Emergency, Urgent Care, or St. Francis: Where Should I Bring My Sick or Injured Pet?
If your pet is sick or injured, you know that they should see a veterinarian, but sometimes it’s hard to know when a situation calls for a visit to the emergency clinic versus waiting to see your regular vet. Understanding the difference between routine care, urgent care, and emergency situations can make all the difference in ensuring your pet gets the timely treatment they need. Here’s a guide to help you make decisions about the best place to bring your pet when they need care.
Understanding the Role of Your Regular Veterinarian
Your regular veterinarian is your go-to resource for routine check-ups, vaccinations, dental care, and the management of chronic conditions. These visits help maintain your pet’s overall health and prevent future issues. At St. Francis, we also have the ability to handle acute medical issues that can be treated on an outpatient basis. However, there are situations when waiting for a regular appointment may not be in your pet’s best interest, and urgent or emergency care may be necessary. The goal of urgent care or emergency services is to provide your pet with short-term care when they need it. These facilities then follow up with us as your primary veterinarian to provide any ongoing or follow up care that your pet might need.
When to Seek Urgent Care:
Urgent care is for situations that are serious but not life-threatening. These cases require prompt attention, but your pet’s life isn’t in immediate danger. Examples of situations that might warrant a trip to urgent care include:
- Persistent Vomiting or Diarrhea: If your pet has been vomiting or experiencing diarrhea for more than 24 hours, dehydration and other complications can set in. Urgent care can address these issues before they escalate.
- Minor Injuries: If your pet has sustained a minor injury like a small cut, sprain, or is limping but still seems relatively comfortable, urgent care is a good option. They can assess the injury, provide pain relief, and prevent infection or worsening of the condition.
- Sudden Behavioral Changes: If your pet suddenly starts showing signs of discomfort, anxiety, or unusual lethargy, it’s a sign that something might be wrong. While not necessarily an emergency, these changes should be evaluated quickly.
- Mild Allergic Reactions: Swelling, itching, or hives can indicate an allergic reaction. While not immediately life-threatening, these symptoms should be treated to prevent them from worsening.
When to Go to the Emergency Clinic:
Emergency situations are those in which your pet’s life is at immediate risk. In these cases, every minute counts, and you should head to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic as quickly as possible. Emergency clinics also have the ability to hospitalize your pet if they need ongoing intensive care. Some examples of emergency situations include:
- Severe Trauma: If your pet has been hit by a car, attacked by another animal, fallen from a significant height, or suffered any other serious injury, they need immediate attention, even if they seem okay at first. Internal injuries can be life-threatening and aren’t always immediately visible.
- Difficulty Breathing: Labored breathing, choking, or any other signs of respiratory distress require immediate emergency care. Breathing issues can rapidly become fatal if not addressed right away.
- Seizures: If your pet experiences a seizure, especially if they have multiple seizures in a short time or seizures that are lasting longer than 5 minutes, they need to be seen by an emergency veterinarian. Seizures can indicate serious underlying conditions and can be life-threatening if not treated.
- Ingestion of Toxic Substances: If your pet has ingested something toxic, such as chocolate, certain plants, medications, or chemicals, it’s crucial to seek emergency care immediately. Many toxins can cause severe, life-threatening reactions if not treated promptly.
- Severe Allergic Reactions: Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction characterized by difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or collapse, is an emergency and requires immediate treatment.
- Bloat (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus): Bloat is a condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off blood flow and trapping the gas inside. This condition is most common in Great Danes and other giant, deep-chested breeds of dogs. This is a life-threatening emergency, and without prompt surgery, the outcome is often fatal.
Trust Your Instincts
As a pet owner, you know your pet’s normal behavior better than anyone. If something seems seriously wrong, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and seek immediate care. While it’s important to distinguish between urgent and emergency situations, if you’re ever in doubt, contacting your veterinarian or heading to an emergency clinic is the safest choice.
Knowing when to take your pet to urgent care or emergency can be challenging, but being aware of the signs and symptoms that require immediate attention can make all the difference. Regular veterinary care is essential for keeping your pet healthy, but understanding when to escalate to urgent or emergency care is just as crucial. Your pet’s health and well-being depend on timely and appropriate care, so don’t hesitate to seek help when you need it. If you aren’t sure where to take your pet for emergency or urgent care, please reach out to us so we can get you the resources you need.
Options for Urgent Care:
Animal Emergency and Referral Center: https://vmc.umn.edu/services/urgent-care
University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center: https://vmc.umn.edu/services/urgent-care
UrgentVet: https://urgentvet.com/
Options for Emergency Care:
Animal Emergency and Referral Center: https://aercmn.com/veterinary-services/emergency-medicine-critical-care/
Allied Veterinary Service: https://www.alliedervet.com/
Blue Pearl Pet Hospital: https://bluepearlvet.com/
Como Park Animal Hospital: https://www.comoparkanimalhospital.com/emergency-services
South Metro Animal Emergency Care: https://smaec.com/
University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center: https://vmc.umn.edu/services/emergency-and-critical-care
Veterinary Emergency Group: https://veterinaryemergencygroup.com/lp/maple-grove/
Oxbow Vitamin C Shortage
Oxbow’s popular Vitamin C supplement is currently on backorder. If you normally rely on these to provide your guinea pig with their daily vitamin C, you can use fresh veggies or fruits to provide vitamin C instead. VIN has a great list of how much you need to offer with different types of veggies to meet daily vitamin C requirements. Check it out here: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102922&id=4952750
Congratulations, Laura CVT!
Our veterinary technician Laura passed her Veterinary Technician National Exam this week! Congratulations on this big achievement, Laura!
Upcoming Closures
Saturday, August 31st through Monday, September 2nd (Labor Day Weekend)