At El Dorado Animal Hospital we treat a wide variety of urgent care type conditions. But a true emergency is best managed at a 24-hour emergency and critical-care hospital. Thankfully we have several hospitals that can provide this type of care. How do you know if your pet’s condition is urgent vs. and emergency? An emergency can be defined as a sudden generally unexpected condition requiring IMMEDIATE care. Here are some symptoms that warrant emergency care:
What’s an Emergency
We know how scary it can be when your pet is sick, and sometimes it feels like an emergency. But what constitutes an emergency?
- Difficulty breathing, choking or non-stop coughing and gagging
- Blue, white, gray, purple or pale gums
- Ingestion of toxin or poison (bring packaging with you)
- Seizures
- Collapse
- Enlarged tense abdomen with or without vomiting
- Retching or gagging with nothing produced
- Trauma (car accident, animal attack, fall from height)
- Broken bones or severe pain
- Near drowning
- Prolonged or difficulty with labor or birthing
- Heat exhaustion
- Rattlesnake envenomation
- Severe bee envenomation
- Straining to urinate or unable to urinate
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea
- Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn’t stop within five minutes
- Injuries to your pet’s eye(s)
- Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
- Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, coughing up blood, or blood in urine
You have access to excellent veterinary emergency hospitals in our area that can treat your pet’s emergency promptly, even after hours. You may be fearful of going to the emergency hospital and want to wait until we are open, but this can be dangerous for your pet if the condition progresses or worsens. If your pet has any symptoms that concern you, it is better for them to be seen than to wait. We encourage you to explore the options for emergency care outside our normal business hours.
We triage and treat day time urgent care cases for existing patients, and then coordinate referral to a 24 hour hospital if the situation warrants it. If your pet has not been to our hospital before, you may take them to an ER or urgent care hospital listed on our Contact Us page. We are happy to schedule an establishment exam for your pet after this visit to the ER, and provide follow up if needed.
If it is after hours and your pet’s symptoms do not constitute and emergency, consider visiting of the urgent care hospitals in the area, which have extended hours but are not necessarily open 24 hours. Contact information for these hospitals is on our Contact Us page.
El Dorado Animal Hospital works closely with the urgent care and emergency hospitals in the valley, so if your pet is seen at an ER, we will be informed and can continue care here as needed. They communicate with us directly about the visit, and provide all medical tests and records for continued care.
What should you expect at the ER?
Keep in mind that pets from all over the area may be seeking similar care at the ER and the emergency clinics are sometimes short on staff, so a wait may be expected. The talented ER staff assesses your pet’s needs to determine how urgent it is compared to the other patients in queue. If your pet is more stable than another patient, your wait time may be longer. If your pet is less stable, you will be seen right away.
Emergency care can be expensive, but the doctors will work with you on options to find a treatment plan that fits your budget, and they may have payment plan options available. It’s important to ask questions and discuss recommendations with them directly during your visit.
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We're AHAA Accredited
We are AAHA Accredited! AAHA-accredited hospitals are recognized among the finest in the industry because they voluntarily choose to be evaluated on more than 900 quality standards that go above and beyond state regulations, ranging from patient care and pain management to staff training and advanced diagnostic services.
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We are a Cat Friendly Practice®! As a Cat Friendly Practice® we understand the unique needs of cats. We offer a feline friendly environment for safer and easier exams and less stress during visits. Each CFP has at least one designated ‘Cat Advocate’ on staff – a knowledgeable professional leader who ensures feline-focused standards are met and being followed.
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