, you can place an injured wild animal in a box and take it to MedVet at 601 Showers Drive at no cost. Do not feed it. The Peninsula Humane Society's non-emergency wildlife line is (650) 340-8200, extension 414. Our animal shelter guide covers lost pets and the shelter.

Plan ahead

• Save VEG, MedVet and SAGE in your phone now.
• Ask your regular vet which hospital it refers to after hours. See our veterinarians guide for local practices.
• Keep a short pet health summary on your phone: weight, medications, allergies and vaccine dates.
• Pack a pet section in your earthquake kit. Our emergency preparedness guide has a checklist.
• Consider pet insurance or an emergency savings fund. Overnight hospital stays can be expensive.

Frequently asked questions