
What constitutes an emergency?
- Difficulty breathing: noisy respiration, blue tongue or gasping for breath.
- Bleeding that won't stop: from any part of the body. Apply pressure with a clean cloth and get to the nearest emergency clinic.
- Pain: severe or continuous.
- Bloated or distended abdomen: swollen or painful abdomen with or without vomiting
- Inability to urinate or move bowels: but animal continues to try, urine or bowel movement is bloody, or is painful. (Inability to urinate in male cats is a VERY severe condition, if this occurs seek veterinary attention right away!)
- Heatstroke: heavy panting, extreme weakness, body temperature above 104 degrees.
- Inability to deliver puppies/kittens: has labor contractions for longer than 2 hours or more than 15 minutes of labor with fetus or membranes protruding.
- Loss of balance, loss of consciousness or seizure: including tremors, coma, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, fainting, tiliting of the head, biting at imaginary objects, and sudden changes in disposition, such as unusual withdraw or out-of-character agressiveness.
- Major Trauma, injury or shock: if your pet has fallen, been hit by a car, suffered wounds, cuts or broken bones from an unseen accident, shows signs of weakness, collapse, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, bewildered appearance or dilated pupils.
- Poisoning: if you believe your pet has either eaten or come in contact with a poison. Bring the container, if you have it, or the commercial name or chemical name, or a list of ingredients. (APCC Pet Poison Control Center: 1-888-426-4435)
- Penetrating Wounds: anyplace on the body, but especially penetration of the chest or abdomen.
- Vomitting and/or diarrhea: continuous and/or violent episodes, or diarrhea or vomit containing blood.
- Other signs that look serious: including any eye problems (such as the eye protruding from the head, blood in the eye, etc) , severe itching or self mutilation, severe hives. If you feel any situation is serious, call!
Transporting Your Injured Pet
- Remember that even if you have the sweetest pet, when an animal is seriously injured he or she may bite. So, be careful!
- If you have help, place your pet on a blanket or large towel and lift him or her into the car, as if he or she is on a stretcher.
- If he or she is bleeding profusely, apply a clean towel or cloth to the wound with gentle, steady pressure.
- Speak softly and soothingly to your pet.
- Keep hands and fingers away from your pet's mouth to avoid being bitten.
- If possible, have someone drive with you to the clinic so one person may sit with your pet.
- Be sure to have a leash on your pet when you arrive at any clinic. Even a very injured pet can sometimes panic and get away from you when you open the car door.
Williamsburg Animal Hospital
3070 Williamsburg-Batavia Pk
Batavia, Oh 45103
513-724-2688
Business Hours
Monday-Friday; 7:30-6:00
Saturday; 7:30-3:00
New Richmond Animal Hospital
1044-A Old US 52
New Richmond, Oh 45157
513-553-9954