Emergency Dog Care

For many of us, when our dogs are ill, it is often quite difficult to know whether or not their circumstances warrant emergency dog care.

In an emergency, the first thing you have to know is where to take your dog. Many veterinarians offer a 24 hour emergency dog care service. Please make certain to ask your vet if this is a service offered by their practice.

If your vet does not offer this service, know where your local veterinary emergency hospital is located.

So how do you know if you are experiencing an emergency? Most veterinarians will tell you that if you feel the situation is urgent to please call the closest emergency clinic and speak to a veterinary staff member.

They will assess the situation and in most cases, ask you to bring your dog in to be examined. The following are assorted common emergency dog care situations and ideas for how to manage them.

Acute Abdominal Pain

If your dog is showing signs of abdominal pain such as tenderness to the touch, standing with his back arched, or refusing food, you should take him to the closest emergency clinic immediately.

Additional signs of abdominal trouble can include vomiting, crying, shaking and difficulty breathing. These may be signs of Gastric Torsion. This condition can come on suddenly and in most cases affects large, deep chested dogs but any dog can be affected.

This condition must be treated as soon as possible. There are other conditions connected with abdominal pain such as constipation, kidney or liver disease, or even a common stomach ache, but it is essential to have tests done to rule out anything serious.

Uncontrollable Bleeding or Bleeding from the Chest

If your dog gets a cut, you should apply direct pressure with a clean dry bandage to the wound. The bleeding should stop within ten minutes, after which time, you should make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible.

The vet can only give your dog stitches within a small window of time. However, if the bleeding does not stop within twenty minutes or the bleeding is from the chest, you should take your pet to the emergency dog care clinic immediately.

Broken Bones

If your dog has been in an accident where you suspect broken bones, first call your regular vet to see if you can get an appointment soon. If not, take your dog to the emergency dog care clinic. They will need to take x-rays to establish whether or not bones have been broken.

Breathing Difficulties

If your dog is having breathing difficulties, take them to the closest emergency hospital without delay. There are many reasons why your dog could be having breathing problems and many of them are serious.

Car Accidents

If your dog is hit by a car, it is important to take him to the closest emergency clinic immediately. Even if he is acting normal, he may have internal injuries that need to be taken care of quickly.

Wrap your dog in a blanket to help prevent shock, and keep away from his mouth as many dogs that are in pain will bite.

Constant Convulsions

If your dog has a minor seizure or two, it is a serious problem and you should call your veterinarian at once. However, if your dog has a series of convulsions that last for more than a few minutes, you should place a blanket over your dog, keep away from his mouth and get him to the nearest emergency clinic immediately.

There are several reasons why your dog could be having convulsions including epilepsy, metabolic problems, brain tumors, and poisoning and fits of seizures are considered to be life threatening in many cases.

In any serious situation, if you feel that your dog should be seen by a veterinarian, call his office to see how soon you can get in. Many veterinarians have technicians at hand to evaluate situations and answer questions to help you establish the seriousness of your dog's condition.

If your usual veterinarian is not available or if you think that it is an emergency, the best thing to do, if at all possible, is to call the emergency dog care clinic and tell them what is going on and that you are on the way.

This helps the staff prepare for your situation in advance so the veterinary team is ready to work on your dog when you get there. If you have further questions on what kinds of conditions are emergency dog care situations, please ask your veterinarian.