Recognizing A Pet Emergency

You’re not alone if you’re wondering, “How do I know if my pet is having an emergency?” Seek medical attention immediately if your pet exhibits any of the following symptoms:

• Trauma (motor vehicle accident, animal attacks, falls)

• Problems with eyes or eyesight

• Suspected broken bones

• Difficulty breathing

• Loss of consciousness

• Collapse, weakness and/or the inability to support weight or stand up

• Seizures (lasting more than 2 minutes or multiple seizures within a 24 hour period)

• Straining or unable to urinate

• Difficulty or pain while defecating

• Bleeding from the eyes, nose, mouth and/or blood in vomit, urine or feces

• Excessive vomiting/diarrhea (particularly if lasting more than 24 hours)

• Not eating/drinking for more than 24 hours

• Pain (whining, panting, inability to get comfortable, arching back)

• Distended and/or hard abdomen and/or retching/vomiting attempts

• Ingestion of household chemicals (soap, drain cleaner, potpourri, essential oils)

• Ingestion of human or other pet’s medications

• Ingestion of foreign object(s)

• Ingestion of chocolate, grapes, raisins, sugar-free products containing xylitol, rat/mouse bait, garlic, rodenticides, petroleum products, and/or antifreeze

• Heat stroke

• Difficulty delivering puppies/kittens (active contractions with no birth within 60 minutes or more than 4 hours between deliveries)

If you have an emergency after hours, we recommend MedVet Worthington (614) 846-5800, The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center (614) 292-3551, or MedVet Diley Hill (614) 829-6444.