Dog Emergency Services at City By The Sea Veterinary Hospital
How do I know if my dog is experiencing a real emergency that can’t wait for regular veterinary care?
If your dog is having issues such as seizures, active bleeding, trouble breathing, or being unable to urinate, these would all warrant an immediate evaluation by the veterinarian. Likewise, things like vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, pain, or lack of appetite could also be worrisome and sometimes don't always need to wait for a regular vet visit. If you're unsure, give us a call and we can help best direct you further as to what your pet needs.
What are signs that my dog is having a medical emergency?
Symptoms like collapse, fainting, any trouble breathing, seizures, excessive bleeding, a lot of vomiting or diarrhea, retching to vomit without being able to bring anything up, being unable to walk, very lethargic, not rousable, or being unable to urinate are all very serious symptoms and should be seen immediately by a veterinarian.
What types of injuries constitute an emergency?
If your dog was hit by a car, bit by another dog or a wild animal, scratched in the eye by a cat, broke a nail and is bleeding excessively or bleeding excessively from anywhere, has a broken bone, a bad cut, was in a drowning-related incident, or has head trauma. Those are all things that need immediate veterinary attention.
What are the most common dog health emergencies you see?
Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, not eating, lethargy, ear problems, eye problems, broken nails, anal gland abscesses, bite wounds, lacerations, urinary problems, and breathing issues.
What do I do if my regular veterinarian doesn’t offer emergency veterinary care for dogs?
Give us a call or just walk in with your dog. We take walk-ins and pre-scheduled visits. We're here to help whenever your regular vet isn't available.
What are the differences between urgent care and emergency veterinary services?
There are a lot of similarities between emergency and urgent care, and we overlap quite a bit in what we see in terms of cases. But if your dog needs some sort of specialized surgery, hospitalization overnight, or a blood transfusion, that's best seen by an emergency vet.
What should you expect when going to an emergency vet?
When going to an emergency vet, you should expect a technician or a veterinary nurse to triage your dog and find out more about what's going on, what your concerns are, and assess if your dog is stable or not. After that, as long as your dog is stable, you'll see the veterinarian who'll ask some more questions about your pet's history, previous surgeries, current medications, and pets here are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis, like any other emergency hospital, with priority being given to those who are very sick or unstable. If your pet is sick or unstable, then the triage technician will likely ask if it's okay with you to bring your dog to our treatment area, where they can be assessed immediately, and we can start stabilization if needed.
For emergencies like choking, is there anything I can do at home before visiting an emergency vet?
Often, choking is confused with coughing. If your dog is truly choking, they'll have trouble inhaling. If the dog is choking and unconscious, you can open their mouth and perform a finger sweep to check for any foreign material that they might be choking on. But don't do this if you think there's any chance your dog might bite you. If your dog is conscious, try and stay calm and keep them calm and immediately get them in to see us.
What should you do if your dog is not breathing?
If your dog is not breathing, you can attempt to do the Heimlich maneuver by putting your dog on its back and then gently and firmly pressing at the bottom of the rib cage, top of the abdomen towards the spine. Perform a finger sweep after that, and then give rescue breaths mouth-to-snout.
What steps should you follow to perform CPR on a dog?
If you need to perform something like CPR, make sure first that they're truly unconscious by gently shaking them and trying to get their attention. Make sure they're not deeply sleeping because sometimes that happens. Extend their head and neck and check their airway. Make sure there's nothing obstructing it. You can do a finger sweep and then start chest compressions. Compressions you'll perform over the chest typically when the dog's on its side. You can do a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute alternating. Then you'll do that for 30 seconds and then give two rescue breaths by covering their snout with your mouth and then resume compressions.
What should I do if my dog has been hit by a car?
It's always best to get your dog evaluated by a veterinarian after being hit by a car. Even if they might seem fine, they can have internal injuries that aren't always obvious at the time of the injury. Things like a ruptured bladder, bruising in the lungs, broken bones, or even internal bleeding.
How can you identify a broken bone in a dog and what should you do?
If your dog has a broken bone, they're typically very painful when moving around or even when touched in the area of the broken bone. If it's one of their legs that has a broken bone, they won't be weight-bearing on it for the most part, or there could be swelling in the region where it is broken. If that's the case, it's best to have your dog evaluated by a vet right away so we can help them with some pain relief and diagnose what's going on.
What are the signs of poisoning in dogs, and how should I respond?
There are many things that can be toxic to dogs, including chocolate, xylitol, human medications, recreational drugs, rat poison, grapes, raisins, and certain types of mushrooms, too. The symptoms you'll see at home will depend on when they ingested it and what they ate. Symptoms can range from vomiting, lethargy, bleeding, seizures, inappetence, and excessive drooling. If you do see your dog eating something toxic or suspect that, it's best to have them evaluated by a vet or contact us immediately so we can help direct you further.
How do I treat a dog with a severe cut or wound?
The most important thing is to stop any active bleeding. Do so by applying direct pressure to the wound. Don't try to clean any deep wounds because you potentially could do more damage. What you can do is apply a compress soaked in water or saline to help keep the wound from further contamination, and then head directly to the vet. Come see us at City by the Sea Veterinary Urgent Care, and we can help you out.
What should I do if my dog is experiencing heatstroke?
Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. You can first begin the cooling process by bringing your dog into a cool area with air conditioning or shade. You can apply some room temperature or slightly cool water to your dog's body and place a fan in front of them. Do not use ice-cold water or any ice because this can actually inhibit heat loss. You can offer them a small amount of cool water to drink, but don't force any water consumption or anything in their mouth for that matter, and bring them immediately to the closest vet for further care.
What should I do if my dog is stung by a bee or bitten by an insect?
If you can find the stinger, you can scrape it out with something stiff like a credit card or grip below the venom sac with some tweezers to pull it out. You can also apply a cool compress to the area for the next couple of days, as long as your dog is doing fine. But ideally, if your dog has any sort of allergic reaction like hives, facial swelling, collapse, vomiting, trouble breathing, you need to seek immediate veterinary care.
What are the symptoms of an allergic reaction and how severe can they get?
Allergic reactions can vary from hives, facial swelling, and itching to more severe reactions known as anaphylaxis, which can include vomiting, collapse, and trouble breathing.
What is bloat in dogs and how can I recognize it in my dog?
Bloat refers to a condition known as GDV or gastric dilatation-volvulus. Essentially, it's a situation where the stomach rotates on itself and cuts off the blood supply. This is more common in larger, deep-chested dogs, but it can happen in any dog. Typically, the most common symptoms you'll see are trying to vomit without bringing anything up, restlessness, agitation, pacing, or drooling. Bloat is truly a surgical emergency, and if you suspect your dog has this, they need to be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
How can I provide temporary relief for my dog until we reach the vet?
Recommendations will vary depending on what's going on with your dog. If you're unable to get to the vet quickly in the event of an emergency, it's best to call your veterinarian for advice, as they can help give you some further instructions. Because many human medications are toxic to dogs, don't give them anything over the counter unless your veterinarian directs you to do so. On the way to the vet, try to minimize any sort of movement. Handle your dog gently and drive carefully.
What do you recommend I have ready in case of an emergency situation with my dog?
First and foremost, have your local veterinarian's information available in addition to the local emergency veterinarian's office. Try to know the route to your local ER just in case you need to go. If you want to be super proactive and keep some items at home that you might need, I would recommend things like Benadryl without any decongestant for allergic reactions, some tweezers, a cold pack, gloves, towels, triple antibiotic ointment, saline eye flush, and you can get some bandage material like non-adherent pads, cast padding or rolled cotton, stretch gauze, and vet wrap.
What can I do to prevent some emergencies from happening to my dog?
Unfortunately, no matter what we do, emergencies can happen to our pets. In order to keep your dog as safe as possible, you can make yourself aware of potential dangerous situations in their environment. Keep your dog on a leash in public. Avoid a lot of activity on a hot or humid day. Limit any potential exposure to toxins such as human medications, recreational drugs, and toxic plants. You'll also want to stay up to date on preventative care and vaccines with your primary veterinarian.
Will I need to call ahead to let the hospital know I have an emergency?
It's always appreciated if you are able to call ahead to let our team know and we can prepare for your dog's arrival, but it's not mandatory, and we do take walk-ins. If you are unable to call, just come on in, and we're happy to help.
Will I be able to stay with my dog while at the emergency vet or urgent care?
Depending on what's going on with your dog, you might not be able to stay with them the entire time just for your own safety. For instance, if we're taking some X-rays or your pet is very sick, and we're performing stabilization. But at Urgent Care, we do our best to accommodate your preferences as much as possible while prioritizing the safety of you, your pet, and our team.
At City By The Sea Veterinary Hospital, your pet is our priority. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our team at (848) 217-5000, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!