One of the toughest jobs of fur parents is to handle pet emergencies. No one is really trained for these kinds of situations. No matter how little or bad the emergencies are, as fur parents, you can’t help but panic.
While it’s only reasonable to get nervous for your pet, the best thing to do is to overcome this emotion and think quickly for your pet.
You should learn how to control or at least manage your emotions so that you can help your pet in the best way possible.
In this piece, we’re going to tell you the signs to watch out for and what to do in case those emergencies occur.
How to Tell If Your Pet Needs Urgent Medical Care
There are tell-tale signs that your pet needs emergency vet care. However, some signs are not so obvious, making it hard for you to assess your pet’s situation.
But whether the signs are obvious enough or not, as a responsible fur parent, you must know when to call a 24-hour emergency care service.
This is how you can tell if you need to bring your pet to the vet immediately.
- If your pet got injured or fractured bones
- It’s unconscious
- It vomits non-stop
- It can’t walk or stand for some reason
- If you feel bloating or swelling in their abdomen
- You notice cherry-eye inflammations
- If you think they’re going blind
- If there’s blood in the poop
- If your pet can’t pee and poop
- If pregnant and can’t deliver babies
- If it’s having seizures
- If it’s bleeding non-stop
- If it’s choking or having difficulty in breathing
In case your pet suffers from any of these, keep in mind that panicking will not do you any good. Instead, relax so you’ll be able to think on your feet to help your pet as much as possible.
Call an emergency vet immediately.
Here Are Things You Can Do While You Wait for Help
Whenever there’s an emergency, time is of the essence. However, it’s not always guaranteed that your pet will get the medication that it needs right away.
Whether you take your pet to the nearest emergency vet or wait for an ambulance to come to your home and treat your pet, both options will take time.
That’s why it’s only necessary that you learn and master first aid for pets. This way, you can help minimize the pain of your pet while help is on the way.
Below are only some of the most common emergency problems in pets and what you can do about these.
Seizures
If your pet is having seizures, the best thing that you can do is to let them be. Most seizures usually last for no longer than 3 minutes and will stop naturally.
However, it doesn’t mean that you won’t do anything during this period.
If your pet starts to get seizures, make sure to notify your vet right away so they could teach you the proper steps to take during this kind of situation. Here’s a good guide for seizures in dogs, for example.
You can also remove everything around your pet that could potentially harm your pet during the seizure. Once the seizure stops, make sure to help your pet relax while bringing it to a warm and quiet room.
But if the seizures don’t stop, that’s when you should call your vet again and wait for more instructions.
Bleeding
Whether your pet was attacked by another animal or got injured in an accident, it can’t afford to lose so much blood. As it could mean life and death.
But remember, don’t panic That’s the first step. Then muzzle your pet to avoid biting when your pet is under stress.
Once your pet is all muzzled, you can now safely do some first aid. First, prepare a clean gauze pad or a clean cloth. Then put it over the wound. Just press it a little to put slight pressure on the wound and somehow reduce the bleeding.
Get another gauze pad, then press it again. Do this over and over until the bleeding stops.
If it doesn’t, wrap the piece of cloth or gauze pad for continuous stoppage then bring your pet to the vet or wait for the ambulance.
Here’s a great video that shows you what to do when your pet is bleeding:
Fracture
Again, the first thing that you should do is muzzle your pet. Trust us, even if you are the owner, your pet might be able to bite you if it’s under stress.
Also, you have to be gentle all the time since you’re dealing with a fractured bone.
Put your pet on a flat surface, preferably a stretcher. But if there’s none, just use a makeshift one like a piece of thick plywood.
Secure your pet onto the platform using elastic bands or blankets then carefully bring your pet into your car and take it to the nearest vet.
