Sometimes illnesses that don’t seem very bad are actually quite serious. Other times we panic over things that are not as bad as they seem. Take a look below and see if we can help you better determine how serious the problem with your pet is.
Is it an Emergency?
- Difficult or suddenly noisy breathing
- Blue or white color in the gums
- Injury or disease causing loss of consciousness
- Heavy bleeding or bleeding that will not stop
- Straining to urinate, especially males
- Seizures lasting more than 10 minutes
- Ingestion, or even a suspicion of ingestion of anything toxic (Bring the package with you!)
- Sudden onset of paralysis or weakness
- Any injury to the eye
- Active hard labour without delivering a puppy or kitten in 15 minutes
- Extreme pain
- Deep penetrating wounds
- Continuous vomiting or diarrhea
- Dangling or non-weight-bearing limbs
- Ingestion of inappropriate items- balls, string, elastics, rocks, earplugs, etc.
- Open wounds – the sooner we treat it the better it will heal
- Severe itching that prevents you or your pet from resting
- Change in the appearance of a surgical wound such as swelling, redness, or discharge
- Tick imbedded in skin
- Mild vomiting or diarrhea that lasts more than a day
- Small amounts of blood in stool
- Mild lameness that hasn’t resolved overnight
- Shaking or scratching head or trunk
- Bad breath
- Anal gland problems (scooting)
- Cut or blistered foot pads with only minor bleeding
- Cat fight wounds, if animal is otherwise fine
- “Hot spots”- superficial skin infections, unless severely painful
- Ear infections and hematomas (swollen ear)
- Insect stings and bites causing swollen lips
- Otherwise healthy animals off-feed for more than 2 days
In the event of an emergency during our normal office hours please call ahead if possible and proceed directly to our practice.
