Emergency Vet Moncton: Where to Go at 2 a.m.

The short answer

Riverview Animal Health Centre, 550 Pine Glen Rd, Riverview: 506-387-4015. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included, walk-ins accepted, triage on arrival. It serves all of Greater Moncton and is where local clinics transfer their own after-hours calls. Between noon and midnight, Moncton Veterinary Walk-in & Urgent Care at 30 Trites Rd (506-777-1235) is the no-appointment option for urgent-but-stable cases. Save both numbers in your phone today.

Heads up: This article is informational and is not veterinary advice. If your dog is in distress, stop reading and call 506-387-4015. Hours and service details reflect the clinics' published pages as of July 2026 and can change; the phone call is always the authoritative source.

Every Moncton dog owner eventually has the 2 a.m. moment: the retching that will not stop, the limp that appeared from nowhere, the chewed-open container that used to hold something. The worst time to figure out the local emergency system is during it. The good news is that Greater Moncton's system is simple, because it has one round-the-clock answer and one strong evening backup, both a short drive over the Petitcodiac causeway in Riverview.

This matters double for new adopters. A freshly adopted rescue dog is a dog whose full history you are still learning, and the first months are when surprises surface: the food sensitivity nobody knew about, the sock-eating habit, the reaction to a new environment. Save the numbers below the day you bring your dog home, next to your regular vet's.

Your Three Options, In Order

Riverview Animal Health Centre

Open 24/7, including holidays

The region's round-the-clock hospital, five minutes over the causeway from downtown Moncton. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included, with walk-in emergencies accepted: their own instruction is to call day or night or come straight to the hospital. A technician triages your pet on arrival, so critical cases jump the queue while stable ones wait. This is the number Moncton vets themselves route after-hours calls to.

Address: 550 Pine Glen Rd, Riverview, NB

Phone: 506-387-4015

Visit website →

Moncton Veterinary Walk-in & Urgent Care

Noon to midnight, 7 days

A walk-in urgent care clinic on Trites Road in Riverview, open 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. every day. No appointment needed, and they post a service guarantee of seeing a vet within an hour of check-in (or 50% off the consultation fee). Equipped for emergency care, poison control, diagnostic imaging, oxygen therapy, and on-site lab work, with flexible payment plans advertised. A strong option for the evening emergencies that are urgent but not catastrophic.

Address: 30 Trites Rd, Riverview, NB

Phone: 506-777-1235

Visit website →

Your regular daytime vet

Business hours

For anything that can wait until morning, your own clinic is the right first call: they know the file, and follow-up care lands in one place. Moncton clinics like Elmwood Veterinary Hospital on Macaleese Lane route their after-hours calls to the emergency hospital (phone their line after close and you are transferred to 506-387-4015), which tells you how the local system is wired. When in doubt about severity, call; every clinic would rather triage you by phone than have you guess.

Address: Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview

Visit website →

Which Door, When

Situation	Where to Go
Life-threatening, any hour (bloat, collapse, breathing trouble, trauma)	Riverview Animal Health Centre, immediately
Urgent but stable, noon to midnight (limp, ear pain, mild vomiting, wound)	Moncton Veterinary Walk-in & Urgent Care
Urgent but stable, after midnight	Riverview Animal Health Centre (they triage; stable cases may wait)
Can wait until morning	Your regular Moncton clinic, first thing
Not sure how bad it is	Phone 506-387-4015 and let them triage you

Go Now: The Red-Flag List

Any of these means drive, not wait:

Difficulty breathing, choking, blue or grey gums
Bloated, hard, or rapidly swelling abdomen; unproductive retching (bloat can kill within hours, especially in deep-chested breeds)
Seizures, collapse, sudden inability to stand or walk
Uncontrolled bleeding, deep wounds, or any hit-by-car trauma even if the dog seems fine
Suspected poisoning: chocolate, xylitol, grapes or raisins, rodent bait, antifreeze, human medications
Straining to urinate with little or nothing produced
Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, especially with blood or lethargy
Heatstroke signs on humid summer days, or prolonged shivering and disorientation after winter exposure

Moncton's climate contributes its own cases: icy-sidewalk falls and road-salt paw damage in winter, heat distress during muggy July stretches, and spring thaw revealing every interesting toxic thing under the snowbanks. Adjust your vigilance with the season.

Planning for the Cost (Before You Need To)

Neither emergency provider publishes prices, so treat any specific number you read online with suspicion. The reliable directional picture: an emergency exam costs more than a regular consultation, diagnostics and imaging stack on top, overnight hospitalisation stacks on that, and New Brunswick's 15% HST applies throughout. Severe cases (surgery, multi-day stays) can reach four figures.

Ask for a written estimate before authorising treatment. Emergency teams do this routinely and would rather align on budget early than surprise you at discharge. If the first estimate is beyond reach, say so; there is often a staged or conservative option.

Payment plans exist: the walk-in clinic on Trites Road advertises care-now-pay-later arrangements. Ask the 24/7 hospital about current options directly.

The real fix is deciding in advance: either pet insurance from adoption day or a dedicated emergency fund you build monthly. Our Moncton adoption costs guide works both into the first-year budget.

While Someone Drives: Do and Do Not

Do call 506-387-4015 en route so the team can prep, and follow whatever first-aid instructions they give.

Do bring the packaging of anything eaten, and a list of your dog's medications.

Do restrain an injured dog gently: a blanket wrap works, and even sweet dogs bite when they hurt.

Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional tells you to; with some toxins it makes things worse.

Do not give human medications. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are toxic to dogs, and “a little for the pain” creates a second emergency.

Do not wait to see if bloat symptoms pass. They will not.

Browse adoptable Moncton dogs

Every P.A.W. dog arrives vet-checked, vaccinated, and microchipped, which means your first vet visits are wellness checks, not detective work.

See Available Moncton Dogs →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a 24-hour emergency vet in Moncton?

Yes, effectively: the Riverview Animal Health Centre at 550 Pine Glen Road in Riverview, about five minutes from downtown Moncton, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. Call 506-387-4015 on the way, or just go; they accept walk-in emergencies and triage on arrival. It is the after-hours destination Moncton clinics themselves transfer callers to.

Where do I take my dog at night in Moncton if it is urgent but not critical?

Moncton Veterinary Walk-in & Urgent Care at 30 Trites Road in Riverview runs noon to midnight, seven days a week, no appointment needed. They advertise seeing a vet within an hour of check-in and handle urgent care, imaging, and poison cases. After midnight, or for anything that looks life-threatening at any hour, go to the Riverview Animal Health Centre instead.

What counts as a real dog emergency?

Go immediately for difficulty breathing, a bloated or hard abdomen (especially in deep-chested dogs), seizures, collapse, inability to walk, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning, repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, straining to urinate without producing anything, severe pain, or major trauma like being hit by a car. With any of these, do not wait for morning. Call 506-387-4015 while someone drives.

What does an emergency vet visit cost in Moncton?

Neither Greater Moncton emergency provider publishes a price list, so plan directionally: expect the emergency exam fee alone to run more than a regular consultation, with diagnostics, imaging, medication, and overnight care stacking on top, plus 15% HST. Serious cases can reach four figures. Ask for a written estimate before authorising treatment; emergency teams expect the question. The walk-in clinic on Trites Road advertises flexible payment plans.

Should I call ahead before going to the emergency vet?

Yes, if someone else can dial while you drive. Calling 506-387-4015 lets the Riverview team prepare for what is coming, and they can tell you first aid to do or avoid en route. But do not delay departure to make the call. Their own guidance is to call day or night or come straight in, and with true emergencies (breathing trouble, bloat, collapse) minutes matter more than the heads-up.

My dog ate something toxic. What do I do?

Treat it as an emergency now, not when symptoms start. Chocolate, xylitol gum, grapes and raisins, rodent bait, antifreeze, and human medications (especially ibuprofen and acetaminophen) are the classic culprits. Do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to. Bring the packaging with you. Both the 24/7 hospital on Pine Glen Road and the walk-in clinic on Trites Road handle poison cases.

What is bloat and why does everyone warn about it?

Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) is a swollen, twisting stomach, and it kills fast: hours, not days. Watch for a hard or distended belly, unproductive retching, drooling, pacing, and obvious distress, most often in large deep-chested breeds like shepherds, Great Danes, and standard poodles. It is a genuine drop-everything emergency. Drive to the Riverview Animal Health Centre immediately; there is no home remedy and no waiting it out.

Is there an after-hours vet number for Moncton?

The working after-hours number for Greater Moncton is 506-387-4015, the Riverview Animal Health Centre. Local clinics wire their own phone lines to it: Elmwood Veterinary Hospital's after-hours line, for example, transfers callers to that emergency hospital. Save it in your phone under emergency vet the day you adopt, next to your regular clinic's number.

What should I bring to an emergency vet visit?

Your dog, safely restrained (leash, carrier, or a blanket-wrapped carry for injured dogs), plus anything relevant: the packaging of whatever was eaten, a list of current medications, and your regular vet's name so records can follow. Vaccination records help but do not delay leaving to hunt for paperwork. A second person to drive while you call ahead is the single most useful thing to bring.

How do I know if it can wait until morning?

Phone and ask; both the 24/7 hospital and the urgent care clinic triage by phone, and they would rather talk you through it than have you guess wrong. As a rough rule: changes in behaviour with normal breathing, eating, and elimination can often wait for your regular vet, while anything involving breathing, repeated vomiting, straining, severe pain, or sudden collapse cannot. When genuinely unsure, err toward going.

Do emergency vets in Moncton take payment plans?

Moncton Veterinary Walk-in & Urgent Care advertises flexible payment plans under a care-now-pay-later model. For the 24/7 hospital, ask directly; policies change and we will not promise terms on their behalf. The better long-term answer is pet insurance or a dedicated emergency fund started the month you adopt, because the worst time to discover your options is at 2 a.m. with a sick dog.

Does pet insurance make sense for a Moncton rescue dog?

It is worth pricing out, especially in the first year while you are still learning a rescue dog's health history. Insurance converts a rare four-figure emergency into a predictable monthly cost. If you would rather self-insure, set aside a dedicated emergency fund instead. Our Moncton adoption costs guide walks through the first-year budget either way. What matters is deciding before the emergency, not during it.