Knowing when to take your furry friend to the vet hospital can be tricky. As a pet owner, you want to ensure your animals receive prompt medical care when needed, but also avoid unnecessary stressful visits or excessive costs. This guide covers the top reasons you should bring your pet into the emergency vet or animal hospital like SutherLandVet right away.
Sudden Collapse
If your pet suddenly loses consciousness, has a seizure, becomes paralyzed, or seems generally disoriented or lethargic with no apparent cause, get them to the animal ER immediately. Rapid onset of these neurological symptoms can signal a number of life-threatening conditions like toxin ingestion, organ failure, or traumatic injury. Time is of the essence, so don’t waste time guessing or waiting it out. Get veterinary assessment stat.
Difficulty Breathing
Labored breathing, persistent coughing or choking sounds demand emergency intervention. Trouble getting air into or out of the lungs can occur with upper airway obstructions, asthma, fluid in lungs, pneumonia, heart failure and more. If your pet is struggling for their next breath, panic breathing, or appears distressed, blue/pale get evaluation without delay as such symptoms can quickly turn fatal.
Uncontrolled Bleeding
Finding blood anywhere on your pet whether from the nose, mouth, rectum or a wound along with symptoms like weakness or collapse warrants instant vet hospital transport. External or internal bleeding can lead to dangerous blood loss or cause irreversible organ damage in pets. Apply direct pressure if possible and get them assessed urgently for transfusion, surgery or other care.
Ingestion of Toxins
If you witness your pet eating something clearly toxic like human medications, poisonous plants, or hazardous substances call poison control and go to the vet ER immediately. Bring the product they ingested. Even with no symptoms yet, internal damage could be happening and prompt decontamination, medication, and support may be crucial.
High Fever
A pet with a rectal temperature over 103.5 F could be battling serious infection, inflammation, or other issues requiring intensive care such as blood pressure and fluid support. Left unchecked, persistently high fevers put pets at riskfor seizures, organ damage, and even coma or death. Have your vet hospital assess, run tests to pinpoint causes and provide temperature regulation treatments urgently.
Hit by Car
Any pet struck by a moving vehicle should see a vet without delay even if they seem startled but unharmed. Internal bleeding, organ damage, fractures, pneumothorax and neurological issues can all arise with blunt body trauma despite lack of external wounds. For pets hit by cars, monitor vital signs closely en route to the hospital for emergency evaluation and stabilization.
Birthing Difficulties
For pregnant pets straining hard to deliver puppies or kittens with no results, emergency vet care may be vital for saving mom and babies. Difficult births with prolonged straining or no progress can risk serious, even fatal complications like uterine rupture/hemorrhage, obstructed labor, uterine infections and distressed offspring requiring emergency C-sections or medical intervention. Don’t wait – get help.
Bite Wounds
Bite injuries are prone to severe infection and have high risk of penetrating deeper tissue damage under all that fur which masks brewing problems. Heavy puncture wounds, wounds with visible drainage, redness, swelling or signs of pain should see the vet promptly. Cat bites in particular carry high risk of infection demanding antibiotic and supportive care due to deep punctures and bacteria in their mouths.
Eye Injuries
Does your pet have visible damage to their eyeball, blood inside the eye, sudden onset vision trouble, or painful squinting/swelling around one or both eyes? Don’t wait to have it checked. Eye issues can progress quickly. Emergency veterinary assessment within the first few hours of onset gives the best chance for preserving vision and minimizing long term damage. Time is vision for eye emergencies.
Snake Bites
Venomous snake bites demand emergency veterinary intervention, so transport your pet immediately while closely monitoring their condition en route. Pit viper bites (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths) require antivenom and intensive monitoring and support. Even generally mild venom coral snake bites can be serious. Don’t try home treatments which can worsen outcomes – get to the pros.
Conclusion
Trust your instincts if your pet seems seriously ill and when in doubt, don’t delay. Connect promptly with emergency veterinary professionals that are well equipped to rapidly assess and stabilize acute life threatening conditions in pets and handle intensive, urgent interventions required to give your furry family member the best chances of recovery. Your companion relies on you to get them timely emergency care when every moment counts – don’t hesitate to call on the dedicated vets trained to handle such high stakes situations. The right veterinary team can make all the difference in saving a cherished pet’s life.