All pet parents winkingly acknowledge there is no such thing as overreacting. Since our companions can’t tell us what’s hurting them, when they’re showing signs of discomfort or illness it’s tough not to run straight to the vet. According to veterinarian Dr. Eric Barchas, that might not be too farfetched. He says there are at least a dozen significant instances where getting your pet emergency care is critical. But remember, when in doubt, check it out.
1. Difficulty breathing: “This is the mother of all veterinary emergencies. After three minutes without breathing it’s all over. If your dog is having trouble breathing, or is “breathing funny,” making alarming noises when he breathes, or is puffing his lips when he breathes, you need to get to the vet immediately.”
2. Restlessness, panting, inability to lie down comfortably, unsuccessfully attempting to vomit, and abdominal distention: “Bloat is one of the most urgently life threatening situations a dog can face. Some dogs will exhibit all of these symptoms, but others may only pant and act restless…dogs exhibiting any symptoms suspicious for bloat should be rushed to the nearest veterinarian.”
3. Seizures: “Although a solitary seizure is not likely to be life threatening, seizures often come in clusters, which can become progressive. And sometimes seizures are caused by toxins that can cause fatal reactions.”
4. Collapse or profound weakness: “These can be symptoms of major problems such as internal bleeding, cardiac compromise, anaphylactic shock, certain poisonings, a glandular condition called Addison’s disease, and some types of organ failure.”
5. Profuse hemorrhage or major known trauma: “Profuse hemorrhage is a no brainer. However, dogs who have fallen from height, have been struck by cars, or have been in altercations with much larger dogs can appear unharmed at first, despite suffering major internal injuries.”
6. Protracted vomiting and/or diarrhea: “Especially if the liquid produced is significantly bloody. A dog who vomits once or has a single loose bowel movement may not require any treatment other than a few hours of resting the stomach and a day or two of bland food. However, repeated vomiting and diarrhea can rapidly lead to life-threatening dehydration; they also can be symptoms of major problems.”
7. Struggling to urinate: This may simply signify a bladder infection. Bladder infections are painful but not life threatening. However, this symptom could also represent obstruction of the urinary tract by bladder stones — a situation that is very urgent indeed.”
8. Not eating or drinking: “Dogs who go a day or longer without eating almost always are sick. And they usually won’t drink enough water to cover their needs, so dehydration can set in as well.”
9. Coughing: “This may or may not be a veterinary emergency. It can be caused by something as simple and (relatively) harmless as kennel cough. Or it can be caused by pneumonia or exposure to rat bait. When in doubt, the safest course of action is to go to the vet.”
10. Loss of use of rear legs: “This is especially common in Dachshunds, Corgis, and other so-called chondrodysplastic (think short legs and long backs) breeds, and can be a sign of injury to the spinal cord.”
11. Severe pain: “This is always an emergency. If your dog is vocalizing, panting, profoundly limping, or exhibiting other symptoms of agony, don’t let him suffer. Get to a vet for treatment.”
12. Known exposure to dangerous poisons: “Although there are too many dangerous poisons out there to list them all, some of the more common exposures include chocolate, rodent bait, grapes and raisins, human medications, and overdoses of flavored canine medications such as Rimadyl.”
