Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic

Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic Our Philosophy

The Clinic is fully equipped and staffed to provide state-of-the-art care for your pet.

Our staff will work with your veterinarian to provide the best possible outcome whenever cases are transferred. Our Staff is here to provide your pet with more than basic first aid until your veterinarian opens. They are here to perform diagnostics, treatment, and nursing care. Our Staff

Our doctors and technicians have training and experience in providing emergency care for their patients. The s

taff of the emergency veterinary clinic was chosen by the member hospitals because of their interest in emergency medicine, their commitment to their patients, and their compassion towards owners.

This is the time of year that we start seeing flea anemia in cats and kittens. Fleas can literally drain a kitten of blo...
07/21/2025

This is the time of year that we start seeing flea anemia in cats and kittens. Fleas can literally drain a kitten of blood in a day. Adult cats can have life threatening blood loss within a couple days with a high flea burden. Fleas reproduce at a horrifically fast pace and within a few days, they can have hundreds of offspring ( yes, hundreds) hatching. Although they prefer cats and dogs, they will also bite you as well. ( It's how the plague was spread, yes like the Black Plague in history)

Once your home is contaminated with fleas, it will take 3 months of diligent care to eradicate them. Environmental decontamination with washing of all cloth surfaces, sometimes fumigation of the home, and 3 months of oral or topical flea medications for ALL pets in the home is needed to get fleas under control. It is often less expensive to do MONTHLY proactive prevention.

If you live in shared housing ie apartments or a home that is multiple units, we have seen incidences of fleas crossing boundaries to infect indoor only cats in separate apartments.

If your pet has something that looks like dried rice around this a**s, this is likely tapeworm segments. Dogs and cats are infected with tapeworms from flea INGESTION. This means they need to be dewormed for intestinal parasites and you need to pick up flea prevention as well.

With cats, you may NEVER even SEE the fleas. Cats are great at grooming and removing the fleas before you can see them. If you are concerned, try brushing your pet and placing the fur you collect on a damp paper towel. If the paper towel has bloody droplets, your pet has fleas. ( it's the flea p**p making the red marks!)

Please make sure to use CAT specific medications for cats as dog formulas can be toxic.

In small kittens, they may need to be bathed daily since they may not be large enough to safely take prescription flea medications.

If you have any concerns, please contact your regular vet and if you don't have one, please set up a new patient appointment since our clinics cannot replace routine care.

It's World Ice Cream Day! As if most of us NEED an excuse to go get an ice cream cone.If you are hoping to partake with ...
07/20/2025

It's World Ice Cream Day! As if most of us NEED an excuse to go get an ice cream cone.

If you are hoping to partake with your pets, please remember a few things:
-adult cats and dogs are typically lactose intolerant ( this means they can have diarrhea from ice cream)
-sugar free ice cream MAY use xylitol which is toxic to our pets
-A small taste is likely enough and a whole cone may cause GI upset.
-remember that certain nuts like macadamia are not good for our pets
-if your pet has never tried ice cream, start SMALL to avoid an unpleasant after party.
-Avoid anything with chocolate
-making pet safe ice cream is an alternative ( typically with banana and Peanut butter)

We are officially at in patient capacity and can no longer safely care for additional patients at our clinic.We will con...
07/19/2025

We are officially at in patient capacity and can no longer safely care for additional patients at our clinic.

We will continue to see urgent care patients or level green/yellow patients until 9pm but will likely need to shut down to out patient care once we are on our overnight crew to care for all of the hospitalized patients. Many required multiple treatments and advanced care overnight.

If you are located SOUTH of us, please seek medical attention at the clinics in the southern half of the state:
Maine Veterinary Medical Center
Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic
Animal Emergency Clinic of Mid-Maine
Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care

If you are located NORTH of us:
please call us to make sure we are able to help you and your pet. We may be able to stabilize your patient and have you keep travelling south.

If your pet is in need of end of life care, please call us and we will do our best to accommodate you. We will always do our best to minimize your wait times but it has been an extremely busy Saturday.

We are currently close to capacity with hospitalized patients. This means that although we can help stabilize patients, ...
07/19/2025

We are currently close to capacity with hospitalized patients. This means that although we can help stabilize patients, if they require in hospital care, we may need to ask you to drive to one of the southern clinics for continued care. We are able to continue to care for yellow and green urgent care patients but do have longer than average wait times due to our high patient volume.

If you are located SOUTH of us, please consider visiting one of the ERs in the southern half of the state. We thank you all for your patience while we try to provide medical and emergency care to the greater half of the state.

Did you spend a lot of time out at camp this week? Was your dog or cat swimming with you? ( we know some cats who love t...
07/19/2025

Did you spend a lot of time out at camp this week? Was your dog or cat swimming with you? ( we know some cats who love to kayak!) If they did not dry out well between swims, you might to check them for a hot spot.

When pets stay wet/damp for a prolonged period of time ( swimming, licking etc), they can develop a localized skin infection. It will start as an itchy spot that they are chewing/licking at and then almost overnight/out of the blue, will smell terribly and have a thick pus like discharge. If you can catch it in the early stages ( slightly red, itchy skin), just giving it a good cleaning and drying it out may prevent a vet visit.

Common places to see hot spots include areas where the are skin folds ( head/neck region) base of the tail, or around the jowls. If you can't dry them out easily ie heavy coat or can't keep them out of the water easily, try getting them a summer cut/hair do to avoid the inner layer of fur trapping the moisture closer to the skin. ( please use clippers instead of scissors)

If your pet is licking an area and causing moisture from their own saliva, a cone of shame may be needed until you can help them sort out the problem. Although this is hardly ever a life threatening emergency, it can be very uncomfortable and worsen/spread daily.

We are so lucky to have specialists in our state and that are such a collaborative hospital! Thank you Maine Veterinary ...
07/19/2025

We are so lucky to have specialists in our state and that are such a collaborative hospital! Thank you Maine Veterinary Medical Center for being there 24/7 for our patients! Not only are they present for our patients, if we need a specialty phone consult, their veterinarians are happy to share they book smarts with our doctors too!

Bruno came to us from Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic after a forelimb fracture.

Thanks to their excellent initial care, he was stabilized and transferred for specialized orthopedic treatment. His surgery went perfectly, and he's already back to playing with his sibling!

We're so grateful for our strong partnership with EMEVC. This collaboration ensures swift, seamless care for patients needing specialized treatment. When hospitals work together, our furry patients win!

We are seeing a lot of dogs with vomiting and bloody diarrhea. These symptoms can be triggered by a variety of issues. S...
07/18/2025

We are seeing a lot of dogs with vomiting and bloody diarrhea. These symptoms can be triggered by a variety of issues. Sometimes it's just as simple as stress or eating something on the trail that didn't agree with them. Other times, it can indicate more serious issues.

When caught early, we may be able to do supportive out patient care. In some cases though, the dehydration may need to be addressed with IV fluids and medications.

If your pet is having more than a few episodes of vomiting or diarrhea in a 24 hours period or is ACTING sick, a trip to our clinic may be warranted. For dogs' the stress organ is typically the GI tract vs in cats it's the urinary bladder. If your cat has bloody vomiting and diarrhea, it COULD be something more serious since this set of symptoms is not as common in our feline friends.

We have never seen so many heat stroke patients in Maine. Many of us have worked in other states where heat stroke is sa...
07/17/2025

We have never seen so many heat stroke patients in Maine. Many of us have worked in other states where heat stroke is sadly, a more common issue. With the recent heat wave, we wanted to remind you that some animals are more at risk than others. Heat stroke can occur just in 10 to 15 minutes in high risk animals. Something as silly as putting your old dog with laryngeal paralysis in a car that was parked in the sun or your overweight smooshed face dog walking to the mail box and back, could trigger an issue.

Early Clinical Signs:
severe panting
lethargy
bright red gums or purple gums
drooling

Late Clinical Signs:
collapse
inability to walk
loss of awareness
seizures

What should you do:
wet down your pet with room temperature water
head straight to the closest OPEN vet clinic/ER

Heat stroke can be fatal EVEN IF WE COOL OFF YOUR PET.
High body temperatures can change the body's ability to form a blood clot, lead to organ failure, muscle damage, severe inflammation of organs, and brain swelling. Prevention is the best method to keep your pet safe during high temperatures.

Just a friendly reminder that the asphalt and pavement can get really hot to day! Walking on the hot surface can lead to...
07/16/2025

Just a friendly reminder that the asphalt and pavement can get really hot to day! Walking on the hot surface can lead to paw pads injury. If you can't keep your bare foot on the surface comfortably for a prolonged period of it, it's probably too hot for your pet to be walking on it. Sand can also hold a lot of heat. Please avoid taking your pet out during the hottest time of day. Heat stroke can happen in a very short period of time. It is hot enough for heat related emergencies today!

Glamor Shots at EMEVC:we are seeing a rise in trauma patients. It can be something like jumping off a dock or deck, hitt...
07/16/2025

Glamor Shots at EMEVC:
we are seeing a rise in trauma patients. It can be something like jumping off a dock or deck, hitting their head on granite in lakes, to hit by car or 4 wheelers. We the nice weather and higher volume of vehicles/traffic, keeping your pet on a leash could mean the difference between life and death.

Today's x-rays shows a pup who lost a fight against a truck. In the x-rays the chest seems very busy. This is because the diaphragm ruptured on impact. On the marked up x-ray that is actually the liver in the chest cavity. Patients with trauma to the lungs can. have trouble breathing for a number of reasons. Loss of the diaphragm, bruising of the lungs, rib fractures, and just pain can affect their breathing rate and effort. Sometimes on physical exam, it is obvious to the doctor that we a major problem but x-rays are useful ( when the pet is stable) to see the extent of the injuries. You can also see on the marked x-ray that the one side has a definitive line/distinction of where normal lung vs normal abdomen still is present.

This pup had early pulmonary contusions AND a ruptured diaphragm. This patient required oxygen support and surgical repair of the diaphragm.

We were so excited to see this announcement! We are doing our best to grow our pocket pet coverage but are still very li...
07/16/2025

We were so excited to see this announcement! We are doing our best to grow our pocket pet coverage but are still very limited. Just wanted to share this news with you all!

We are thrilled to announce Dr. Arena will now be adding on pocket pets to her clientele.
The following listed are the approved species she will providing care for:
-Chinchillas
-Degus
-Ferrets
-Gerbils
-Guinea Pigs
-Hamsters
-Hedgehogs
-Rabbits
-Rats
-Sugar Gliders

Can you spot her first patient?

If urgent care is needed, please call us prior to arrival, therefore we can ensure Dr. Arena and staff are available that day to provide any level of care your pet may need. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call us at (207) 947-6783.

Friendly Reminder:
Today is our Monthly Staff Meeting! This means we will be closing at 1pm and will reopen tomorrow morning, Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 8am, our regular business hours.

If you have an emergency, please call 947-6783 and press our emergency line until 4pm, or please CALL ahead to one of the following emergency facilities.

PetMedic Urgent Care Veterinary Clinic
200 Lower Main St., Freeport, ME 04032
(207) 805-5398
(opens at 12pm)

Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic
15 Dirigo Dr, Brewer, ME 04412
(207) 989-6267
(opens at 5:30pm)

Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic
191 Camden Rd, Warren, ME 04864
(207) 273-1100
(opens at 5:30pm)

Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care
739 Warren Ave
Westbrook, ME
(207) 878-3121
(24 hr)

Maine Veterinary Medical Center
1500 Technology Way
Scarborough, ME
(207) 885-1290
(24 hr)

Today is Pet Fire Safety Awareness Day.-Do you have stickers on your windows or doors to tell first responders that ther...
07/15/2025

Today is Pet Fire Safety Awareness Day.
-Do you have stickers on your windows or doors to tell first responders that there are pets in the home?
-Do you have a fire/hazard plan ready for not just your family but for your pets.
-Do you have stove/fire/candle/fire safety rules inside and outside your home?
-In many fire related papers written in veterinary medicine, dogs tend to leave the area with their owners while cats tend to hide and suffer smoke inhalation and burns.
-Does your pet's have up to date microchip and collar tag information in case you are separated from them during an emergency?
-Are your smoke alarms and CO2 detection batteries up to date?

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has some great links to disaster preparedness with pets if you would like some more guidelines, not just fire preparation. Floods and other natural disasters can wreck havoc on your family and pets. Having a plan could help ease your stress during a challenging a time.

Address

Brewer, ME

Opening Hours

Monday 12am - 8am
Tuesday 5:30pm - 8am
Wednesday 5:30pm - 8am
Thursday 5:30pm - 8am
Friday 5:30pm - 8am
Saturday 8am - 8am
Sunday 8am - 8am

Telephone

(207) 989-6267

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