There are many different situations in which your dog may find itself in distress. But is it really an emergency? And what is the right thing to do? Here you will find useful information on how to assess your dog's situation. The most important thing is to stay calm and keep a clear head.
An emergency is when immediate assistance is required to prevent serious injury or death to the animal. Clear signs of an emergency in dogs are as follows:
A healthy dog has the following normal values:
Every dog has its own normal values. It is best to check these regularly when your dog is at rest so that you are well prepared in an emergency and can assess the values.
If you take the right first aid measures quickly, you can save your dog's life and prevent further damage.
If you cannot feel a pulse and see no signs of breathing, resuscitation may be life-saving. To do this, perform chest compressions (press twice per second) and mouth-to-nose resuscitation twice in alternation 15 times. Continue resuscitation until the heart starts beating again and the dog starts breathing.
Lay the dog on its right side and press down on its chest behind the left elbow by about one-third. For a large dog, use your arms straight; for a small dog, carefully use two fingers or press the chest together with one hand between your thumb and fingers.
Open the dog's mouth, remove any vomit, foreign objects or blood, stretch its neck and carefully pull its tongue forward. Now close the mouth, seal the nose with your lips and blow into it so that the chest rises. If the dog does not breathe independently within ten minutes, resuscitation can be stopped.
With a well-stocked emergency kit (see related article), you will be well equipped to provide first aid at home.
If you suspect stomach torsion (see relevant article), prevent your pet from eating or drinking and seek veterinary assistance immediately. In this emergency, time is of the essence.
If the dog is not breathing and/or has no pulse, perform CPR immediately.
Then check the dog for bleeding. Tie off heavy bleeding on the limbs above the injury, for example with a leash. Apply a pressure bandage to other areas and to arterial bleeding (with pulsating, bright red blood flow). It is best to cover wounds with sterile gauze pads or moistened cloths.
Keep injured limbs soft and stable. Carefully pad them with thick cotton wool if available and wrap them loosely with a gauze bandage.
Since even invisible internal injuries can have life-threatening consequences, an animal should always be taken to a veterinary clinic as an emergency after a car accident. Call ahead to let them know you are coming.
If your dog has swallowed a foreign object, try to remove it with your fingers. Be careful that the object does not slip further down the throat or that the dog bites down on it. If the foreign object has slipped too far down the throat, seek veterinary attention immediately. Do not attempt to remove a thread-like foreign object yourself.
If your dog is having trouble breathing because of a foreign object, you can try to make them cough it up. To do this, lay them on their right side with their back toward you and place one hand under their sternum. Now press firmly toward the dog's back and throat. Even if your dog seems to be feeling better afterwards, take it to a veterinary practice immediately, as further damage may have occurred.
In the event of paralysis, for example of the hind limbs, seek immediate veterinary attention. Avoid further movement of your dog.
In case of poisoning (see corresponding article), contact your veterinarian immediately and inform them in advance by telephone what, how much, and when the substance was ingested. Take any remaining substance or a sample of the vomit with you, even if your dog has only come into contact with the poison through the skin or respiratory tract. Do not attempt to induce vomiting yourself.
Common causes of poisoning in dogs are chocolate, rat poison, and slug pellets. If your dog has accidentally eaten chocolate, use the handy petsXL chocolate poisoning calculator to assess how serious the danger is for your dog.
If your dog has a seizure (see relevant article), remain calm, prevent injury by padding the area and darken the room. Speak to your dog in a soothing voice, but do not touch its head during the seizure to avoid injury. If the seizure does not subside within a few minutes, it is a life-threatening emergency and you must take your dog to the vet immediately.
If your dog suffers from heatstroke (see relevant article), move them to a cool environment immediately. Cool them down with cold, but not ice-cold, water or wet towels. Start at the paws and work your way slowly towards the heart. Never pour water over your dog. Even if they feel better after cooling down, take them to a vet immediately as further damage may have occurred.
In the event of burns, cool the wound under running water and then cover it with a sterile cloth. Seek veterinary attention immediately for large burns.
A blockage of the urethra (see corresponding article), which occurs mainly in male dogs, is an absolute emergency that must be treated immediately at a veterinary clinic.
If birth complications arise (see article "Hurray, the puppies are coming"), contact your veterinarian immediately to find out whether veterinary intervention is necessary.
Some puppies are born with their amniotic sac. If your dog does not remove it herself, do so yourself, as the puppy will not be able to breathe otherwise. Make sure that the number of afterbirths matches the number of puppies. If not, contact your vet immediately. Remember that intervening too early in the birth process can disturb your dog and lead to complications.
Inthe petsXL emergency guide, you will find further articles on illnesses that can become emergencies.
In an emergency, immediately contact a local veterinary practice and describe your observations as precisely as possible so that they can prepare for your arrival and act quickly. As your dog may snap due to fear or pain, it is advisable to put a comfortable muzzle or muzzle strap on them. If your dog is vomiting or has breathing problems, do not use this protective measure.
Transport an animal with poor circulation in the recovery position on its right side. If the dog is unconscious, its mouth should be the lowest point and its tongue should be hanging out.
If you suspect spinal injuries, lay your dog on a firm surface, such as a wooden board.
Cover an animal suffering from hypothermia with a (thermal) blanket.
Ataxia is Greek and means "disorder." The term actually describes quite well what ataxia is all about. It is a disorder of the horse's normal movement and posture that is caused by damage to the central nervous system. Ataxia is therefore not lameness!
You've probably heard of it, and if you see a horse with long, curly fur, irregular fat deposits, weakness, and possibly even laminitis, you immediately think: That must be Cushing's! But it's not quite that simple, because Cushing's has very different symptoms and the diagnosis should not be made hastily.
A cat can have kittens twice a year. Unfortunately, unneutered stray and outdoor cats are often pregnant, resulting in too many "unwanted" cats being born. In some areas, cats that appear to be homeless are caught and taken to the local animal shelter, where they are neutered by a veterinarian. However, if the birth was planned and takes place in a safe environment, it can be a wonderful experience for both the mother cat and her kittens.
Coccidiosis, caused by parasites, is a common disease in rabbits. A distinction is made between liver coccidiosis and intestinal coccidiosis. Young, stressed, or weakened animals are particularly at risk.
This condition, also known as "cold tail," has been known for some time but remains largely unexplored. It occurs mainly in the summer months, is characterized by a distinctive tail posture, and is very painful.
This disease, which has only been known for a few years and is feared by warmblood breeders, is a hereditary genetic defect that leads to connective tissue weakness in newborn foals. It is estimated that WFFS has existed for 170 years and affects approximately nine to eleven percent of all warmbloods.
Both dogs and cats can have allergic reactions to certain ingredients in their food. This causes the immune system to overreact to certain ingredients in the food. Between 1 and 5% of all allergic skin diseases in dogs are caused by food allergies. Animals of all breeds and ages are affected. As in humans, an increase in allergies can also be observed in dogs and cats.
Birds such as budgies, beos, and parrots can not only learn to talk, they are also capable of performing small tasks. With enough patience and a few training tricks, humans and birds can have a lot of fun together. And the results are often impressive!
Inflammation of the testicles and epididymis, which usually occur together and are medically referred to as orchitis and epididymitis, are rare but can lead to reduced or even complete infertility in stallions.
Leptospirosis is a contagious infectious disease of dogs that is widespread worldwide and can also be transmitted to humans, which is why it is also referred to as a zoonosis. This bacterial disease was first discovered in dogs in 1852. Almost half a century later, it was observed at a dog show in Stuttgart, which is why it was initially called Stuttgart dog disease. In Germany, leptospirosis is a notifiable animal disease.
This disease is a mostly congenital vascular malformation of the liver that was first described in 1949. The "shunt" is a connecting vessel that directs blood from the body's circulation past the liver directly into the main vein and thus unfiltered to the heart. The liver's inability to detoxify the blood leads to gradual internal poisoning of the animal.
Pulmonary stenosis, also known as pulmonary artery stenosis, is one of the most common congenital heart diseases in dogs and describes the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, which originates in the right ventricle. This heart disease is extremely rare in cats.
