The short answer
Toowoomba has one 24/7 emergency vet hospital: REDvets, 2 Margaret Street, East Toowoomba, phone 07 4602 0652. It says it is open 24 hours, 7 days, and that you can arrive without notice and will be seen. The nearest other emergency service is UQ VETS at Gatton (07 5460 1788), open 7 days from 7am to 10pm only.
Call ahead when you can. REDvets does not publish its consultation fee online; its terms say it gives an estimate before treatment where reasonably possible. Emergency care is expensive, so ask for an estimate before treatment starts.
Which Toowoomba emergency vet is open right now?
We looked for every hospital serving Toowoomba that takes emergencies around the clock or after hours, including independent clinics, and checked each on its own website. One runs a staffed 24/7 service in the city. Several general practices offer emergency care during their own opening hours, and every one we read that names an after-hours option points to REDvets, some alongside UQ VETS at Gatton. A few clinic sites still describe UQ VETS as open 24/7; UQ VETS' own pages say it takes emergencies from 7am to 10pm only.
| Hospital | Address (as published) | Hours (as published) | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| REDvets 24/7 · East Toowoomba | 2 Margaret St, East Toowoomba (in the old Weis' restaurant) | 24 hrs, 7 days. You can arrive without notice and will be seen. | 07 4602 0652 |
| UQ VETS Small Animal Hospital Extended hours · Gatton | UQ Veterinary Medical Centre (Building 8156), Gatton campus, The University of Queensland, cnr Main Drive and Outer Ring Road, Gatton | Emergency service open 7 days, 7am to 10pm. Not open for new emergencies after 10pm. | 07 5460 1788 |
Read on each hospital's own pages on 9 November 2026. REDvets' site is short and lists no separate public holiday hours beyond “24 hrs 7 days”; UQ VETS says its building is locked from 6pm, so press the left-hand front-door buzzer when you arrive. Hours can change, so phone first.
What each hospital says about itself
- REDvets describes itself as Toowoomba's 24/7 referral and emergency department vets, working alongside your local clinic so your pet can get 24-hour care without leaving Toowoomba. Its what-we-do page lists emergency care, critical care and specialist surgery, says vets and nurses are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and mentions a CT scanner, blood gas machine, endoscopy and ultrasound, and mechanical ventilation, which it says matters for paralysis caused by ticks and snakes.
- UQ VETS is the University of Queensland's veterinary hospital. Its emergency page says it is open 7 days for urgent and emergency cases from 7am to 10pm, sees critical patients first, and keeps a small team on site overnight for pets already in hospital. It says it is ideally located for patients from Ipswich to Toowoomba, including Gatton, Esk and Laidley.
Your regular vet after hours
Toowoomba general practices close in the evening, and what happens after hours differs by clinic. As one example, Toowoomba Vet on Hume Street sees emergencies during its consultation hours without a booking, lists itself as closed on Sundays and public holidays, and names REDvets as its after-hours clinic. Check your own clinic's website or phone message once, now, so you know where it sends people at night.
Heading down the range to Brisbane with your dog? Our Brisbane emergency vet guide lists the south-east Queensland 24/7 hospitals.
24/7 hospital or your regular vet?
| Option | When it is open | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| REDvets | Every hour, every day | Anything urgent at night, on weekends and public holidays, and daytime emergencies when your own vet cannot see you |
| UQ VETS, Gatton | 7am to 10pm, 7 days | An emergency service for people east of Toowoomba towards Gatton and Ipswich, during its hours |
| Your regular vet | Business hours | Anything that can wait a few hours, follow-up after an emergency visit, vaccinations, tick and worm prevention, and your pet's history |
A practical rule: if your regular vet is open and can see you soon, call them first, because they know your pet. If they are closed, cannot fit you in, or the problem is on the “go now” list below, go to REDvets. Emergency hospitals triage on arrival: pets with breathing trouble, heavy bleeding or seizures go first, and a stable pet may wait.
When is it an emergency? Go now
Toowoomba Vet's emergency page lists signs that need emergency care, including distress or drooling after eating a bone, heavy coughing, vomiting or diarrhoea, collapse, straining to urinate, heatstroke, eating poison such as rat bait, snail pellets or human medicine, and changes in breathing. Treat these as go-now problems:
- Trouble breathing, collapse, heavy bleeding or a seizure
- A tick found on the body, or wobbly back legs, a changed bark or meow, or retching
- A suspected snake bite, even if your pet seems fine afterwards
- Licking, biting or carrying a cane toad
- Heavy panting, drooling or collapse on a hot day
- A swollen, tight belly, or anything poisonous swallowed
- A male cat straining in the litter tray with little or no urine
If you are unsure, call. REDvets says to call any time, on any day.
Emergencies to know about around Toowoomba
Paralysis ticks
The RSPCA Knowledgebase says the paralysis tick is generally found on the eastern seaboard, from North Queensland down to Victoria, and that ticks can also be found inland in suitable habitats, on animals that live in or near bush or scrub. REDvets lists tick paralysis among the cases its ventilation service supports. The RSPCA lists the signs: wobbly or weak back legs, a change in the bark or meow, retching, coughing or vomiting, and changed breathing. Its advice is to remove any tick, keep your pet calm and at a comfortable temperature, give no food or water, and get to a vet as soon as possible. Ask your vet about tick prevention, especially before a trip to the coast, and check your dog daily after bush walks, starting at the face, neck and ears.
Snakes
The RSPCA Knowledgebase on snake bite says to seek emergency veterinary treatment as soon as you know or suspect a bite, whatever the snake, and notes that the venomous species vary a lot between regions of Australia. A dog can collapse and then seem to recover, which fools owners into waiting. Keep your pet calm and still, call ahead, and do not try to catch or kill the snake.
Cane toads
If your dog licks, bites or carries a cane toad, Queensland Veterinary Specialists advises wiping the gums, tongue, roof of the mouth and inside of the cheeks with a wet cloth, rinsing it often, for about 10 to 15 minutes, while you call the hospital. Do not hose or force water into the mouth, and do not try to make your dog vomit or give food, milk or medicine. If your dog is seizing, unconscious, cannot swallow or is struggling to breathe, skip the wiping and drive. Dead toads are still toxic.
Heat
Flat-faced breeds, overweight dogs and very young or old pets struggle most in hot weather, and heatstroke is on Toowoomba Vet's list of emergencies. The RSPCA's heatstroke advice is to start cooling straight away with room-temperature or cool water on the fur and skin, keep air moving, and get to a vet immediately. Never leave a dog in a parked car.
Baits and poisons
Rat bait, snail pellets and human medicines are all on Toowoomba Vet's list of poisons that need emergency care. Bring the packet with you. For advice on whether something your pet swallowed is dangerous, the Animal Poisons Helpline runs a 24/7 line on 1300 869 738; it listed consultations from $79 when we checked in November 2026. If your pet is already unwell, call REDvets first.
What to do on the way
- Call REDvets first on 07 4602 0652 if you can. Say what happened, your pet's species, size and age, and when you will arrive.
- Keep yourself safe. A frightened or hurt animal can bite, even a gentle one. Move slowly and keep your face away from its mouth.
- Carry your pet safely. Put cats and small dogs in a carrier. Lift a larger dog on a towel, blanket or board held by two people, keeping the back straight if it cannot walk.
- Bring what you can grab in a minute. Any packet, plant or bait your pet ate, the tick in a sealed bag, a photo of the snake from a safe distance, and a list of your pet's medicines.
- Do not give human medicines. Many are toxic to dogs and cats. Give nothing by mouth unless the vet tells you to.
- Have a second person drive if you can, so someone can watch your pet.
Adopting in Toowoomba?
Toowoomba and Darling Downs rescues list dogs that come desexed, microchipped and vaccinated. Save the emergency number the day you bring yours home.
Browse Dogs in Toowoomba →How much does an emergency vet cost in Toowoomba?
Emergency care is expensive, and REDvets does not publish its consultation fee online, as of 9 November 2026. Its small animal terms and conditions explain how billing works instead:
- As far as reasonably possible, it gives you an estimate before treatment, and it tries to agree a revised estimate if costs will go over.
- In an emergency it may treat before an estimate is agreed, acting in your pet's best interests, and you still pay for that care.
- Payment is due at the end of the appointment or when your pet goes home, and it may ask for full or part payment in advance.
- It accepts cash and most major credit and debit cards, not American Express or cheques.
- On request, and subject to the practice's policy, it may lodge a claim directly with your pet insurer; you pay the excess and any excluded amounts, and you owe the bill if the claim is refused.
REDvets does not describe payment plans on the pages we read; ask when you call. UQ VETS says it gives a cost estimate if your pet needs to be admitted to intensive care and can help you claim on pet insurance. The best time to decide how you would pay a large bill is before an emergency, with pet insurance or a savings buffer. Our guide to cheaper vet care in Australia covers concession clinics, payment options and insurance basics.
Set this up before you need it
- Save the number: REDvets 07 4602 0652, under a name you will find at 2am, next to your regular vet. Add UQ VETS (07 5460 1788) if you live towards Gatton.
- Know the drive. If you live in Highfields, Westbrook, Oakey or further out, check how long the trip to East Toowoomba takes at night.
- Keep a carrier, an old towel and a tick remover where you can reach them quickly.
- Know your pet's weight, medicines and microchip number, or keep a photo of the adoption paperwork on your phone.
- Decide how you would pay a large bill, and read any insurance policy's waiting periods before you rely on it.
If you are adopting, ask the rescue which tick and worm prevention the dog is on and when the next dose is due. Rescue dogs usually arrive desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, so the emergency kit is the next job. Our Toowoomba dog rescues guide lists the groups we track, and if your dog ever goes missing, start with our Toowoomba lost pets page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 24 hour emergency vet in Toowoomba?
Yes, one. REDvets at 2 Margaret Street, East Toowoomba (in the old Weis' restaurant) says it is open 24 hours, 7 days, with vets and nurses on hand 365 days a year. Phone 07 4602 0652. We read its website on 9 November 2026. Phone before you leave if you can.
Where do Toowoomba vets send their after-hours patients?
Many send them to REDvets. Toowoomba Vet on Hume Street, for example, lists REDvets as its after-hours emergency clinic on its emergency page. Your own clinic's phone message or website will say where it sends people after hours, so check it once, now.
Do I need an appointment at the Toowoomba emergency vet?
No. REDvets says that although a phone call is appreciated, you can arrive without notice and will be seen. Calling ahead still helps the team prepare for your pet.
Is the Toowoomba emergency vet open on public holidays?
REDvets says it is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, which includes public holidays. Many daytime clinics close on public holidays; Toowoomba Vet, for one, lists itself as closed on public holidays and points to REDvets after hours.
Is there another emergency vet near Toowoomba?
The nearest other emergency service is the UQ VETS Small Animal Hospital at the University of Queensland's Gatton campus, open 7 days from 7am to 10pm on 07 5460 1788. UQ VETS says it suits patients from Ipswich to Toowoomba. It does not take new emergencies after 10pm, so overnight, REDvets is the Toowoomba option.
How much does an emergency vet cost in Toowoomba?
REDvets does not publish its consultation fee online, as of November 2026. Its terms say it will give an estimate before treatment as far as reasonably possible, that payment is due at the end of the visit or at discharge, and that it may ask for full or part payment in advance. Ask for an estimate before treatment starts.
Can I claim pet insurance at the Toowoomba emergency vet?
REDvets' terms say that, at your request and subject to the practice's policy, it may lodge a claim directly with your insurer, with you paying the excess and any excluded amounts. You must ask before treatment and complete a claim declaration. If the insurer refuses the claim, you still owe the bill.
Are there paralysis ticks in Toowoomba?
Paralysis ticks are a risk in Queensland, and you should treat any tick on your dog as an emergency. The RSPCA Knowledgebase says the paralysis tick is generally found on the eastern seaboard and can also be found inland in suitable habitats. REDvets says it offers ventilation for paralysis caused by ticks and snakes. Ask your vet about tick prevention, especially before coastal trips.
What do I do if my dog licks a cane toad?
Call the emergency vet and start first aid. Queensland Veterinary Specialists advises wiping the gums, tongue, roof of the mouth and inside of the cheeks with a wet cloth, rinsing it often, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not hose water into the mouth or try to make your dog vomit. If your dog is seizing, unconscious or struggling to breathe, skip the wiping and drive straight in.
What should I do if my dog is bitten by a snake in Toowoomba?
Go to the emergency vet straight away, even if your dog seems fine. The RSPCA Knowledgebase says to seek emergency treatment as soon as you know or suspect a bite, and warns that a dog can collapse and then seem to recover. Keep your dog calm and still, call ahead, and do not try to catch or kill the snake.
Who do I call if my pet ate something poisonous?
If your pet is unwell, call REDvets first. For advice on whether something swallowed is dangerous, the Animal Poisons Helpline runs a 24/7 line on 1300 869 738 and listed consultations from $79 when we checked in November 2026. Have the packet or plant name ready.
Should I save the emergency vet number when I adopt a dog in Toowoomba?
Yes. Save 07 4602 0652 in your phone on adoption day, next to your regular vet, and ask the rescue when the dog's tick prevention is next due. A new dog in a new home is more likely to slip out or eat something it should not before you know its routine.
Keep exploring
Best Dog Rescues in Toowoomba
The shelters and foster rescues we track around Toowoomba.
Cheap Vet Care in Australia
Concession clinics, payment options and insurance basics.
Lost Pets in Toowoomba
What to do if your dog or cat goes missing.
Emergency Vets in Brisbane
The 24/7 hospitals across south-east Queensland.
Find your Toowoomba dog
See adoptable dogs from Toowoomba and Darling Downs shelters and foster-based rescues, refreshed regularly. Ask each rescue about tick prevention and vet history before you bring one home.
See Adoptable Dogs in Toowoomba →