Question from Nancy:
A lot of us who subscribe to this forum probably know how to tell if an animal is really sick or injured but I'm wondering if your veterinarians could give us some tips for deciding whether we need to get help on an emergency basis or if the situation can wait for regular clinic hours. In my community there is one after hours emergency hospital and they are all about the money. If it is necessary we will take an animal there but for a lot of reasons (NOT just the money) it is better to go to our local docs whenever possible.

Response from Dr Sharon Gwaltney-Brant:

Unfortunately, it is difficult to make one statement that will cover all situations adequately. The age and general prior health of the pet should be taken into account; very young or old animals should probably be evaluated by a veterinarian if more than mild clinical signs are shown. Obviously, animals that are having seizures, bleeding, having difficulty breathing, are poorly or non-responsive, or having severe or protracted signs should be seen as quickly as possible. Less severe signs may be more difficult to assess, especially in animals that have no history of health issues. Remember, too, that in some cases prompt treatment may prevent the development of more severe signs that may require much more extensive (and expensive) veterinary care.

Response from Dr Andrea Oncken:

The scope of this question is a bit too broad to answer in this forum. My general answer would be, if you're worried,it's worth the peace of mind to take your animal in to the emergency hospital. Unfortunately, it is true that emergency hospitals can be more expensive than day clinics. On the other hand, emergency medicine is not usually a big profit-making venture. Rarely do people go into emergency medicine or start an emergency hospital to get rich. However, the equipment required to stabilize critical animals, the number and high quality of staff necessary to handle the most critical patients and who are willing to give up their nights, weekends, and holidays, and the overhead involved in keeping a building up and running throughout the night can all make expenses add up quickly.

On the other hand, emergency veterinary hospitals were started because so many animals were facing crises in the middle of the night or on weekends, and the veterinary community needed a resource of highly trained people who could handle these crises and who would be available when the day practitioners weren't. Their job is to assess and stabilize animals who either would not have survived the night or who needed medical care sooner rather than later.

Again, it's impossible to list all of the situations when it's better to take your pet to the emergency room rather than waiting. A short list would include bleeding that doesn't stop after a few minutes, vomiting or diarrhea that is protracted or contains blood, a change in the mental status of your pet, seizures, choking, ongoing coughing, any animal that is hit by a car or fallen from a height, any animal that has ingested a potential toxin, any difficulty breathing, weakness or severe lethargy, fractures, head trauma, abdominal pain or a distended abdomen; pale, yellow, or white gums; unexplained pain, sudden weakness, and the list goes on.

The best advice I can give would be to call your local emergency room and explain the symptoms. Keep in mind that they are unable to see your pet, so they will not be able to say for sure that your pet will be stable through the night, and they won't be able to give medical advice over the phone. However, they may be able to assess the immediacy of the problem and give you an idea of what signs to watch for that can indicate a worsening of the condition. Then again, they may have to give you the same advice that I gave at the beginning; if you're worried, it's worth your peace of mind to have your animal seen.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Jan. 28, 2005