How to Handle Pet Health Emergencies

John Ueland

Ines de Pablo, chief officer of Wag'N Enterprises, lists the following situations as those requiring emergency veterinary care:

Head, chest, or abdomen trauma

A prolonged or first seizure

Arterial bleeding

Fractures

Animal, chemical, and environmental poisoning

Shock

Respiratory distress

A sudden inability to walk

Bloating

Unconsciousness

Smoke inhalation

Nose bleeds

Impalements

Spinal cord and neck injuries

Falls

Blunt trauma from a car accident

Heat stroke

Hypothermia

Frostbite

A protruding eye injury

A loss of pulse after administering CPR

Choking scenarios

Bloody urine or stool

Facial swelling

Anaphylaxis

Originally published in the July 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine.