Conditions

Signs:

• Swelling and/or redness around the lips and/or eyes
• Swelling around the face and/or neck
• Pale gums
• Difficulty breathing
• Vomiting
• Staggering, weakness, collapse, severe itching, hives

Common causes:

• Insect bites
• Vaccines
• Drugs (i.e., antibiotics, accidental ingestion of human medications)

First aid:

• Call or take your pet to the veterinarian or after-hours emergency clinic.

Signs:

• Arterial blood is generally bright red and squirts with the pulse
• Venous blood is generally purple/red and oozes
• Coffee ground appearance in vomitus, or bright red blood in vomitus
• Black tarry stool or frank blood in the stool

Common causes:

• Trauma
• Rodenticide toxicity
• Other anticoagulants, including Aspirin

First aid:

• Apply pressure to the area that is bleeding, taking care to not get bit by the animal
• Don’t remove bandages that are soaked through; apply new bandages on top

Signs:

• Excessive drooling, often thick and ropy saliva
• Unproductive vomiting and retching
• A dog may produce frothy, foamy material in small quantities
• Agitated, uncomfortable, won’t lie down, pacing
• Anorexia
• +/- Abdominal swelling or bloated appearance

Common causes:

• Deep-chested breeds are more affected
• Hypothesized that may be due to rapid food and/or water intake, exercise

First aid:

• There are no home treatments for bloat, and the pet should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Signs:

• Frequent trips to the litter box
• Straining to urinate and not producing urine or producing very small amounts
• Blood in the urine
• Vocalizing while in the litter box
• Lethargy, anorexia, not wanting to move
• Painful abdomen (cries or hisses when a cat is picked up or the abdomen is touched)
• Attempting to urinate in odd places (i.e., bathroom tub, sink, floor, etc.)
• +/- Vomiting

Common causes:

• More frequently seen in overweight neutered males
• More frequently seen in cats with a history of urinary crystals (may not have been diagnosed prior to blocked episode)

First aid:

• There are no home treatments for urinary blockage, and the cat should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Signs:

• Abdominal effort with each breath
• Open-mouth breathing in cats
• Cyanotic, or blue, gum color
• Panting in dogs that do not subside with rest
• Marked respiratory noise (may indicate an obstruction)

Common causes:

• Allergic reactions
• Upper airway obstructions
• Asthma (more common in cats)
• Primary lung disease (infection, cancer, other)

First aid:

• Varies depending on the cause of the breathing problem.
• Generally speaking, there are no home treatments for respiratory distress, and the pet should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Signs:

• Moist red skin with no hair
• History of being in the vicinity of a hot object or fire

Common causes:

• Trauma

First aid:

• Apply a cool, wet washcloth (if the pet will allow), especially if oozing or seeping
• Transport quickly to a veterinarian

Signs:

• Fractured bones that protrude through the skin
• May or may not be associated with a large amount of bleeding

Common causes:

• Trauma

First aid:

• Move the fractured area as little as possible
• Transport quickly to a veterinarian
• May need a stretcher for larger dogs

• Lacerations that have excessive bleeding
• Lacerations that have areas of muscle and/or bone exposed

Common causes:

• Trauma

First aid:

• Cover the wound to control bleeding with gentle pressure
• See bleeding
• Transport the pet quickly to a veterinarian

Signs:

• Not progressing into the second stage of labor (delivery of puppies or kittens) after 6-8 hours of the first stage of labor
• Foul-smelling discharge with no puppies or kittens delivered or knowing that more should be delivered but are not
• Heavy, persistent flow of blood prior to, during, or after delivery
• Mother exhibiting muscle weakness, muscle spasms, tremors, muscle rigidity, or seizures
• Straining for more than 20 minutes without the production of a kitten or puppy
• Weak, intermittent contractions for 1 hour without the production of a kitten or puppy
• Passed fetal membranes but no puppies or kittens
• More than 1 hour has passed between the birth of puppies or kittens
• Intense abdominal pain and/or shock

Common causes:

• Seen more in brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs, English Bulldogs, and Shih Tzu’s.
• Large puppies or kittens occur more commonly in small litters

First aid:

• To resolve dystocia, a cesarean section may be necessary and best for the puppies or kittens.
• Call or take your pet to the veterinarian or after-hours emergency clinic for advice.

Signs:

• Blinking frequently
• Squinting
• Conjunctivitis (pink swelling around the eye).
• Ocular discharge
• The eye appears larger or smaller than the opposite side

Common causes:

• Trauma
• Brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Lhasa Apsos are more prone to having eye problems
• Age-related change
• Infectious

First aid:

• Do not handle the eye; prevent the pet from scratching at the eye
• Transport the pet quickly to the veterinarian

Signs:

• Entry +/- exit wound
• Wounds are round, +/- hemorrhage
• May fracture bones, damage internal organs

Common causes:

• Dog or cat has strayed onto the neighbor’s property

First aid:

• Control bleeding if present
• Transport the pet quickly to a veterinarian

Signs:

• Excessive panting (dogs), open mouth breathing (cats)
• Bright red mucous membranes
• Weakness
• Collapse
• Hot to the touch (unreliable indicator)

Common causes:

• Pets at greatest risk of heat stroke include…
• Young (< 6 months) or old (> 7 years)
• Overweight
• Brachycephalic
• Present or recent illness
• Large breeds
• Pets taking sedatives and anti-histamines
• Windows up in the car while it is warm outside (doesn’t have to be overly hot)
• Locked in a small room with poor ventilation
• Heavy exercise

First aid:

• Move the pet to a cool area
• Rinse cool water over the paws, may use alcohol as well
• Transport the pet quickly to a veterinarian

Signs:

• If the event is not visualized…
• Difficulty breathing
• Road rash
• Limping

Common causes:

• The pet has strayed out of the yard and onto a road
• Pet is sleeping or lying in the driveway

First aid:

• Transport the pet quickly to a veterinarian. It may be to wrap a large blanket around your pet for transport.

Signs:

• Dependent upon the toxin ingested (see the page on Toxins)
• Muscle weakness, muscle tremors
• Seizures
• Petechia (red spots) of the gums
• Vomiting, diarrhea, GI upset
• Urinary problems

Common causes:

• Toxins in the garage or household that are not stored out of pets’ reach
• Accidental ingestion of human medications

First aid:

• May recommend to induce vomiting depending on what was ingested
• Activated charcoal is indicated in some cases
• May call poison control (see the page on Toxins)
• Transport quickly to a veterinarian

Signs:

• Uncontrolled body movements
• Frequently lose urinary and bowel control during the seizure
• Disoriented afterward
• Is considered an emergency (seek immediate care) when…
• Seizures last longer than 1 minute
• Seizures cluster – reoccurring episodes
• Pet does not recover from the seizure
• More than 1 seizure per week

Common causes:

• Many seizures are idiopathic (have an unknown cause)
• Toxins
• Brain tumors
• Infectious (bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, etc)

First aid:

• If your pet has been prescribed diazepam for seizures, it may be administered rectally.
• Move objects and people away from the pet to prevent injuries
• If first time occurrence, transport the pet immediately to a veterinarian
• If the pet has a history of seizures, may increase or alter anti-seizure medication. Discuss with the veterinarian.