When your pet is discharged from the hospital after a pet emergency, you may wonder, “what happens next?”
Your emergency vet will explain your pet’s follow-up care, which includes information to help your pet continue healing, including next steps and any further care that may be needed.
Follow-up care recommendations are patient-specific, so your pet’s needs will vary depending on their condition and any diagnosis they received. They can be as simple as a day or two of rest, or as complex as lifelong care with a veterinary specialist.
What is a veterinary treatment plan?
Follow-up care is the next step of your pet’s ER treatment plan.
A veterinary treatment plan is unique to your pet and is designed to help them recover from whatever brought them into the ER. It’s created together between you, your emergency vet, your family vet and sometimes other professionals like a veterinary specialist.
Your pet’s treatment plan begins while they’re in the ER. The emergency team will work to diagnose, stabilize and treat your pet until they’re healthy enough to go home, keeping you updated and consulting you along the way. The treatment plan often continues after your pet is discharged so they can continue healing in the comfort and familiarity of your home.
What are the most common types of follow-up care after a trip to the emergency vet?
Each emergency case is unique, so your pet’s follow-up care will be specific to their condition and individual health and may involve one or more of the following options:
1. Follow up with your family veterinarian
Your pet’s family veterinarian is your main point of contact for care. That’s why your emergency vet will send a detailed summary of your pet’s ER visit to your family vet for their records.
Your emergency vet may recommend you schedule a follow-up appointment with your family vet if your pet needs something like:
- A recheck exam
- Management of an ongoing concern
- Suture (stitches) removal
- Medication refills
2. Referral to a specialist
Similar to human medicine, veterinary specialists offer advanced expertise in specific areas of medicine. If your pet is diagnosed with a complex or chronic condition at the ER, they may be referred to a specialist, such as a:
A specialist can perform additional diagnostic tests and help create a long-term treatment plan unique to your pet’s condition.
If your veterinary ER is part of a multi-specialty hospital, you may be referred to a specialist under the same roof.
3. Rest
In many cases, rest is the best medicine for post-emergency patients. Rest can promote your pet’s healing – especially since a trip to the ER vet can be exhausting for pets that don’t feel well.
Rest can be as simple as your pet taking it easy and catching up on sleep. For pets who are recovering from surgery or a serious injury, rest may be more strict and extensive.
4. Lifestyle changes
Your emergency vet may recommend lifestyle changes for your pet following your visit, such as adding or limiting certain activities in your pet’s daily routine.
Examples include:
- If your pet has surgery to fix a broken limb, they’ll probably need to skip their morning run with you. They may eventually be able to rejoin you, but depending on their case, the risk of reinjuring themselves may be too high.
- If your pet is diagnosed with spinal issues, they may no longer be free to jump up on furniture or into cars.
- If your pet has arthritis, stairs may cause issues or create pain, so they’ll need an alternative solution such as moving their living spaces downstairs, adding a baby gate to stairs, using a harness and more. Your vet can provide suggestions that are specific to you and your pet’s home life.
Lifestyle changes also involve promoting healthy routines, such as daily walks or a feeding schedule, and maintaining or reaching an ideal body weight.
5. Dietary changes
Your pet’s diet plays a big role in their overall health. Some veterinary emergencies may lead to an adjustment of your pet’s diet.
Dietary changes could be:
- Feeding a specialized or prescription diet for a specific condition
- Avoiding or adding certain ingredients
- Limiting access to table scraps
- Promoting a healthy weight by either adding or reducing calories
Changing a pet’s diet isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve bonded over your shared love of certain people foods. It will be a collaborative effort with you, your ER vet and your family veterinarian, who are all invested in helping you and your pet.
6. Medications
Your emergency vet may prescribe your pet medications (or recommend over-the-counter meds) to be given at home. Emergencies often call for medications like:
- Antibiotics to fight infections
- Pain medications to keep your pet comfortable
- Antihistamines to ease allergic reactions
- Medications for gastrointestinal upset
Medications come in many forms, so your ER vet team will let you know how to administer the meds to your pet safely and effectively. Methods include:
- Oral medications in pill or liquid form
- Topical medications, which are applied directly to the skin
- Injections, in some cases (like insulin shots for diabetes)
7. Wound management
If your pet went to the ER for a wound like a bite or cut, you may need to continue caring for the wound at home once your pet is released from the hospital. Wound management may include:
- Gently cleaning the wound on a schedule or as needed
- Dressing the wound or reapplying bandages
- Applying medications or antiseptic ointment
Your pet’s ER team may send you home with some supplies or recommend bandages and materials to use.
What are some tips for successful follow-up care?
Because follow-up care begins once your pet is back home, it’s important that you feel confident while following the recommendations and supporting your pet’s health.
Here are three tips to promote your pet’s follow-up care:
1. Ask questions
Your emergency vet will share follow-up recommendations before your pet is discharged, and this is the perfect time to ask lots of questions. No question is too small or simple. What’s most important is that you understand how to help your pet and feel confident about the steps you’ll be taking once you’re back home together.
Keep in mind your ER team will happily demonstrate activities like giving medications or dressing wounds, so don’t hesitate to ask.
If you get home with your pet and realize you have more questions, call the hospital for support.
2. Read the directions
The discharge paperwork you receive will include information about follow-up care. Read the directions carefully and keep them nearby as your pet heals. Make sure you review details like medication dosages and timing, as well as any restrictions around rest and activities.
3. Know the signs of trouble
The ER team will talk to you about any concerning signs to watch for in your pet that would call for a return visit to the ER, like:
- Trauma wounds becoming infected
- Surgical incisions not healing correctly
- Symptoms reappearing
- Stitches becoming irritated or falling out
- Medication side effects like excessive sleepiness or gastrointestinal upset
It’s important to monitor your pet’s healing and recovery, especially after a major emergency. Pets are pros at hiding attempts to lick their wounds or scratch at injuries, so you may need to keep an extra-close eye on them until they’re given the all-clear from the vet.
With proper follow-up care and attention, your pet will have the best chance for a successful recovery after their visit to the ER, getting you and your beloved companion back to normal as soon as possible.
