We are available to provide your pet with urgent/emergency care outside of your clinic’s normal business hours. But how do you tell when your pet needs emergency attention?
Examples of urgent / emergency situations
Some definite ‘see the vet now’ indicators include:
Seizures.
Fainting.
Collapse.
Trauma.
Severe or uncontrolled diarrhoea (especially if it looks bloody).
Vomiting, if you see one or more of the following:
If more than 3-5 times in as many hours.
Is becoming more frequent or has been happening for more than two days.
If there is blood or foreign material in the vomit.
If you know (or even suspect) they’ve eaten something they shouldn’t have.
If they seem depressed or lethargic as well.
If their abdomen/stomach area seems tense or bloated and they’re retching without vomiting.
Their breathing seems unusual.
They’ve stopped eating or drinking.
If your pet has a history of serious illness.
An older intact female dog with a history of vomiting, anorexia (lack of appetite), lethargy and a vaginal discharge.
Suspected poisoning (with or without vomiting or other symptoms), which includes:
Toxic foods.
Ingestion of human medication.
Antifreeze.
Rodent or possum poison and snail bait.
Cats, in particular, can be fatally sensitive to insecticides such as flea-control medications that are safe for dogs, petroleum-based products or certain medications.
Grapes, raisins, and chocolate (especially dark chocolate) are poisonous to dogs.
If you think your pet has eaten something dangerous, please call us immediately. It is important that we see your pet as soon as possible after ingestion.
Cat straining to pass urine
Cats can also suffer from lower urinary tract disorders.
If your cat seems to be uncomfortable, is crying or distressed, is straining and passing only a few drops or no urine, take it directly to the emergency vet.
Unblocking the urinary tract and releasing pressure on the bladder is a life-saving procedure.
If your cat is straining to urinate, this is an EMERGENCY SITUATION. They require immediate vet attention.
If you are unsure if your pet requires emergency care, or if it can wait until normal business hours, please call us. We are happy to work with you to determine if your pet requires urgent/emergency care.
Situations that are more serious than they might seem
These include:
Eye injuries.
Allergic reactions, e.g. swelling around the face or hives.
More than two or three episodes of diarrhoea or vomiting within an hour or so could also indicate a serious problem.
Any breathing difficulty.
Extreme lethargy.
If you see any of these signs, call the vet immediately.
Other signs of pain that may not be as life-threatening but might warrant immediate veterinary attention include panting, loss of appetite, aggression, and hiding or crying.
If your pet has been injured in an accident – call the vet NOW
Animals can sometimes seem fine after accidents, such as being hit by a car, exposed to extreme heat or cold, or being cut or bitten.
If the accident seemed serious, even if your pet looks fine, you need to take them to a vet immediately to check for internal injuries that can result in death if left untreated.
Remember, animals are often better at hiding illness and injury than humans and can be in shock or have other serious injuries without showing any obvious signs.
Never administer human pain relief medication to your pets
Cats are very sensitive to many drugs used as pain relief in humans, such as aspirin and paracetamol, and these drugs can be fatal to them.
DO NOT give your pets ibuprofen – it is very toxic to both dogs and cats.
While it may be possible to wait until your regular vet is available, put yourself in your pet’s place – don’t let them suffer.
If your cat has been in a fight
Cat fights are a fact of life. If the fight has just occurred and your cat seems fine, you are probably safe to wait and see your vet the following day.
If your cat is extremely distressed or has received an obvious eye injury (to the inside lid or globe of the eye), this is a true emergency.
Sometimes an alarmed owner is confronted with a burst, pussy abscess that developed from a fight. While these can look like a major wound, as long as your pet is well in itself, this is not an emergency. Make your cat as comfortable as possible and book an appointment at the vet clinic for the next day.
If you’re in doubt about the seriousness of a problem, please give us a call. Remember that it’s better to make a trip you needn’t have made than to miss the one you should have made.
This advice was originally published by Totally Vets. As a trusted partner of VetSouth, we're proud to share Totally Vets expertise with our community.
