Knowing when your pet needs emergency care is critical. There are many small signs that a pet might need to visit the emergency vet that some owners miss. Waiting too long to take your pet to see the vet can have disastrous consequences for both you and your beloved companion.
Knowing how to decide if your pet needs to see the vet or not doesn’t require that you have veterinary training. There are some signs that every pet owner can look for, which will help them to be sure that they know when to call the emergency vet. You will just need to keep reading if you want to know what to look for when deciding if your pet needs to go to the emergency vet or not.
1. Vomiting Blood or Bloody Diarrhea
If your pet is showing these symptoms, they might have ingested a poison, or they might have another life-threatening GI tract condition going on. These are common symptoms of a variety of serious problems that require an immediate trip to the emergency vet. You should call the veterinarian when you are driving in if your dog is showing these symptoms. They might want to quarantine your pet, and they will be likely to want to rush your pet through the registration process so they can get the care they need.
2. Collapse or Inability to Ambulate
If your pet has collapsed or cannot stand up and walk around, they might have suffered a stroke, they could have a severe internal injury, or they might be suffering from organ failure. There is a long list of health concerns that can cause these symptoms, and your pet needs to get medical care right away if they are showing these symptoms. Time is of the essence when an animal has collapsed or cannot stand up and walk around.
3. Broken Bones or a Severe Limp
If your pet has a visibly broken limb or they are limping very badly, they need to see the emergency vet. Puncture wounds and severe injuries that can cause broken bones can be life-threatening if they are not treated right away. Pets can go into shock related to severe injuries, or they might be in a lot of pain. Animals with severely broken bones also often require emergency surgery to save the damaged limb.
4. Disorientation or Confusion
While your pet might still be eating and drinking if they are showing signs of confusion, this can still be a symptom of things like a stroke, a head injury, or a severe fever. Pets that have heatstroke might also show these symptoms. You should make sure that you do not ignore confusion or disorientation in case a severe health issue is causing your pet to act in this way.
5. Swollen Abdomen
Some pets might exhibit a swollen abdomen and still seem otherwise normal. This can lead pet owners to think that the issue will be resolved on its own. This can be a dangerous error in judgment, however. In dogs, bloat can be deadly and often requires emergency surgery to correct. If your cat is severely bloated, there are quite a few things that could be causing this problem, and most of them are very serious. Taking your pet to the emergency vet for a swollen abdomen is always a good idea.
6. Labor Has Stalled
If you have had your pregnant pet examined before they started to give birth and you know approximately how many babies they are supposed to have, a slowdown in the labor process can be a cause for concern. Pets should experience a continuous labor process from start to finish. When there is a sudden halt to labor or things slow down significantly, it is likely that there are problems going on that will require emergency surgery or emergency veterinary support.
7. Signs of Extreme Pain
If your pet will not allow you to touch them or they are pacing, whining, or crying out, they are likely to be in severe pain. This can be caused by many things, from injuries to illnesses. Even if you do not know why your pet seems to be in distress, you should still take them to see the emergency vet. Time is of the essence in some of the conditions that can cause intense pain, which is why it is a good idea to be sure not to take a wait-and-see attitude about these things.
8. Seizures
Even if your pet is only having very mild seizures, you should still be sure to take them to see the emergency vet right away. This is especially true if your pet has never had seizures before. Seizures can be linked with serious health conditions, and the seizure activity itself can cause damage to the body. Seizures need to be brought under control right away to protect the overall well-being of your pet.
Don’t Hesitate to Contact the Emergency Vet if Your Pet is Sick
Many people want to avoid paying emergency vet bills, or they doubt their own intuition about their pet’s well-being and hesitate to call the emergency vet. There are many situations where your instincts as a pet owner are right, and you should trust them. Besides this, even though an emergency vet visit can be expensive, the health of your pet and the peace of mind that comes with getting the help that you both need are worth the money.
Caring for a pet after hours is what emergency vet clinics do, and they are very good at their jobs. Call your emergency vet clinic before you bring your pet in to make sure that the right staff is ready and waiting to take care of your pet when you arrive. There are many reasons that you might need to take your pet to see the emergency vet, and you should feel more prepared to make this kind of judgment call now that you have read this article.
Need to talk with an emergency vet in Zion, IL? Give Gray Animal Hospital a call at (224) 304-0668!