Is this an Emergency?
How to know when your pet needs emergency care.
Some emergencies are obvious, but other times, it can be difficult to determine whether your pet needs to be evaluated immediately, or if they can wait until your family veterinarian is available. These situations always warrant immediate veterinary care:
- Collapse
- Inability to walk, or dragging the back legs
- Difficulty breathing, which may be accompanied by blue-tinged gums, coughing, panting, and extending the head and neck in an attempt to breathe more easily
- Crying out in pain
- Bleeding that does not stop within five minutes
- Bite wounds
- Seizure or tremors
- Trauma (e.g., hit by a car, involved in a fight)
- Extreme lethargy
- Excessive coughing, with an inability to rest through the night
- Pale gums, which is often observed with internal bleeding or severe anemia
- Known or suspected toxin ingestion
- Straining to urinate or defecate
- Excessive vomiting (i.e., more than three times in 24 hours)
- Difficulty delivering puppies or kittens
- Snake bite
- Heat exhaustion or heatstroke
- Abdominal distension, particularly if accompanied by unproductive retching, which can indicate gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening emergency
- Squinting, bulging, bleeding, or painful eyes
- Anxiety or restlessness
- Any abnormal behavior that concerns you
Is this an Emergency?
How to know when your pet needs emergency care.
Some emergencies are obvious, but other times, it can be difficult to determine whether your pet needs to be evaluated immediately, or if they can wait until your family veterinarian is available. These situations always warrant immediate veterinary care:
- Collapse
- Inability to walk, or dragging the back legs
- Difficulty breathing, which may be accompanied by blue-tinged gums, coughing, panting, and extending the head and neck in an attempt to breathe more easily
- Crying out in pain
- Bleeding that does not stop within five minutes
- Bite wounds
- Seizure or tremors
- Trauma (e.g., hit by a car, involved in a fight)
- Extreme lethargy
- Excessive coughing, with an inability to rest through the night
- Pale gums, which is often observed with internal bleeding or severe anemia
- Known or suspected toxin ingestion
- Straining to urinate or defecate
- Excessive vomiting (i.e., more than three times in 24 hours)
- Difficulty delivering puppies or kittens
- Snake bite
- Heat exhaustion or heatstroke
- Abdominal distension, particularly if accompanied by unproductive retching, which can indicate gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening emergency
- Squinting, bulging, bleeding, or painful eyes
- Anxiety or restlessness
- Any abnormal behavior that concerns you