What are the most Common Animal Emergencies and what to do?

Whenever your pet has medical emergency problems due to injury, calling for vet services is necessary but the first  thing one must never forget is to remain calm and never leave your pet unattended.

Below are tips we have gathered to educate you as pet owners; these are essential ways to assess and perform first aid on your pet during an emergency. Knowing these tips are necessary to keep your pet alive, minimize injury and future disability.

Vomiting

• If and when you see your pet vomiting, this could be an indication of diarrhea or a simple upset stomach. Usually, this will stop within 24 hrs, but if it hasn’t stopped or your pet develops other symptoms such as being lethargic or whimpering, call or bring your pet to your closest and experienced Brisbane vet clinic.  

Other Possible Causes of Vomiting

• Ingesting, inhaling poisonous substances
• Internal Bleeding

First Aid: Keep the pet/animal as warm and quiet as possible and transport immediately to a veterinarian.  

Skin Burns

• Regardless of the cause of the accident, burns causes damage to the skin, whether you see it on the surface or deeper layers. It can be visible immediately or can take up to 15-24 hrs after the accident. 

First Aid: Cool the area immediately with cold running water, apply cold compress on the area for 5 mins, keep your pet warm by wrapping a blanket around him/her.

It is important to note that burns on pets could be excruciating and, at times, unbearable. Coordinating with veterinary specialists could help your pet recover better, veterinary specialists can require aggressive pain control and come up with a supportive treatment plan.

Convulsions/Seizures/Fitting

• Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in pets; other reasons could be liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumour or trauma, and exposure to toxins.

First Aid: Clear the area of any hazards on your pet, if unconscious, check if there is breathing, and there is no airway obstruction. Please do not attempt to place your finger inside its mouth or restrain while the pet is still convulsing. See the vet immediately.

Consulting with a veterinarian in Fairfield, Qld, is a good idea since they are the experts who could prescribe medication and supplements to strengthen your pet’s internal organ functions and overall health.

Puncture & fight wounds

• Fights with other pets would cause this; you can break up the fight by spraying water, intervene physically (as long as you have another person doing the same for the other pet). Pets can have puncture wounds, bleeding from lacerations, and scratches on the skin. 

First Aid: To stop bleeding, you can apply direct pressure but never use a tourniquet. Initial cleaning of the wound with hydrogen peroxide, povidone-iodine, or chlorhexidine can help reduce the severity of the infection.

Veterinary services should examine your pet as minor wounds could conceal internal injuries. Some cases might require surgery, but the usual treatment would be antibiotics, pain medications, and sedatives.

Wounds and grazes

• Abrasions, cuts, and puncture wounds would cause this due to playing with other pets (play biting or fighting), being entangled with hazards on the environment (barb wires, etc.), and many more. Road gravel, dirt, and grass could contaminate these types of skin break-in by damaging muscles, tendons, and other vital parts.

First Aid: Mostly, these types of wounds require flushing /washing using a sterile saline solution (or clean water with salt) to remove contaminants and dead skin tissues. Specialized wound dressing might be needed depending on the severity.

Wounds like this are susceptible to bacterial infection, surgical repair might even be needed and must be performed by specialists from clinics like Yeronga Vet, the vet clinic in Fairfield, Qld.

The goal of primary/first aid treatment in your pets during an emergency is to prevent further damage and to avoid infection. When the vet has fully assessed your pet, only then can the treatment plan be determined and the best and fastest way to recovery.