When your pet is sick, it's easy to panic. You want help for them as soon as possible, and you may be unsure about what to do. The good news is that there are ways to get immediate assistance for your dog or cat—but only if you know how to spot a crisis in time. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about emergency pet care: from CPR training and when it's time to go straight to the emergency room rather than calling your vet, all the way through helping your pet recover from an illness or injury after treatment has begun. For example, if you find yourself in an urgent situation, knowing what questions to ask before taking action can reduce stress and increase your chances of success at saving a life (including yours).
What to do if your pet has a medical crisis
- Call the vet.
- If you can't get the vet on the phone, go to the vet.
- If you can't get to the vet or your pet is having a medical crisis, go to an emergency room (ER).
How to spot a medical emergency
If you notice that your pet is not acting normal, or if they are having trouble breathing, bleeding, or injured, it's time to call the vet.
- If your dog has collapsed and is not moving at all:
- Call the vet immediately! Your dog may be having a seizure and needs immediate medical attention. Stay with him until help arrives; do not leave him alone in case he starts breathing again while you're gone (this could cause further damage). Do not try anything on your own since dogs' bodies are fragile and can easily be hurt during CPR attempts. You should also avoid shaking or moving an unconscious animal - this could cause serious brain injuries or break bones in its neck as well as other vital organs like lungs which might lead to death later on.
When to call the veterinarian and when it's time to go to the emergency room
If your pet is in pain, or has a fever:
- Call your veterinarian immediately. If it's an emergency and they're not open, go to the closest emergency animal hospital with your pet. Don't wait until tomorrow morning to take him there because by then it might be too late!
If your dog has been bleeding from his nose or mouth:
- Call your veterinarian immediately--this could mean he's choking on something and needs help right away! If you don't have access to transportation (or if transportation isn't available), take him directly to the nearest emergency animal hospital without delay.
CPR training for pets
CPR training for pets is important. It can save your pet's life in an emergency, as well as yours. The first step is knowing how to perform CPR on a cat or dog, followed by learning how to use a pet oxygen mask, defibrillator, and resuscitation bag. You may also want to consider taking classes on using breathing bags if you have trouble administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or just don't like the idea of kissing your pet on the lips (though we recommend it).
The following are some common ways that people perform these procedures:
If you've ever been in training, you know how important it is to get help quickly if there is a problem. If your pet's heart stops beating and its airway becomes blocked, your first priority should be calling either the vet or an animal hospital. Do not try to treat your pet yourself!
- Don't give anything to eat or drink (including water).
- Don't give any medicine unless told otherwise by a professional veterinarian who knows about this specific situation; even then, only under their supervision and guidance as they may administer medications through IV lines that bypass the digestive system entirely so as not to risk further complications from possible ingestion of medications by mouth.
- Do not put your hands inside the mouth or nose of an unconscious dog without proper training from professionals--it could cause more harm than good since those areas are very sensitive even when awake so imagine what might happen if those same nerves were stimulated while asleep?
Conclusion
If you've ever been in training, you know how important it is to get help quickly if there is a problem. This is especially true with pets because they are so small and fragile. If your pet has suffered an injury or stroke, it's important that someone knows how to perform CPR on them as soon as possible!