Emergency Vets in Townsville: The Two 24/7 Hospitals

Which Townsville emergency vet is open right now?

We looked for every hospital in Townsville that takes emergencies around the clock or after hours, including independent clinics, and checked each one on its own website. Two run a staffed 24/7 emergency service. Several general practices mention emergencies or after-hours help on their sites, but none we read describes a staffed overnight service open to the public.

Read on each hospital's contact and emergency pages on 9 November 2026. NQ Care's home page footer shows a different postcode from its contact page; we use the contact page. JCUVet shows its reception number as 1300 JCU VET (1300 528 838). Hours can change, so always phone first.

What each hospital says about itself

• NQ Care describes itself on its home page as a privately and locally owned 24/7 emergency and referral hospital, with surgery and internal medicine specialists on site. Its services page lists envenomation and paralysis tick management, emergency surgery including bloat (GDV), blood transfusions, CT imaging and ventilation. Its contact page puts it simply: if you are worried, that is reason enough to call.
• JCUVet is the James Cook University veterinary teaching hospital, which trains final-year vet students. Its emergency page says the emergency and critical care service is open 24 hours a day, including public holidays, weekends and weeknights, and lists snake envenomation and paralysis tick treatment with antiserum and monitoring, an emergency surgery theatre, CT imaging and ventilation. It also runs a weekday general practice.

Your regular vet after hours

The Townsville general practices we read open on weekdays and Saturdays and close on Sundays. Some run their own after-hours phone arrangement, often for their existing clients only, and the details differ between clinics. Check your own clinic's website or after-hours phone message once, now, so you know whether it will answer at night or send you to one of the two hospitals above.

Driving up the coast with your dog? Our Cairns emergency vet guide covers the far north, and the Brisbane emergency vet guide lists the south-east Queensland hospitals.

24/7 hospital or your regular vet?

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 a 24/7 hospital. Like a human emergency department, both 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

JCUVet lists the situations that need urgent attention, including collapse, a swollen belly, breathing trouble, severe bleeding, major trauma, seizures, poisoning, snake or paralysis tick bites, cane toad intoxication, persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, refusing food and water, birthing trouble, severe pain, and burns or smoke inhalation. 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
• Licking, biting or carrying a cane toad
• A suspected snake bite, even if your pet seems fine afterwards
• 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. JCUVet says its team can give guidance over the phone or advise whether it is safe to wait for your regular vet.

North Queensland emergencies to know about

Paralysis ticks

The RSPCA Knowledgebase says the paralysis tick is found on the eastern seaboard from North Queensland down to Victoria, and that in the north it may be found all year round. Both Townsville hospitals list paralysis tick treatment among their emergency services. 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. Do not wait until morning. Ask your vet about a tick-prevention product and search your dog every day, starting at the face, neck and ears.

Cane toads

Cane toad intoxication is on JCUVet's list of emergencies. 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. The same page notes that toads are most active at night and after rain, and that dead toads are still toxic.

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.

Heat

Flat-faced breeds, overweight dogs and very young or old pets struggle most in hot, humid weather. 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.

Crocodiles: prevention, not first aid

The Queensland Government says crocodile habitat starts near Gladstone and runs north, which takes in Townsville. Its Be Crocwise tips are to keep pets on a lead and away from the water's edge, and to treat every waterway in the north as crocodile country. Bear that in mind on creek, river and beach walks.

What to do on the way

1. Call the hospital first. Say what happened, your pet's species, size and age, and when you will arrive, so the team can prepare.
2. Keep yourself safe. A frightened or hurt animal can bite, even a gentle one. Move slowly and keep your face away from its mouth.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Do not give human medicines. Many are toxic to dogs and cats. Give nothing by mouth unless the vet tells you to.
6. Have a second person drive if you can, so someone can watch your pet.

How much does an emergency vet cost in Townsville?

Emergency care is expensive, and only one of the two hospitals publishes a consultation fee. Here is what each says, as read on 9 November 2026:

These are published reference prices, not a quote. The final bill depends on what your pet needs. Ask the hospital for an estimate before treatment starts.

On paying over time, JCUVet says that, like most vet clinics, it does not offer credit, but it works with pet insurers and veterinary lending agencies, points owners to VetPay for veterinary loans and payment plans, and works with GapOnly so eligible insurance claims can be processed while you wait. VetPay is a finance product with its own fees, limits and approval checks, so read the terms first. NQ Care does not describe payment plans on the pages we read; ask when you call. The best time to decide how you would pay a large bill is before an emergency. Our guide to cheaper vet care in Australia covers concession clinics, payment options and insurance basics.

Set this up before you need it

• Save both numbers: NQ Care 07 4457 2000 and JCUVet 1300 528 838, under names you will find at 2am, next to your regular vet.
• Know the drive. Work out which hospital is closer to you at night: Currajong near the city, or the university campus in Douglas.
• 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 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 Townsville dog rescues guide lists the groups we track, and if your dog ever goes missing, start with our Townsville lost pets page.

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