Emergency Services

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If your pet is having an emergency, it is important that you learn what to do and act quickly. Learn about Care Animal Hospital’s emergency services and when it makes sense to take your pet in for emergency care.

Why Bring My Pet to Emergency Services in Care Animal Hospital?

Pet emergency cares are a means to attend to ill or injured pets needing immediate care. This includes multiple assessments and examinations to carefully provide a proper diagnosis and an urgent medical or surgical treatment plan for the patient. When it comes to this, our team is prepared to provide compassionate care to your pets.

Not only can this situation get expensive, but it is estimated that 1 out of 3 pets will require emergency care every year. As an animal parent, it is vital to be prepared to ensure that your friend can receive the compassionate care they need. This is why, at our pet clinic here in Temecula, we have the best tools to provide our clients with the highest level of care possible.

Veterinarian assisting a sick dog in the operating table while her staff observes

Also, we stay up-to-day because we discuss the best ways to care for the necessities of our clients. On top of that, we practice the most current pet emergency cares as our team and our doctor is always learning the best techniques.

What to Expect From Our Emergency Veterinary Services

Whether it be an accident, food poisoning, or an unnatural display of behavior, we can provide emergency care to your furry friend as soon as possible. Our top priority is your dog’s life and comfort, which is why, our vet, Dr. Alcorn will always be there to provide the best emergency pet care.

Regarding your dog’s emergency care, it’s essential to know that it can happen anytime, even on major holidays. This is why, in our hospital, we have a wide range of available hours in which our doctor is prepared to receive your dog. 

When you bring your dog, discussing your canine’s personality and natural behavior would be helpful. This way, we can provide the best care to them at our pet hospital. Every dog is different. Therefore, some might act differently in an emergency. 

Signs Your Canine May Need Our Emergency Care

The following are some of the most common symptoms and causes that show that your animal requires urgent treatment. If you have any concerns about your dog’s behavior, please contact our phone right away. Our veterinarians will be able to offer immediate assistance online.

Excessive Bleeding

This can be caused by wounds, traumas, and internal bleeding caused by an accident. For instance, if your canine gets hit by a car, it will get immediate attention from our veterinarians in our Temecula hospital. Remember, if a severe accident happens, don’t lose hope. Call us immediately, and our local veterinarians will take good care of your animal as soon as possible.

Rapid or Intermittent Breathing

Fast or irregular breathing can indicate respiratory distress or an underlying heart condition. For instance, if your furry friend is panting excessively or has trouble breathing after exercising, it may need emergency pet care at our clinic.

Unconsciousness

Unconsciousness can be caused by trauma, severe illness, or underlying medical conditions such as seizures. For example, if your canine unexpectedly loses consciousness, you should call us so our local veterinarians here in Temecula can handle the situation.

Seizures

Seizures are a common symptom of severe medical conditions like epilepsy, brain tumors, or poisoning. If your furry friend has seizures, it may need emergency pet care from our professionals to manage them and avoid further complications.

Weakness or Difficulty Standing

if your canine suddenly struggles to stand, bring them to our clinic here in Temecula so we can provide an emergency pet service to them. This can be caused by conditions such as the following.

  • Muscle damage
  • Nerve damage 
  • Spinal injuries
  • Arthritis
  • Myopathy
  • Anemia
  • Hypothyroidism

Rapid or Weak Pulse

A rapid or weak pulse can indicate shock, dehydration, or underlying medical conditions like heart disease. If the pulse of your furry friend is weak or difficult to detect, it may need medical attention from our veterinarians immediately.

Change in Body Temperature

An unexpected change in the body temperature of your dogs may come from several causes, such as exposure to extreme temperatures, heatstroke, or underlying medical conditions such as hypothermia. If your pet becomes drowsy or shivers uncontrollably, it may require emergency pet care from our professionals.

Swelling

Several conditions, including allergic reactions, insect bites, and tumors, can cause swelling. If your canine’s face suddenly swells up or they develop a lump on their body, you need to bring it to our clinic, so our doctor can take care of them.

Pasty Gums

Anemia, dehydration, or underlying medical conditions such as liver disease can all cause pasty or pale gums. As a result, if your animal’s gums appear pale or discolored, they may require immediate assistance from our regular veterinarian at our vet.

Black and white poodle with a white neck brace sitting on the grass

Convulsions, Frothing at the Mouth, or Drooling

These symptoms can be caused by various conditions such as seizures, poisoning, or neurological disorders.  If your pet starts convulsing or foaming at the mouth, bring them to our pet clinic. 

Paralysis

If, after being hit, your pet suddenly loses the ability to move its limbs or appears paralyzed, it might need the highest level of care from our regular veterinarian at our vet. Paralysis can be caused by various conditions such as the following 

  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Tumors
  • Lyme disease
  • Meningitis
  • Encephalitis
  • Degenerative Myelopathy

Broken Bone or Injury

Just like bleeding, broken bones s can be caused by trauma, falls, or accidents. Therefore, if your canine suddenly limps or appears to be in pain, bring it to the vet as soon as possible. This way, our team will be able to provide the best care and prevent further damage.

Incessant Vomiting or Food Poisoning

This can be caused by various conditions such as infections, ingesting contaminated food, ingesting foreign objects, or underlying medical conditions such as kidney disease. If your pet is currently vomiting, our regular veterinarian here in Temecula should immediately practice some evaluations on their body.

Severe Diarrhea

This can be caused by various conditions such as bacterial infections, parasites, or underlying medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. If your pet has had diarrhea and lethargy for more than one day, our veterinarian should practice some evaluations on them.

Snakebite, or Other Animal Attack

Snakebites can cause severe trauma, pain, and even death in some cases. Therefore, if your pet has been bitten by a snake, attacked by another dog, or has wounds that won’t stop bleeding, they must be checked by our veterinarian immediately.

Related Questions

How Can I Prevent My Pet From Having an Emergency?

Aside from monitoring your canine’s food and day-to-day activities, it’s important to make sure they get regular wellness check-ups. Also, they need preventive health care once a year with a doctor. This can have unexpected costs, this is why you need to be financially able to sustain your pet’s care.

Taking compassionate care of your pet is an important responsibility you took over the first day you brought him in. By ensuring your canine’s in overall amazing shape, the chances for sudden, emergency pet situations are decreased.

While expensive checks, unexpected costs, and treatments might be a reason pet owners fail to bring their pets in regularly, just remember that it increases the likelihood of an emergency. You might end up spending thousands of dollars more on something you could have prevented.

What Should I Do in a Pet Emergency?

In an emergency pet situation, attend to your pets with first aid. Provide your pets with the highest level of comfort while traveling so you can bring them without causing further damage. 

A good option would also be to call our pet clinic first. This ensures the doctor will have the necessary equipment prepared for your arrival. This means that our veterinarian will be ready to take the patient in immediately.

It’s also important to be prepared with your resources. Emergency check-ins include a lot of tests, examinations, and accommodations, which can have unexpected costs, especially on major holidays. Making sure you are financially able is crucial to making sure your pets get the treatment they need.

Can I Call 911 for a Pet Emergency?

No, you cannot. The only time that the police department will assist you in any animal emergency is when it involves an accident including humans, road blockage, or when an animal is a danger to humans.

While a 911 operator might assist you and teach you how to handle first aid, it is beyond their discretion and they do not have a set protocol for animal emergencies. In other words, they are not an animal doctor, and they are not supposed to send a car over for non-human related situations.

If you need help transporting your furry friend, there are companies you can call that are focused on transporting pets to emergency clinics, even on major holidays. These animal ambulances are the same as their human counterparts, and can efficiently help you bring your animal to safety with the help of competent staff and professionals.