If You See These Symptoms, You Should Go To The Vet Immediately
Some people run to the vet for very minor things. Some people will ask complete strangers on the internet for veterinary advice. This article will be about things where you should be getting to the emergency vet as quickly as possible.
● Neurological issues: If your dog appears drunken, dazed, confused, dizzy, can't walk straight, can't stand at all etc. Go to the vet right now. Maybe you saw what happened and it resulted in a head injury. Maybe you have no idea and no context to what could've happened. Could it be head trauma? Did they get into something they shouldn't? Have they been poisoned? Do they have rabies? The answer to the rabies is no though. Because every reader out there better be on top of that one!
● Heat stroke: Of course you followed emergency first aid to stabilize your dog if your dog just had heat stroke. Your dog is definitely feeling better. That doesn't mean pack up and go home. That means that you saved their life and that now they need to see a veterinarian. Complications after heat stroke can be fatal. Get your dog to the emergency vet ASAP.
● Foaming mouth: This could be a few different things from your dog is just over worked and a little hot, to heat stroke, to a high fever, to cardiac infarction, to bloat. On that whole list, only 1 wasn't life threatening. If your dog is foaming at the mouth, and especially if they're behaving in a peculiar manner or seem "out-of-it." Drop what you're doing and go to the vet.
Signs of bloat/gastric torsion:
• Restlessness
• Pacing
• Swollen or distended abdomen
• Painful abdomen
• Overall look of distress
• Retching or attempts to vomit with no success
• Excessive drooling
• Panting or rapid breathing
• Collapse or inability to stand
● Blood frothing from mouth or nose: If it is a frothy bloody fluid a common cause is Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Primary Lung Tumors could also cause frothing blood in some dogs. Other causes could be ingesting things like rat poison containing warfarin or other anticoagulants. If you see this in your dog, it's likely CHF and your dog needs to go to the vet immediately. The other common cause would be the rat poison, which is of course a quick sprint to the nearest vet you can find.
● Extreme panting: Again, this can be a sign of CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). It can also be a sign of bloat, or heat exhaustion/stroke. If your dog is hot, cool them off, then go see a vet. If your dog seems bloated, go see your vet, if your dog can't catch its breath, go see your vet.
● Severe trauma: Shouldn't have to say this one, but it's been asked more than a dozen times. If your dog gets hit by a car. Take it to the vet immediately. If your dog gets kicked by a horse, or trampled by a bull, or was in a severe car accident. Take your dog to the vet. If your dog jumped off your balcony (yes, this was asked too) from 2 stories up, take your dog to the vet.
● Seizures: If your dog has its first seizure, you need to go to the vet immediately. If your dog has had seizures before but has one that lasts longer than usual, take your dog to the vet. A friend who is a vet tech had a young couple who were wealthy who had a dog who was having a seizure. He regularly had them. She asked how long he'd been seizing. They said for about an hour. Convulsions cause heat. That's why we shiver when we're cold. After an hour of seizing, this dog who responded well to medicine and probably could've been saved overheated. His body temperature was well over 5 degrees higher than normal. He was brain dead. A seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes is a medical emergency. Go to the vet immediately.
● Any cut needing stitches: You have up to 6-8 hours before getting stitches. If your dog gets a cut, but you have controlled the bleeding and it's 7am and your vet opens at 9am, you'll probably be fine unless it's obviously very painful. In which case it becomes an ethical issue. But yes, you will need to go to the vet soon, even though it isn't an emergency. If you can't control the bleeding, or there was a lot of blood loss, it is an emergency. Go to the vet immediately.
● Suspected ingestion of anything toxic: If you think your dog could've possibly eaten or drank something toxic, go to your vet immediately and tell them what you suspect your dog may have eaten or gotten into. Don't wait for symptoms to occur before going. It's better safe than sorry when it comes to poisons, cleaners and toxins. The longer you wait, the more time the toxin has to damage organs and lower your dog's chances of making a full recovery. Even if you're "pretty sure" your dog didn't eat any of the rat poison you just found tipped over in the garage that wasn't tipped over last night? Don't leave it to chance. It isn't worth it.
● Anything structural that has failed: When I say structural, I mean skeletal. We're not talking about a limp here. We're talking about a limb facing a way it shouldn't. It is broken or dislocated and you need to go to the vet immediately. If a joint has lost all integrity and a limb is just dangling in the wind, something is broken or dislocated. Go to the vet immediately.
These are all things to not second guess. Even if it turns out to be nothing. And to be honest, with most of these it definitely is something that could be life threatening. Please like and more importantly share this. I know many of you have seen questions like these before too. If I could share it twice, I would. Thank you.
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