The short answer
For a true emergency at any hour, go to Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital, 212 McAllister Drive, Unit 130A (Parkway Mall, east side), open 24/7: 506-658-8387. For urgent-but-stable problems between noon and midnight, Greater Saint John Veterinary Wellness & Urgent Care in Quispamsis takes walk-ins (506-777-1235). For suspected poisoning, call the emergency hospital or the ASPCA poison-control hotline at 888-426-4435 immediately.
Heads up: This article is informational and is not veterinary advice. If your dog is in distress, stop reading and call Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital at 506-658-8387. Hours and services reflect what each clinic publishes as of July 2026; confirm by phone.
Saint John is in better shape for pet emergencies than most cities its size. Plenty of Canadian regions this size have no overnight option at all, and owners drive hours in the dark. Here, Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital keeps a full team on site around the clock, every day, in Parkway Mall off McAllister Drive. If you remember one thing from this page, make it that address and 506-658-8387.
The second thing worth knowing is the tier below: Greater Saint John Veterinary Wellness & Urgent Care in Quispamsis takes walk-in and same-day cases from noon to midnight, seven days a week. Using the right tier saves money and keeps the emergency hospital's capacity for the dogs that need it.
New adopters should sort this before the first bad night. A newly adopted rescue dog is at its highest risk of eating something stupid in the first weeks, while it is stress-testing your dog-proofing. Save the numbers the same week you bring the dog home from the Saint John rescue network.
Your Options, by Tier
Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital
Saint John's dedicated emergency animal hospital, locally owned and staffed around the clock with veterinarians and technicians. It sits at 212 McAllister Drive, Unit 130A, in Parkway Mall on the east side. This is the destination for the real emergencies: breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, toxin ingestion, trauma, and anything else that cannot wait for morning. Call ahead if you can (506-658-8387) so the team is ready when you arrive, but do not delay transport for the phone call.
Address: 212 McAllister Drive, Unit 130A, Saint John, NB
Phone: 506-658-8387
Greater Saint John Veterinary Wellness & Urgent Care
A walk-in and same-day urgent-care clinic at 208 Hampton Road, Unit 2, in Quispamsis, built for the middle tier of problems: the limp, the ear infection, the vomiting that started this afternoon, the wound that needs stitches but not a trauma team. Open every day from noon to midnight, which covers the evening hours when regular clinics have gone home. The clinic advertises a see-a-vet-within-an-hour service target. For Kennebecasis Valley owners it is also the closest urgent option.
Address: 208 Hampton Road, Unit 2, Quispamsis, NB
Phone: 506-777-1235
Your regular clinic's after-hours line
Most Saint John full-service clinics route after-hours callers toward emergency coverage rather than leaving a dead line. Fundy Animal Hospital on McLean Street, for example, forwards after-hours calls toward Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital, and other clinics post similar arrangements or telehealth triage options. If you are unsure whether something is an emergency, calling your own clinic's number first often gets you a recorded pointer or a triage service that can tell you.
Signs That Mean Go Now
- Breathing difficulty: laboured breathing, blue or grey gums, choking
- Collapse or extreme weakness: a dog that cannot stand or is unresponsive
- Seizures: especially a first seizure, a seizure over a few minutes long, or clusters
- Suspected poisoning: antifreeze, rodenticide, xylitol, chocolate, grapes, medications
- Trauma: hit by a car, a fall, a serious dog fight, any deep wound
- Bloat signs: swollen tight abdomen, unproductive retching, pacing distress in a large breed
- Uncontrolled bleeding or blood in vomit or stool in a weak dog
- Inability to urinate: straining with nothing produced is an emergency, not a quirk
- Heatstroke: heavy panting, drooling, wobbliness after exertion on a humid July day
- Eye injuries: a swollen, bulging, or suddenly painful eye
When in doubt, call 506-658-8387 and describe what you see. Phone triage is what an emergency hospital does all night.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Triage first, first-come second. Emergency hospitals see the sickest patient first. If your dog is stable and a crashing patient comes in, you will wait. That is the system working.
The estimate conversation. After the initial exam you will get a diagnostic and treatment plan with costs. Ask questions, ask for options, and ask what happens if you decline a line item. Good emergency teams give straight answers; the exam fee, diagnostics, and treatment are separate decisions.
The bill reality. Emergency care costs more than daytime care everywhere, and New Brunswick's 15% HST applies. Complex cases (surgery, overnight ICU) run into four figures. This is the single strongest argument for pet insurance or a dedicated emergency fund; our Saint John adoption costs guide covers how owners here actually budget for it.
Bring what you can. Medication bottles, the packaging of whatever was eaten, your dog's approximate weight, and vaccination records if they are handy. None of it is required; all of it speeds care.
Poison Control
For guidance on whether a swallowed substance is dangerous, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center runs a 24/7 hotline at 888-426-4435 (a consultation fee of about $95 USD applies). Its toxicologists can tell you whether the dose your dog got is trivial or a race, and they coordinate with the treating vet.
Do not induce vomiting on your own; with some substances that makes things worse. Call first, and bring the packaging to the hospital. The Saint John seasonal watch-list: antifreeze in winter parking lots, rodenticide in older uptown buildings, compost and mushrooms in wet maritime springs, and barbecue scraps (corn cobs, bones, fatty trimmings) all summer.
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Is there a 24-hour emergency vet in Saint John?▾
Yes. Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital at 212 McAllister Drive, Unit 130A (in Parkway Mall on the east side) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staffed with veterinarians and technicians at all hours. The number is 506-658-8387. Save it in your phone now, before you need it; nobody types well at 2 a.m. with a sick dog in the back seat.
When is it an emergency versus something that can wait?▾
Go now for breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, suspected poisoning, trauma like being hit by a car, uncontrolled bleeding, a distended or bloated abdomen, heatstroke signs, or an inability to urinate. Call for guidance when it is vomiting or diarrhoea in an otherwise bright dog, a limp with weight-bearing, or a hot ear. The honest rule: if you are pacing the kitchen wondering whether it is an emergency, call the emergency hospital and let a professional make the call with you.
Where do I go for something urgent but not life-threatening?▾
Greater Saint John Veterinary Wellness & Urgent Care at 208 Hampton Road in Quispamsis takes walk-in and same-day cases every day from noon to midnight. That covers the classic evening problems: the ear infection that got worse after supper, the cut paw from beach glass, the dog that ate something questionable but seems fine so far. For true emergencies, especially overnight, go straight to Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital instead.
How much does an emergency vet visit cost in Saint John?▾
Neither hospital publishes a price list, and honest ranges are hard to give because the bill depends entirely on what is wrong. Expect an emergency exam or consultation fee before any treatment, with diagnostics (bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasound) and treatment billed on top, plus New Brunswick's 15% HST. Overnight hospitalisation and surgery run into four figures anywhere in Canada. Ask for a written estimate before authorising treatment; emergency teams expect the question and will walk you through options.
What should I do if my dog eats something toxic?▾
Call immediately; do not wait for symptoms. Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital (506-658-8387) handles toxin cases 24/7. For guidance on whether a substance is dangerous, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center hotline at 888-426-4435 operates around the clock (a consultation fee of about $95 USD applies). Common culprits: xylitol gum, chocolate, grapes and raisins, rodenticide, and in winter, antifreeze drips in parking lots. Bring the packaging with you if you can.
My regular vet is closed. Should I wait until morning?▾
Depends on the problem, not on the clock. Breathing trouble, collapse, bloat, seizures, and toxin ingestion get worse with hours, and waiting can close treatment windows. A mild limp or a single episode of vomiting in a bright, drinking dog can often wait for your own clinic, which will always be cheaper. When unsure, phone Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital and describe what you see; they triage by phone every night of the week.
Is there an emergency vet in the Kennebecasis Valley?▾
The urgent-care tier is covered: Greater Saint John Veterinary Wellness & Urgent Care in Quispamsis runs noon to midnight, seven days, on Hampton Road. For a middle-of-the-night emergency, valley owners drive to Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital on McAllister Drive in Saint John, which is a manageable run down Route 1 from Rothesay or Quispamsis at that hour. Know both addresses before you need either.
What are the signs of bloat in a dog?▾
A swollen or tight abdomen, unproductive retching (trying to vomit and producing nothing), restlessness, pacing, drooling, and obvious distress, most often in large deep-chested breeds within hours of eating. Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) is one of the fastest-moving emergencies in dogs, and it is fatal without surgery once the stomach twists. Do not wait, do not try home remedies. Go straight to Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital.
What winter emergencies do Saint John vets actually see?▾
The maritime pattern: antifreeze exposure from driveway drips (sweet-tasting and lethal in small amounts), salt-paw irritation that turns into infected cracks, dogs through thin ice on ponds like the ones in Rockwood Park, and slips on refrozen sidewalks that end in torn ligaments. Fog and freeze-thaw make footing worse here than steady-cold cities. Wipe paws after walks, store antifreeze up high, and keep dogs leashed near winter water.
Should I call ahead before driving to the emergency vet?▾
Yes, if there are two of you or the situation allows: a call means the team can prep for a seizure case or a trauma before you pull in. But never delay transport for the call. If you are alone with a crashing dog, drive; the hospital at 212 McAllister Drive is staffed around the clock and takes unannounced arrivals every night. The call is an optimisation, not a requirement.
How do I prepare for a pet emergency before it happens?▾
Three things this week. Save the numbers: Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital 506-658-8387, the Quispamsis urgent care 506-777-1235, poison control 888-426-4435. Learn the route to 212 McAllister Drive from your home; it is a different drive from the west side than from uptown. And build a small buffer or insurance plan for the bill, because the financial decision is the hardest part of a 2 a.m. emergency. Our adoption costs guide covers budgeting honestly.
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