Is it an emergency?
We often get people ringing up with questions about their pet, and we frequently hear the words “I don’t think its an emergency, but…”. Although we are an emergency clinic, we are also here to help your pet with any concerns. If you are not happy with how your pet is doing, we always recommend a consult with a veterinarian to check them over.
However, there are some signs your pet may show that we will always consider an emergency:
- Dogs with a distended abdomen, attempting to vomit without bringing up any food. This can be a sign of a twisted stomach (gastric dilatation volvulus). The sooner this condition is diagnosed and treatment started, the better the chance your dog will make it through.
- Male cats straining to urinate without passing any urine. This can be a sign of a blocked bladder (urethral obstruction), and as with a twisted stomach the earlier treatment is started the better the chances of recovery.
- Any difficulty breathing. Problems with breathing can worsen rapidly and can be fatal. So any concerns that your pet is not breathing properly should prompt an immediate visit to the vet
- Toxic ingestions. Chocolate, onions, raisins, lilies, human medications, slug bait, and rat bait to name a few. If your pet has eaten something toxic bringing them to the vet as soon as possible gives us a chance to make them vomit. If we remove as much of the toxin from their system as possible they will have a better chance of surviving the toxicity.
- Trauma. If your pet has been hit by a car or received some other serious trauma we always recommend a check by a vet as soon as possible. Internal injuries are not always obvious initially so x-rays and ultrasound can help us rule out anything serious.
- Seizures. Any seizure lasting longer than a couple minutes can cause serious brain injury. So if your pet has a seizure we recommend a vet check as soon as possible.
