Subscribe5 True Dog Emergencies: Signs You Should Never Ignore
Learn the difference between “urgent” and “emergency” when it comes to your dog’s health status.
This pet health content was written by a veterinarian, Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS. It was last reviewed on August 27, 2024
Don’t Guess When It Comes To Your Pet’s Care
Don’t Guess When It Comes To Your Pet’s Care
Understanding the Difference Between Urgent Care and True Dog Emergencies
What’s the difference between a dog needing urgent treatment and a true dog emergency? In my book, an emergency is immediately life-threatening, while urgent treatment is important, but the dog isn’t in imminent danger.
You’d be surprised how some people ramp up the pressure and call something an emergency because they are worried, want to be seen, and think applying pressure is the only way. This is fine (to a point) because:
- Expert vets understand this goes with the territory.
- However, it’s frustrating when conditions that were not an emergency become “urgent” because the client turned a blind eye to earlier symptoms.
- Ignoring earlier signs often leads to complications that could have been avoided with timely care.
Take the itchy dog with red, raw skin, who’s suddenly seen as an “emergency” because for weeks the person ignored the constant scratching. Not that I’m belittling scratching, but when the dog is otherwise hale and hearty, it isn’t life-threatening, and the word “emergency” is misplaced.
Vets can spot many true dog emergencies at a thousand paces just by the symptoms. Some signs are guaranteed to have the vet’s full attention in seconds because they are true emergencies with the real potential to endanger life.
Recognizing Some True Dog Emergencies
When things go seriously wrong, a dog can die in minutes or hours, and delaying is not an option. Bear in mind this is not a comprehensive list, but here are some examples I’ve seen of true dog emergencies where prompt treatment gave (or would have given) the dog a fighting chance of survival.
Bloat or Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV): A True Dog Emergency
Bloat can kill horribly quickly. Indeed, a sad case springs to mind where the parent failed to act and paid a horrible price. One night, he said goodnight to his beloved German Shepherd but came down in the morning to find him dead on the kitchen floor. Overnight, the dog’s stomach had twisted, filled with air, and caused catastrophic circulatory collapse and a heart attack.
Even with emergency stabilization and corrective surgery, survival rates for GDV are around 50%. However, the cases that do best are those seen as an emergency.
If you see any of the following signs, contact the vet immediately:
- Retching, but the dog is unable to bring anything up
- Sudden onset stomachache, especially if the dog is a breed with a deep chest and has recently eaten
- A distended abdomen
- Heavy drooling, especially when showing signs of restlessness or distress
Internal Bleeding: Recognizing a True Dog Emergency
From ruptured tumors (notably of the spleen) to dogs with clotting problems, these dogs can go downhill very quickly. The signs include:
- A sudden loss of energy or weakness
- Pale gums
- Labored breathing
- The tummy that looks oddly distended or swollen
A top tip is to lift the dog’s lip and check his gums. They should be a nice pink color. If they are pale, ashen, or white, contact the vet immediately. Again, no vet is going to mind you checking in day or night when there’s the faintest suspicion of internal bleeding.
Difficulty Giving Birth
Many people are surprised their female dog is in pain while giving birth. This is normal, but it’s important to recognize when something is no longer normal and has become an emergency. While it’s always wise to seek advice from a vet, it’s also crucial to be well-informed about what to expect before she goes into labor. Knowing how many pups the mother is carrying can be vital information ahead of whelping.
Signs that a female dog may be struggling include:
- Heavy straining for 2 hours without the arrival of a puppy
- Straining for more than 1 hour between puppies
- An absence of straining for 6 hours, yet the mother still has puppies in the womb
Road Traffic Accident
Of course, a dog with open fractures or heavy bleeding must be rushed to the vet immediately. However, any traffic accident, no matter how seemingly minor, should be treated as an emergency. Even if a dog walks away from a collision, they may have sustained internal injuries that aren’t immediately apparent.
Key actions to take include:
- Rush to the vet immediately if there are visible injuries like open fractures or heavy bleeding.
- Treat even minor collisions as emergencies since internal injuries may not be immediately visible.
- Monitor for any delayed signs of distress following the accident, such as lethargy or labored breathing.
Eaten Poison or Toxic Foods
When a dog eats something potentially toxic, it’s essential to take immediate action. Making them sick is crucial, but always get vet advice before trying to induce vomiting at home. Sadly, there’s no 100% safe, reliable way to do this at home, so an injection by the vet is the best option.
However, the longer the substance is in the digestive tract, the more is absorbed. Thus, it’s crucial to induce vomiting within 1–2 hours at most. Longer than this, and the harm may already be done.
Key steps to take include:
- Contact your vet immediately if your dog consumes anything toxic.
- Attempt to induce vomiting only under veterinary guidance; an injection by the vet is the safest method.
- Act quickly because the longer the substance stays in the system, the more harm it can cause.
One extremely sad case was a gorgeous spaniel who stole and ate a pack of raisins from his person’s handbag. It wasn’t until several hours later that she read about raisins being toxic to dogs and sought help. By the time I saw the dog, his kidney enzymes were already raised. Despite aggressive intravenous fluids, the damage was done, and the dog went into slow kidney failure and died several weeks later.
These veterinary students are training to provide care in emergency pet situations:
Human Responsibility
Being a responsible pet owner means getting your dog the care they need before things escalate into a true dog emergency. By addressing issues early, you can nip problems in the bud and prevent them from reaching “emergency” status. Remember, a true dog emergency is usually a sudden event, so there are few justifications for a pet who’s had a problem for days or weeks to suddenly be in “emergency” status.
Key points to consider:
- Never hesitate to phone the clinic for advice. Certain signs will instantly catch the vet’s attention, so all you need to do is accurately describe what you see.
- Trust your gut instinct. If something feels wrong and you’re not satisfied with the vet’s answer, let them know. A good vet will respect that and review the symptoms with renewed caution.
- Avoid misusing the word “emergency.” Overusing the term can divert attention from more severe cases. For instance, while the emergency vet is seeing an itchy dog, it could take attention away from a dog hit by a car or experiencing acute breathing difficulties.
In short, if your dog was bleeding out but the vet was detained seeing a dog with sore skin, would you be happy?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you call 911 if your dog is dying?
No, you should contact an emergency vet clinic directly if your dog is dying, as 911 is for human emergencies.
What is a canine emergency?
A canine emergency is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate veterinary attention, such as severe injury, difficulty breathing, or poisoning.
Can I wait until morning to take my dog to the vet?
If your dog shows signs of a true emergency, you should not wait until morning and should seek immediate veterinary care.
Can dogs sense medical emergencies?
Yes, dogs can sometimes sense medical emergencies in humans, such as detecting low blood sugar or impending seizures.
