Finding Emergency Veterinary Care Service

There are times when accidents will happen. When an emergency medical condition befalls your pets, it can be difficult to make a good decision especially if the medical emergency occurs in the middle of the night. This is why it is important for you to have an emergency plan before you need one.

How to find 24 hour veterinary care service
You should talk to your vet about what you should do in case of an emergency. Find out whether the animal care expert provides 24 hours or whether he knows of a clinic that provides 24 hour services. It could be possible that your primary care provider has partners who could provide 24 hours care. It is also advisable to maintain the name, address and telephone number of the local emergency clinic.

When your dog will require emergency service
There are certain cases that will show that your dog will need emergency services. This is important if your dog has undergone severe trauma as a result of a fall or an accident such as choking, insect sting, heatstroke, house poisoning as well as other life threatening situations. There are several signs and symptoms that will need emergency services. These include:

- Rapid breathing
- Pale gum
- Rapid or weak pulse
- Changes in body temperature
- Apparent paralysis
- Difficult standing
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Excessive bleeding

What to do
Incase your dog is severely injured; it may act aggressively towards you. Therefore, you must protect yourself from injury first. Approach the dog in a slow and calm way. Kneel down and call them by name. If the pet shows sign of aggression, call for immediate help. If the dog remains passive, prepare a makeshift stretcher and life him gently on it. Ensure that you support the neck and back to protect yourself if he has suffered from spinal injury.

First aid treatments that you can perform on your dog
Many emergencies will require vet care. However, first aid can play a role in stabilizing the pet for transportation. If the dog is suffering from external bleeding as a result of a trauma, you can try elevating them and applying pressure on the wood. If the dog is choking, place your fingers in the mouth to help remove any blockages. If you are not able to remove the foreign object, you can give the dog a sharp rap to help dislodge the object from the chest. If you have removed the object that the dog was choking on and it is still unconscious, CPR will be necessary. First you must ensure that the dog is breathing. If there is no heartbeat, you can incorporate cardiac massage while giving artificial respiration.

If your dog has eaten something poisonous, you should call your vet immediately. The vet will take into consideration the substance ingested, health and age of the pet before making a recommendation. For instance, he will decide whether to induce vomiting. With these tips, it is possible to save your pet from medical emergencies.