Even the most experienced pet owners can find it tricky to tell if their special furry pal needs emergency care.
You see, the natural instinct of almost every kind of animal is to hide that it is unwell. That’s because it’s a survival skill, they don’t want to show any vulnerabilities to predators. But it’s this survival skill that can make it very hard to know just when emergency care is in order.
To make it easier for all you pet owners out there, we’ve put together some information about the signs that may indicate that your pet may need to visit an emergency vet. We’ve also included some first aid tips to make caring for your pet easier.
Signs That Your Pet Needs Emergency Care
Unfortunately, emergencies do not have any time limits – and often they tend to happen at the most inconvenient of times.
While your pets might hide some signs of sickness, there are some things you can keep an eye out for. If your pet is doing or experiencing any of the following, they should see a vet immediately.
These are just some of the signs that indicate your pet might need urgent care by an emergency vet.
It is important to take note of any changes in your pet’s behavior – this might be a sign that they are unwell.
First Aid Skills Every Pet Owner Should Know
So, in addition to knowing when your pet might need urgent care, it’s a good idea to have an idea of what to do in an emergency situation.
When your pet is unwell, it’s such a stressful time for you and for them. So, knowing what to do when they are unwell can make the situation less stressful for both of you. There are some simple first aid skills you can learn so that if an emergency does arise, you can help your pet while help is on the way.
Some of the key first aid skills that will serve you well in an emergency include:
You Should Follow This Guide: A Complete Guide For Pet Health Care.
How to stop the bleeding
When your pet is injured, one of the first things you should do – if you can – is put a muzzle on them.
When an animal is injured or in pain, they tend to want to protect and defend themselves as they are feeling vulnerable. They might even bite you.
If you find yourself in a situation where your pet is injured and bleeding after you muzzle them, it’s time to stop the bleeding.
Using clean gauze, cover the wound and apply light pressure to the area bleeding. This should help reduce and hopefully stop the bleeding.
After the bleeding has stopped, it’s time to cover the wound. Using clean gauze, you can secure it using an elastic band to secure it. This should help to suppress the bleeding and allow you to bring your pet to an emergency vet.
How to move a pet with broken bones
As we touched on before, if your pet is in pain, it might want to defend itself from anyone who approaches it – and as you can imagine, a broken bone for an animal is painful – just like it is for humans. So, make sure you muzzle your pet before doing anything.
Once muzzled, get your pet to lay on a flat surface, preferably something you can move them on, like a stretcher. This will allow you to move them to your car without compromising the injury as much as you may if you were to directly pick up your pet.
A broken bone needs urgent care from an emergency vet.
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How to handle a seizure
The safest thing you can do if your pet is having a seizure is to remove everything that is around them. As they are unable to control their body during a seizure, you don’t want to risk them hitting themselves on objects or furniture which may cause an injury.
You do not want to restrain them or try to stop them. Seizures can occur for a number of different reasons. So, it’s vital that you call an emergency vet who will be able to give you advice.
They will likely tell you to take your pet in to see them once they have stopped having a seizure. If your pet is having repeated seizures or ones lasting longer than 3 minutes, ensure that you call your vet again.
Hopefully this information will help you feel more confident as a pet owner. Just one last piece of advice – make sure you know who to call in an emergency when it comes to your pet. It’s a good idea to have the information of not only a regular vet, but one who can help at all hours of the day because an emergency doesn’t wait for anyone!
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