WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY (CANINE AND FELINE)?

What is a true emergency for your beloved dog or cat?  Just as in human medicine, a true emergency is a situation where some type of intervention, either medical or surgical, is required to save the life of your pet. 

The following bullet list is not exhaustive but is a list of the most common emergency situations:

1.     Trauma (motor vehicle accident, dog or cat fight, or fall.

2.     Any head trauma

3.     Acute collapse or severe lethargy

4.     Difficulty breathing or changing respiratory pattern

5.     Uncontrolled external bleeding (cut or fight wound)

6.     Near drowning

7.     Acute worsening of a chronic medical condition (kidney disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, congestive heart failure, etc)

8.     Toxin ingestion – includes drugs (both medicinal and recreational), plants, chemicals around house or garage, mouse baits, rotting food

9.     Protracted vomiting or diarrhea.

The common thread among all these emergency situations is the production of shock in the patient.  The four major types of shock are Hypovolemic (too little circulating blood volume caused by loss or abnormal redistribution), Cardiogenic (the heart is unable to adequately circulate the blood volume), Neurogenic (can lead to very abnormal redistribution of blood volume) and Septic (overwhelming infection that leads to a reduced blood volume due to very abnormal redistribution).  Prolonged shock, of any type, leads to an oxygen debt in the major organs that, if left untreated, progresses to death.

In an emergency situation you should:

1.       Take your own pulse.  In other words, do not panic.  Panic leads to poor decision making or, even worse, an inability to make any decisions

2.       Have someone call Beach Animal Hospital or, if at night or on Sunday, call nearest referral or urgent care animal hospital

3.       Make sure your pet does not injure themselves or you out of stress or pain.  Tie something around their muzzle or place a muzzle on them.  You may also just place a towel over their head

4.       Hold pressure to any bleeding area

5.       Transport your pet.

Important phone numbers:

1.     Beach Animal Hospital – 732.714.1516

2.     Garden State Veterinary Specialists – 732.922.0011 (Open 24/7)

3.     Red Bank Animal Hospital – 732.747.3636 (Open 24/7)

4.     Animal Poison Control – 888.426.4435   (Available 24/7)