AN EMERGENCY OCCURS

1. Remain Calm: You are doing the best for your pet by taking steps to help.

2. Call us immediately at (614) 871-7705.

3. After hours, please contact the following emergency hospital:

4. Give the hospital information on the nature of the problem, and your estimated travel time.  The hospital will instruct you on how to handle your pet during travel.

5. Be careful - when injured, even the best family pet may bite.  A soft muzzle can be made from cloth or nylon stocking by tying it around the snout.  A towel or blanket can also be placed over the head to protect the handler.

WHY YOUR VETERINARIAN MIGHT

SEND YOUR PET DIRECTLY TO AN

EMERGENCY CLINIC

Occasionally, emergency situations arise that your veterinarian might feel would be more effectively treated initially by an emergency specialty hospital.  In this case, you would be instructed to bypass your family veterinarian and go directly to one of the emergency specialty hospitals.  This decision by the veterinarian would be based solely on the emergency and the type of care needed by your pet.

Pets needing extended oxygen therapy, 24 hour critical monitoring, and more extensive treatments might be evaluated initially by your veterinarian and then transferred to an emergency specialty hospital.

THESE CONDITIONS REQUIRE

IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

Breathing Difficulty - Noisy breathing, gasping for breath or a blue tongue.

Continuous Bleeding - From any area of the body - Apply direct pressure and seek medical attention immediately.

Bloated or Distended Abdomen - Swollen or painful belly with or without vomiting.

Inability to Urinate or Move Bowels - but continues to try, also if pet appears painful while trying, or if what is produced contains blood.

Heat Stroke - Heavy panting, extreme weakness, body temperature above 104 Degrees.

Inability to Deliver Puppies or Kittens - Has labor contractions that last longer than 2 hours. More than 15 minutes of labor with a fetus or membrane protruding.

Loss of Balance, Loss of Consciousness or Seizures - Includes tremors, coma, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, fainting, tilting of the head, biting at imaginary objects, and sudden changes in disposition, such as unusual withdrawal or out of character aggressiveness.

Pain - Severe or continuous. Signs of pain can include: trembling, panting, crying out, reluctance to move, salivation, agitation and unresponsiveness.

Major Trauma, Injury or Shock - If your pet has fallen, been hit by a car, suffered wounds, cuts or broken bones from an unforeseen accident, shows signs of weakness, collapse, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, bewildered appearance or dilated pupils.

Poisoning - If you believe that your pet has either eaten or come in contact with a poison.  Remember to bring the container, the commercial name or chemical name of the list of ingredients.

Penetrating Wounds - Anyplace on the body, but especially the chest or abdomen.  If a foreign object is penetrating, do not remove it, further harm could be caused.

Continuous Vomiting and/or Diarrhea - Especially containing blood or violent episodes.

Lameness - Unable to bear weight on one or more legs.

Any Other Signs Concerning - Eye problems, severe itching with self mutilation, or severe hives.