Aug 4, 2026

8 Emergency and Urgent Care Vet Clinics in Asheville, NC

Eight verified emergency and urgent care vet clinics in Asheville, NC, three true 24/7 ERs and five business-hours urgent care options, with address, phone, and hours taken directly from each clinic's own website.

Luis ZamoraCo-founder of PetCompass; Dog Dad to Banzo and Tuck

Asheville, North Carolina11 min readPet Care & Services

If your dog or cat needs a vet right now in Asheville, three hospitals are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and five more clinics handle same-day urgent care during extended daytime hours. We read every address, phone number, and set of opening hours below off the clinic's own website, so you are not guessing at 2 a.m. or trusting a stale directory listing.

In Rover's April 2026 survey of 1,000 US pet parents, 39% said they had cancelled an expensive trip at the last minute because of their pet, 17% of them for want of reliable care or suitable pet-friendly accommodation. Asheville's Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, dog-friendly breweries, and mountain trails draw plenty of dogs. A limp after a river swim, a bee sting on a patio, or sudden vomiting after a hike does not wait for a convenient hour, whether you live here or you are three days into a long weekend.

Here is what we found: eight verified emergency and urgent care vet clinics currently operating in Asheville, plus one after-hours option south of the city. Save this list before your trip, and call ahead regardless, since hospitals can hit capacity and divert cases.

How many emergency vet clinics does Asheville have?

Eight, on the evidence each clinic publishes itself: three true 24/7 emergency rooms and five clinics that handle same-day urgent or emergency care during extended daytime hours. Call them directly if you want to add them to your own list.

The three 24/7 hospitals take walk-ins around the clock for true emergencies: trauma, poisoning, difficulty breathing, seizures. The five urgent care clinics run long daytime and evening hours and handle many same-day problems without an ER-level bill, then refer out to a 24-hour hospital once they close.

The 3 true 24/7 emergency vet hospitals in Asheville

MedVet Asheville, Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG), and South Asheville Veterinary Emergency & Specialty (SAVES) are the only three hospitals in Asheville confirmed on their own websites as open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no appointment needed.

MedVet Asheville

MedVet Asheville is a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital at 677 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806. Call (828) 665-4399. Its site states: "Our 24-hour veterinary emergency care is available every day of the year," and confirms no appointment is needed. MedVet also offers specialty follow-up care (internal medicine, oncology, surgery). Visit MedVet Asheville.

Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) Asheville

VEG is on Hendersonville Road in south Asheville, and its own page says the hospital "is open 24 hours, even on holidays," describing itself as "conveniently located on Hendersonville Rd, within minutes of Arden, Bent Creek, and Biltmore Forest." The instruction it gives is refreshingly simple: "Call us or just walk in, no appointments taken." Call (828) 470-7802. Visit VEG Asheville.

South Asheville Veterinary Emergency & Specialty (SAVES)

SAVES is at 1836 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803, close enough to VEG that you can try both without a long drive. Its hours table lists "Open 24 hrs" for all seven days, with specialty appointments available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call or text (828) 210-8285. Visit SAVES.

Because all three are genuinely 24/7, the real question late at night is which one is closest and taking new patients right now. Call first. It can save you a detour if one hospital is at capacity and diverting to another.

5 business-hours urgent care clinics in Asheville

Five more Asheville clinics offer same-day urgent or emergency care during extended daytime and evening hours, then refer out to one of the 24/7 ERs once they close. These are worth knowing for a problem that is painful but not immediately life-threatening, since urgent care is usually faster and less expensive than an ER visit. Every set of hours below is quoted from the clinic's own website.

Charlotte Street Animal Hospital, 208 Charlotte Street, Asheville, NC 28801, (828) 232-0440. Urgent care Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., closed Sunday. Refers after-hours cases to VEG or a partner hospital. Visit Charlotte Street Animal Hospital.
The Pet Vet on Patton, 2 Hansel Ave, Asheville, NC 28806, (828) 232-9990. Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Sunday. Refers after-hours cases to MedVet or VEG. Visit The Pet Vet on Patton.
Haw Creek Animal Hospital, 1007 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805, (828) 298-1678. Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday. Its site lists MedVet and VEG as after-hours referrals. Visit Haw Creek Animal Hospital.
Animal Hospital of North Asheville, 1 Beaverdam Rd, Asheville, NC 28804, (828) 253-3393. The practice does not publish specific opening times for urgent care, stating only that its vets provide urgent and emergency care "during our regular business hours, Monday through Saturday." Call for today's hours. Visit Animal Hospital of North Asheville.
Partners Animal Hospital Asheville, 1990 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803, (828) 333-7356. Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. Refers after-hours emergencies to nearby 24-hour hospitals. Visit Partners Animal Hospital Asheville.

One more option, 30 minutes south

If you are staying south of the city, Animal Hospital of North Asheville names its own after-hours referral, and it is a useful one to have written down: Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital and Veterinary Emergency Hospital, 205 N Highland Lake Rd, Flat Rock, NC 28731, on (828) 697-7767, listed as open evenings, weekends, and holidays. It is further out than the three Asheville ERs, but on a busy night a hospital with capacity beats a closer one that is diverting.

How to tell if your pet needs the ER, not urgent care

Head straight to a 24/7 ER, do not wait for urgent care hours, if you see any of the following: difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, a seizure, collapse or inability to stand, a swollen or distended abdomen (especially in deep-chested dogs), suspected poisoning, being hit by a car, or a body temperature that will not come down. These signs mean minutes matter.

For problems that are painful or concerning but not immediately life-threatening, a limp, mild vomiting once or twice, a small cut, an ear that suddenly smells off, a same-day urgent care visit is often the faster and more affordable choice, especially during the clinic's open hours. When in doubt, call. Every clinic on this list would rather answer a question than have you guess.

Always call ahead, even to a 24/7 ER

Call before you drive over, even to MedVet, VEG, or SAVES. On-call staffing and capacity to take new patients can shift within the same night, and a hospital that is genuinely open 24/7 can still ask you to hold or redirect you if it is full. A call also lets the ER team start prepping before you arrive.

Keep your pet's basic health info someplace you can grab fast: vaccine dates, medications, your regular vet's name and number, and your pet's weight. Keeping that in PetPassport, the free app where pet parents store vaccine records and vet contacts in one place, means you are not digging through email in the parking lot while your pet is scared and you are stressed.

Heat exhaustion on Asheville's trails: what to watch for

Watch for heavy panting, drooling, bright red or pale gums, vomiting, stumbling, or collapse, these are the warning signs of heat exhaustion progressing toward heat stroke, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association's warm weather pet safety guidance. Heat stroke sets in when a dog's body temperature climbs to 105°F or higher and it can no longer cool itself down, and it is a true emergency that needs a vet immediately, not a wait-and-see approach.

Asheville sits around 2,100 feet of elevation, and nearby Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks and Mount Mitchell climb well past 6,000 feet, so a hike that starts cool can turn into full sun and real exertion within a mile or two. The AVMA notes that brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds and overweight pets struggle more in heat and may need shorter walks and more shade breaks. We could not confirm specific wildlife or plant hazard claims for Asheville trails from a source we trust, so we are leaving that out rather than guessing. If your dog or cat shows heat exhaustion signs on a hike, get to shade, offer water, and head to the nearest clinic on this list, calling ahead as you go.

Asheville emergency and urgent care vet clinics at a glance

Clinic	Address	Phone	Hours	Type
MedVet Asheville	677 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806	(828) 665-4399	Open 24/7, every day	Emergency room
Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)	1856 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803	(828) 470-7802	Open 24/7, every day	Emergency room
SAVES (South Asheville Vet Emergency & Specialty)	1836 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803	(828) 210-8285	Open 24/7, every day	Emergency room
Charlotte Street Animal Hospital	208 Charlotte Street, Asheville, NC 28801	(828) 232-0440	Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 9am-1pm, Sun closed	Urgent care
The Pet Vet on Patton	2 Hansel Ave, Asheville, NC 28806	(828) 232-9990	Mon,Tue,Wed,Fri 7:30am-6pm, Thu 7:30am-6:30pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun closed	Urgent care
Haw Creek Animal Hospital	1007 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805	(828) 298-1678	Mon-Thu 8am-9pm, Fri-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun closed	Urgent care
Animal Hospital of North Asheville	1 Beaverdam Rd, Asheville, NC 28804	(828) 253-3393	Mon-Sat, times not published, call ahead	Urgent care
Partners Animal Hospital Asheville	1990 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803	(828) 333-7356	Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-noon	Urgent care

Hours and on-call status change without notice. Call the clinic before you drive over, always, and especially late at night, on a holiday, or if you are relying on this list more than a few months after publication.

Conclusion

Asheville is genuinely well covered for pet emergencies: three true 24/7 hospitals near each other on the south side of town, plus five more clinics that stretch same-day urgent care across most of the day and evening. The clinic you need most is the one you can reach fastest with a team ready for your pet, so save this list, program a 24/7 number into your phone before your trip, and call ahead every time.

Planning the rest of your Asheville trip with your dog or cat? Browse the Asheville pet-friendly hotel roundup or the wider PetCompass hotel directory, and if you are moving here rather than visiting, how to find a pet-inclusive apartment is the more useful read. Before any long day outdoors, summer heat safety for pets and pet first aid basics are the two worth reading in advance, and an emergency pet info card is what you will wish you had filled in if you ever need one of the hospitals above.

Frequently asked questions

What is the closest 24-hour emergency vet in Asheville, NC? Three hospitals in Asheville are open 24/7: MedVet Asheville (677 Brevard Road), Veterinary Emergency Group (1856 Hendersonville Road), and SAVES (1836 Hendersonville Rd). VEG and SAVES sit one block apart on the south side of town; MedVet is on the west side off Brevard Road. Call ahead to confirm which is closest to you and currently taking patients.

Is MedVet Asheville actually open 24 hours a day? Yes. MedVet Asheville's own website confirms 24-hour emergency care every day of the year, with no appointment needed. Call (828) 665-4399 before you go so the team can prepare for your arrival.

Do Asheville emergency vets require an appointment? No. MedVet, VEG, and SAVES all accept walk-ins around the clock. Calling ahead is still worth doing, since it lets the team know you are coming and prepare, and tells you if the hospital is at capacity.

What are the signs my dog or cat needs the ER instead of urgent care? Go straight to a 24/7 ER for difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures, collapse, a swollen abdomen, suspected poisoning, being hit by a car, or a temperature that will not come down. Less urgent issues, like a minor limp or occasional vomiting, are often a good fit for a same-day urgent care visit during business hours.

What should I do if my dog shows signs of heat exhaustion on a Blue Ridge Parkway hike? Get your dog to shade immediately, offer water, and head to the nearest clinic on this list, calling ahead on the way. Heavy panting, drooling, bright red or pale gums, vomiting, or collapse are heat exhaustion warning signs per the AVMA, and heat stroke is a true emergency that needs immediate veterinary care.

Are there urgent care vet clinics in Asheville that are cheaper than the ER? Generally yes. Business-hours urgent care visits are typically less expensive than a 24/7 ER visit, but exact pricing varies by clinic and case, so call and ask before you go.

Sources

Veterinary hours, capacity, and on-call staffing change without notice. Call ahead before driving with a sick or injured animal, including to a 24-hour hospital.