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What Emergency Veterinarians Can Do for Your Pet

It's never a treat when you have to make an emergency trip to the veterinarian's office. This is especially true when you don't know the proper course of action in the case of an emergency. To avoid running around in a panic while your pet suffers, talk to your primary veterinarian when you're in the office for a check up. Ask him or her about what to do in case of an emergency when the office is closed. If the vet refers you to an emergency doctor, write down the name, address and phone number and keep it in a prominent place, such on the refrigerator. If your primary vet is American Animal Hospital Association-accredited, the office is required to provide 24-hour access to emergency care. This could be in the office itself or through a referral to an animal hospital. When it comes to taking your pet to the emergency room, there are things you should know:

If your pet has a broken bone, get him or her to the hospital immediately.If your pet has a broken bone, get it to the hospital immediately.

When is it an Emergency?

While you know your pet best and what is normal, odd behavior isn't always a sign of a problem. However, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you think your pet may be in distress, call your local animal hospital and tell the emergency vet about your pet's symptoms and recent activities that may have contributed to its condition. The vet will let you know if you should bring your animal in or if the issue can wait until you can see your regular family vet. Don't email or leave a voicemail for your primary vet - call a hospital directly. If you have a cat or dog, the vet may tell you to check your animal's gums, as they can be good indicators of circulatory issues. Know your pet's usual gum appearance - they should be pink and moist and turn white for a moment if you press on them. If your animal's gums are blue, gray or red, it could have a medical emergency.

Call a hospital directly.

Signs of an emergency
There are other signs, that your pet is in danger and needs emergency medical attention. If your pet exhibits any of the following signs, bring it to the nearest animal hospital:

  • It has suffered physical trauma, such  falling or being hit by a car, or has any broken bones.
  • You cannot feel a heartbeat when touching your animal's chest.
  • Your pet isn't breathing, is breathing strangely, making noises when it breathes or is puffing its lips when trying to breathe.
  • Your animal is unconscious or having a seizure.
  • Your pet has been vomiting for over 24 hours or is vomiting blood.
  • Blood is coming from your pet's eyes, nose or mouth, or if there is blood in its urine or stool.
  • You suspect that your pet ingested anything potentially poisonous.
  • Your animal can't stand up.
  • You see irritation on your pet's eyes and it begins bumping into things or is disoriented. These could be signs of blindness.
  • Your pet's stomach is swollen and hard and it struggles to comfortably lie down. This could signal bloat, a potentially life-threatening condition.
  • Your animal is pregnant and has gone more than three hours between delivering babies.

If your pet exhibits any of these symptoms, it's important that you seek treatment immediately. It's very common for an animal's condition to deteriorate rapidly, so how quickly you act can make a difference as to whether your pet survives the ordeal. If you're concerned about the cost of emergency treatment and you'd rather wait for your family vet to open, you may end up with even higher medical bills as your animal's condition worsens, so it's best to treat any problem as soon as possible.

Common emergency procedures
Broken bones are one of the most common issues that emergency veterinarians treat. They also treat a lot of accidental pet poisonings from household cleaning products by pumping the animal's stomach. Illnesses that usually call for immediate medical attention include bloat, or gastric dilation-volvulus, in which a dog's stomach becomes over-distended with gas or food, causing the stomach to twist. If this condition is treated rapidly, there is a low chance of complications and your dog will likely survive. Depending on the cause of the blockage, the vet may perform surgery or allow your primary care veterinarian to continue treatment.

How Do You Prepare for an Emergency?

If you think your pet needs emergency medical attention, you'll want to give the vet as much information as possible. Take note of when your animal's symptoms began, whether your pet has been around other animals and if it has eaten anything that could have been dangerous. If you have any new furniture or rugs, the chemicals these furnishings are treated with could have poisoned your pet. If there is a chance your pet could be poisoned, call the Animal Poison Control Center. Bring a sample of what it may have ingested and the container the substance was stored in. This will allow the vet to choose the best course of action. Cats and dogs also commonly suffer from urinary obstruction, caused by bladder stones, muscle spasms in the urethra, cystitis, mucous plugs or cancer.

Stabilizing your pet
If you need to stabilize your pet before you can transport it, there are things you can do:

  • If your animal is injured and bleeding, elevate and apply pressure to the area that's wounded.
  • If your pet is choking, first try to remove whatever is causing the blockage by putting your fingers in its mouth. If that doesn't work, try giving a quick blow to the chest to dislodge the object. You may also perform artificial respiration if your pet isn't breathing. Do this by placing your pet on its side, extending the head and neck. Hold your pet's jaw closed while blowing into its nostrils. 

You want to give the vet as much information as possible.

When it is time to get the animal to the hospital, it may be difficult to get your pet in the car. If you have a large dog, for example, you can call your animal hospital and see if it has transportation services. If your pet isn't too heavy to transport yourself, you'll need to get it in the car safely. Various pets require different methods. Many dogs show signs of aggression when they're in pain. If yours seems to be showing these signs, approach your dog slowly and say its name. Get help to gently lift it on to a makeshift stretcher rather than attempting to carry your dog. Many cats will bite and scratch if they don't want to be picked up, so gently place a blanket or towel over your cat's head and place it in an open-topped carrier. It will be difficult and disorienting to the cat to be placed into a regular carrier with a side latch with something covering its head. Plus, if it has a spinal injury or broken bones, it'll be easier to maneuver the cat into an open-topped carrier.

What Should You Expect at Emergency Vet Visits?

Just as it's a long, tedious ordeal to visit the human emergency room, it's not quick to bring your pet to the animal version. Most animal hospitals run on a triage basis, treating the most life-threatening conditions first. Bring a book or a magazine to keep yourself occupied while you wait and while the vet sees your pet. The busiest times at an animal hospital are from about 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., as people may come home from work and see that their pets are sick. The rush may die down after that, and the waits may not be as long. The most frequent visitors in the middle of the night are owners of outdoor cats that get attacked by neighborhood animals or hit by cars.

The hospital will do its best to accommodate you.

Pricing
Because animal hospitals require 24-hour staffing and expensive equipment, such as ultrasound machines and oxygen cages, most emergency treatment will cost more than it would if you were able to visit your animal's primary care provider. The hospital will probably charge you for the initial exam, as well as the immediate and follow up treatment. While there is no set standard for payment, many clinics will require payment at the time of treatment. If you are unable to afford your pet's treatment, talk to the doctor about alternative, less expensive treatment options. You may also be able to set up a payment plan with the veterinary clinic or qualify for payment assistance like a CareCredit card. Whatever your financial situation, the animal hospital will do its best to accommodate both you and your furry friend.

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