As a parent, you will never want to imagine your cat or dog fighting for its life. However, pet emergencies can happen. So, you should learn to recognize an emergency and seek treatment for your pet. Below are situations that warrant immediate attention from a Kitchener emergency vet.
Difficulty Breathing
Breathing difficulties in pets can indicate a respiratory emergency. A pet that has respiratory distress must get adequate oxygen right away. Transport your pet to an emergency vet clinic right away, so they can be administered with oxygen and get a diagnosis.
Intractable Vomiting
Although not all vomiting episodes in pets are cause for concern, you must seek vet care if your pet has been vomiting many times in a day. Vomiting can be caused by simple gastritis, but it can also be due to acute kidney failure or intestinal obstruction.
Serious Bleeding
Traumatic injuries that develop in car crashes or pet fights can lead to a skin laceration. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after applying firm pressure for 5 minutes, seek help right away. Excessive blood loss will put your pet in danger. Puncture wounds and skin lacerations must be treated right away because infection may develop, particularly from a bite wound.
Blue or Pale Mucous Membrane
The mucous membranes of your pet are supposed to be pink and moist including their gums and tongue, their eyelids’ inner lining, and vulva or prepuce inner lining.
If the mucous membranes of your pet look pale, gray, white, or blue-tinged, this means that they are not getting adequate oxygen and must undergo immediate evaluation. Transport your pet to the car and contact an emergency vet clinic ahead.
Inability to Urinate
Inflammatory debris or a small bladder stone can obstruct the urethra of your pet and prevent it from urinating. Such an obstruction needs to be relieved quickly; otherwise, toxins will accumulate. Also, this can result in compromised kidneys and health decline. Urethral obstruction is quite common in male cats due to their long, narrow urethras. However, this life-threatening condition can also be experienced by other pets. Have your pet evaluated right away if they have difficulty urinating.
Inability to Walk
If your pet suddenly loses mobility, this may be due to a lack of blood flow or a spinal cord injury. If your pet has intervertebral disc disease, its back disc can compress its spinal cord, resulting in pain, weakness, or paralysis. Your pet must undergo surgery to relieve the compression.
