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When every second counts, Veterinary Specialist Services (VSS) is here to support your pet with expert emergency and critical care. Whether you're on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane, or in the surrounding regions, our teams in Carrara, Underwood, and Jindalee are ready to help with seamless care across day and night, every day of the year.
24/7 EMERGENCY VET SERVICES
24/7 Emergency Veterinary Services in Brisbane & Gold Coast
Could Your Pet Be a Hero?
During standard hospital hours (8 am-6 pm Monday to Friday), VSS provides urgent, specialist-level emergency assessment by referral from your local family veterinarian.
If your vet determines your pet requires immediate specialist attention due to a complex illness, critical injury, or sudden deterioration, they can refer directly to our team. We will:
- Triage your pet on arrival
- Begin stabilisation if required
- Communicate closely with your referring vet to ensure continuity of care
We are equipped to handle complex and time-sensitive cases that may be beyond the capacity of general practice, including:
- Respiratory distress requiring ventilator support
- Tick paralysis
- Neurological emergencies
- Complicated trauma
- Advanced diagnostic workups
We are a referral hospital; however, we will never turn away a critically ill or injured animal. In urgent situations, please call your local VSS hospital so we can prepare and assist.
After-Hours Emergency Care - In Partnership with AES
Outside of business hours, all three of our hospitals operate in partnership with Animal Emergency Service (AES), located within our facilities. This ensures that your pet is never without care, even in the middle of the night.
AES provides:
- Immediate access to emergency veterinarians and triage nurses
- Critical care and overnight monitoring
- Direct collaboration with the VSS team to ensure a smooth transition into specialist care the following morning
Whether your pet arrives during the day with our VSS specialists or overnight with AES, they will remain within the same hospital and benefit from our shared systems, facilities, and commitment to exceptional care.
24-Hour Intensive Care, Monitoring & Specialist Support
All VSS locations are equipped with:
- 24/7 nursing teams, trained in emergency and critical care
- Dedicated Intensive Care Units (ICU)
- Ventilator support for respiratory emergencies
- Advanced anaesthesia, monitoring and pain management
- On-call specialists, including surgeons, are available for after-hours intervention when needed
This means that even outside of consultation hours, your pet is never alone and you don’t need to transfer between hospitals to receive ongoing, expert care.
Supporting Local Vets - Not Replacing Them
At VSS, we work hand-in-hand with general practice veterinarians. Our emergency services are designed to support, not replace, the work of local clinics.
We are here when a case becomes too complex, urgent, or resource-intensive for general practice, offering ventilator access, advanced imaging, ICU support, and multidisciplinary input across medicine, surgery, and diagnostics.
Common Emergency Cases We See
Tick paralysis and snake bite
Seizures and neurological episodes
Collapse or sudden breathing difficulty
Unexplained bleeding or anaemia
Foreign body ingestion
Trauma from accidents or fights
Acute abdominal pain
Sudden behavioural or mobility changes
If your pet is showing any of these symptoms, your family vet may recommend an urgent referral to VSS.
Locations Providing Emergency Support
We provide emergency and critical care at all three of our specialist hospitals:
Carrara
(Gold Coast)
Conveniently located just off the M1.
Servicing Robina, Nerang, Varsity Lakes, Reedy Creek, Mudgeeraba, and surrounds.
Servicing Robina, Nerang, Varsity Lakes, Reedy Creek, Mudgeeraba, and surrounds.
Underwood
(Brisbane South)
Easily accessible from Brisbane CBD, Logan, Redlands, and surrounding suburbs.
Specialist support for tick paralysis, ICU and ventilator care.
Specialist support for tick paralysis, ICU and ventilator care.
Jindalee
(Brisbane West)
Supporting patients across western Brisbane suburbs and beyond.
Working closely with local GPs to deliver emergency and referral support.
Working closely with local GPs to deliver emergency and referral support.
How to Refer an Emergency Case to VSS
If your pet is experiencing an emergency:
Contact your local family veterinarian immediately.
If your vet recommends a specialist referral, they will call us directly to organise an urgent assessment.
Our team will prepare for your pet’s arrival and begin triage on entry.
If you are unsure what to do or your vet is unavailable, you may contact the nearest VSS location for advice.
For Referring Veterinarians
We know how important clear, two-way communication is, especially for urgent cases. When you refer to VSS:
- You maintain oversight of your patient
- We keep you updated at every stage
- Our Referring Vet Hotline is available for direct clinical discussion
- The VSS Vet Portal provides live updates, diagnostic results and discharge reports
24/7 Compassionate Emergency Care, When It Matters Most
At VSS, we know that emergencies don’t wait for convenient hours. That’s why our integrated team of specialists, nurses and emergency clinicians are here, every day, around the clock, to deliver life-saving care with compassion, clarity, and confidence.
