Pet Emergency Care at Swann Animal Clinic
Dr. Heritage Enevoldsen
Swann Animal Clinic
Why is it important for pet parents to identify and respond to their dog or cat's medical emergency?
As a pet parent, your role is pivotal in identifying and responding to your dog or cat's medical emergency. Your actions can make a significant difference.
So let's start at the beginning. How do you know if your dog or cat is experiencing a medical emergency?
At times, symptoms of an emergency are more pronounced. When a dog or cat experiences trauma like broken bones or major wounds, it's a clear sign that your pet needs immediate veterinary attention. However, some less obvious signs and symptoms also require urgent action. Some good examples of these are swelling of your pet's abdomen, difficulty standing or moving, a weak or rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, straining to urinate, pain without an obvious cause, and pale gums. Additionally, if your dog or cat is experiencing any form of seizure or paralysis, is bleeding from their nose, has excessive vomiting or diarrhea, especially if it has blood or mucus in it, has been exposed to drugs or other potential toxins, has lost consciousness even for a short period, has been bitten or stung by an insect or wild animal, or has been exposed to extreme cold or heat, we want to see your pet as soon as possible.
So what should you do next once you've identified that your pet is in an emergency?
First, if it is within our business hours, please call us so we can help you figure out the best course of action. Call your closest emergency veterinarian if it is after hours or if you're not local to us and need immediate help. This is important for two reasons. If your pet has experienced massive trauma or needs other medical assistance on the way, we can walk you through it. Secondly, and especially near holidays and weekends, emergencies happen frequently. In some cities, this may mean your veterinarian will refer emergency care to a location that is better equipped to handle your pet's needs.
So you finally arrived at the veterinarian with your pet. Now what?
Your veterinarian will triage your pet and do a thorough examination. Sometimes diagnostics will be required to determine what is happening to your dog or cat and help your veterinarian make informed decisions about the next steps in their care. If your pet needs surgery or hospitalization, we provide daily and sometimes more frequent updates on their status and prognosis and any changes in expectations. When pets are sent home, we'll send you home with a thorough summary of their care and detailed instructions for aftercare at home.
A big concern for most pet parents is the unexpected cost of emergency care. So how do you best prepare for situations that may or may not happen?
The gold standard option for emergency care finance is pet insurance. There are many great options for pet insurance, including coverage for emergency care and wellness care for your dogs and cats. We recommend full coverage insurance, but some pet parents may strictly elect emergency coverage. If you want pet insurance and to understand better how it works, check out the link below or visit policyadvisor.com.
Now, if you don't have pet insurance, what do you do?
At Swann Animal Clinic, we offer two financing options, scratch pay and care credit. Both companies allow you to pay smaller amounts over time and in some situations, special financing options like zero percent interest rates may apply. You can see which you qualify for by following the links provided.
Do you have any final advice or information for pet parents regarding emergencies?
Please call us with any other questions regarding dog or cat emergencies. We'd rather you ask a question and find out it's not an emergency than to wait too long. Urgent care at Swann Animal Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (806) 355-9443, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram