Signs Your Pet Needs Emergency Vet Care

Call an emergency vet immediately if you notice:

• Difficulty breathing, choking, or persistent gagging
• A swollen, hard, or distended abdomen — especially with unproductive retching (this can signal bloat, which is life-threatening in dogs)
• Inability to urinate, or straining with no result — this can be a life-threatening blockage, especially in male cats
• Seizures, sudden collapse, or loss of consciousness
• Heavy bleeding that doesn't stop with pressure
• Known or suspected ingestion of something toxic (certain human foods, medications, plants, or chemicals)
• Trauma from being hit by a vehicle or a serious fall
• Extreme pain, such as constant crying, or a pet that won't let you touch a specific area
• A pregnant pet in visible distress during labor

While you're getting there

Call ahead if you can, so the clinic can prepare. Keep your pet as calm and still as possible during transport, and avoid giving any medication, food, or water unless a vet on the phone tells you to.

When in doubt, call

You don't need to be certain it's an emergency to call. A quick phone call to a vet or emergency clinic — describing what you're seeing — is always worth it. It's far better to call and be told it can wait than to wait on something that couldn't.