What Is An Emergency?

If an animal is seriously ill or injured, it needs critical care immediately. Bring your pet in to see us if any of the following occur:

* Difficulty breathing...Noisy breathing, blue tongue or gums, abnormal panting, gasping for air, or very shallow breathing.

* Unstoppable bleeding...Before transporting, apply pressure with a clean cloth. Do not use a tourniquet.

* Inability to urinate or defecate...Continuously straining with little or no result. Blood in stool or urine, painful urination or defecation.

* Heatstroke...Signs include: heavy panting, extreme weakness, a body temperature above 104. Wrap your pet in cool, wet towels prior to transporting.

* Bloated or distended abdomen...With or without vomiting.

* Inability to deliver kittens or puppies... Continuous contractions for more than 4 hours, or more than 2 hours between babies or more than 15 minutes of labor with fetus or membranes protruding.

* Loss of balance, unconsciousness, or seizure...Tremors, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, fainting, tilting of the head, or sudden changes in behavior, such as unusual withdrawal or aggression.

* Pain...Especially continuous pain. Signs of pain in animals include whimpering, restlessness, crying, reluctance to move or change position, dilated pupils and a fast heart rate.

* Major trauma or Injury... If your pet has fallen, been hit by a car, or has suffered wounds anywhere on the body, but especially to the eye, chest or abdomen, or has broken bones.

* Shock...If your pet shows signs of weakness, collapse, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, or weak pulses.

* Poisoning...If you believe your pet has been exposed to a poison, bring the container with you if you have it, or the commercial name or chemical name with a list of ingredients. Common poisoning: insecticides, snail bait, antifreeze, rat poison, over-the-counter drugs (Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc), prescription medications, snake bites and some plants.

* Vomiting and/or diarrhea...Excessive, continuous, or contains blood.

* Lameness...Continuous, not bearing weight on limb, or swollen limb.

* Eyes...Eye injuries, sudden blindness, cloudiness or abnormal discharge.

* Allergic reactions...Swollen face, hives, red skin, difficulty breathing, severe itching or a rash.

* Diabetics...Shaking, excessive salivation, abnormal behavior, excessive vomiting, seizures.

* General...Severe lethargy, anorexia, fever greater than 104 or anything else that concerns you.