It’s not always easy to tell when your pet is in need of emergency veterinary care, but knowing the signs and symptoms that are problematic will help you be prepared.

Situations requiring emergency veterinary care can happen at any time, and being able to spot signs and symptoms will tell you that it’s time to head to a veterinary hospital right away. It can be very helpful to know this information ahead of time as it can be very challenging to detect when a pet needs urgent emergency care. If you ever notice that your cat or dog is showing symptoms or behaviours that are unusual or that you’re not sure about, it would be best to contact your vet for advice.

Obvious pain, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, inflammation or injury to the eye and staggering or stumbling are all signs that your pet may be experiencing a health emergency. Extreme coughing or choking, uncontrolled bleeding, repeated vomiting and a swollen or painful abdomen are also signs of a serious problem, and any of these would indicate that you have to head over to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately. If you ever notice blood in your pet’s diarrhea, detect loss of balance or see that your pet is experiencing unconsciousness, these, too, are signs that your pet is experiencing a health emergency, so you need to contact your vet right away. Ingestion of foreign objects, broken bones, ingestion of poisonous foods, seizures, severe injury and the inability to walk would also call for emergency care, as would their inability to urinate or defecate.

Knowing how to perform first aid on your pet is a must, but this will not replace the need for professional veterinary care, so you still have to get to an emergency clinic right away. First aid should be used to help stabilize your pet until you get to the vet, and you must muzzle your pet before you start first aid because even though they are loving animals, they may still bite when they are in pain.

While you never know when an emergency might strike, you can be prepared and have your vet’s phone number and the number for the closest emergency vet clinic handy to react more quickly, which will help you provide your mississauga animal hospital with the care they need. A muzzle that is the right size, basic knowledge of how to stop bleeding, directions to the emergency vet clinic and knowledge of basic pet CPR should also be readily available so that you’re prepared if your pet experiences a health emergency.

If you ever need to contact a veterinarian for their professional advice or opinion, Aquitaine Vet can help. We will prioritize your pet’s health, so you can have peace of mind knowing they are in good hands. We genuinely care about your pets, so contact us today for more information!