Recognize an Emergency: When Should You Rush your Dog to the Vet?

Dogs can suffer from a range of illnesses and accidents, many of which can be treated successfully if we give them the appropriate attention they require.

In the case of emergencies, time plays an essential part between life and death of a dog. Of course without a doubt, all owners (at least a majority of them) will seek immediate veterinarian assistance if their dogs are in any form of physical distress.

Fortunately, not all physical sufferings require immediate attention. Most of which can be quickly resolved on their own or are given some home remedies attention—that’s if you have a well-assembled Canine First-Aid Kit!

But first, let’s look what constitutes an emergency for a dog that requires you to rush him to the veterinarian clinic/hospital regardless the time of the day/night instead of waiting for its normal operating hours.

General rule of thumb, if symptom(s) persist or worsen over a 24-hour period, you should seek veterinarian assistance immediately.

Take your Dog to a Veterinarian Immediately…

When the dog is exhibiting these symptoms:

• Breathing Difficulty: Extended respiratory discomfort (coughing, sneezing, heavy breathing with minor exertion) or inability to breath may indicate anything from choking to heart failure. In the case of ingesting of foreign object, you need to perform Heimlich Maneuver for your dog immediately. If the object has shifted deeper into the throat and your dog is no longer breathing, you need to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
• Collapse: When the dog has fallen and cannot stand up due to shock or been electrocuted or consumed something poisonous. If possible, try to remember what took place in the moments before the attack; knowledge of these events could help veterinarian to determine the cause.
• Bloody Diarrhea: Also known as Enteritis. This is a cause of bacterial infection due to E. coli or campylobacter (dysentery, in human term).
• Extreme Dehydration due to Sever Diarrhea: Prolonged bouts can lead to dehydration. The skin of dehydrated dogs loses its elasticity and will not immediately snap back when gently pulled.
• Extreme Distress due to Heatstroke: In all cases of heatstroke, it is vital to keep the head cool, as the brain may literally be cooked and brain death can occur. If go untreated, the dog will collapse and pass into a coma and die.
• Fever: A dog’s normal core temperature is between 102°F to 100°F. If your dog’s body temperature higher than 103°F it’s considered a fever and below 98°F, he’s suffering from hypothermia. Do not delay if the temperature is higher than 105°F.
• Profuse Bleeding and Lost Consciousness: When a dog’s been in a road accident, fallen from a great height, been attacked by other dog or animal or a person, he is most likely to suffer severe injuries from broken bones to concussion to excessive bleeding—internally and/or externally.
• Projectile Vomiting: A dog who vomits once or twice in a 24 hour period should be closely monitored. If the condition persistent for another 12 hours and vomiting blood, do not delay, fly if you can!
• Seizure: This could indicate any number of malfunctions, from Epilepsy to a severe head injury. Stay with your dog during the episode and time the duration of each episode. If the seizure continues for longer than 5 minutes, bring your dog to the vet even while he’s still “seizuring.” Keep hands clear of your dog’s mouth!
• Stomach Swelling due to Bloat: Also commonly known as Gastric Dilation Volvulus complex (GDV). This tends to affect large, deep-chested breeds usually the cause is overloading the stomach either through exercising after feeding or feeding too soon after strenuous exercise. Agonizing death can occur if not treated immediately.

The list above isn’t by far extensive but it covers the most common emergency cases. If you think your dog warrants an emergency attention, it probably is. Be safe rather than sorry. In case of doubt, it is better to be hasty and find there was no need to worry, than delay action till it is too late to save the dog.

In the next issue, we will look what constitutes minor emergency for a dog where it can be resolved using basic first aid techniques.