Pet emergency warning signs: when not to wait until morning

Some visits can wait until the next morning. Others cannot. Knowing the difference is what separates a scare from a loss, and that is why it is worth being clear on the signs before they ever appear.

Signs that demand immediate attention

If your pet shows any of these signs, do not wait:

• Difficulty breathing. Open-mouth breathing in cats, an outstretched neck, bluish or pale gums, or noises when inhaling.
• Seizures. Especially if they last more than two minutes or recur.
• Vomiting or diarrhea with blood, or repeated vomiting without being able to keep water down.
• A distended, hard abdomen, above all in large dogs that try to vomit without bringing anything up.
• Inability to urinate, or repeated attempts with no result. In male cats this is an emergency measured in hours, not days.
• Trauma: being hit by a car, a fall from a height, or a bite from another animal, even if no external wounds are visible.
• Suspected poisoning: rat poison, chocolate, human medications, plants, or cleaning products.
• Bleeding that does not stop after five minutes of pressure.
• Collapse or sudden weakness, white gums, or disorientation.

What to do on the way to the hospital

1. Call before you leave. Telling us what happened lets us prepare what is needed before you arrive. In an emergency, those minutes matter.
2. Do not give food, water, or medication without veterinary direction. Many human painkillers are toxic to dogs and cats.
3. Do not induce vomiting on your own. With some substances, bringing the contents back up causes more harm than leaving them down.
4. Move your pet carefully. Use a towel, box, or carrier to keep them still. An animal in pain can bite even if it never has before.
5. Bring the container. If you suspect poisoning, bring the product or a photo of the label.

What is not an emergency, but should not be put off either

Limping that persists for more than two days, loss of appetite for more than 24 hours, a cough that will not let up, a noticeable increase in thirst, or a lump that keeps growing. These cases can wait until we open, but not much longer: the cases that end up in surgery almost always started as something that was let go.

Emergency care in Atenas

We see emergencies 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If you are unsure whether what you are seeing is urgent, call: we would rather rule out a problem over the phone than treat it too late.