When your dog or cat is in sudden distress during business hours, Pawtown Veterinary Care is Bend’s locally owned option for same-day emergency and urgent veterinary care. Dr. Erin Miller and Dr. Lauren Stayer built this practice around availability — our same-day appointments are standard, not a last resort, and we prioritize pets in crisis the moment you call.
Bend has grown into a city of active outdoor families, and dogs who hike, swim, and explore Central Oregon trails face real injury and exposure risks year-round. Our team understands this environment and the emergencies it produces. For a full overview of what we treat, visit our veterinary services page.
Emergency Vet vs. Urgent Care in Bend
Not every crisis is a true emergency, and knowing the difference helps you make faster decisions when your pet needs you most. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends calling your vet first whenever you’re uncertain — a quick phone triage can tell you whether to come in immediately, head to a 24-hour facility, or monitor for a few hours.
Urgent care covers conditions that need attention within hours but are not immediately life-threatening — vomiting, limping, eye discharge, ear pain, minor wounds, or straining to urinate. A true pet emergency requires immediate intervention: collapse, difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning, repeated seizures, or pale and blue gums are all emergencies. If you’re unsure which category your pet is in, call us at (541) 777-6310 and we’ll help you decide within minutes. For situations arising outside our business hours, please see our emergency care page for after-hours resources in Bend.
What Pawtown Treats During Business Hours
During our Monday through Friday hours, 8 am to 5 pm, Dr. Miller and Dr. Stayer handle a wide range of emergencies and urgent conditions in-house. Central Oregon’s active outdoor lifestyle creates specific injury patterns — paw lacerations from volcanic rock, rattlesnake encounters, heat exhaustion on summer trails, and tick exposures from high desert terrain. We see all of it regularly and treat it here without requiring a referral.
- Trauma and paw injuries from hiking, trail running, and outdoor activity — cuts, puncture wounds, suspected fractures, and wildlife encounter injuries. Our injury treatment team handles these during business hours.
- Urinary blockages — straining to urinate or producing only drops, especially in male cats where a blockage becomes fatal within hours. Call us the moment you notice it.
- GI distress — vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than a few hours, particularly with lethargy, appetite loss, or blood in the stool or vomit.
- Eye emergencies — redness, discharge, squinting, or pawing at the eye. Eye conditions escalate quickly; minor irritation can become a corneal ulcer within hours.
- Heat exhaustion — heavy panting, drooling, weakness, or stumbling after outdoor activity in Bend’s summer heat. Read our heat exhaustion guide for what to do en route.
- Suspected poisoning — chocolate, yard plants, fertilizers, rodenticide, or unknown ingestions. Call us immediately so we can advise on immediate steps and prepare for your arrival.
If your pet is experiencing any of these conditions and it’s a business day between 8 am and 5 pm, call us right away. We’ll triage over the phone and have a room ready when you arrive.
What Happens When You Call Pawtown With an Emergency
When you call with an urgent or emergency concern, our front desk does an immediate phone triage. We’ll ask about your pet’s species, the main symptom, how long it has been happening, and whether they’re stable enough to travel. That information goes directly to Dr. Miller or Dr. Stayer so we can prepare the exam room and any equipment before you arrive.
Because Pawtown is a locally owned practice with a consistent team, there’s no handoff to an unfamiliar ER doctor. Dr. Miller and Dr. Stayer handle your pet’s emergency themselves. If your pet is already a patient here, they already know your animal’s history, which speeds up assessment and treatment significantly. We also perform in-house bloodwork and digital x-rays so there’s no waiting on outside labs during a crisis. Costs are clearly explained before treatment begins, and CareCredit and Scratch Pay are available if you need financing options. Visit our financing page for details.
Signs Your Pet Needs Same-Day Emergency or Urgent Care
Call us at (541) 777-6310 right away during business hours if your dog or cat is experiencing any of the following: vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than a few hours, especially with lethargy; straining to urinate or producing only small amounts (especially in male cats); a wound, bite, or paw injury that needs evaluation; sudden limping that doesn’t improve with rest; eye redness, discharge, squinting, or pawing at the eye; suspected ingestion of something toxic; or a significant change in behavior that suggests your pet is in pain.
When you’re unsure, a quick call is always the right move. Our team can assess urgency over the phone and give you a clear answer about whether your pet should come in immediately, wait a few hours, or be seen tomorrow. Pets do not always show obvious signs of pain, and what looks minor sometimes isn’t. Read our guide on when to choose urgent care vs. emergency care for more detail on how to decide.
Emergency and Urgent Care Hours in Bend, Oregon
Pawtown Veterinary Care is open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Call us at (541) 777-6310 as early as possible when your pet has an urgent concern — earlier calls give us more flexibility to see your pet that same morning. Walk-ins are accepted for urgent cases, though a call ahead helps us prepare for your arrival.
For situations that arise outside our business hours, Bend Animal Emergency and Specialty Center and the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon both provide 24-hour care. We’re happy to coordinate your pet’s follow-up care after any after-hours visit so their treatment continues without interruption. Bend area pet owners can also read about what to include in a pet emergency kit to be prepared before a crisis happens.
Financing for Emergency Vet Visits in Bend
Unexpected emergencies come with unexpected costs. Pawtown accepts CareCredit and Scratch Pay financing, so you can get your pet treated right away and manage the cost over time. We provide clear cost estimates before any diagnostics or treatment begins, and give you itemized invoices for pet insurance reimbursement. Our goal is that cost never stands between your pet and the care they need during a crisis.
Emergency Vet Care in Bend — Pawtown Veterinary Care
Dr. Erin Miller and Dr. Lauren Stayer have provided emergency and urgent care for Bend’s dogs and cats since founding Pawtown Veterinary Care. They built this practice specifically to be the kind of locally owned, relationship-driven clinic where you call the same number, see the same doctors, and get your pet seen the same day. When an emergency happens during business hours, you won’t reach an answering service or wait two days for an available slot. Read more about the practice and our team on our about us page.
Don’t wait on something that concerns you. Contact us as soon as you notice a problem — we would rather help you determine it wasn’t serious than have you delay care for something that needed attention right away.
Is Pawtown open for pet emergencies?
Yes, during business hours — Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Call us at (541) 777-6310 and we will triage your pet’s symptoms immediately and prepare for your arrival. For emergencies outside our hours, Bend Animal Emergency and Specialty Center provides 24-hour care.
What counts as a pet emergency?
A pet emergency is any condition where delay could result in serious harm or death. Signs include collapse or inability to stand, difficulty breathing or open-mouth breathing in a cat, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning, repeated seizures, pale or blue gums, or straining to urinate with no output, especially in male cats. If you’re unsure, call us — we’ll help you decide quickly.
Do I need an appointment for emergency care at Pawtown?
No. Walk-ins are accepted for urgent and emergency cases during business hours. Calling ahead when possible helps us prepare, but if your pet is in distress, come in and we will see you.
What should I do if my pet has an emergency after business hours?
Contact Bend Animal Emergency and Specialty Center or the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon — both offer 24-hour emergency care in Bend. Once your pet has been stabilized, call us the next business day and we’ll take over their follow-up care.
Does Pawtown handle dog and cat emergencies only?
Yes. Pawtown Veterinary Care treats dogs and cats only. We do not see exotic animals, birds, rabbits, or other species.
Can Pawtown perform emergency surgery?
We handle many urgent surgical situations in-house during business hours, including wound repair and certain acute conditions. Complex specialty surgeries requiring advanced equipment may be referred to a specialty center. Dr. Miller and Dr. Stayer will tell you clearly what we can manage at our facility and what requires referral.