Recognizing signs of pet emergencies is crucial for every pet owner to ensure the well-being and health of their furry companions. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you identify potential emergencies and take appropriate action:

1. Difficulty Breathing: Rapid or labored breathing, choking, wheezing, or gasping for air can indicate respiratory distress. This could be due to various reasons, including allergic reactions, airway obstruction, or respiratory infections. Some of these are emergencies and some are not. During the hot summer months, we see our beloved pets suffering from heatstroke quite often. Often, the first signs would be increased respiratory rate and more importantly respiratory effort. Please give us a call at Urgent Care Pet Clinic to ensure one of our highly trained Emergency Vets can assess your pet and put your mind at ease. 

2. Severe Bleeding: Deep cuts, puncture wounds, or profuse bleeding from any part of the body require immediate attention. Apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth and call us at 858-379-6550 immediately. When minutes matter, our emergency team is here to help you and your family.

3. Vomiting or Diarrhea: While occasional vomiting or diarrhea may not be emergencies, persistent or bloody episodes can indicate underlying health issues such as infections, poisoning, or gastrointestinal blockages. When your daytime vet is closed, our Urgent Care is open late to help settle your pets issues.

4. Ingestion of Toxins: If your pet ingests toxic substances such as chocolate, xylitol, grapes, raisins, certain houseplants, medications, or chemicals, it can lead to poisoning. Look for symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, seizures, or difficulty standing. Did you know that “BIRCH SUGAR” is another way Xylitol can be labelled? Any amount of xylitol can cause life-threatening low blood sugar. Urgent Care Pet Clinic is here for you during these emergencies to diagnose and treat your pet for toxicity.

5. Seizures: Seizures can manifest as uncontrollable shaking, twitching, drooling, or loss of consciousness. Keep the environment around your pet safe and seek veterinary assistance promptly.

6. Collapse or Weakness: Collapse, inability to stand, or weakness could indicate various underlying issues such as heart problems, low blood sugar, or neurological disorders.

7. Severe Pain: Signs of severe pain include whimpering, howling, reluctance to move, guarding a specific body part, or abnormal posture. Pain can result from injuries, fractures, or internal conditions. Handle your pet gently and seek veterinary care promptly. Our emergency veterinarians can provide quality of life exams and help you with different options for your pet.

8. Weight loss and anorexia: If you notice sudden drop in your pet’s weight, we recommend calling us so we can perform some preliminary tests to see if the weight loss is appropriate.

9. Difficulty Urinating: Straining to urinate, frequent attempts to urinate, or inability to pass urine could signal urinary tract obstruction, infection, or bladder stones. This requires immediate veterinary attention and can constitute a veterinary emergency. We often see blocked cats who need immediate life-saving procedures and our Emergency team is on standby to take your call.

10. Eye Injuries or Abnormalities: Redness, swelling, discharge, squinting, or cloudiness in the eyes may indicate eye injuries, infections, or other ocular problems. Avoid touching the affected eye and seek veterinary care promptly.

11. Trauma: Any trauma such as being hit by a vehicle, falling from a height, or being attacked by another animal requires immediate assessment by a veterinarian, even if there are no apparent external injuries.

12. Heatstroke or Hypothermia: Symptoms of heatstroke include excessive panting, drooling, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, collapse, or seizures. Hypothermia signs include shivering, lethargy, weakness, and cold skin. Take immediate steps to cool or warm your pet and call us immediately.

In any emergency involving your pet, it's essential to stay calm, assess the situation quickly, and seek professional veterinary help as soon as possible. Keep our contact information handy and call us at 858-379-6550 for our skilled staff and emergency veterinarian to assess your pet’s health.