24/7 Emergency Vet Services

Southpaws Emergency Hospital is available 24/7 for walk-in pet emergencies. Based in Malvern East, we provide emergency services for small animals throughout Melbourne. In a pet emergency, please come straight to 1103 Dandenong Rd, Malvern East or call us on 9569 3677.

Emergencies can happen at any time and our dedicated team of experienced veterinarians and support staff is always ready to provide urgent and compassionate care to your beloved pets. Whether it’s a sudden illness, injury or unforeseen health issue, our emergency services are designed to address the unique needs of your pet, ensuring they receive prompt attention and premium medical care when they need it the most.

MEET THE ECC TEAM

What is an Animal Emergency?

If your pet has had an accident or is showing any of the following symptoms, they require emergency care. Please come straight to our 24-hour emergency vet hospital. Walk-ins welcome.

  • Distress or drooling after eating a bone or other object
  • Excessive coughing, vomiting or diarrhea
  • Fatigue causing pet to collapse
  • Staining to urinate or defecate
  • Changes to breathing (faster breathing, harder breathing or panting excessively)
  • Snake bites (including interactions with snakes, sudden collapse and/or progressive paralysis)
  • Overheating or heatstroke
  • Animal altercations (cat or dog fight)
  • Motor vehicle accidents.
  • Urinating blood
  • Hyperthermia
  • Ingestion of toxins
  • Paralysis or not being able to move normally

  • Ingesting of poison (rat bait, snail pellets, human medication)

FAQ’s

Once you arrive at our Malvern East hospital, our reception team will get any important information from yourself or whoever is able to fill out our information sheet. During this time, our triage team will be made aware of your arrival.

Once a pet/patient presents to the hospital it will be triaged. Some patients may be brought straight through to the hospital, if we are concerned, they require immediate treatment. Other patients will be required to wait for a consultation. Veterinary emergency centres operate the same way human emergency hospitals do.

While we are open for small animal emergency (cats and dogs), if you are in urgent care with another animal that is not underneath this bracket, please call 9569 3677 ahead of time (when possible) to see if our team has the capacity and capabilities on treating your animal.

Yes, if you can, please call us on 9569 3677. Our team can get any key information about your situation, which will always help us prepare for your arrival.

Have several payment options to ease some of the burden of paying for emergency treatment.

Click here to see our payment options

Our emergency vet services are open 24/7 at our Malvern East Hospital.

Due to the unpredictable nature of emergencies, this varies greatly and can change rapidly. It is best to call in advance and speak to the staff at the hospital.

Please be patient with our team, if you have any queries our team will do our best to make your experience with us as easy and calm during this worrying time.

Yes, our reception team will be able to assist processing any insurance for you or assist in sending you all of the information you may need to put through your claim.

We typically cannot schedule emergency cases due to their unpredictable nature. If you are able to call ahead of time due to concerns with your pet.

The treating vet will do their best to update you as often as possible, but in the event they are attending to another patient or are performing a procedure, please understand call times may vary.

Our overnight team can also send you photos during your pets stay when available.