New England Animal Medical Center

How to Tell if Your Pet Is Having an Emergency

Not all pet injuries and illnesses require immediate medical attention. However, if your pet is experiencing any one of the below pet health emergency symptoms, please call or visit our animal hospital right away.

• Non-productive retching/vomiting, swollen or distended abdomen

• Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop within five minutes

• Any difficulties breathing: short or shallow breath, increased effort, gagging, choking

• Bleeding from the nose, mouth, coughing up blood, or blood present in stool or urine

• Inability to pass stool, struggling to pass stool, or obvious pain passing stool

• Inability to urinate, struggling to urinate, or obvious pain associated with urination

• Eye swelling, discharge, redness, or injury

• If you suspect or know that your pet has eaten something poisonous, including antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodenticide, or any other toxic substance

• Allergic reactions including swelling, rashes, or itching

• Weakness, inability to walk, sudden collapse

• Diabetic animals refusing food

• Pregnant animals in labor for more than one hour without delivering, those that have gone more than 3-4 hours between delivering

• First-time seizure, seizures lasting more than three minutes, or multiple seizures

• Heatstroke or hypothermia

• Severe vomiting or diarrhea

• Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more

• Unresponsive or loss of consciousness

• Obvious broken bone

This list is not exhaustive and does not cover all possible emergency symptoms. If you have questions about your pet’s symptoms or are concerned that they may be experiencing an emergency, please call us at (508) 584-1600. We have emergency veterinarians on staff to make sure your pet gets the best possible critical care in New England.