ANIMAL EMERGENCIES
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1Trauma. In my opinion, any case of trauma warrants a closer look by a veterinarian. If Pet was hit by a car or was in a dog-fight, whisk him off to the vet's . . . even if there are no outward signs of physical damage. The dog that's been hit by a car but appears unhurt could be slowly bleeding to death internally. The dogfight victim could have a tremendous amount of underlying muscle damage that an apparently unscathed skin won't reveal.
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2. Visible blood, lots of it. I seldom need to tell anyone to bring in a pet that's bleeding. The sight of blood is enough to send Owner on the way to my clinic, posthaste.
It's also important, however, to do what you can immediately to stop or slow the bleeding. Bandages work fine on the human animal, but on hairy critters with oddball extremities (such as tails and paws), bandaging —at least in the hands of the inexperienced—is usually an exercise in futility. Your best bet is simple compression: Press or squeeze a clean towel (don't worry about sterility here; an open wound is already infected anyway) directly onto the bloody area and firmly hold it there until the bleeding stops or until you can get to the vet's.
3. Body temperature extremes. Very high or low body temperatures are valid reasons to see the emergency vet. Keep a rectal thermometer on hand for this purpose. For dogs and cats, any temperature over 103.5°F or under 99.5°F is cause for concern.
4. Distinctly abnormal behavior. Granted, many pets routinely exhibit behavior that can be considered . . . well, strange. What I'm referring to here is a drastic change in Pet's general attitude or personality. When a normally active cat can't be coaxed to come to dinner, or when a usually lovable dog growls whenever you touch him, it's time to see the vet—right away.
5. If you're worried. There's simply no way to compile a complete list of every emergency you might encounter as a pet owner. When in doubt, call your vet. A situation can be critical in one instance, and of no concern in another. The pooch, for example, who has just been munching the neighbor's garbage may have an evening's bout of vomiting and diarrhea . . . and feel perfectly fine the next morning. No problem there (unless, of course, the new carpet is suffering). The pup who is vomiting and has diarrhea from a case of parvovirus, on the other hand, can dehydrate rapidly and should have immediate care. The secret here is to give your vet a call and describe the symptoms and situation, to see whether treatment is warranted.
