If you have never owned a dog before, it can be difficult to determine what type of behavior and symptoms need immediate treatment, and what ones can wait to heal naturally or for your regular vet's office to open up. Here are three times when you need to get your dog to the emergency vet's office as soon as possible.
#1 Bleeding
If your dog has a small cut that bleeds just a little bit for a while, that is nothing to worry about. However, if your dog is severely bleeding at such a rate that you are not able to stop it or put bandages on your dog and have them be effective for more than a few minutes, you need to get your dog to the vet. Your dog can only handle so much blood loss, and if your dog is bleeding profusely, they most likely need stitches or other care to stop the bleeding.
If they are bleeding from their nose or mouth, get them to the vet right away. The same goes as blood that is coming out in their stool or urine, or if your dog starts to cough up blood. These are all signs of serious internal problems.
#2 Vomiting & Diarrhea
If your dog has once occurrence of vomiting or diarrhea, you don't need to head to the vet's office yet. However, if they have multiple episodes of vomiting and diarrhea over the course of a day, they need to get to the vet. Just like with a human, too much vomiting and diarrhea can cause your dog to become dehydrated and develop additional complications. Plus, that much vomiting and diarrhea can be symptoms of a much larger underlying issue that needs to be treated as well.
#3 Lack Of Energy
There are certain times when you dog has a lack of energy that you should be concerned. If your dog suddenly refused to eat or drink anything for more than a day, and nothing has changed with your routine, there could be something internally wrong with your dog. Not eating or drinking for an extended period of time will harm your dog's vital systems and lead to dehydration as well. If you also notice that your dog is not going to the bathroom, they be experiencing digestive issues that are preventing them from going to the bathroom or comfortable eating and drinking. When your dog's mood suddenly changes, pay attention to what you know about your dog.
If any other situation not covered above arises, and you are not sure if your dog needs help right away, call up your local emergency veterinarian clinic, tell them what is happening to your dog and ask for their advice. They should be able to advise you if they think care is needed immediately based on what you told them, or if care can wait.
For more information, contact a company like Robert Irelan DVM.
