Should my pet see the vet?
Contact us IMMEDIATELY if your pet…
- A broken bone
- Heavy bleeding that cannot be stopped
- An eye injury, the eye is out of socket, or appears enlarged or protruding
- A fight, especially if it was with a cat or a wild, or unvaccinated animal
- Puncture wounds to the abdomen or chest
- Any trauma to the head
- A severe laceration, or an incision that has opened and the skin is gaping
- Swelling of the face and/or hives
- Chewing on an electrical cord and receiving shock or burn
- Burns or inhaled smoke
- Heat stroke or fever over 105°F (normal for a dog is less than 102.5°F)
- Frostbite or hypothermia
Vomiting:
- Blood in vomit
- Vomiting accompanied by diarrhea
- Vomit that looks and smells like stool
- Vomiting is projectile
- Vomiting that is sporatic and there is no relationship to meals
- Multiple bouts of vomiting occurring over a short period of time
- Ingestion of poison (like antifreeze or fertilizer)
- Vomiting persists more than a day or two
- Stomach bloating occurs or your dog tries to vomit but can not
- Pet also seems listless
- There is weight loss
- Pet is showing other signs of illness such as labored breathing or pain
Diarrhea:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Diarrhea accompanied by vomiting
- Multiple bouts of diarrhea occuring over a short period of time
- Ingestion of poison is suspected
- Fever or other signs of toxicity are present
- Diarrhea persists more than a day or two
- Pet also appears listless
- There is weight loss
- Pet is showing other signs of illness such as labored breathing or pain
- Extreme lethargy or depression, unconsciousness, collapse, or coma
- Seizures
- A head tilt, staggering, walking in circles, knuckling over (walking on the top of the foot), unable to use hind limbs, or other problems moving
- Severe or continuous pain
- Sudden inability to bear weight on one or more limbs
- Difficulty giving birth: no puppy after 24 hours of beginning labor; no puppy after 1 hour of active straining; over 4 hours between deliveries; weak or infrequent contractions once labor has started; failed to start delivery within 24 hours of the temperature dropping below 99°F; crying or licking the genital area excessively; abnormal bleeding or vaginal discharge; weakness
- A male in whom the penis is exposed and cannot be withdrawn back into the sheath (the hair covered area that usually encloses the penis)
- Straining continually but unable to pass urine, or the urine has blood in it
- Crying while trying to urinate
Contact us SAME DAY if your pet…
- Some difficulty breathing, shallow breathing, or breathing at a faster rate (unassociated with physical excercise or environmental temperature)
- Continuous sneezing or coughing
- Not eating or drinking for 24 hours
- Vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24 hours and acting depressed
- Drinking water excessively, unrelated to activity or environmental temperature
- Sudden change in behavior
- Crying when touched or picked up
- Cloudy eyes, squinting, or appears unable to see
- Severe limping
Contact us within 24 hours if your pet…
- Not eating, but no other signs of illness
- A soft stool, but there is no pain, blood, fetid odor, green or black color, mucus or straining
- Occasional vomiting (2 or 3 times), but no abdominal pain or blood
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Drooling
- Limping for more than 24 hours
- Swollen joints
- Lethargy, depression, sleeping more than usual, unwillingness to play or exercise
- Moderate itching or an unpleasant odor from the coat
- A discharge from the eye, ear, or other body opening
