What Symptoms are Considered Pet Emergencies? Top 10 Signs Your Pet Needs an ER Visit

1. Vomiting

If your pet vomits, you’re likely concerned as to the reason why. Vomiting in pets can range in severity from mildly concerning to life-threatening, and it’s not always an emergency.

Emergency-level vomiting looks like:

• Several episodes of vomiting within the past 24 hours
• Vomiting with other concerning symptoms (like diarrhea, pain or lethargy)
• Vomiting after your pet may have ingested a toxic substance or swallowed an object
• Repeated dry heaving or attempted vomiting without anything coming up

Severe vomiting can be due to a number of causes, ranging from indigestion to serious and complex diseases or injuries. If your pet is experiencing any of the vomiting signs above, it’s important to seek immediate veterinary care to discover the underlying cause and help your pet feel better.

2. Diarrhea

Diarrhea – which looks like loose or watery stools – is another gastrointestinal symptom that’s common in veterinary ERs.

Diarrhea may be considered an emergency situation if it is:

• Bloody
• Uncontrollable
• Occurring several times within 24 hours
• Combined with other symptoms (like vomiting or pain)
• Happening after your pet may have ingested a toxic substance

Similar to vomiting, diarrhea can link to several potential diagnoses, some of which are highly concerning and time sensitive, particularly because severe diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration.

3. Bleeding

Pets may experience bleeding from a cut, laceration or trauma-related wound. In many cases, bleeding can be controlled at home with simple first aid like applying pressure or gauze.

Bleeding may require immediate veterinary care if it is:

• Uncontrolled
• From trauma
• Due to deep wounds (like bites or puncture wounds)
• Accompanied by other signs of injury (like limping or loss of mobility)
• Causing significant blood loss
• Oral or rectal
• Internal (in the abdomen, for example)

Some bleeding wounds may appear surface-level, though they may actually be deeper than they appear. Deep wounds can impact the internal organs and increase the risk of infection. Your pet’s emergency vet will assess the wound to rule out signs of complication and treat and protect it, which may involve dressings or stitches.

4. Difficulty breathing

Breathing complications are veterinary emergencies.

The following signs indicate a breathing-related emergency:

• Choking
• Raspy, rapid or shallow breathing
• Coughing
• Open-mouthed or unusual breathing
• Excessive panting
• Difficulty getting air
• Labored breathing
• Changes in respiratory rate (breathing unusually slowly or quickly)

Breathing difficulties can be a result of several conditions, including allergic reactions, heart or lung conditions, asthma, trauma and more.

5. Urinary issues

Seemingly simple urinary issues can actually be serious emergencies.

Examples of emergency-level urinary problems include:

• Inability to urinate
• Straining to urinate
• Blood in urine
• Painful urination (crying or howling while attempting to urinate)

These signs can indicate a urinary blockage or obstruction, which can result in life-threatening complications like bladder rupture and cardiac arrest. Urinary issues can also be a result of a urinary tract infection (UTI), which may stem from an underlying concern like crystals, stones or bladder cancer.

Urinary-related emergencies are particularly common in male cats, who are prone to urinary blockage and obstruction due to their anatomy and their naturally concentrated urine.

6. Seizures

Seizures are cause for concern, especially if your pet has never had a seizure before. It’s not always easy to identify a seizure, as they can look different for each pet and type of seizure.

Here are the common signs of emergency-level seizures in pets:

• Brief loss of consciousness
• Involuntary rigidity followed by paddling of the paws (this may look like they’re “swimming”)
• Collapsing
• Drooling, tongue chewing or foaming at the mouth
• Altered perceptions of their surroundings (hallucinations)
• Uncontrollable shaking

Depending on the context, there are several courses of action if your pet has a seizure:

• If your pet has never had a seizure before, call your family vet. If they’re not available, go to the ER.
• If your pet has had seizures before and your family veterinarian is aware, follow their guidelines for how to proceed.
• If your pet has multiple seizures or ones that last longer than a few minutes, take your pet to an emergency veterinarian.

Seizures can happen as a result of several underlying conditions, like epilepsy, kidney or liver disease, poison ingestion or a head injury.

7. Inability to walk

If your pet loses their ability to walk normally (or at all), seek immediate veterinary care. Mobility issues can greatly affect your pet’s quality of life and may indicate a serious injury or disease.

Emergency situations include:

• Inability to stand up
• Dragging hind legs
• Lack of coordination or stumbling
• Limb paralysis
• Limping with signs of injury
• Inability to extend limbs

These situations may be due to an injury, spinal disease or chronic illness.

8. Swollen abdomen

The sudden onset of a swollen or distended abdomen is always an emergency. It’s a telltale sign of a serious condition called gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). Sometimes referred to as “bloat,” it occurs when your pet’s stomach gets distended with food and air and becomes twisted.

Other signs associated with a swollen abdomen or GDV include:

• Attempted vomiting resulting in white froth
• Rapid heart rate or breathing
• Signs of pain (like refusing to lie down and general discomfort)

GDV is particularly common in certain dog breeds, including:

• Great Danes
• Standard poodles
• German shepherds
• Irish setters
• Irish wolfhounds
• Akitas
• Weimaraners
• Saint Bernards

There are other conditions that may cause a swollen appearance in the abdomen, though GDV is by far the most commonly seen in the ER. Swollen abdomen emergencies are time sensitive and often involve life-saving surgery.

9. Loss of consciousness

Loss of consciousness, which is also known as fainting or syncope, is a highly concerning event that should be assessed by a vet right away.

Signs of fainting in pets include:

• Falling to the ground (usually on their side)
• Muscle twitching
• Limp body
• Pale gums

They may also lose control of their bladder or bowels.

Some of these symptoms may also be present during a seizure, so it’s important to tell your pet’s medical team exactly what happened.

Loss of consciousness is generally a result of insufficient blood supply to the brain, which can stem from several conditions (many of which relate to the heart or brain) or low blood glucose (complications of diabetes).

10. Major injuries

When your pet is seriously injured, an emergency vet can provide them with the timely care they need to heal and prevent serious complications.

The following injuries should be seen by an emergency vet as quickly as possible:

• Broken bones (especially broken limbs)
• Dislocated joints
• Eye injuries
• Fractured teeth
• Deep wounds or lacerations
• Head injuries
• Bite wounds
• Sprains or strains

Major injuries can result from traumatic events like:

• Animal attacks
• Hit-by-car or vehicular trauma
• Accidents
• Falling

Injuries can often be worse than they appear, or there may be other complications under the surface that you can’t see. If your pet is injured or experiences a traumatic event, it’s important to receive a full examination from a vet as quickly as possible.

What should I expect at the emergency vet hospital?

Behind every emergency-level symptom in pets is a wide range of potential diagnoses. Fortunately, your pet’s emergency vet can help uncover the reason behind the symptoms and help them heal.

Assessing your pet’s symptoms begins with triage, where the ER team will capture your pet’s vital signs like temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate.

Next, you’ll have an exam with the vet (after a potential wait in the lobby), who will ask questions like:

• Is your pet taking any medications?
• How long have they been experiencing these symptoms?
• Has your pet experienced trauma?
• Have they potentially swallowed an object or ingested poison?
• Is your pet vaccinated?
• What kind of diet does your pet eat?
• What kind of lifestyle does your pet have? Are they active?
• Has your pet traveled recently?
• Is your pet experiencing any other symptoms?

It’s important to be as thorough as possible when telling the emergency vet about your pet’s symptoms, as even the slightest detail can help them uncover a potential diagnosis.

Following your exam, the vet may recommend diagnostic tests like:

• Bloodwork to understand your pet’s overall health and look for signs of disease
• Urinalysis to look at organ function like bladder and kidney function
• Fecal testing to check for parasites or illnesses
• X-rays to examine your pet’s bones and look for injuries
• Ultrasound to get a closer look at internal organs
• MRI or CT for a more detailed view inside your pet’s body, such as the brain
• Surgical scoping to check the GI tract and internal organs for signs of concern

Once your vet has completed your pet’s exam and diagnostic testing (which includes ruling out serious conditions), you’ll have a lot more information about why your pet is sick and what your options are for helping them feel better.

Depending on your pet’s condition, their symptoms may be alleviated with treatments like:

• Oral medications
• IV fluids and therapies
• Oxygen therapy
• Wound management
• Fracture repair
• Surgery
• Rest
• Dietary or lifestyle changes

If you discover your pet’s symptoms are a result of a complex or chronic illness, you may be transferred to a critical care unit for continued treatment and monitoring, referred to a veterinary specialist or your family veterinarian for follow-up care and long-term management.

What should I do during a pet emergency?

If your pet is showing signs of a medical emergency, take the following steps to get them the emergency care they need.

1. Call the emergency vet. Contact your local veterinary ER and let them know you’re coming. They may advise next steps on the phone call.
2. Prepare for your visit. If easily accessible, grab a copy of your pet’s medical records or pull them up on your phone. Next, get your car ready by securing a crate for cats and smaller pets or laying down blankets and using a pet seatbelt (if you have one) for larger dogs.
3. Transport your pet. Carefully get your pet in the vehicle, and make sure they’re as comfortable as possible with proper ventilation and climate control. Then, safely drive your pet to the hospital.

There are also a few things you should NOT do in an emergency, including:

• Don’t medicate at home. Giving your pet medications (especially human medications) before taking your pet to the ER can complicate their visit. Don’t give your pet any meds unless otherwise instructed by a vet.
• Don’t try to fix an injury beyond basic first aid. If you suspect your pet has a broken or dislocated bone, don’t try to fix it yourself; you could make the injury worse, and the pain could make your pet aggressive.
• Don’t rely solely on online information. Online searches aren’t a substitute for a physical examination with a veterinarian. If your pet is in distress, they need in-person, hands-on care from a trained professional.