Website review
This review may include AI-generated content and is not individually verified. Domain, certificate and other facts come from the observed data on this page.
What is IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital?
IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital is a 24-hour veterinary hospital in Indianapolis focused on emergency and specialty care rather than routine wellness visits. According to its site, it offers Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Neurology and Surgery, and operates a 30,000-square-foot facility serving the Indianapolis area and beyond. It also runs a Canine & Feline Blood Donation Center and an online referral portal called IndyVet Connect for referring veterinarians.
Who it's for
- Pet owners facing an emergency: open 24 hours a day, all week, for urgent or critical conditions.
- Owners referred for advanced care: cases needing a specialist in areas such as neurology, oncology or surgery.
- Primary-care veterinarians: the referral portal is designed for sending patients over, and the site notes many referring vets send critical patients there.
- Blood donors: dogs and cats can be evaluated through the blood donation center.
What it is not
IndyVet states it focuses solely on emergency and specialty care and leaves general wellness care to other veterinarians. So for vaccinations, routine checkups or preventive care, your regular vet remains the right first stop.
A practical next step
If your pet has an urgent problem, call ahead at (317) 782-4484 so the team can prepare for your arrival. If your vet suggests a specialist, ask them to submit a referral through IndyVet Connect, and confirm which service — for example Neurology versus Internal Medicine — is handling the case before you go. For general context on emergency veterinary care, the American Veterinary Medical Association at AVMA offers owner-facing guidance.
What should I do if my pet has an emergency after hours?
If your pet has an after-hours emergency, call ahead to the 24-hour hospital while someone else prepares to transport the animal. IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital is open 24 hours a day, every day, and focuses only on emergency and specialty care — IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital. Its services include Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Neurology and Surgery, so a pet arriving overnight can be triaged and, if needed, handed to a specialist rather than simply stabilized and sent home.
Before you leave
- Call the hospital's main line at (317) 782-4484 to say you are coming and describe the problem briefly.
- Keep your pet warm, restrained and as still as possible; use a carrier or a blanket as a stretcher for a large dog.
- Bring any medication bottles, and note the time symptoms started.
- Do not give human painkillers or induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to.
What counts as "go now"
Breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, suspected poisoning, a bloated or hard abdomen, uncontrolled bleeding, inability to urinate, a swollen eye, or a major trauma such as a car strike all justify an immediate trip. When in doubt, call and let the staff help you judge.
One practical note
Because IndyVet deliberately leaves general wellness care to primary veterinarians, it is not the place for routine vaccines or a mild limp that has been going on for weeks. For those, contact your regular vet during normal hours. For a true emergency, the 24/7 model is the point: no waiting for a morning opening.
Next step: save the number (317) 782-4484 in your phone now, along with your regular vet's after-hours instructions and the nearest 24-hour clinic, so the decision is already made when you are panicking.
How can my veterinarian refer a pet to IndyVet?
Your veterinarian can refer a pet to IndyVet through the hospital's online referral portal, IndyVet Connect. The page describes it as a way for referring veterinarians to refer patients to IndyVet online.
What a referring vet would typically need
- The pet's basic details and owner contact information
- A short summary of the problem, relevant history and any treatments already given
- Copies of recent lab work, imaging or records, if available
- An idea of urgency, since IndyVet handles emergency and critical cases as well as specialty appointments
A practical scenario If a general-practice vet sees a dog with a sudden neurological problem, they can use the portal to send the case to IndyVet rather than asking the owner to call around. IndyVet's services include Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Neurology and Surgery, so the referral can be directed to the appropriate specialty. The hospital is open 24 hours and focuses on emergency and specialty care, leaving general wellness care to primary veterinarians.
Next step If you are the pet owner, ask your veterinarian whether they use IndyVet Connect; if they do not, they can still call IndyVet at (317) 782-4484 to discuss an emergency or specialty referral. For general information, see IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital.
What specialty veterinary services does IndyVet offer?
IndyVet is a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital, so its specialty services are aimed at pets needing advanced diagnostics, urgent intervention, or ongoing care for complex conditions rather than routine wellness visits.
According to the hospital’s page, the specialty services include:
- Critical Care
- Internal Medicine
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Surgery
These services are supported by a 30,000-square-foot facility in Indianapolis. The page also notes that IndyVet focuses solely on emergency and specialty care and leaves general wellness veterinary care to primary-care veterinarians. That distinction matters: a pet with a chronic condition, a surgical need, or an after-hours emergency would be a more typical fit than a pet due for a routine checkup or vaccination.
For referring veterinarians, the hospital provides the IndyVet Connect referral portal for sending patients online. For pet owners, the next practical step is to call ahead at (317) 782-4484, especially for an emergency, so the team can advise whether to come in immediately or whether a referral from your primary veterinarian is needed. If your pet’s condition is stable and non-urgent, asking your general veterinarian whether a specialty referral is appropriate can help ensure the visit is directed to the right service.
How can my pet become a blood donor at IndyVet?
IndyVet runs a Canine & Feline Blood Donation Center as part of its Indianapolis hospital, so the starting point is to contact the hospital directly and ask to be put in touch with the blood donation program. Call (317) 782-4484 — the line is staffed around the clock — and say you're asking about donor eligibility for your dog or cat. Staff can tell you the current requirements, whether there's a waiting list, and how to schedule a screening.
What to expect from a donor screening
Blood banks for pets generally assess the same broad categories, though IndyVet's exact criteria come from the program itself:
- Health and temperament: A donor is typically a healthy adult in prime condition, up to date on vaccines and parasite prevention, and calm enough to lie still for a blood draw.
- Weight and size: Dogs usually need to be above a minimum weight so a safe volume can be collected; cats have their own, lower threshold.
- Age window: Often roughly one to several years old — old enough to tolerate the procedure, young enough to donate repeatedly.
- Screening tests: Blood typing, plus checks for infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood.
- Lifestyle: Indoor cats and dogs without a roaming history are often preferred, since they carry lower exposure risk.
Why it's worth asking
A single donation can support a critically ill pet in the hospital's emergency and critical care service — for example, a dog with immune-mediated anemia or a cat with severe blood loss. Donors often receive complimentary health checks and blood typing in return, which is useful information to have on file regardless.
Your next step
Call ahead rather than walking in, since donor appointments are usually separate from emergency intake. Have your pet's vaccine history and recent veterinary records ready, and ask two specific questions: what the current weight and age cutoffs are, and whether the program is accepting new donors right now.
For general wellness care and routine bloodwork, your primary veterinarian remains the right first stop — IndyVet focuses on emergency and specialty cases, and its referral portal exists precisely because general practice vets send complex patients there.
Does IndyVet offer payment plans or accept Care Credit?
Yes — IndyVet lists Care Credit among its affiliations, which is the clearest payment-flexibility signal on the page. Care Credit is a health-care credit card that typically lets you split a bill into monthly payments, often with promotional no-interest periods if you qualify. Because emergency and specialty care can involve surgery, hospitalization or ongoing oncology treatment, that option matters most to owners facing a large, unexpected bill rather than a routine visit.
The page does not spell out an in-house payment plan, deposit policy, or which specific services qualify for financing. Treat those as things to confirm directly.
How to check before you go
- Call (317) 782-4484 and ask two questions: "Do you accept Care Credit for emergency visits?" and "Do you offer any internal payment plan or deposit requirement?"
- If approved for Care Credit, ask about the promotional period length and the deferred-interest terms — a no-interest window that expires can convert to retroactive interest.
- Ask whether a written estimate is provided before treatment begins, since that determines how much you need to finance.
A practical scenario
Your dog is admitted at 11 p.m. for suspected bloat. You are handed an estimate covering imaging, possible surgery and ICU monitoring. Before signing, ask the front desk to run the Care Credit application on your phone and confirm the approval limit against the estimate. If the limit falls short, ask what the hospital requires as a deposit and whether the remaining balance can be paid in installments.
For broader cost-planning context, the American Veterinary Medical Association's resources at AVMA discuss pet health-care financing options generally, and Care Credit explains its own application and repayment terms.
User reviews (0)