Emergencies

When you pull up to the green gates, the after-hours emergency phone is located to your left

Emergency Contact Information

Emergency Protocol

If you are arriving after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, on weekends or holidays, pull up to the green gates and use the telephone located to the left of the gate. You will be connected to the technician on-call who will open the gates for you to drive in.

Emergency Equine & Large Animal Care

The equine veterinarians at the UF Large Animal Hospital provide equine and large animal emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week to Gainesville, Ocala, Jacksonville and the surrounding areas throughout the state of Florida and beyond. Please call our main line at (352) 392-2229 if you have an emergency. Visit our colic emergency page for more information.

A patient can be referred by the primary care veterinarian or the owner can call the hospital directly. It is critical that arrangements be made with the veterinarian on-call prior to arriving at the hospital if possible.

Emergency Procedures

After 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, on weekends, and on holidays, our answering service will receive your call and connect you to the appropriate doctor based on the information provided about the medical condition of the patient. All of our services work together quickly and efficiently to provide care for all equine and large animal patients in equine lameness & imaging, equine surgery, equine ophthalmology, emergency and colic care, neonatal and foal care, equine reproduction, and equine internal medicine.

All emergencies are received at our main hospital (map). Once you arrive, your horse or large animal will be stabilized and evaluated. An initial medical treatment plan will be provided and you will be required to leave a deposit equal to 50% of the high-end of the estimate. You and your primary care veterinarian will be updated daily and upon any changes in the patient’s condition. Contact us to discuss our financial services.

View our hours and location.

Equine & Large Animal Rescue

Visit the UF College of Veterinary Medicine for equine and large animal rescue information.

For Exotic Animal Emergencies (after hours, Monday to Friday 5 p.m. – 8 a.m., weekends and holidays)

  • Prior to arrival, please call (352) 392-2235 if possible
  • Zoo Med clinicians are on-call for emergencies, but may not be in the clinic after hours
  • Cases will be evaluated and triaged
  • Pending stability, your pet may be hospitalized and diagnostics may be performed the following business day(s)
  • If your pet is stable, an appointment may be scheduled for later
  • Emergency cases take significantly longer than during business hours
  • Please allow a minimum of 3 hours for your visit
  • Bring your pet in a secure carrier (or container) for their safety

UF Large Animal Hospital Veterinary Care

The UF Large Animal Hospital veterinarians treat equine and large animal patients from the Gainesville, Ocala and Jacksonville areas, including Alachua and Marion Counties in Florida, and our clients come from all over the United States. Contact us to speak to one of our specialists or to make an appointment.

University of Florida

IFAS

As part of both the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and UF Health, Veterinary Medicine is dedicated to advancing animal, human and environmental health through teaching, research, extension and patient care.

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University of Florida

Animal Hospitals

Need animal care? Visit the UF Small Animal and Large Animal Hospitals. From dogs, cats, birds and exotics to horses, cattle, llamas, pigs and many other large farm or food animals, our experienced veterinary staff is ready to assist.

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Syndicated Podcast

Animal Airwaves

Animal Airwaves is a daily radio series that features one-minute segments relating to animal health, ranging from insights into animal behavior to veterinary patient care breakthroughs and trends.

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