Pet medical emergencies may not look like regular human medical emergencies and need to be treated differently. It is important to know what pet medical emergencies look like and how you should respond in an emergency situation in order to assist your pet in a helpful manner. With pets, there are a few big issues that vets see that are often ignored by most pet owners that require medical attention: trauma, diarrhea, and vomiting as well as bloating.

Trauma

The first is sudden trauma. If your vet experiences trauma, such as getting hit by a car, and looks fine on the outside, do not assume that everything is fine on the inside. Get your pet to the vet, because lots of internal injuries are not obvious from the outside. If your pet goes through a traumatic event, be sure to get them checked out to make sure that they are truly fine on the inside and the outside.

Diarrhea & Vomiting

The second issue is gastrointestinal issues. If your dog has diarrhea or vomiting, do not just dismiss it as an upset stomach. Visual signs like diarrhea and vomiting are complications and symptoms for a wide variety of larger, more internal issues. If your pet is experienced gastrointestinal issues, get them to the vet to make sure that something larger is not at play.

Bloat

The third issue is bloat. If your dog's stomach suddenly expands, you need to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Your dog's stomach bloating is a little different than your stomach bloating after a big meal. When your dog's stomach bloats, their stomach presses against their other organs. This can make it hard for your pet to breathe. Bloating can also cause your pet's stomach to twist up, stopping blood flow to the heart.

Bloat can come on really quickly and is different than a full bell. If your pet's stomach suddenly expands, get them to the vet quickly because the complications can be serious. Other signs of bloat, beyond a distended abdomen, including lots of vomiting or retching without vomit actually being produced as well as trouble breathing. Another sign of bloat is constant pacing by your pet and the lack of an ability to lay down comfortably.

If your pet experiences a trauma, has gastrointestinal issues or experiences bloat, these are all emergencies that require immediate medical attention from your vet or local animal hospital. These three conditions are often signs of larger underlying issues that need to be medically treated.