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Emergencies: When to call the vet

Whether you’re a seasoned dog owner or newbie to owning a kitten, as a responsible pet owner there are countless times when you may want to call the veterinarian in case of emergencies. Maybe Sparky doesn’t seem to breathing normally or your feline is a little lethargic. Well, that is what your veterinarian is there for. While we’re not advocating calling your vet after any tiny concern, we support being aware of your pet’s health and well being, being observant, and getting help. After all, when in doubt as it relates to vet emergencies, it’s better to err on the side of caution that something is wrong than assume everything is alright.

Here are some red flag indicators which indicate cause for concern and a reason to call your veterinarian in case of emergencies. This list is just an overall guideline for responsible pet owners to give you an idea of veterinarian emergencies; of course if you’re concerned about your pet and the symptom is not on the list be sure to call your vet anyway.

While some of the items listed below are visible and apparent, others are not. For instance, symptoms of heat stroke include difficulty breathing, vomiting, high body temperature, and collapse. While it’s important to call the veterinarian in this emergency, you can also help by placing your pet in a tub and running cool water over it or gently soaking your pet with a garden hose or wrapping it in a cool, wet towel.

Seizures – seizures in dogs and cats cause reason for concern but most importantly you may not always be present to witness them since it may occur during the day when you’re not home or early in the morning or later in night. The post-seizure effects include disoriented, confusion, restlessness or responsiveness.

Unconsciousness

Bite wounds

Breathing stops

Heat stroke

Shock

Difficulty or inability to urinate

Bloody diarrhea

Uncontrollable bleeding

Lethargy – you may simply think your pet is fatigued. Well, it’s important to take notice to this symptom as a possible emergency. Lethargy may be a cause of a life-threatening condition such as poisoning or rabies.

Vomiting blood – this is very scary. Although hematemesis is the clinical term, the reasons for vomiting blood could represent a variety of things such as a foreign object in the system, poisoning, blood disorders, ulcers, or even cancer.

Dr Hart's Emergency Pet Clinic

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