The Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Cincinnati compiled this list of pet health emergencies.
Call your local emergency care facility and tell the receptionist that you are bringing in a dog or cat if the animal has any of the following symptoms.
• Difficulty breathing: noisy respiration, blue tongue or gasping for breath.
• Bleeding that does not stop from any part of the body: apply pressure with a clean cloth and go!
• Bloated or distended abdomen, or swollen/painful abdomen: with or without vomiting.
• Inability to urinate or move bowels, but continues to try: Also if the animal has bloody stool or urine, or painful defecation or urination.
• Heatstroke: heavy panting, extreme weakness or body temperature about 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• Inability to deliver puppies or kittens: labor contractions for longer than one hour, or more than 15 minutes of labor with the fetus or membrane showing.
• Loss of balance, consciousness or seizure, including: tremors, coma, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, tilting of the head, biting at imaginary objects, sudden changes in disposition such as unusual withdrawal or out-of-character aggressiveness.
• Pain, either severe or continuous.
• Major trauma, injury, or shock from: falls, vehicle accidents, wounds, cuts or broken bones.
• Shows signs of: weakness, collapse, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, bewildered behavior, dilated pupils.
• Ingested poison: bring the container or the commercial or chemical name of the product or a list of ingredients, if you have it.
• Penetrating wounds: anyplace, but especially in the chest or abdomen.
• Vomiting or diarrhea with blood or violent episodes.
• Lameness and cannot bear any weight on the leg.
• Any other signs that look serious, such as: eye problems, severe itching with self-mutilation or severe hives.
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Jim Beinlich and his wife Bianca own Cool K9’s Dog Training in Colorado Springs. Find them at www.coolk9s.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coolk9s.