WHEN A
PET SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE VETERINARY HOSPITAL
IMMEDIATELY
Inability to
Breathe...............................
Noisy respiration, blue tongue, gasping for breath
Bleeding That Won’t
Stop ....................From any part
of the body. Apply pressure and come now!
Inability to Urinate
or
Appears Constipated ......................But
continues to try
Inability
to Deliver
Puppies or Kittens.......................... Keeps
trying or has stopped trying
Pain ......................................................
Severe, Continuous with No Relief
Vomiting, Diarrhea
...............................
Appearance of Blood
Loss of Balance
or Consciousness ............................
Includes tremors, coma, staggering, blindness, fainting
Itching...................................................
Continuous scratching, biting, self-mutilation
Penetrating
Wounds............................. Any
place, but especially chest or abdomen
Poisoning..............................................
Bring the container or commercial name and chemical name.
Injury....................................................
Continuous pain and/or total lameness
Any other sign that
looks serious!
SAME
DAY
Difficult Breathing
...............................
With or Without Cough. Eats and Drinks. Not Frantic.
Vomiting / Diarrhea
..............................
Without Blood; No Pain; No Unusual Contents
Sudden Lameness .................................
No apparent cause.
Swallowed Object ................................
Even if you THINK the pet swallowed it.
Severe Itching .......................................
With possible self-mutilation.
Strange Odor ........................................
Usually disagreeable, from any part of the body.
Burns Heat, Chemicals.
........................ Go
Immediately if Extensive.
Injuries ..................................................
Not severe emergency but will worsen with delay-lacerations
SAFE TO WAIT
OVERNIGHT
Vomiting/Diarrhea
............................... No
blood, no foreign material, no pain, not continuous
Itching .................................................
Mild to moderate; no skin damage; not continuous, no
bleeding
Lameness .............................................
Little or no pain; no discomfort in walking; not continuous
Thirst/Urination...................................
Excessive drinking and/or elimination of urine with no blood, no
pain,
no straining, no discomfort, no
unusual appearance to the urine.
Loss of Appetite .................................
Skipped one main meal, but no other signs of illness.
