Emergencies in Animal Hospital pop up at random during a shift, and each one locks a patient behind a timer. Miss the window and that patient dies, which also drains your Sanity. Seven distinct emergencies can occur, plus an Ambulance Event that can drop a critical patient into the mix, and each has one correct response.
Quick answer: Fires need a fire extinguisher (or your hands), fainted patients must be carried to their bed, the death ritual is stopped with a taser or by putting out all seven candles, the Bed Monster is stopped by freeing the patient or feeding it maple syrup, and the Purple Monster is beaten by finishing the surgery mini-game. Act inside each emergency’s timer.
Every Animal Hospital emergency and its fix
Here is the full list of what can go wrong on a shift, the time you have to react, and the action that saves the patient.
| Emergency | Timer | How to solve it |
|---|---|---|
| Fire in a room | Not timed (act fast) | Fire extinguisher or hands |
| Patient on fire | 60 seconds | Extinguisher heals instantly; hands leave burns to treat with ointment |
| Fainted patient | 60 seconds | Pick them up and place on their bed |
| Death ritual | 40 seconds | Tase the patient or put out all seven candles |
| Bed Monster | 30 seconds | Interact to free the patient, or feed it maple syrup |
| Purple Monster (Room 8) | 45 seconds | Complete the surgery mini-game |
| Critical patient (Ambulance Event) | 120 seconds | Check in and treat/operate before time expires |
Put out a room fire
A room can catch fire before or after a patient checks in. There are two ways to deal with it. The fire extinguisher is faster and safe. Using your bare hands works too, but it takes much longer and forces you close to the flames, which costs 1 Sanity per second.
The fire itself is not on a countdown, but leave it burning and you cannot treat the patient in that room. If a patient walks into a room that is already on fire, they faint instantly. When that happens, get them onto the bed first, then extinguish the flames.
Where to find the fire extinguisher
The fire extinguisher is free and becomes available after you finish 2 shifts. At the start of the third shift, you will find it to the right of the Supplies Shop. It runs on a charge meter, so when it hits 0%, set it back in its original spot to recharge it to full.
Save a patient who is on fire
When the patient themselves is burning, you have 60 seconds to put the fire out. The method you pick changes the aftercare.
- Fire extinguisher: the patient heals instantly and needs no follow-up care.
- Your hands: the patient survives but takes burns you must treat with ointment, and that extra care also has to be done within 60 seconds or they die.
Revive a fainted patient
A patient can faint at the check-in window or the moment they step into a burning room. The fix is the same either way. Pick them up and set them on their assigned bed within 60 seconds, then carry on with their treatment as normal. Miss that window and the patient dies.
Stop the death ritual
Sometimes you will walk into a room and find the patient floating above the bed with seven lit candles on the floor. That is the death ritual, and you have 40 seconds to break it.
- Put out every candle: walk to each of the seven and extinguish it. Each one costs you 1 to 3 Sanity.
- Tase the patient: if you have a taser ready, hit the patient with it to end the ritual instantly.
Breaking the ritual drops the patient back onto their bed so you can resume treatment.
Where to find the taser
The taser is free and shows up at the start of the third shift, sitting inside the Reception. It works once per charge, so drop it back in its box to recharge and reuse it. If you want more uses on hand, the Supplies Shop sells tasers with multiple charges.
Beat the Bed Monster
The Bed Monster can appear in any room and grab a patient while they are lying on the bed or moving in and out of it. As it drags the patient under the bed, get close and interact with them to help them break free. You have 30 seconds. Fail and the monster eats the patient.
The Bed Monster also attacks you and any anomalies that wander too near. To keep it calm, equip maple syrup and walk up to it. It takes the syrup and vanishes without harming you or the patient.
Defeat the Purple Monster in Room 8
The Purple Monster only appears in Room 8, the surgery room, and it starts eating your patient the moment it shows up. To save them, complete the surgery mini-game within 45 seconds. The blackboard behind the bed lays out every step of the operation, so read it and work through the sequence quickly.
Note: Do not tase or shoot the Purple Monster. It is linked directly to the patient, so any damage you deal to the monster kills the patient instead. Finish the mini-game and the monster disappears on its own, letting you continue treatment.
Handle the Ambulance Event and critical patients
The Ambulance Event floods the hospital with six or seven patients at once. Among that crowd you will sometimes spot a critical patient. Check them in and finish their treatment or surgery within 120 seconds, or they die. Prioritize that patient first, then work through the rest of the arrivals before the room backs up.
Keep the fire extinguisher, taser, and maple syrup within reach once the third shift begins, watch each emergency’s timer, and pick the matching response above. That is the whole difference between a clean shift and a room full of dead patients and lost Sanity.
