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Always Open, 24/7 Care | Easy Access Off I-65

(502) 900-PETS

4504 Outer Loop,
Louisville, KY 40219

We are Hiring

24/7 Animal Emergency Hospital-- ER, Trauma, Hospitalization

Jefferson Animal Hospital Regional Emergency
& Trauma Center

4504 Outer Loop, Louisville, KY 40219 Jefferson Animal Hospital

Serving the pets of Nashville since 1978

Is your Nashville pet having an emergency or need veterinary care?

Call Us for More Information

Open 24/7

Experienced Veterinarian Always on Site

Family Owned and Operated Since 1978

Veterinarian On-Site 24/7, ER, Trauma, Hospitalization for Nashville Dogs and Cats

Our pet emergency hospital has been established in Louisville, Kentucky’s Outer Loop, in Okolona, since 1978. We have been operating 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR including ALL HOLIDAYS for 45+ years.

We continue to be a national leader in veterinary medical treatment and emergency trauma care. Jefferson Animal Hospital is Louisville’s ONLY pet hospital that NEVER closes.

We have highly-trained veterinarians, surgeons, critical care nurses and support staff who are available around the clock to care for your pet’s medical needs, from serious emergencies to important wellness care.

There is an experienced veterinarian in our hospital 24 hours a day.

We are 167 miles from the center of Nashville, TN, easily accessed from Nashville directly up I-65.

We are the only 24/7 pet emergency hospital in Louisville continuously open since 1978

Emergency Vet Care (24/7) for pets in Nashville TN

If you are in Nashville Tennessee and you need immediate emergency veterinary care, Jefferson Animal Hospitals is an always-open Regional Emergency and Trauma Center in Louisville, Kentucky. We are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for pet emergencies and critical care. We treat many pets from Nashville, and we are here for veterinary care when you need us.

Louisville is roughly 167 miles from Nashville, with a typical drive time around 2.5 hours (traffic varies).

Emergency? Call now: (502) 900-PETS

We coordinate with your Nashville-area veterinarian for records and referrals

If your regular Nashville veterinarian is treating your pet and wants overnight or prolonged monitoring, Jefferson Animal Hospitals is able to provide overnight hospitalization and critical care for your pet. We work closely with your regular veterinarian, provide medical updates, and share complete medical treatment records for follow-up care with your veterinarian in Nashville.

What to Expect

Are you a Nashville pet owner considering traveling to Jefferson Animal Hospital for urgent or emergency veterinary care?

If your pet is experiencing an emergency, has sustained a trauma (i.e., hit by car) or has an urgent medical condition you may decide it is worth to travel to us, especially when your pet needs rapid evaluation, stabilization, and possible hospitalization that cannot wait for normal business hours.

Bring your pet in immediately if you believe it is an emergency. Please call ahead so the team can prepare for your arrival.

1. Check in

Please call us to check-in. Calling ahead of time will allow us to prepare for your pet’s arrival. We will gather information about your pet and his/her symptoms so that we can let you know whether to bring your pet in immediately and/or give you an estimated wait time.

2. Triage

Pets are seen on a most-critical basis first. Upon arrival or check-in, pets are triaged by our staff. We appreciate your patience and understanding if another pet requires immediate attention even though you may have arrived first. PLEASE understand we are not a first come, first served animal hospital; this may mean added wait time for less critical patients and due to walk-in emergencies, appointments can see long wait times, too. We do our best to see appointments at or close to the appointment time and your pet as soon as we can. Please be kind to all of our staff members during this time.

3. Diagnosis

After a thorough exam and diagnostic testing, the veterinarian treating your pet will explain your pet’s diagnosis thoroughly and answer all of your questions about your pet’s condition. We will provide you with a list of treatment options along with a recommended treatment plan.

4. Treatment

Emergency care may include stabilizing your pet, placing intravenous catheters, administering IV fluids, oxygen therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or medications. Once stabilized, we may recommend laboratory, radiology, endoscopic or ultrasound testing to obtain diagnostic information quickly. Our Blood Bank program ensures your pet will have access to a safe and adequate blood supply if needed. We have a fully-equipped surgical suite should your pet need surgical intervention.

5. Critical Care

Our 24-hour trauma facility is equipped with lifesaving technology and supplies needed for managing all types of pet emergencies. Our ICU critical care unit is fully staffed to provide state-of-the-art intensive care medicine and our critical care patients are monitored around-the-clock by our specially trained doctors, technicians and assistance.

6. Follow-Up Care

We work closely with your regular veterinarian, providing regular medical updates and diagnostic test results. We provide you and your regular veterinarian with complete medical treatment records, including all bloodwork and test results, giving both you and your family veterinarian the appropriate tools to successfully manage follow-up care for your pet.

Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care and Hospitalization

Illness and injuries can happen unexpectedly at any hour of the day or night. When your pet requires immediate veterinary attention or overnight hospitalization and your pet’s regular veterinarian is not available, we are here to treat your pet. Jefferson Animal Hospital is always open and fully staffed for emergencies, critical care, hospitalization and routine veterinary care, any time of the day or night- seven days a week, 365 days a year. To avoid long-wait times, however, we ask that non-urgent and routine veterinary care be performed by appointment only.

Our doctors and trained staff are on premises, ready for Nashville pets 24 hours a day!

Urgent, Emergency and critical care services

Nashville pet owners - what to expect

Our goal is to support you, your pet, and your regular vet. We are open 24/7 and are located near Nashville to give your pet expanded access to the best medical care possible.

Our experienced veterinary team is ready 24 hours a day to provide high-quality care to your furry family members. We are one of the only emergency animal hospitals in the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana areas that are ALWAYS OPEN with a VETERINARIAN on staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Based in Louisville, KY we serve the tri-state area around Louisville, KY including Ohio and Indiana.

Please call us at (502) 900-PETS to discuss your pet’s medical condition. We will gather information about your pet and his/her symptoms so that we can be prepared for your pet’s arrival and give you an estimated wait time.

What is a high-level animal trauma center?

We function as a high-level Trauma Center, and offer advanced capabilities that general emergency clinics in your area area may not offer:

Oxygen ICU & Blood Bank: They have a dedicated Pet Blood Bank and specialized Oxygen ICU cages for pets in severe respiratory distress or those who have suffered major trauma (like being hit by a car).
Round-the-Clock Monitoring: Unlike some clinics that may have a vet “on call” overnight, Jefferson maintains a full team of doctors and licensed technicians on the floor at all times to monitor ICU patients every hour.
Continuous Care: If an Indianapolis pet owner has a pet with a chronic, life-threatening condition (like advanced kidney failure or a difficult diabetic case), they may choose us because we allows for a seamless transition from emergency stabilization to long-term intensive nursing care without moving the pet between different facilities.
During holidays, natural disasters, or staffing shortages that might cause local Indy clinics to divert patients or implement long wait times, Jefferson is known for remaining fully staffed and operational 24/7/365.

Emergency stabilization and lifesaving treatment

When your pet needs urgent help, our team is prepared to act quickly with emergency stabilization and lifesaving care.

Emergency care may include:

Stabilizing your pet
Placing IV catheters and administering IV fluids
Oxygen therapy
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
Emergency medications

Expert diagnostic Care

Once your pet is stable, we may recommend diagnostic testing to identify the cause and determine the best treatment plan.

Diagnostics may include:

Laboratory testing
Radiology (X-rays)
Endoscopic testing
Ultrasound testing

Surgical capability

If surgery is needed, we have a fully equipped surgical suite and the capability to perform surgical intervention when time matters.

ICU and hospitalization

For pets who need continued critical care, our ICU provides around-the-clock monitoring and support by specially trained doctors and technicians.

Blood bank support

If a transfusion is necessary, our Blood Bank program helps ensure access to a safe and adequate blood supply.

What are the signs my pet needs emergency care?

Call us immediately if your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms:

Difficulty breathing or choking
Uncontrolled bleeding
Seizures
Collapse, fainting, or inability to stand
Complete loss of ability to walk
Suspected poisoning or ingestion of toxins
Severe trauma (hit by car, fall, large wound)
Bloating or distended abdomen (especially in dogs)
Inability to urinate/straining (especially male cats)
Pale, blue, or gray gums
Sudden extreme pain, distress, or unresponsiveness

What are the signs my pet needs urgent veterinary care?

Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
Loss of appetite for more than 24 hours
Ear infections (redness, discharge, odor, scratching)Eye
Discharge, redness, or squinting
Skin infections, hot spots, or rashes
Coughing, sneezing, or mild breathing changes
Minor wounds, cuts, or abrasions
Increased thirst or
Sudden change in behavior or energy level

Blood Bank

Jefferson Animal Hospital operates a nationally-recognized blood bank for pets. Just like humans, pets may require transfusions for a variety of reasons, like illness (for example, cancer, anemia, parvovirus), traumatic injury or blood loss as a result of surgery. Our blood bank sends blood to emergency centers all over the country. Demand for this resource at times exceeds supply, especially during certain times of the year (like holidays, and warm summer months where trauma cases are more likely to be seen). When this happens, hospitals in need are sometimes placed on a waiting list, which can cause delays in treatment for pets in need.

Blood Bank Heroes

Calling all heroes! We are looking for dog and cat blood heroes! Does your dog or cat have the opportunity to become a blood donor?

Meet a Few of Our Blood Donor Heroes:

Violet

Paisley

Strudel

Juno

Otto

24/7 Regional Emergency and Trauma Center

We are one of the only animal hospitals in our region to provide a comprehensive continuum of veterinary care for dogs and cats through wellness, urgent, critical and emergency care, including emergency and general surgical intervention, intensive care wellness, and outpatient care services.

Meet Our Team of Highly-Trained and Experienced Veterinarians

Meet the Veterinarians who carry out our mission 24/7 of providing compassionate, competent veterinary care to our patients and clients, in an atmosphere of loving concern.

Dr. Patricia Kennedy Arrington

Dr. Ken Isherwood

Dr. Linda Sayre

Dr. Sarah Cheever

Dr. Katie Nau

Dr. Rebecca Shumar

Dr. Andrew Kiser

Dr. Jake Keel

Dr. Julia Hoskinson

Dr. Jeffery Raines

Latest News:

Media Coverage

Pints for Paws and People 2nd Annual Event September 27th

Jefferson Animal Hospitals Expansion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Jefferson Animal Hospital has finished an expansion project adding roughly 7,000 square feet to its flagship Hospital on Outer Loop, doubling in size for the second time in its history.