When your dog is facing an emergency medical issue, immediate attention from a veterinarian could save their lives or prevent lasting health problems. With some emergencies—such as traumatic injuries or seizures—it’s obvious that responsive care is needed. However, other complications may be less easy to evaluate. To help you keep your dog safe, here are five warning signs that it’s time to visit a veterinary hospital right away.

5 Signs Your Dog Needs an Emergency Vet

1. Breathing Problems

After exhaustive exercise, it’s normal for dogs to pant and breathe heavily for a short amount of time. However, if you notice that your pet is coughing, wheezing, or breathing rapidly, an emergency medical problem may be occurring. Some possible causes include heat exhaustion, poisoning, heart and lung problems, and chest injury.

2. Excessive Thirst or Frequent Urination

From time to time, your dog may drink a lot of water simply because they are dehydrated. But if you constantly have to refill the water dish and notice that your pet is urinating more often, see a veterinarian as soon as possible. These behaviors could occur due to diabetes or kidney disease—two serious conditions that require medication and dietary changes.

3. Eye Irritation

Eyes that are red, bleeding, cloudy, or otherwise irritated could be affected by a serious injury that requires emergency care. In other cases, the dog may be developing an eye condition—such as cataracts, glaucoma, infection, or pink eye. Without prompt treatment, many of these issues can cause vision loss or complete blindness.

4. Ongoing Stomach Problems

From time to time, diarrhea and light vomiting may be nothing more than a temporary digestive problem. However, when these behaviors are severe, your pet may be suffering from organ failure, poisoning, or severe dehydration.

5. Bloating Abdomen

More common among large dog breeds, food bloat is a condition that occurs when too much fluid, gas, and food are trapped in the stomach. This problem will cause a distended abdomen and may involve twisting of the digestive tract. Without emergency vet care, bloat can be life-threatening.

Offering extended and weekend hours, Rolling Hills Veterinary Hospital is a trusted resource for pet emergencies in Columbia, MO. Staffed by skilled veterinarians and state-of-the-art tools, this animal hospital can accurately diagnose medical issues and provide comprehensive treatment to help protect your pet—including general and laser surgery. For more details on the services this veterinary hospital offers, visit their website. To schedule an appointment, call (573) 449-7387 to reach the Oak Forest vet clinic or (573) 449-3791 to speak with the Keene Estates team.