Dog Emergency Care at Advanced Animal Care
What are the signs that my cat is having a medical emergency?
A medical emergency includes things like seizures, difficulty breathing, pale gums, painful collapse, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea for more than 24 hours. Things like that are all medical emergencies.
How can I tell if my cat's in pain?
Cats are notoriously stoic, so it can be very difficult to tell if your cat is in pain. Generally, they will have a grimace to their face, so their facial features are really pinched in. Their ears can lay back, and they're usually hunched in a position, trying to keep themselves as small as possible. Sometimes they will stretch out into a "prayer" position if they're feeling really uncomfortable. It just depends on the type of pain they are feeling.
What should I do if my cat is choking?
If your cat is choking, you can always try to stay calm. You can try to open the cat's mouth and use your index finger to swipe the back of the throat in case you can reach the object that is lodged there. I would caution you to try not to get bitten. If you are going to get bitten, do not try to do that and get your pet to an emergency facility as quickly as possible.
How can I safely transport my cat to the emergency vet?
Cats are very easy to escape, especially when we're just holding them. They're a little bit harder to corral than dogs, so we really recommend bringing your cat in a carrier of some sort whenever you're taking them to the vet or outside of your house.
What are the symptoms of a cat having a seizure?
A cat having a seizure usually will lose consciousness. Sometimes they are violently shaking, and they'll urinate on themselves, sometimes defecate on themselves. It can last variable amounts of time, but they'll generally be what's called postictal afterward, where they are very disoriented, confused, kind of lethargic, and ataxic, which is stumbling around. That would be considered a medical emergency, and you should go see your vet.
What should I do if my cat is having a seizure?
If your cat is having a seizure, try to keep them in a place where they cannot fall off of anything or injure themselves further. You can try to get a blanket and hold them as still as you can. Otherwise, as soon as they are through with their seizure, get them to an emergency vet as quickly as possible.
How can I tell if my cat has been poisoned?
It can be very difficult to tell if your cat has been poisoned, and it depends on the type of poison that has been used. There are many different types. Generally speaking, we will see vomiting and diarrhea first. Sometimes we can see collapse, difficulty breathing; it really just depends on the type that is used.
What should I do if my cat ingests something toxic?
If your cat ingests something toxic and you know what it is, or even if you don't know what it is and you suspect something toxic, getting them to the nearest emergency vet as quickly as possible is recommended. We recommend most clients call the pet poison helpline, where they have board-certified toxicologists who can handle your specific pet case and give us the appropriate medical recommendations to handle that pet.
What are signs of heat stroke in cats, and how can I prevent it?
Heat stroke in cats generally involves open-mouth breathing or panting, which is always abnormal for a cat to do, lethargy, collapse, and being very warm to the touch. Try to give them cool water, placing it on their paws or body, and potentially using a fan. Just make sure the water is not cold; it should only be cool. Then try to get them to your nearest emergency vet as quickly as possible.
What should I do if my cat has been hit by a car?
If your cat has been hit by a car, try to stay calm. Move the cat as little as possible, get them into your car, and maybe wrap them in a blanket if you can, because many times cats that have been hit by a car have broken bones or internal injuries. We want to disrupt them as little as possible and get them to your emergency vet as soon as possible.
How can I stop bleeding if my cat has a cut or a wound?
If your cat has a cut or a wound that is bleeding and not stopping, you can try to place a quick pressure bandage and wrap it. But as soon as that has been performed, getting them to your nearest emergency vet as quickly as possible for them to assess that wound is recommended.
What are the signs of a urinary blockage in male cats?
Male urinary blockage in cats typically involves straining or the inability to urinate in the litter box for 12 plus hours, yowling, painful abdomen, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is very serious. If you suspect that your male cat, or even female cat, is blocked, getting them to your emergency vet as soon as you can is important.
How can I tell if my cat is having difficulty breathing?
A cat that is open-mouth breathing or panting is almost never normal, so those are signs to look for. Sometimes they will have pale gums, and you will see abdominal effort with their breathing, indicating they're having a hard time. That's a medical emergency, and getting to your vet as soon as you can is crucial.
What should I do if my cat is vomiting or has diarrhea for more than 24 hours?
If your cat is vomiting or having diarrhea for more than 24 hours, I recommend seeking emergency vet care. It depends on the nature of the vomiting and diarrhea on whether we're suspecting a foreign body, toxin, etc., but definitely getting them seen would be my recommendation.
What are the signs of a severe allergic reaction in cats?
A severe allergic reaction in cats can include acute vomiting, hives, difficulty breathing or panting, redness or swelling at the area if it is like an insect bite or a bee sting. Those are all things that we look for in an allergic reaction.
What should I include in a first aid kit for my cat?
I always tell people to have some Benadryl, non-decongestant Benadryl, on hand for their pets in case of an allergic reaction that they need to immediately address, or having some light band material in the home. Besides that, there's not much I would have on hand, and most things need to be seen by the vet after that.
How can I perform CPR on my cat in an emergency?
We are very well trained for CPR here. Many people want to try to do CPR on their pets. I do say you can risk hurting them further, especially if they don't necessarily need it, but getting your pet to the nearest emergency vet or any vet that is open if you suspect your pet needs CPR is my best recommendation for you.
What are common causes of sudden collapse in cats?
There are many different causes for sudden collapse. We can see cardiac events, stroke or seizures can cause sudden collapse, electrolyte abnormalities, so if they've been vomiting or having diarrhea for a long period of time. The list is quite extensive, so it definitely needs some diagnostics or workup if your cat is experiencing sudden collapse.
What should I do if my cat's eye is injured or swollen?
If your cat's eye is injured or swollen, I do consider eyeballs to be a medical emergency. Getting them to your vet for an examination as quickly as possible is important. Depending on the nature of the eye injury, they may need to stain the eye to look for ulcerations or even enucleation. It's a broad spectrum of what can be needed.
How can I tell if my cat has a broken bone, and what should I do?
If you suspect your cat has a broken bone, the only way to truly diagnose that is with an X-ray, which can be performed by a veterinary professional. Many times, if you suspect your cat has a broken bone, getting them to your nearest vet as soon as you can, depending on the nature of the injury, would be my recommendation.
After an emergency, how should I monitor my cat's healing or progress?
That's going to be different for every single patient depending on what emergency has occurred. If they have some type of wound, we're going to watch the sutures or watch for swelling. If they've had vomiting or diarrhea, we're going to watch for continued vomiting or diarrhea, check if they're eating, if they're lethargic. It really depends on the specific emergency that they experienced, but always keeping a close eye on your pet for the next 24 to 48 hours after they've experienced some type of emergency is my recommendation.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (859) 625-5678. Our staff is here for you!