OSU launches 24/7 small animal emergency service
Oregon State University has gone live with 24/7 small animal emergency care at the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital, giving cats and dogs in crisis a new option for walk-in and referred emergency treatment. The move formalizes a service OSU says it had been soft-launching on a case-by-case basis for about a year, and it marks a notable expansion for a teaching hospital that already operates as a multispecialty referral center. (today.oregonstate.edu)
According to OSU, the new around-the-clock service is intended to do three things at once: expand access for pet parents in Oregon, create more hands-on emergency training for veterinary students, and speed transfers from the ER into the hospital’s specialty departments when patients need ongoing advanced care. Dr. Pia Martiny, who heads the service, said emergency medicine is essential for a fully functioning multispecialty hospital because it brings in the kinds of cases trainees need to see and supports patients who may require longer-term management. (today.oregonstate.edu)
The timing matters because Oregon’s veterinary system has been operating under workforce pressure. Reporting from OPB in 2024 described shortages of both veterinarians and veterinary technicians across the state, with Oregon Veterinary Medical Association leadership pointing to retirements, burnout, and rising demand for care. That broader backdrop helps explain why a new 24/7 ER slot in Corvallis could have ripple effects beyond the university itself, especially for communities on the Oregon Coast and in the mid-Willamette Valley that may have limited after-hours options. (opb.org)
OSU said the service is limited to cats and dogs, while large-animal emergency coverage already exists at the institution. Martiny said the hospital works closely with referral partners and may see cases from several hours away, including from Washington. The university also noted that capacity will still vary by day, and pet parents are advised to call ahead. On a typical day, the service may include one to two receiving doctors, up to four final-year veterinary students, and up to three certified veterinary nurses, a staffing model that underscores both the teaching mission and the operational challenge of maintaining round-the-clock emergency coverage. (today.oregonstate.edu)
Industry context suggests that maintaining 24/7 veterinary emergency access is no small feat. In Oregon, DoveLewis previously had to temporarily adjust overnight walk-in ER access because of national shortages of veterinarians and technicians before resuming 24/7 service in 2023. In neighboring Washington, Washington State University said in 2025 that staffing and budget pressures made sustained 24/7 in-house large-animal emergency coverage difficult. Those examples aren’t directly comparable to OSU’s small animal launch, but they illustrate the workforce and financing realities surrounding university and specialty emergency models. (1190kex.iheart.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, OSU’s move is significant because it strengthens both referral infrastructure and clinical education. Emergency caseload is where students and trainees learn triage, stabilization, communication under pressure, overnight continuity, and when to escalate into surgery, internal medicine, or critical care. In a state still dealing with workforce gaps, a teaching hospital ER can also help absorb overflow and create a more direct pipeline between emergency presentation and specialty treatment. That said, the long-term test will be whether OSU can recruit and retain enough clinicians, nurses, and support staff to keep the service reliable as case volume grows. (today.oregonstate.edu)
There’s also a competitive and regional access angle. DoveLewis says it serves about 26,000 patients annually in Portland, while OSU is positioning Corvallis as another dependable emergency node for western Oregon. For referring veterinarians, that could mean another option when private emergency hospitals are full or when a patient may need specialty follow-up in the same facility. The practical value will depend on turnaround times, transfer coordination, and whether local practices view OSU as an accessible partner rather than only a tertiary center. (dovelewis.org)
What to watch: The next signals will be staffing growth, referral patterns, and whether OSU publishes more detail on caseload, hours utilization, or training outcomes as the service moves from launch phase into steady-state operations. (today.oregonstate.edu)