During regular business hours, Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center is available to assist in an emergency. Please do not hesitate to contact the 24-hour veterinarian emergency facilities we trust if we are closed and your pet’s medical situation cannot wait. They are on our after-hours phone message and in the take-home packet for your pet. We will refer to and confer with other Denver-area veterinary specialists as needed. You may be confident that your pet will receive excellent emergency and critical care services whether they are at our hospital or a specialty emergency center. When it comes to the health and welfare of your pet, think of us as your lifeline.
Critical and emergency medical attention Veterinarians are uniquely suited to manage situations that come through the door since they have completed extensive training and certification programs. It may be a dog that swallowed a sock, a cat that unintentionally consumed poison, or a pet that was bitten by a snake or struck by an automobile. In some situations, a regular veterinary clinic might refer a very ill patient to the emergency clinic for overnight care, in a manner similar to how hospital intensive care units (ICUs) handle human patients.
Assess Before You React: Check the pet’s level of consciousness and use the ABC’s of first aid:
Critical and emergency medical attention Patients may arrive with life-threatening conditions that need to be treated right away. Observing ABCs involves quickly evaluating life-threatening situations using a “look, listen, and feel” method that prioritizes them and follows a set procedure to reduce the possibility of missing a serious issue.
- A stands for Airway:
Listen intently for the sounds of breathing and note whether the chest is rising and falling. If you are positive the animal is unconscious, extend the head and neck, look into the mouth, and feel for obstructions in the airway. Never stick your fingers inside the mouth of an animal. Pull on the tongue’s tip while holding your upper jaw in place. Proceed with caution if you encounter resistance, since the animal may still be aware and may bite you. Clear the mouth with a finger sweep or a shake while the animal’s head is down if you are certain it is unconscious and you are not encountering any resistance when opening the mouth
- B stands for Breathing:
Try CPR by rhythmically compressing the chest if the animal is not breathing and the airway is clear. If you are certain the animal is unconscious, you can also hold the mouth closed and breathe through the nose while the head and neck are extended
- C stands for Circulation/Cardiovascular:
Listen for a heartbeat by placing your ear against your chest. To check the color of the gums, lift the lip. After pressing pressure with your finger to the inner lip or the gum line, the color should revert back to pink in one to two seconds. White gums could indicate shock or blood loss. Try doing CPR chest compressions if you do not hear a heartbeat
- D stands for Disability:
Examine for impairments. Does it seem as though the animal is seizing? Does it feel pain differently now?
- E stands for External:
Check for any wounds or injuries on the outside. If required, stop any visible bleeding and give the animal some of its first drugs to help with sedation or pain management.
Once your ABCs evaluation is finished and you have given the right intervention, repeat the process until the situation has been suitably stabilized.
Symptoms of a Pet Emergency
It is imperative to promptly attend to emergency or severe situations. You can check for a number of symptoms to determine whether your pet requires emergency medical attention.
In the event that your pet exhibits any of the following symptoms, get them medical help:
- Difficulty breathing
- Acute abdominal swelling
- Excessive vomiting or diarrhea
- Excessive bleeding
- Symptoms of heat stroke, weakness, collapse
- Repetitive or prolonged seizures
- Abnormally high or low body temperature (more than 104 or less than 100 degrees)
- Inability to urinate or defecate
- Rattlesnake bite
- Electric shock
- Non-attentive, comatose
- Unusual pain
Even though unexpected diseases and injuries can be terrifying, it’s critical to address your pet’s condition as quickly as possible.