What counts as a vet emergency?

Some problems can be more serious than they outwardly appear and require prompt treatment to prevent them worsening, while others are true emergencies that require veterinary care as soon as possible. Some conditions that might require urgent treatment include: Difficulty Breathing. This can be obvious signs like choking and gasping, but can also include more subtle signs, such as breathing with significantly increased effort, breathing very fast, or open-mouth breathing/panting in cats. Inability to Urinate Straining frequently but only producing small drips or no urine can be a sign of a urinary blockage, especially in male cats and dogs. Bleeding Not all bleeding is an emergency, but a constant flow of blood, bleeding that pulses, or bleeding that does not stop within a few minutes should all prompt veterinary attention. Eye Problems Some eye conditions are considered an emergency and can include corneal ulceration, glaucoma, eye trauma, swelling or prolapse of the eye, and sudden onset blindness. Non-Productive Vomiting / Bloat Retching or trying to vomit but either producing nothing, or only a small amount of mucus, can be a sign of gastric dilation and torsion in dogs. Traumatic Event Falls from heights, road-traffic accidents or accidental physical injuries can all lead to potential internal injuries. Any major traumatic event warrants your pet being checked by a vet. Seizures/Fitting Any seizure that has not stopped after 3 minutes, or several short seizures within a short period of time, warrant immediate veterinary treatment. Collapse Collapse is an inability to stand up or move around normally. Other types of urgent appointments can include, but are not limited to: Straining to produce puppies or kittens for over 2 hours Ingesting a foreign body, Straining but unable to pass faeces Wasp or bee sting Prolonged inappetence / not eating Severe watery diarrhoea. Often, the condition alone doesn’t dictate how urgently treatment is required.

The following list includes some common signs that your dog or cat may require emergency care. Keep in mind that this is not exhaustive, and you should always trust your instincts if something seems off with your pet. Symptoms of a veterinary emergency in pets include various signs. To help you recognise the first signs of a critical situation, our vets have put together a practical guide covering the most common symptoms in dogs, cats and rabbits. Is this a serious symptom?

Any animal which is collapsed or unable to get up. Coughing or retching continuously. Significant breathing issues meaning they are struggling to breathe. Obvious injury such as broken bone or eye damage. Vomiting or diarrhoea which is acute in onset, is causing your animal to become lethargic and they have had 3 or more episodes in the last hour. Seizuring. Choking or retching. Straining to urinate and not producing any urine – this is particularly for male cats. Struggling to defecate. If your pet has eaten a known poison or an object that could cause obstruction of the gut. Continuous bleeding, be it from a wound or the nose and mouth. Difficulties giving birth for pregnant animals. Anaphylaxsis or severe allergic reaction. Flystrike in rabbits. Excessive urination or thirst. Euthanasia.

Emergency vet care can come in the form of injuries, the sudden onset of diseases or shivering, ingestion of a foreign object, or an accident, to name a few. Signs that your pet needs emergency medical attention include bleeding, seizures, fractures, and choking. Any type of bleeding is enough to raise an alarm for you. You must also consider seizures, where pet seizures often look like epileptic onset. Every fracture constitutes a crucial medical emergency. Choking is an alarming medical emergency vet care to take note of. If your pet is choking on a hazardous object, you need to try to remove it cautiously.